Homemade Pumpkin Puree - Pressure Cooker#MultiCookerMonday

In India, pumpkin is easily available through the year. I can make pumpkin puree any time, but making it in bulk and storing it saves time, energy, also I can make any recipe that calls for it in a jiffy.
I have already shared two other methods of making pumpkin puree.

How to Roast the Pumpkin in the Oven you can check the method here Roasted Red Pumpkin - Oven. For Air Fryer Roasted Red Pumpkin.

Making your own pumpkin puree not only means that your recipe will be free of any artificial coloring or preservatives, but will also ensure that you can use this seasonal item whenever you want.

Pumpkin puree is an extremely versatile ingredient that can be used in either sweet or savory applications. You can make anything from curry to quick bread, pie to pancakes.

This easy recipe uses pure pumpkin and doesn’t have any added sugar, which means that it will work well in either sweet or savory recipes.

Homemade pumpkin puree is always better than the store bought version, as it does not have any preservatives, additives or artificial coloring ingredients. Moreover, you can opt for any type of pumpkin or winter squash that you prefer and have available. The sweetness and color will vary with the type of pumpkin you use.

Ingredients
800 Grams Red Pumpkin
50 Ml Water as required

Method
Remove the pith and seeds from the pumpkin.
Wash, peel and chop them in small cubes.

In a pressure pan, add the pumpkin and water. Place it on medium high flame for 2 whistles, reduce the flame low and let it cook for 3 minutes.  Switch off the flame.

Let the cooker cool completely. Add the cooled pumpkin cubes in a blender or immersion blender. I used a blender jar since it gives a smoother texture pumpkin puree. 

Blend till smooth without adding any water. 

Store it in a airtight container in the refrigerator for a week or freeze it in a zip lock bag for about 2 to 3 months.

My Notes
Storage: Will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to three months.
Freezing: Freeze in silicone ice cube or muffin tins for easy access to smaller portions.
Labels: Red Pumpkin, Puree, Pressure Cooker, Multi Cooker Monday, Vegan, Gluten free, Sugar Free, No Oil Or Butter, American, Condiment

Multicooker Monday November 2021

• • Air Fryer Zucchini Spears (Toaster Oven) from Sid’s Sea Palm Cooking
  • Chicken Chili Verde (Instant Pot) from Food Lust People Love
  • Homemade Chicken Broth (Instant Pot) from Karen’s Kitchen Stories
  • Homemade Pumpkin Puree - Pressure Cooker from Sneha’s Recipe
  • Instant Pot Aloo Gobi Matar from Magical Ingredients
  • Pumpkin Pasta Bake (Instant Pot) from A Day in the Life on the Farm 

Atola - East Indian#SundayFunday

Atola is a traditional East Indian rice pudding that it made with newly harvested rice. This is basically a vegan, gluten free, no sugar, no oil , no ghee or butter, it has just 3 basic ingredients i.e. new rice , coconut milk , jaggery as a sweetener and is flavored with cardamom powder. It's delicious and creamy.

This is made only once a year with rice from the new harvest, on All Souls Day. The rice should be new as new rice is sticky and this is what we want. But if you don’t have rice from the new harvest then use any other rice.

All Souls’ Day, is a day dedicated to the dead and it is observed on 02 November every year. As per the Catholic church, it is the day of Commemoration of All The Departed Souls. Masses are offered for the dead. People also visit and decorate the graves of their loved ones.

Serves 4 - 5
Measurement of 1 Cup = 200Ml
Ingredients
¾ Cup Rice
1/3 Cup Chawli/Black Eyed Beans
1 Liter Thin Coconut Milk -Homemade
250Ml Thick Coconut Milk ( first extract)
160 Grams Jaggery - I used organic
½ Teaspoon Cardamom powder
¼ Teaspoon Salt
Method
Wash and soak the black eyed beans for 6 -8 hours.

In a deep vessel/pot add the rice, chawli beans, salt and

the thin coconut milk, bring it to boil and cook until the rice and chawli beans are soft ( keep stirring in between since this will stick to the bottom of the pot and get burnt).

Once the beans and rice are cooked this will thicken,

now add the jaggery , keep stirring it till the jaggery melts (taste, it if you want it sweeter than add more jaggery accordingly, for us the sweetness is just right) and the pudding comes to a boil. 

