Egg Jalfrezi#Alphabet Challenge

Egg Jalfrezi is a unique, delicious and quick to make. Its different and taste great. 
Ingredients
4 Hard Boiled Eggs
1 Green Capsicum - cut in cubes
1 Onion - cut in cubes
½ Cup Tomato Ketchup
½ Cup Tomato Chilly Sauce
1 Teaspoon All Meal Sauce - optional
2 Tablespoons Red Chilly Sauce
½ Teaspoon Red Chilly Flakes
½ Teaspoon Cumin Powder
1 Teaspoon Ginger Garlic paste
½ Cup Water
2 Tablespoons Oil

Method 

Heat oil in a pan , add ginger garlic paste sauté for a minute add the onion and fry till light pink, add the capsicum and the ketchup, tomato chilly sauce, red chilly sauce, all meal sauce, salt to taste, red chilly flakes, cumin powder and water, stir well and cook for till it comes to a rolling boil, add the egg and stir fry for 2 minutes. 

The egg jalfrezi is ready to serve garnish with chopped coriander. Enjoy!!

Labels: Egg, Alphabet Challenge

Let's take a look at the recipes being shared today with Alphabet "E"

A Messy Kitchen: Eggs Benedict for One or Two 

Blogghetti: Easy Easter Egg Sugar Cookies

Sneha’s Recipe: Egg Jalfrezi

Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Espresso Martinis

Mayuri’s Jikoni: Avocado Egg Salad Cups 

Culinary Cam: A Dozen Eggs - Stuffed, Scotch, Curried, and More

Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Pork and Cabbage Egg Rolls

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Escargot a la Bourguignone

Food Lust People Love: Whipped Espresso Cream

Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Cajun Deviled Eggs Garnished with Pickled Okra

Palatable Pastime: Emerald Isle Pub Spread 

Leftover Chocolate Cake Shake#SundayFunday

When you live in a two-person household, you always end with leftovers. Had Leftover Mocha Cake and Eggless Vanilla Ice Cream (which I often make) in the freezer. So here is the invention of a cake cum shake.

An American food/dessert, Chocolate Cake Shake. Today, am sharing my easy way to make this. This shake has  taste of both cake and milk  shake, is blends so well that you will love it.  This is perfect for summer a drink that will keep you cool in the scorching summer heat. 

Since I had just a big slice of cake could make only one serving, the next day he asked to make it again.. smiled and replied no cake so no shake.

If you want you can garnish this with a scoop of ice cream or frost it with whipped cream.. makes it an extra treat. 

Ingredients  

2 Scoops Vanilla Ice Cream
1/3 Cup  Milk
1 Big Slice Leftover Cake
Method

First, combine the ice cream and milk in a blender.Next, add the chocolate cake. Blend until smooth.

Pour into a glass. If you like, garnish with a small scoop of vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. No extra calories so minus the garnish.

Enjoy!!

Labels :  American, Dessert, Mid-day treat, Leftover series, Cake. Milk Shake, Vanilla,  Ice Cream, Sunday Funday

Sunday FunDay  - Leftover Valentine Day Candy 

• A Sweet-Cuterie Platter + Cupid's Blend Cookies from Culinary Cam
• Cinnamon Heart Imperial Liqueur from Food Lust People Love
• Double Chocolate Caramel Stuffed Cookies from Amy's Cooking Adventures
• Leftover Chocolate Cake Shake from Sneha's Recipe
• Peppermint Patty Brownie Bites from Karen's Kitchen Stories
• VORP from A Day in the Life on the Farm

Bhogichi Bhaji#SundayFunday

Bhogichi Bhaji is actually  mix vegetable sabzi prepared on the occasion of Makar Sankrati in Maharashtra.  This is typical Maharashtrian style of making  winter special veggies which are available during this time.. i.e. its  made on Bhogi ( which is a day before Makar Sankranti ). This Bhaji is best eaten with Bajri Tilachi Bhakri... a classic combo. 

If some veggie is not available that does not mean you should not try this.. one can add or minus any of these veggies, like I, did not add hurda.

Ingredients
2 Medium Potatoes - cut into big cubes
2 Medium Green Brinjal/ Eggplants - cut into 4 pieces
¼ Cup Green Peas
¼ Cup Pavate/Fresh Vaal /Green Lima Beans
¼ Cup Harbhara/Fresh Green Grams
¼ Cup Fresh Groundnuts - soaked in water
1 Carrot - cut into cubes
¼ Cup Hurda / Fresh Tender Jowar
¼ Cup Fresh Tur
2 Drumsticks - cleaned and cut into big pieces
2 Green Chilles - whole
2 Medium Onions - finely chopped
1 Big Tomato - cut into fours
2 Teaspoons Red chili powder or to taste
1 Teaspoon Jaggery or Sugar
2 Tablespoon Fresh Grated Coconut
1/3 Cup Oil
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
1 Teaspoon Sesame Seeds
¼ Teaspoon Asafoetida
½ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1 Teaspoon Salt to taste

Method

In pan add oil, cumin,  sesame seeds and asafoetida immediately,   add onion and sauté till onions are translucent. Add the chilly powder and the pavate, tur, hurda, green grams, peas,  groundnuts and give it a stir , cover and cook for 3 minutes. 

