BASBOUSA - EGYPTIAN SEMOLINA CAKE #FOODIEEXTRAVAGANZA

Basbousa - Semolina Cake is a famous Egyptian and traditional Middle Eastern syrup soaked sweet cake. The cake itself is not too sweet but it is soaked with a sugar syrup, here I have reduced the sugar quantity and used honey.  This is a superb tea cake and will make an excellent dessert dish too.

Very simple and quick to make, with ingredients that are always available in the pantry.

Ingredients

100 Grams Butter
150 Grams Icing Sugar
1 Teaspoons Vanilla Essence
2 Eggs
2 Cups Fine Semolina
1/2 Teaspoon Baking powder
1/2 Teaspoon Baking soda
1 Cup Yogurt
Skinned Almonds as required

For the Sugar Syrup
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup Water
1/2 Cup Honey
1 Tablespoon Lime Juice

Method

Sieve the icing sugar. 

Sieve the semolina and baking powder and baking soda together.


Beat the butter and icing sugar till light and fluffy,  then add an egg at a time beating it well before incorporating the next one.  Add the vanilla essence , keep adding the sieve semolina little by little simultaneously adding little yogurt too and continue beating till all the semolina and yogurt is incorporated. 

Pour it into a greased and  lined baking tray top just draw line lightly into squares or diamonds and then place each slice with almonds and bake at 180 degrees for 45 minutes. 

 
As the cake is being baked make the sugar syrup and mixing it together and keeping it on low flame till the sugar melts only. Take off flame and cool the syrup.

When the cake is out of the oven slice the cake in the tray itself. Pour  the hot cake. Keep it  to rest at least  for an hour then only remove the pieces from the tray. 

Have this cake as a dessert or like we had it with a hot cup of tea or coffee.... Enjoy...

Labels : Cakes, Semolina, Yogurt, Eygpt, Foodie Extravaganza Party

 

The Foodie Extravaganza is a monthly party hosted by bloggers who love food! Each month we incorporate one main ingredient or theme into recipes to share with you. We take turns hosting and this month it's Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook. If you are a blogger and would like to join our group and blog along with us, come join our Facebook page Foodie Extravaganza. We would love to have you! If you’re a spectator looking for delicious tid-bits check out our Foodie Extravaganza Pinterest Board! Looking for our previous parties? Check them out HERE. December 17th is National Maple Syrup Day and Lauren challenged us to bake with, cook with, or make a beverage with maple syrup. (For some international bloggers who can't find maple syrup, they'll be joining the fun with honey as a substitute.) And don't forget to check out all these other maply recipes:

Basbousa - Egyptian Semolina Cake from Sneha of Sneha's Recipe
Bangin' Breakfast Potatoes from Rebekah of Making Miracles
Gluten-Free Maple Chestnut Cookies from Caroline of Caroline's Cooking
Maple Pecan Bars from Nichole of Cookaholic Wife
Maple Sugar Cookies from Sue of Palatable Pastime
Maple Walnut Vinaigrette from Tara of Tara's Multicultural Table
Momiji Tempura from Camilla of Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Overnight French Toast Casserole from Elaine of Cookin and Craftin
Roasted Maple Glazed Carrots from Wendy of A Day in the Life of the Farm
Rosemary Maple Glazed Turkey Breast from Lauren of Sew You Think You Can Cook
The Back Forty Cocktail from Stacy of Food Lust People Love

PRAWN MINI VOL-AU-VENTS IN TORNADO SAUCE #FISH FRIDAY FOODIE

This group is a brain child of Wendy ,  our host of the month, if you wish to join this group, kindly send her an email with your blog url at (wendyklik1517@gmail.com) and she will gladly add you to the group.  The theme of the month is appetizers or first courses that include fish and/or seafood.
I have made party appetizers, try them and your guest will enjoy them.  We enjoyed these, could not stop at one, so make more in case , your guest ask for another one.
Ingredients

