How To Sprout Whole Wheat Grains / Berries At Home

Sprouted grains, like wheat berries and rice, are super simple, don’t require any major equipment.

You can sprout any kind of whole grains, the important thing is that the grain be whole grains. They should not be hulled, husked, pearled, rolled, flaked, or otherwise altered.

Ingredients1 Kg Whole Wheat Grains
Water
A Muslin or Fine Mesh Cloth

Method 

Wash the grains well then soak it in water for a two days, changing the water every 5 -6 hours. Keep them open ..i.e. without a lid.

After two days place the grains in a fine muslin cloth ,I used a big fine duppatta to hold all the grains. Place the grains in the cloth and tie a loose knot, wash them in running water for a few minutes. Then place the cloth it in a colander , keep this in a dark place or in the corner of your kitchen counter. Wash this under running water every 6 hours so the grain are moist and not dried out. 

After a day or two you will find that the grain have began to sprout. Let them sprout till you fine nice long sprouts. 

Wash the grain properly and spread on a dry cloth or a big tray and keep them in the sun to dry. After they are nearly dry.  It took around 5 days to dry, since I get only the morning sun in my balcony. After 5 days I kept them in oven at 100°C in the for about 4 hours.  Again spread them , and keep them to dry till fully dried. 

These are the fully dried sprouted grains.

After 7 days, I took it to the grinding mill to grind it into fine flour. 

Sprouted grain flour has a slightly sweet taste. Use them to make breads, flat bread for any baked goods. They are excellent. I made Sprouted Whole Wheat Rolls with this flour.

Lables : Sprouts, Whole Wheat, Homemade

Doubles Chickpea And Potato Curry With Urad Bara#EattheWorld

Doubles in Trinidad is a Fried bread called Urad Bara . This a street food traditionally turmeric, split urad beans, bandhania/ chadon beni leaves and other common ingredient are used to make this Urad Bara. This is served with this delicious Chickpea and Potato curry which a purely vegetarian combo.
Usually eaten for breakfast / brunch or as a late‑night snack as well.

This cuisine has it similarity to Indian cuisine, I,  believe that there are many Indians who have settled there.
This bara is slightly crispy on the outside, fluffy and soft in the middle with a mild garlic flavour. 

It’s a messy sandwich to eat, that’s  ok since it yum in taste! It’s quick, tasty and your sure to have another ..doubles! These are more like sloppy “sandwiches”.
Yields 10-14 Bara (depending on the size)
Ingredients 
2 Cups All Purpose Flour 
½ Cup Split Urad Dal/ Beluga Lentils  
2 - 3 Cloves Garlic - chopped 
1 Green Chilly 
¼ Teaspoon Turmeric powder
½ Teaspoon Instant Yeast 
½ Teaspoon Salt or to taste 
Oil for deep frying
Method

Wash and soak the split urad dal for at least 5 -6 hours.  Wash to remove as many as possible all the loose skins from the lentil.  
Grind with green chilly to a fine paste adding just a little water to make a thick paste.

Mix rest of the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

Add the ground paste and knead until a smooth, loose and stretchy dough is formed.

Add a tablespoon of oil  and water over the dough and cover with a cloth and let it rest for at least 1 hour or until double in size.

Wet your hands take a small ball of batter and  flatten it on your hand into a circle/a  puri.

Heat oil over a medium low flame.

Fry in hot oil on both sides for 1 or 2 minutes turning the side on medium low flame and then drain on paper towels.

These are so light and  fluffy bara.  
Chickpea And Potato Curry
Serves 6
Ingredients
2 Cups Boiled Chickpeas
3 Medium Potatoes - cubed
2 Tablespoons Oil
1 Small Onion - finely chopped
3-4 Cloves Garlic -  minced
2 Tablespoons Curry Powder,
½  Teaspoon Cumin powder 
½  Teaspoon Paprika powder
2  Cups Vegetable Broth
½  Cup Fresh Scallion- chopped
2 Teaspoons Fresh Parsley -  chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste
1  Tablespoon ghee, mixed with 1 Tablespoon of flour
Method

Chop the scallions and keep the green and whites of the onion separate.
Heat the oil in a large spot over medium high flame and add the onion and garlic. Sauté until soft, about 2 minutes.
Add the curry , cumin and paprika powder  and  potatoes stir fry well so that the spices coats the potatoes. Add the vegetable broth , and stir to combine. 