Add the cardamom powder and the thick/first extract coconut milk, let it come to a slight simmer. Switch off the flame.

This will thicken as it cools.

Enjoy this warm. Super yummy & delicious!!

Labels: Rice, Homemade, Coconut Milk, Jaggery, Cardamom Powder, Pudding, Sweets & Desserts, East Indian, Sunday Funday,  Vegan, Gluten free, No Oil Or Butter

Today for Sunday Funday Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla, has chosen this theme for us Día de los Muertos - which is The Day of the Dead. 

Atola- East Indian by Sneha's Recipe
Caldo Tlalpeño by Food Lust People Love
Dia de Los Muertos Sugar Skull Cake by Amy’s Cooking Adventures
Enfrijoladas de Pollo by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Fiambre Rojo for Día de los Muertos by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Pan de Muerto (Mexican Day of the Dead Bread) by Karen's Kitchen Stories
Pan Seared Tilapia with Shrimp by Palatable Pastime
Taco Casserole by Making Miracles
Vegetarian Tortilla Soup by Mayuri's Jikoni

Sourdough Boule#BreadBakers

After a long time baked a sourdough bread and I love sourdough breads. This boule turned out beautiful. 

Ingredients
60 Grams Active Sourdough Starter - 100% hydration
210 - 215 Grams Water
270 Grams All Purpose Flour
30 Grams Whole Wheat Flour
6 Grams Sea Salt

Method
Afternoon of Day One

Do not add all the water if you are using all purpose flour since it absorbs less water. So reserve 15 grams separately (which I did not use).

Whisk the active starter and water together in a large bowl . With your hand, mix the flour until combined. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let sit for an hour.
After an hour evenly disperse the salt on to dough and pinch the dough till the salt is well incorporated. Cover and keep it for 30 minutes.

Do four stretch-and-folds, 30 minutes apart, covering the dough with a plastic wrap between each "stretch-and-fold."
Cover the dough and let it rise for for about an hour at room temperature, until it nearly doubles in size.
Gently scrape the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Shape it into a boule without deflating the dough and let it rest for about 10 minutes, seam side down.

Line a round basket with a tea towel and generously sprinkle it with a 50/50 mixture of all purpose flour and rice flour.
Tighten up the dough by gently scooting it across the work surface to increase surface tension. Place the dough, seam side up, into the towel lined bowl. Cover and place into the refrigerator for 12 to 18 hours.
Evening of Day Two
Heat your oven to 225°C with a covered Dutch oven on the middle rack.
Remove the shaped loaf from the refrigerator while the oven is heating.

Place the parchment over the dough and invert the basket and remove the tea towel. Score the dough in the middle. Now carefully move the Dutch oven out of the oven and transfer the dough, using the parchment as a sling, to the Dutch oven. Cover and return the pan to the center rack of the oven.

Bake the loaf for 25 to 30 minutes, covered. Remove the pan from the oven, uncover, return the Dutch oven, to the oven, and bake it for another 10 to 15 minutes or until the crust is dark brown.

Cool the loaf on a wire rack for at least two hours before slicing.

Slather with butter or jam and enjoy!!
Labels: Sourdough, Breads, Bread Bakers, Healthy, Vegan, No Oil Or Butter

#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. Follow our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated each month on this home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient.
This month’s event is Breakfast Bread hosted by A Messy Kitchen

And don’t forget to check out all the amazing Breakfast Breads baked by our talented bakers ~ Bread Baker's Event for July 2021  - Favorite Breads:

 

Be sure to check out all the favorites baked this week!

• Blueberry Pistachio Chocolate Sourdough from Zesty South Indian Kitchen
• Cinnamon-Honey Raisin Bagels from What Smells So Good?
  
