Garam Masala Powder - Homemade

This garam masala is very flavorful and be used in veg as well as non-veg dishes.

Ingredients

¾ Cup  Cumin Seeds
½ Cup  Black Peppercorns
¼ Cup Cloves
15 Badi  Elachie/Brown Cardamon
30 Green Elachie/Green Cardamon
1 Nutmeg
1 Teaspoon Javitri/Mace
12 -15 An Inch Each Cinnamon Sticks

Method
Dry roast all the above ingredients just lightly and powder it. This can be stored for 6 months in an air tight container. 

Labels : Masalas, Homemade

Gozleme - A Turkish Flatbread

Gözleme is simply a savoury flatbread very famous traditional Turkish speciality, and is made of hand-rolled dough, filled with various toppings such as cheese, spinach, meat and patoteos, than sealed, and cooked over a grill plate for couple of minutes.

Gozleme name comes from the Turkish word göz meaning “compartment”, in reference to the pocket of dough in which the various toppings are sealed and cooked.
Traditionally, this is done over a saç in Turkich and plate grill in English. Gozleme  is often sold as street food, at fairs and markets and a special part of the delicious Turkish breakfast.

Ingredients
Dough:

1.1/2 Cup All purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Water as required to knead 

Glaze:
1 tbsp butter, melted

For Frying:

Oil as needed

Filling:
2 Cups packed Spinach - chopped 
1 Small Onion - finely chopped
1 Tablespoon Olive oil
200 Grams Feta cheese - crumbled
1/2 Teaspoons Black Pepper powder
Salt to taste

Method

Filling:

Blanch the spinach and squeeze off all the water. Add all the ingredients and mix well.  Keep  aside .

Dough:
Place the flour and salt in a bowl. Slowly add water while you kneading. Put the dough on the lightly floured counter and knead well for about 10 minutes until it becomes smooth. Cover the dough with a damp cloth and  let it rest for 15 minutes.  

Cut the dough in 4 equal pieces with a knife.

Roll out each piece about 25 cm in diameter with a roller.

Spread the filling ingredients equally in the middle of the dough.

First fold the opposite sides to cover the filling.

Then fold the 3rd side and lastly the 4th side to cover up the filling.

Heat up the Teflon pan just under medium heat.

Place two gozleme at a time. Cook one side of Gozleme until there are some brown spots  on it.

Then turn it over and brush this side with butter. Also brush the other side after cooking.

Cut them into two and serve, we had this with sour cream.

You can also make Gozleme with beef, potato or eggplant filling.



This is my entry for the BM #50, theme International Flatbread Week 2 day 3.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#50.

Labels : Blogging Marathon, Breads, Continental Cuisine, Turkey

Afghani Bolani/ Boulanee e Katchaloo - A Stuffed Flat bread from Afghanistan

Bolani is a vegan flat-bread from Afghanistan baked or fried with a vegetable filling. It has a thin crust and can be stuffed with a variety of ingredients, such as potatoes, spinach, lentils, pumpkin, or leeks. Bolani originates strictly from Afghanistan. It is vegan and very low-calorie. It is usually served as an appetizer, side-dish, or main dish.

Afghanistan being geographically located on the historically important trade route called the Silk Route/ Silk Road meant that Afghani cuisine shows influence of other presences on that trade route including Iran, Pakistan, India, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and China.

The Bolani is unique and is a  street food, but,  also served  as an appetizer or as a side dish at special events and parties.

The Bolani is more or less like our flat bread called paratha, and the Boulanee e Katchaloo in particular is similar to our Stuffed Aloo Paratha.  Our parathas are usually round in shape because the outer covering is of whole wheat with the filling inside, then it is rolled out and  pan-fried.  Whereas the Bolani is shaped like a turnover by folding the dough over the filling into a half-moon shape and is pan fried.