Add the scallions and parsley. Season with salt. Cook until the sauce is thick and the potatoes are almost tender, about 20 minutes.
Add the chickpeas and remaining vegetable broth, and mix.
Add the ghee and flour mixture to the pot and stir to incorporate.
Cook on medium-low heat until the potatoes and chickpeas are tender and the sauce thickens, about 20 minutes. 

The Curry is ready!!  

To serve with Bara as a sloppy sandwich then evaporate the liquid as much as possible.
Now Let's make the

Cucumber Chutney 
1 Medium Cucumber – finely sliced
3 Garlic cloves - chopped
Juice of ½ Lime
1 Green Chilly - chopped
1/2 Teaspoon  Brown sugar 
2 Tablespoons  Coriander Leaves - chopped
Salt to taste
Method

Take all the ingredients and pulse it once.  Stir it lovingly into a bowl. Season to taste if necessary.  

Enjoy with Doubles!!!
To Assemble the Doubles

Take a bara, 

place a tablespoon or two of the chickpea filling, top it with the cucumber chutney and Enjoy!! 

Hmmm..simply delicious and yum!! 

You can slice into a pocket like a mini pita sandwich, or fold it like I did  or sandwich two bara’s together with a serving of curried chickpea and potato, hence the name ‘Doubles’.

Labels : Doubles, Chickpea, Potato, Cucumber, Chutney, Urad dal, Puris, Trinidad, Eat the World, Healthy, Brunch, Snack, Vegetarian, Vegetables

Join us as we Eat the World!!!

Each month Evelyne of CulturEatz invites us to visit a country and explore their foods. This month it's Trinidad & Tobago.

Check out all the wonderful Trinidad & Tobago dishes prepared by fellow Eat the World members and share with #eattheworld. Click here to find out how to join and have fun exploring a country a month in the kitchen with us! 

Palatable Pastime Chickpea and Potato Curry 
Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Chicken Curry, Trini-Style 
Pandemonium Noshery: Trini Spiced Macaroni Pie 
Sneha’s Recipe Doubles Chickpea And Potato Curry With Urad Bara##EattheWorld
Making Miracles: Pelau
Kitchen Frau: Peanut Butter Stuffed Prunes
The Schizo Chef: Phulourie - Split Pea Fritters
A Day in the Life on the Farm: Trinidadian Stir Fry Shrimp
Cultureatz: Trinidadian Corn Pie Recipe
Amy’s Cooking Adventures: Trini Macaroni Pie

Olives & Cheese Crackers#Improve

Crackers with Cheese, is good snack or appetizer which everyone loves. Makes a great party pleaser. They're tempting and totally addicting!

Ingredients

9 Cracker Biscuits - as required
100 Grams Cream Cheese
1 Cube Processed Cheese
For Topping:
Spicy Chicken Salami - as required
Black / Green olives - as required - I used stuffed Green Olives
Pizza Seasonings  - as required

Method

Blend both the cheese in the blender till smooth. Pour this into a piping bag.
Pipe cream cheese spread evenly on top of the crackers. Sprinkle a pinch of pizza seasonings. Arrange  a chicken salami and a green olive.    Serve and Enjoy!!

My Notes
Can use any topping of your choice, like, Finely chopped sausage or any fresh or dried fruits. The choice is unlimited.

Labels : Cheese, Crackers, Chicken, Salami, Cream Cheese, Olives, Improve, Starters, Appetizer

Check out what the other bloggers have made!
Improv Cooking Challenge: January 2020
Ingredients: Cheese and Crackers
Broccoli Cheese Casserole by A Day in the Life on the Farm
Homemade Cheese Crackers by Cookaholic Wife
Oven-Baked Parmesan Chicken Tenders by Palatable Pastime
Seasoned Keto Crackers by Our Good Life
Marinated Goat Cheese Spread by Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Homemade Boursin Garlic and Herb Cheese Spread by Pandemonium Noshery
Savory Cheddar Herb Cheesecake by Kate's Recipe Box
Cheesy Turkey Casserole by Making Miracles
Olives & Cheese Crackers by Sneha's Recipe
Brie and Havarti Crackers by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking
Baked Parmesan Cracker Chicken Tenders by Simply Inspired Meals
Cracker Crumb Topped Fennel & Carrot Quiche by Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck Survive Despite a Whiskered Accomplice

Mushroom Pepper Fry - Side Dish

In my house we love mushrooms and this veggie is a must at least once a week. This is a protein packed mushroom dish, it's simple and yummy. A person who does not like mushroom will also love this dish. This is a dry dish with no gravy.