12 Mini Vol-au-vents Shells - used ready shells

For the Prawn Marination
24 Prawns - cleaned and de-veined
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Teaspoon Fresh Ground Black Pepper
1/2 Teaspoon Salt or to taste
1 Teaspoon Lime juice
For the Tornado Sauce
100 ml Single Cream
1 Tablespoon Butter
1 Tablespoon Oil
1 Medium Onion - finely chopped
1/2 tsp Chilly flakes
5 Cloves Garlic - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon White Pepper powder
A pinch of salt
1/2 Teaspoon Tobassco sauce
2 Cubes Cream Cheese
1/2 Teaspoon Mustard Sauce

Cheese slices or grated cheese as required 

Method
Marinate the prawns with the given ingredients and keep it in the refrigerator for at least 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, sauté the prawns in a pan till it turns pink. Keep aside.

In the meantime let's make the sauce
In a pan heat oil, fry onions in till brown.  add garlic fry again,  add spices and sauces fry again add cream mixed in water (diluted) stir continuously add, cheese and little water to make it saucy. Bring it to a just boil, add mustard paste stir take off flame.

To Assemble
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees, turning both the elements on ( i.e. grill rod too).

Take each shell and core it with a spoon carefully so that you do not break right into the bottom ( this is to give a little depth).  

Like wise prepare all the shells. 

Arrange them in a lined tray, place a prawn at the bottom. 

Pour the sauce  

Again place a prawn on top. 

Cut the cheese slice to fit the shell, garnish with a red capsicum piece and place it in  the oven till the cheese melts say about 10  minutes or so. 

Take them off and serve as appetizers to your guest ...enjoy.

My Notes: 

I have used cheese slices since it look neat when serving to your guest, can use grated cheese too.
Can serve this sauce with chips or pitta bread or chicken roulade. 

Labels:  Appetizer, Fish, Fish Friday, Sauce, Starters, Tornado Sauce, International Cuisine, Puff Pastry 

An InLinkz Link-up

Sabaayad - Flatbread

This month for Mena Cooking Club I am making a Sabaayad flatbread Djibouti ( we revisiting) which is commonly made in Djibouti and well as Somialia.

This is versatile bread that can be eaten for breakfast, lunch, dinner, with just anything. like fried egg, stew or even wraps . After making this bread, I reaslised this is similar to the paratha that we make in India and also similar to the Heavy Paratha that I have already posted. In this paratha I have used butter so this is more crispy and flaky. Whereas the sabaayad is flaky and soft. 

Since I, have used half and half of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour, this makes the Sabaayad healty, flaky and soft ... not chewy / rubbery .

Ingredients
2 Cups All Purpose Flour
2 Cups Wholemeal Wheat Flour
2 Tablespoon Oil
½ Teaspoon Salt
1.1/3 to 1.1/2 Cups Water to knead the dough
Desi Ghee as required
Flour for dusting the work surface as required

Method

Mix all the flours together with the salt. Add the oil and mix in thoroughly. Add in the water slowly as you knead the dough. The dough should soft and smooth. Cover the dough and let it rest for about an hour.

How to shape the square sabaayad. See step by step pic.

Cut the dough into eight equal portions.( or size is your own choice) and roll them into balls. Keep covered with a moist cloth. 

Dust one ball with dry flour and roll it out to a round thick circle.

Brush the circle with ghee

Fold one side till the center , apply ghee lightly on fold 

Then the other side to over lap the first fold, apply ghee lightly on this fold too

then fold the side too till the center

The fold the other side to overlap the first one and now this become a square. 

In the meantime place a griddle or tava on low flame to heat. 

Roll out this into a big square. It should be rolled from center outwards so that the edges are thinner than the center. Keep dusting the work surface with flour on both sides a couple of time during this process. Parathas should be a little thick (see pic).

Place the paratha on the hot griddle/tava .

Flip it over, after a minute or two and cook this side till brown dots appear and then again flip and cook this side the same way.