Bolani (Makes 8)

Ingredients

For the Dough :
2 Cups all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup Warm Water
1/2 Teaspoon Salt
2 Teaspoons Olive oil

For the Filling :
6 Medium Potatoes
1/2 Cup Coriander - chopped
1/2 Cup Scallions (white and green parts) - chopped

2 Tablespoons Coriander - finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1 ½ Teaspoon Salt
1 Teaspoon Ground Black pepper

For frying:
Olive oil as required

Method
First we need to make the dough. Mix together salt and flour in a bowl.

Stir as you gradually add in water and oil.

Once the dough forms a ball, remove from bowl and knead for 10 minutes.

Place kneaded dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with a towel, and let rest for one hour.

Scrub the potatoes and boil them in pressure cooker on high flame for 3 whistles.  Add water enough to cover the potatoes.

In the meantime, go ahead and mix together your yogurt sauce!

Once they are cool peel and mash the potatoes with 2 tbsp olive oil, salt, and pepper. Try to get this as smooth as possible, but some lumps are ok. Add in finely chopped coriander and scallions, mash thoroughly to combine.

Lightly flour a flat surface to roll out your dough.

Take a ball of dough, roughly the size of a small apple, and roll. 

The dough should form a tortilla shape: very thin and about 10-12 inches in diameter. Place a little more than 1/4 cup of your mashed potato filling on the rolled dough. Spread over one half.

Fold over the dough. Flatten the bolani, removing any excess air that may be trapped. Press down the sides to seal the bolani. It should look like this! Beau... ti ... ful .....

Fry the bolani two at a time in a large pan with 1/4 cup olive oil. The oil should be hot enough that the bolani sizzles when you place it in the pan. It takes just a couple minutes for each side to get golden and crispy.

Place finished bolani on a plate or paper towel, and continue cooking the rest. Add more oil as needed. These are best served warm. Serve with Yogurt sauce

Ingredients
Yogurt Sauce
1 Cup Thick yogurt
1 Garlic clove - minced
1 Teaspoon Dried dill
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

Method:
Strain the yogurt through cheesecloth for a 10 minutes, so that what you’re left is a thick and creamy residue.

Mix the yogurt and the garlic in a bowl. Do not beat. Cover and refrigerate till required.

Just before serving, stir in the salt and half the dill. Garnish with the remaining dill and serve.

Bolani with cooled yogurt sauce so soothing and satisfying, I made this for dinner.

This is my entry for the BM #50, theme International Flatbread Week 2 day 2. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#50.

Labels :  Blogging Marathon, Breads, Chutneys & Dips, Continental Cuisine

Lebanese Shish Tawook / Chicken Kabob

This month in Mena's Cooking Club, I am travelling to Lebanon our host Sarah choose this recipe. Have you been there! I have not, but that's the advantage of blogging, you still get to enjoy world's cuisine in your home kitchen.

In Lebanon, Shish Tawook can be found in most fast food restaurants.  It is usually ordered as a sandwich of grilled chicken rolled in a “pita” bread with some Lebanese Garlic Sauce called Toum and some salty pickles, fries. It can also be served in a plate with a side of rice and grilled veggies. As I was surfing found that there are different recipes, some using yogurt or tomato paste. Though is popular all over Lebanon and each family has their own recipe. Does any one know what the word tawook mean?. Well, let me tell you. Tawook is a variant on the Turkish word tavuk, meaning chicken. So shish tawook means chicken skewers, Shish tawook is typically eaten with garlic paste toum. When I was going to many recipes, found that hardly any spices are used. Was very curious to know how it would taste. But let me tell you this is has an awesome taste. My daughter enjoyed this. But you must make the Toum cause it enhances the taste of tawook.

My today's post I dedicate to Noor who  initiate's  the monthly challenges.  In spite if not being well and dealing with injury pain, she still continues to organize this challenge for us.  Noor, thank you and you are always in my prayer, get well soon.