Ingredients 

1 Onion - finely chopped 
1 Tomato - finely chopped
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Bay leaf
1 Stick Cinnamon
4 Peppercorns
2 Green Cardamons
3 Cloves
1 Teaspoon Ginger- Garlic paste

1 Teaspoon Coriander powder

1 Teaspoon Cumin powder
1/2 Teaspoon Pepper powder
1/2 Teaspoon Red chilly powder

1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
Salt to Taste
1 Teaspoon Lemon juice

3 Tablespoons Oil

A Spring Curry leaves

1 Green chilly -  finely chopped

1 Packet Mushroom - chopped

For the Tadka

1 Tablespoon Butter
5 Peppercorns
1/2 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
4 Cloves Garlic

1 Tablespoon Coriander - chopped  for garnishing

Method

Heat oil in a pan , add whole garam masala, cumin seeds and when they crackle add chopped onions ,salt.  turmeric,  ginger garlic paste and tomatoes,  fry till tomatoes turn soft and mushy .  Then add curry leaves,  green chilly and add mushrooms, coriander, cumin, chilly and pepper powder, stir fry for  a minute, then cover and  cook till the mushrooms are done.  
For the Tadka

Roughly crush the garlic. pepper and cumin seeds in a mortar  pestle. 

In another pan add butter , add crushed garlic, pepper,cumin seeds mixture just stir fry for a minute. Pour this over the cooked mushroom mixture, add  lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves serve hot with chapatis and rotis or as side dish.

We had this for our afternoon lunch and it's yummy. 

Labels : Mushroom, Vegetarian, Vegetables, Side Dish

Chicken Curry in Frithad Masala#FoodieExtravaganza

Frithad Masala is a wet ground masala with spices & coconut which is slowly dry roasted before grinding. This is a East Indian recipe, this masala used for making chicken , mutton & beef curries. My mother use to make this curry over wood fire and in mud pots,  it tasted awesome. She use to make this dry Frithad Masala for the full year minus the coconut and wet ingredients.  

This  masala can  be used to  make usal (dried legumes) and prawn curry, look out for more recipe using this masala. 

We our bringing in the new year 2020, for  Foodie Extravaganza with Curried Chicken.  I, am, the host and January 12 is National Curried Chicken Day, asked our group to "Post  favorite curried chicken recipe".  

Ingredients

1 kg Chicken - cut into 16 pieces
1 Teaspoon Turmeric powder
1/2 Teaspoon Salt

For the Frithad  Masala

Dry Spices
8 Dry Kashmiri Chillies
2 Tablespoons Coriander seeds
1 Teaspoon Cumin seeds
1 Cup Freshly Grated Coconut
1 Tablespoon Poppy seeds/khus khus
1 Teaspoon Heaped Sesame seeds/Till
2" Piece Cinnamon stick
5 Cloves
8 Peppercorns
2 Green Cardamons

Wet Ingredients
2" Piece  Ginger
8 Cloves Garlic
3 + 1 Onions - sliced

2 Medium Tomatoes - sliced 

1 Tablespoon Tamarind paste 

3 Potatoes - cut in quarters

1/3 Cup Oil

Method

Wash the Chicken well & marinate with salt & turmeric powder.

Dry roast the spices over low flame till nice & aromatic. Keep aside.  Then roast the coconut till light brown. Keep aside.

In the same pan heat  a tablespoon of oil and roast the 3  onions, ginger and garlic till light pink , then add the tomatoes and fry again till tomato is soft. Keep aside to cool.

In a blender add the dry spices and powder then add the coconut and onion mixture grind  to a fine paste adding little water.

In a pot / kadai  heat oil then add the remaining one onion sliced and fry till light golden .  Now mix in the freshly ground masala paste and fry till oil starts leaving the sides.
Then add the chicken & fry well till the masala coats it.

Add  a cup of water, potatoes and let it come to a nice boil. Cover and cook till the chicken is tender & the potatoes are soft. Add salt to taste , mix the tamarind paste in little water as necessary to adjust the gravy consistency. Bring  it to a rolling boil.  

Garnish with coriander leaves & serve hot with rice.

Labels: Chicken, East Indian, Main course, Foodie Extravaganza Party, Frithad Masala, Coconut
We begin the New Year 2020 and for Foodie Extravaganza event, since January 12 is National Curried Chicken Day. I am the host " We are posting our favorite Curried Chicken recipe". 

• Chicken Curry with Cashews Karen's Kitchen Stories
• Chicken Curry in Frithad Masala Sneha's Recipe
• Chinese Chicken Curry A Day in the Life on the Farm
• Curry in a Hurry Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Special Chicken Tikka Masala Palatable Pastime