• Cranberry Yeast Bread from A Messy Kitchen
• Garlic Rolls from Passion Kneaded 
• Hemp and Honey Whole Wheat Bread from Ambrosia
  
• Lemon Zucchini Loaf from A Day in the Life on the Farm
  
• No Knead Sourdough Sandwich Bread from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Twists from Food Lust People Love
• Sourdough Boule from Sneha's Recipe
  

Chach- A Dessert Soup - East Indian#Soupswappers

What is Chach? That's a question many will be asking! This is an East Indian dessert soup which is made with sweet potatoes on Maundy Thursday. This is also called by many East Indians as Gorache. My mother made this every year on Maundy Thursday and we loved it. She made it without tapioca pearls, this is my addition to it. My hubby loves this Chach too. He had it as his meal, two bowls full. This dessert Soup is, no oil or butter, sugar free, vegan and gluten free too.
Make 3 Bowls
Ingredients
220 Grams Sweet Potatoes- cut into thick roundels
1/3 Cup Sabudana/Tapioca Pearls
180 Grams Jaggery - chopped
1 Medium Size Coconut - to make coconut Milk
1 Teaspoon Cardamom powder
A Pinch of Salt
Method
Wash the sabudana/tapioca pearls in water 2 times then soak it in water till an inch above the pearls. Keep this covered for at least an hour or two.

Wash and peel the sweet potatoes and cut into medium thick pieces.

This should be the thickness or else they will melt when cooking. Soak them in water, keep aside.

Now let's make the Coconut Milk

Peel all the brown part of the coconut we require only the white meat, chop it into pieces

Then grate it in a blender jar.

Warm 4 cups of water.

In big blender jar add the grated coconut, add 250Ml warm water and run the blender for 2 minutes. 

Take this out into a fine muslin cloth and squeeze out all the coconut milk 

this makes the first thick extract. Keep this extract a side.

Again add the coconut from the muslin cloth into the blender jar 

add 250Ml warm water and again run the blender for 2 minutes.

Remove this into the muslin cloth and squeeze out all the coconut milk this makes the second extract, 

pour this into a airtight bottle . These are the two bottles (250Ml Each) that I filled and labeled thick and thin coconut milk.
If you require another thin extract you can do this process again by adding just a cup of water. After this you cannot extract any more coconut milk. Use can use how much you want and freeze the remaining coconut milk.

To Make the Chach

In a large pot/pan add the 2 cups thin extract of coconut milk , salt and the sweet potatoes slices. Place this on medium low flame and let it cook for 5 to 7 minutes or till nearly done, stirring once or twice in between. 

When the sweet potatoes are nearly done then add the tapioca pearls and give it a quick stir, let this cook again on medium low flame till done/ transparent and the sweet potatoes are fully cooked, do not make them mushy they should remain whole. 

Now add the jaggery and let it melt and comes to just a boil. Add the thick extract of coconut milk and give it stir, bring this to just a boil. 

Switch off the flame add the cardamom powder.

Serve into large bowls and enjoy warm!!
Labels : Dessert Soup, East Indian, Soup, Sweet Potato, Jaggery, Cardamom Powder, Healthy, No Oil Or Butter, Vegan, Gluten free, Soup Swappers, Homemade, Coconut Milk

For Soup Swappers April 2021, we asked to "Share a soup that provides a link to your ancestry". and our Host is Sidsel of Sid's Sea Palm Cooking. 

• Apong Meling's Sinigang from Culinary Adventures with Camilla 
• Blomkål- og ostesuppe (Cauliflower and Cheese Soup) from Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
• Chach- A Dessert Soup - East Indian from Sneha's Recipe
• Cock-a-leekie Scottish Chicken Soup from Making Miracles
• Mulligatawny Soup from Magical Ingredients
• Scottish Red Lentil Soup from Pandemonium Noshery 
• Ticinese Minestrone from Karen's Kitchen Stories

Phulka- A Whole Wheat Puffed Flatbread#BreadBakers

The difference between a Phulka and Chapatti is that the Phulka puffed up on the gas flame, where as a chapatti is made on a tawa/griddle, both are made with whole wheat flour . This is a traditional flatbread which is practically made every day in a Indian household. These Phulka's goes well with any dal, curries or a side dish.

When I got married, did not know how to cook or make phulkas or chapatti. When I started to learn, it used to take me 45 minutes to make 4 chapattis for hubby and me to take for our tiffin, that too they use to be like rubber by the time we had it for lunch. Since this is made every day for our lunch as well as dinner, sometime even for breakfast, slowly I, learnt to make these. How long it took me to master them I really don't remember. But today - 31 years later, can proudly say, am an expert in making flatbreads, be it any type, can make perfectly round ones. So do not hesitate to try these, it can get a little overwhelming in the beginning, but, with experience you can become an expert.