Ingredients

500 Grams boneless chicken breast - cut into cubes
2 Tablespoons Lemon juice
1/2 Teaspoon Lemon rind
5 cloves of Garlic -  crushed
3 Tablespoons Yogurt
3 Tablespoons  Olive oil
1 Tablespoons Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Teaspoon Pepper powder
1/4 Teaspoon Ginger paste
1/4 Teaspoon Oregano
1/4 Teaspoon Paprika
3/4 Teaspoon Salt or to taste

1 Long Black Brinjal - cut into thick roundels 

1  Green Capsicum - cut into big cubes
Lebanese Garlic Paste / Toum (see recipe below) to be served with Shish Tawook

Method

Marinating the Chicken

Marinate the chicken breast chunks for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight in the fridge. The longer they marinate, the juicier and more flavorful they are. Right before grilling, skewer the chicken. Mix all ingredients well together while rubbing the chicken. Place in a container, cover, and let it marinate in the fridge (I left it overnight). An hour before grilling I marinated the veggies along with the chicken and kept aside.

Grilling the Shish Tawook

Soak the bamboo skewers in water for half an hour at least. 

The longer you marinate the chicken the quicker it grills. Grill on medium heat between 18 - 20 minutes max. Heat a grill pan on medium heat.

Skewer the chicken and veggies right before grilling.   

As soon as you remove them from the grill, place them in a big warm pot, place the lid tightly, and let rest for 8-10 minutes - this helps the chicken become more moist (this step is optional)

Lebanese Garlic Sauce called Toum
Garlic sauce is made like mayonnaise and a lot of fresh garlic is added in the process. A simpler way of doing this is to use ordinary mayonnaise and add lots of fresh crushed garlic.

Ingredients
1 Clove Garlic - peeled and chopped
1 Egg
1/2 Cup Vegetable oil / I use olive oil

1/2 Teaspoon Lemon juice

1/2 Teaspoon  White Vinegar

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/2 Teaspoon Sugar

1/4 Teaspoon Mustard paste ( Optional)  - I used it.

Method
Place all the ingredients in a bowl except the oil and blend well, then as you are blending  pour the oil gentle in a thin stream  (like a trickle) till the thick.  The Garlic Toum is ready. 

Serve and enjoy with Shish Tawook.

Labels:  International Cuisine, Mena Cooking Club, Starters, Kebabs, Lebanese, Chicken, Garlic, Sauce 

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Lebanese Rishta - A Lentil Soup

This month in Mena's Cooking Club, I am travelling to Lebanon our host Sarah choose this recipe.

Well, its raining here in Mumbai and the weather is cold,  this soup is so healthy, comforting and a hearty soup.  It doesn’t take much time or effort to make.


Ingredients

1/2 Cup Dried brown lentils / Masoor dal
5 cloves Garlic - peeled

1 Onion - finely chopped
3 Tablespoons Oil
1 Teaspoon Coriander powder
2 Tablespoons Coriander leaves and stems - finely chopped
2 Vegetarian Soup cubes
1 Litre  Water
1/2 Teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1 Cup Spinach leaves - finely chopped
1/2 Cup Whole Wheat Vermicelli

Method

Wash the lentils and soak them in water for a hour at least.  in a bowl, cover with cold water and leave to soak for 30 minutes. 

Rinse the lentils. Put them in a medium saucepan and pour over 1 litre of cold water. Bring this to the boil, lower the heat, cover and leave to simmer. In the meantime, add the chopped onion and garlic fry in 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat, Once the onions turn light brown in colour, pour them over the lentils, add the soup cubes, cover saucepan again and leave to simmer for 40 minutes.

 Season the broth and add the coriander, spinach and vermicelli . Bring back to the boil. Cover the pan, reduce the heat and simmer for a further 1o minutes, or until the vermicelli  is tender. Ladle the soup into warmed bowls to serve. We had this with Masala Bread.  It’s that easy……

Enjoy……

Labels: Soup, Continental Cuisine, Mena Cooking Club, 

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