Then open add the potaotes, salt and sugar or jaggery add ½ cup water and bring it to boil then cover and cook on slow flame till potates are 3/4th cook then add the brinjal, carrot, drumstick, green chillies and mix well add 1 cup water cover and cook till done.

Now add the & tomato, coconut, corinader leaves, cover and cook till tomatoes are half done (do not over cook the tomatoes).

Serve granish with coconut and  sesame seeds. 

Serve hot with Bajri  Tilachi Bhakri.

My Notes

It is slightly wet bhaji so keep in mind water requirement to avoid overcooking.  The veggies should be firm but cooked, do not make them mushy.

If  fresh groundnuts are not available then you can use dried groundnuts soak them in water and cook them till done, then use it to make the vegetable. 

Labels: Pavate, Harbhara, Groundnut, Tur, Hurda, Drumstick, Potato, Green Peas, Green Brinjal, Maharashtra, Makar Sankrati, Vegetables

For Sunday Funday we are sharing recipes using "Fresh Vegetables".

• Sneha's Recipe: Bhogichi Bhaji 
• Amy's Cooking Adventures: Cottage Cheese and Spinach Egg Bites (Green Eggs and Ham Mini Souffle) 
• Culinary Cam: Fun with Veggies and Thoughts on Real Bento 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: Thai Cabbage Salad 
• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Vegetable Enchilada Casserole 
• Mayuri's Jikoni: Vegetable Masala Sandwich

Dal Sultani#AlphabetChallenge

This yummy dal is a Mughlai cuisine of Uttar Pradesh. Its rich and creamy .  Goes well with both rice/pulao or chapattis.
Ingredients 
1 Cup Moong Dal - washed and soaked for an hour
2 Cups Water
1 Tablespoon Red Chilly Powder
1 Teaspoon Salt 
For the Gravy 

200 Grams Yogurt
200 ML Milk
100 ML Fresh Cream
6 Cloves  - coarsely ground
6 Small Cardamoms  - coarsely ground
½ Teaspoon Saffron Strands - mix in a Tablespoon water

For Tempering 
½ Cup  Butter or Ghee - I used  half of each
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
8 Cloves Garlic  - chopped
For garnishing coriander leaves  - finely chopped
A Piece of Coal for Dungar / Smoke 

Method

Soak lentil for half an hour, add in it water, salt, chilly powder and boil the dal till its cooked. 

In a another bowl mix,  yogurt,  milk and  malai (cream), beat  well, add the cardamom and cloves powder mix well.  

When lentil  is cooked, add in creamy mixture, stir the dal well, cook on slow flame for 10 minutes  stirring it so that it does not burn at  the bottom.  Switch off flame,  add the saffron water give it quick stir.

Prepare The Tempering

Heat ghee and butter in a pan add the cumin, chopped garlic when the garlic starts to brown take off flame and pour on dal . Cover with a lid. Lastly place the lighted coal in piece of foil or a small bowl pour ghee over it and keep it over the dal covered for 5 minutes. Open garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot. We had this thick, rich, creamy and yummy dal with roti or Naan. 

My Notes 
This dal is not spicy so don't add more chilly powder, this will ruin the taste and color of the dal. 
Do not skip giving dungar/smoke to the dal, as this enhances the flavor.
You can use split pigeons peas/tur dal too instead of moong dal. 
Labels: Dal, Moong dal, Lentils, Mughlai Cuisine, Uttar Pradesh, Alphabet Challenge, Vegetarian

Let's take a look at the recipes being shared today with Alphabet "D"

Jolene’s Recipe Journal: Double Dark Chocolate Waffles 

Blogghetti: Dragon Fruit Smoothie Bowl 

Karen’s Kitchen Stories: Dutch Macaroni 

Mayuri’s Jikoni: Date Salad, Ottolenghi Style 

A Messy Kitchen: Sugarplum Date Balls 

Culinary Cam: Gluten-Free Crystal Dumplings 

A Day in the Life on the Farm: Chicken with Dates 

Palatable Pastime: Balkan Lamb and Rice Casserole (Djuvec) 

Magical Ingredients: Dill Pickle Dip 

Food Lust People Love: Small Batch Dried Apricot Jam 

Sneha’s Recipe: Dal Sultani 

Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice: Sun-Dried Tomato Dip with Italian Seasoning 

Sourdough French Bread#BreadBakers

The sourdough bug has got on me and now I am only baking sourdough breads, be it flatbread which I make daily to enjoy with sabzi or curry. I have revived my sourdough starter in the month of December 2024 which I had freezed in year 2021.