My phulkas or chapatti is always oil/ghee free. Sometimes brush it with desi ghee. Since my daughter is vegan, we mostly have them without brushing it with any oil or ghee. The key to make soft phulkas or chapatti is kneading a soft smooth dough and resting the dough for at least 30 minutes.
1 Cup =250 ML Cup Measurement

Makes 8 Phulkas
Ingredients
2 Cups Whole Wheat Flour
½ Teaspoon Salt - optional
1 Cup Minus 1 - 2 Tablespoons Water
Desi Ghee - for brushing - optional

Method

Let's make the dough
In a large bowl combine the flour and salt, add a little water at a time to make firm soft dough and knead for a few more minutes until smooth. The water quantity depends on flour quality, some flours take more some less.

Set the dough aside to rest covered for minimum 30 minutes. 

Knead once again and divide the dough into 6 - 8 balls.

Preheat the tawa/griddle on medium low heat.

Generously dust the work surface with flour and roll each ball of dough into smooth round ball. With the palm of your hand flatten the ball. 

With a rolling pin roll this thin round circle. As you roll them out, you can keep dusting the work surface with flour, this will prevent it from sticking to the work surface.

Baking it as indicated in the steps below.

Place rolled dough on the hot tawa/griddle. In a few seconds you will notice that small air pockets, bubbles start to form on the surface.

At this point immediately flip the rolled dough to the other side and increase the flame to high.

When bottom side has got brown spots and it start to puff, lift the tawa off the flame and place the phulka(using tongs) directly on the flame. 

It will balloon into a spherical shape and puff up immediately.

Therefore this is called a Phulka. This is flame side, so do not over cook or else it will burn, when is puff remove it from the flame.

Remove the phulka from heat, place it on a cooling rack and spread little desi ghee/or oil with a brush on the side facing up (this is optional).

Continue the same process for the remaining balls of dough and the same process of baking them on the tawa. Keep stacking them one over the other. 

To store the phulka, place a ring ( this a cooker ring) on the tin. 

Then place a kitchen towel/tissue on it 

Now place the phulkas they will not get soggy, I made these for both the meals they stay soft till dinner time. Serve the Phulka (Roti/ Chapati) with any gravy or sabzi for a lunch or dinner.

My favorite way to enjoy a just made phulka for breakfast is to brush it with desi ghee or butter and a teaspoon of jam slathered on it.. love love it. Also enjoy this with my favorite fruit, banana or mango like a roll, this I have for lunch or dinner, when I want a change from the regular meal.

My Notes

Making the rolled out phulka dough puff into a balloon comes with practice. So give yourself time if you are new to flatbread making.

Even if your phulka does not puff the first time or the times after, the phulkas that you have made are cooked and edible, so you could enjoy them with your choice of vegetable, curry or any side dish.
Labels: Phulka , Flatbread, Indian Breads, Breads, Bread Bakers, 100% Whole Wheat, No Oil Or Butter, Healthy
#BreadBakers is a group of bread loving bakers who get together once a month to bake bread with a common ingredient or theme. You can see all our lovely bread by following our Pinterest board right here. Links are also updated after each event on the #BreadBakers home page. We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month the Bread Bakers are making Griddle Breads, a theme chosen by Sneha from Sneha's Recipe.





And don’t forget to check out all the amazing Griddle breads baked by our talented bakers ~
Bread Baker's Event for March 2021- Theme Girddle Breads

Bread In A Frying Pan From Magical Ingredients
Buss Up Shut Bread From Karen's Kitchen Stories 
Buttermilk Scallion Flatbreads From Ambrosia 
Easy Sourdough Pancakes From Food Lust People Love
Ham and Cheese Corncakes From A Day in the Life on the Farm
Homemade English Muffins From Making Miracles
Malabar Partha From Zesty South Indian Kitchen|
Phulka- A Whole Wheat Puffed Flatbread From Sneha's Recipe
Purple Kale Paratha (Kale Flatbread) From Cook with Renu
Sourdough Crumpets From A Messy Kitchen