Press paratha gently all over with a flat spatula or a cotton cloth, if you see any steam escaping, seal it by pressing it gently, making it balloon up. Brush a little ghee on both surfaces. 

Wrap the flaky sabaayad in a cloth to keep it warm and soft. Serve while hot. 

 I got 8 flat breads , we had it for breakfast and the remaining for dinner with sabji. This goes well with any curry or sabji .

Labels : Sabaayad, Flatbread, Djibouti, Mena Cooking Club, An InLinkz Link-up

Stuffed Aloo Parathas #BreadBakers

When I, visited Himachal for holidays  recently with my friends, these luscious Aloo Parathas were an integral part of our meal whether breakfast  or lunch.   

These parathas are stuffed with a succulent mixture of mashed potatoes, green chillies and onions ..,  stilll remember the taste and how we  relished these parathas , which is an indispensable part of North Indian cuisine.   

When  November's theme - root vegetables was shared by our Host  Karen , the first thing that came to my mind was these luscious Aloo Parathas.  
Ingredients
For The Dough
2 Cups  Whole Wheat Flour
1 Tablespoons  Ghee - melted
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt

For The Stuffing
5 Medium Potatoes -  boiled , peeled and mashed
1 Medium Onion -  finely chopped 2 - 3 Green Chillies - finely chopped 
1/4 Teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste
1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/4 Teaspoon Sendav Namak
1/2 Teaspoon Heaped Chat Masala powder
2 Tablespoons Coriander  leaves - finely chopped 

Other Ingredients
Whole Wheat Flour - for rolling
Desi Ghee as required
Method 
For the dough

Combine the whole wheat flour, ghee and salt in a bowl and mix well.
Add enough water and knead into a lightly soft dough. Keep aside covered for at least half an hour.

For the stuffing

In a bowl add the  potatoes, turmeric powder,  green chillies, salt, coriander leaves,  chat masala powder, mix well and form  a ball
Divide the stuffing into equal portions and keep aside.

To make the parathas

Divide the dough into equal portions according to the stuffing.

Roll a portion of the dough into a small circle.

Place a little stuffing in the center of the circle.

Bring together all the sides in the center

Close it  tightly

Remove the excess dough from the top and roll it lightly to make a ball .

Roll again into a  slightly thick circle / paratha,  dusting the work surface with a little flour.  

Keep them a side on a paper towel, cover and keep.  In the meantime place the tava / griddle  to heat on low flame.  Like wise prepare the  remaining parathas.  

When the  tava / griddle is heated, place a paratha  and let it cook on low flame till one side is done.  

Then flip and cook this sided too.  

When both side are done then spread  a little ghee of top and the sides and let it cook  until golden brown spots appear on both the sides.

Serve immediately.  Enjoy it fresh with curds and pickle.

Labels : Rotis, Aloo,  Parathas, Bread Bakers, Stuffed Bread 


Check out our other Breads from the Bread Bakers

Beetroot Bread from Sara's Tasty Buds
Caramelized Onion Cheddar Bread from Hezzi-D's Cooks and Books
Caramelized Onion Gouda Casatiello from Hostess at Heart
Carrot Spiced and Teff Bread from kidsandchic
Colocasia Root (Taro Root) Flatbread from Mayuri's Jikoni
Garlic and Herb Wreath Bread from Herbivore Cucina
Garlic Cheese Bombs from Sizzling Tastebuds
Ginger Sweet Rolls from Passion Kneaded
Honey Beet Bread from Ambrosia Soulful Kitcnen
Korean Onion Bread from Gayathri's Cook Spot
Potato Dinner Rolls from Cook's Hideout
Pull Apart Onion Bread from A Day in the Life on the Farm
Rustic Parsnip Bread from Food Lust People Love
Sourdough Onion Pockets from Karen's Kitchen Stories
Stuffed Aloo Parathas from Sneha's Recipes
Sweet Potato Bread from Cindy's Recipes and Writings #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.

If you are a food blogger and would like to join us, just send Stacy an email with your blog URL to foodlustpeoplelove@gmail.com.