This sourdough French bread recipe makes two long, soft and fluffy loaves of bread that are perfect for making po' boy sandwiches, sub sandwiches, garlic bread, or French bread pizza.

Makes 2 Loaves

Ingredients
For The Active Sourdough Starter Feeding
25 Grams Sourdough Starter
50 Grams Bread Flour
50 Grams Water
Main Dough 
430 Grams Bread Flour
50 Grams Whole Wheat Flour
300 Grams Water
100 Grams Active Sourdough Starter
50 Grams Milk
14 Grams Olive Oil
14 Grams Honey
10 Grams Salt
Method

The day you want to bake early in the morning, take 25 grams of leftover sourdough starter out of the fridge and feed it 50 grams of water and 50 grams of flour. Mix together thoroughly, mark the top of the starter with a rubber band, and set it on the counter. Let it rise for 8-12 hours ((if you are in a city like Mumbai it make take about 5 - 6 hours depending on temperature of the kitchen). The starter should have doubled in size in 5 -6 hours.

After the starter has reached it's peak, begin mixing all of the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl, adding the flour last. Mix water, milk, honey, olive oil, starter, and salt together until well combined. Then, add the  flour and whole wheat flour. Mix until a shaggy dough is formed.
Cover up the bowl of dough with a kitchen towel and let it rest for 30 minutes.
Stretch & Folds

- Perform the first set of stretch and folds. Stretch an edge of the dough up into the air and fold it over the top of the dough. Turn the bowl and grab another edge of the dough and do the same. Repeat this process, stretching and folding until you feel the dough tighten and resist stretching( about 8 turns). Then cover the dough and let it rest for 30 more minutes.
- Perform two more sets of stretch and folds with 30 minutes of rest in between the sets.
Shaping The Bread

After the last set of stretch and folds, flip the dough over in the mixing bowl so that the smooth side is facing up. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and let it rise at room temperature for 4-8 hours (if you are in a warm country like India it make take between 2 -3 hours depending on temperature of the kitchen). This step is commonly called the first rise, or bulk fermentation.

Once the dough has doubled in size, place the dough, sticky-side-up, on a floured counter. Stretch the dough out into a rectangle, and then divide the dough into two equal smaller rectangles with a bench scraper or knife.

Roll each rectangle longways into a long, tube-shaped loaf ( about 14inches  long). Place the shaped loaves onto a metal sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
Cover up the loaves with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise for 2-3 hours. This is the second rise, or the final proof.
30 minutes before you are ready to bake, preheat your oven to 220°C and place a metal cake pan or any metal pan onto the bottom rack of your oven. You will put boiling water into this hot pan later to add steam to the oven. ( Do not place a glass dish or else you will break your's  like mine cracked into pieces)

When the dough is done proofing, it should have increased in volume and feel slightly puffy to the touch.
Score five diagonal lines into the top of each loaf with a razor blade, bread lame, or a serrated knife.

Transfer the sheet pan of Sourdough French Bread into the middle rack of the oven and pour a cup of boiling water into the metal pan on the bottom rack. Steam will fill the oven and allow the bread to expand as it bakes, giving it a better crust.
Let the bread bake for 15 minutes, then remove the pan of water. Bake for an additional 15 - 20 minutes, or until the bread has a brown color on the crust that you like.

Let the bread cool on a wire rack for 20-30 minutes before slicing into the bread. A perfectly baked Sourdough French Breads.

Serve slices with olive oil or butter, turn the slices into garlic bread, or cut the sourdough French bread lengthwise to make sandwiches or French bread pizza. Enjoy!

Labels: French Loaf, Sourdough, French, Bread Bakers, Breads, International Cuisine, Eggless 

#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 of 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. 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.
We take turns hosting each month and choosing the theme/ingredient. This month’s theme is French Breads.  

• A Day in the Life on the Farm: Brioche 
• Food Lust People Love: Cheater Pain aux Raisins 
• The Wimpy Vegetarian : Fougasse 
• Karen's Kitchen Stories: La Couronne Lyonaise 
• Culinary Cam: Pain au Chocolat 
• A Messy Kitchen: Pain Brié 
• Zesty South Indian Kitchen: Pain de campagne 
• Sneha's Recipe : Sourdough French Bread