Ukadiche Naralache (Coconut) & Chocolate Modak

Ukadiche modak is a sweet dumpling very much popular in Maharashtra and south India. Modak can be fried or steamed. Ukadiche Modak is a marathi word which means "Steamed modak". The filling is made of fresh coconut and jaggery, the covering is made of rice flour. I have given these dumplings a twist, have stuffed  some of them with chocolate. A famous Indian dessert consumed highly during the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi.

Ingredients
For the Filling
1 Cup Coconut   - grated
3 Tablespoon Jaggery - grated
2 Tablespoon Sugar
1/2 Teaspoon Cardamon and  Nutmeg powder
1 Tablespoon Almond powder

A teaspoon ghee

Sweet or Bitter Chocolate pieces - I used bitter chocolate

For the Shell:
1 Cup water
1 teaspoon Ghee
1 Cup Rice Flour

A pinch of salt

Method

To prepare the coconut filling:
Heat a pan, add the ghee, grated coconut, sugar and jaggery.
Stir till the jaggery melts and it dries up a little. Add the cardamon and nutmeg powder, mix well. Keep aside to cool.

For the Modak:
In a microwave proof dish, add water, ghee, salt and on high for 2 minutes then add the flour,  mix well. While the dough is still hot, knead it well.

Now take a little dough, roll it into a ball, and roll it into in thin and round puri, place it into the greased modak mould. Put a spoonful of the filling onto the dough and close the mould tightly remove the excess flour from the side and with bottom flour fold it to seal the modak.

In the same way prepare the chocolate modaks by adding a small piece of chocolate.

Put the modaks in a muslin cloth and steam them for 10- 15 minutes. Serve hot with ghee.  These modaks vanished in a jiffy as soon as they were ready.  The chocolate ones were really awesome, when I asked my daughter if given a choice which ones she would like the coconut or chocolate filling.  Here is her prompt answer the chocolate ones.

Labels: Sweets & Desserts, Festival Sweets

Caramelized French Toast - Eggless

August 29, 2014

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Milk
1 Tablespoon Cornstarch
1/2 Teaspoon Ice cream essence
3 Slices Bread

1 Tablespoon Light brown sugar
Ghee for frying

Method
Combine milk, cornstarch, sugar and essence in a dish and stir until cornstarch is dissolved.

Heat a frying pan with ghee.  Dip the bread in the milk mixture and place this in the pan and fry on medium heat till done and brown on both sides.

I had this without any topping but if you wish you can add maple syrup, honey, whipped cream or chopped fruit of your choice.

Linking this post "Come, join us for Breakfast" event .

Labels: Breakfast, Continental Cuisine, Eggless

Cabbage Dosa (Instant Dosa)

August 28, 2014

This doss is an instant dosa since, this batter does not need  fermentation.  Tamarind is added to the batter, this takes care of the sourness to the batter.   The cabbage in this dosa with the tamarind and red chilly taste yummy, one does not require chutney or sambhar to go along with it.

Ingredients
1 Cup Parboiled or Raw rice
1/4  Cup  Chana dal 

1/2  Cup Urad Dal
1/4 Cup Tur Dal

1/2 Teaspoon Methi seeds
4 Red chilies
A Small lime size Tamarind 

2 Cups cabbage  - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Turmeric powder

1/4 Cup coriander leaves - finely chopped
A pinch of Asafoetida

A Spring of Curry leaves- finely chopped

2 Green chilies-  finely chopped
Salt to taste

Method

Soak rice, methi seeds and all the dals together overnight or for 3 -4 hours.
Microwave the tamarind and red chilies in water for 1 minute on high. Grind the soaked tamarind, red chilies to a fine paste  then add  hing , turmeric and salt. Then add the soaked rice+dal, grind it coarse paste. Transfer this ground paste to a bowl and stir in the chopped cabbage, curry leaves and green chilies and mix till well incorporated. The batter should be thick. 

Heat dosa tawa and when slightly hot, spread a ladle of the batter.  Drizzle oil around the dosa. When the bottom is cooked, flip and cook on the other side. 

Serve it coconut chutney or sambhar is also good, but I had it just plain and hubby dear with sauce.  Serve it hot.

Note: The batter is not easily spreadable like other dosa's. Use a ladle to lightly spread the batter to a circle. Don't try to spread it too thin, this is a fairly thick dosa or else the dosa will break when you flip it to the other side.

Linking this post "Come, join us for Breakfast" event .

Labels: Breakfast, Rice, South Indian, Dosa, Vegan, Come join us for Breakfast

Nutella and Fruit Sandwich

August 27. 2014

I love nutella and I love it so much that, it takes all my will power not to just dip my finger into a bottle and eat. This nutella sandwich that includes a few healthy fruits and the bread that is baked at home with no preservatives. I enjoyed this sandwich so much.

Ingredients:
4 Slices Bread
2 Tablespoons Nutella
1 Banana - sliced length-wise
1/2 Apple - sliced thinly

1/4 Teaspoon Cinnamon powder

Method:
Apply the Nutella  on the slices of bread.  Then add slices of banana and on top of the banana add slices of apple, sprinkle cinnamon powder generously and top with other slice of bread. 

 Enjoy!!

Labels: Sandwiches, Breakfast, Healthy. 

No Knead Light Wheat Loaf

August 26, 2014

This is a no knead bread. Simple , easy, perfect for beginners. The recipe is by Varada.
Ingredients
2 Cups All-purpose flour
2 Cups Whole wheat flour / Chapatti flour
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 3/4 Teaspoon  Salt
3/4 Teaspoon Instant yeast
2 Cups + 1 Tablespoon  Ice cold water
3 Tablespoon  Oil

Method

Sift the flour in a large mixing bowl. Add all the other dry ingredients. Pour the water and oil.

Whisk until all the ingredients are mixed together. Do not knead. Pour a few drops of oil on your palm and spread over the top. Cover with plastic wrap and keep aside.

( I mixed the dough in the morning and it was done in 6 hours. )

Lightly spread oil on a 10 x 5 loaf pan.
When the dough has risen to twice its original volume, stir the dough together gently.

No fold it over itself a few times. You start on one side, push your hand under the dough and pull up the dough all the way to fold over the top.

Now fold the dough in half, lift it out of the mixing bowl and place it in the loaf pan seam side down.Smooth out and even out the top with oiled hands.

Using a sharp knife cut the top of the dough three times to score. Sprinkle half a tablespoon of whole wheat flour over the top  ( I had guest and so in a hurry forgot to do this two steps). Cover with oiled plastic wrap and let it sit for a couple hours until the dough rises a quarter of an inch over the side of the pan.   As you can in the pics the bread still turned very well.

Preheat oven to 375 F during the last 15 minutes of the rise.

Bake the loaf in the center of the oven for about 50-60 minutes. If the top browns too fast tent it with foil. Let the loaf sit in the pan on the counter for 10 minutes.

Take it out of the pan and place it out on a cooling rack.

Do not slice until it has cooled.

Thanks Varada for such a wonderful recipe. The bread came out really nice and spongy. We loved this bread.  From this bread I  made Nutella Banana Sandwich will post this recipe tomorrow.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#44



Labels: Breads, Blogging Marathon, Eggless.