Orange Kulfi

This is orange flavor kulfi poured in orange peel and decorate with orange slices

Orange Kulfi

Ingredients:
Condensed Milk - 1 Cup
Evaporated Milk - 1 Cup
Whipping cream whipped - 1/2 Cup
Cool whip - 1/2 Cup
Orange color - Few drops
Orange essences - Few drops
Orange cups from peeled oranges
Orange slices for decoration

Method:
1.  Whip the whipping cream.
2.  Add condensed milk, evaporated milk, cool whip, color and essence and gently fold in.
3.  Pour in orange cups and freeze for 5 to 6 hours.
4.  Decorate with orange slices.

Spinach Chakli

Chakli is a savory snack made from rice flour, roasted gram dhal, black gram dhal and spices.  I used fresh spinach and green chilies to enhance the flavor.

Spinach Chakli

Ingredients:
Rice flour - 3 Cups
Roasted urad dhal flour - 1 Cup
Roasted gram flour - 3/4 - Cup
Asafoetida - A pinch
Fresh spinach - 3 Cups chopped & blend 
Green Chillies - 5 or 6 Depending on spice level
Butter - 3 Tbsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - To fry

Method:
1. Mix all the flours and add asafoetida and salt.
2. Add butter, blend spinach and green chilies and knead to a smooth dough.
3. Make spiral chaklis with the chakli maker.
4. Deep fry till done.
5. Store in airtight container.

Dates Holige

Inspired by Mane Holige of Gandhi Bazaar I tried this making dates holige.  Got some tips on this dessert from Udupi recipes

Dates Holige

Ingredients:
For the dough:
Fine semolina- 1/2 Cup
All purpose flour- 1 Cup
Salt- 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder- A pinch
Oil- 1/4 Cup
Water- To mix

For the filling:
Pitted Dates- 8 Oz
Desiccated coconut- 1/2 Cup
Cardamom powder- 1/4 Tsp

Method:
1. Take fine semolina, all purpose flour, salt and turmeric powder in a bowl.
2.  Combine everything adding water gradually to make a soft dough.
3.  Add some oil and knead.
4.  Put some oil on top of the dough and cover it and rest it for a couple of hours.
5.  Finally knead once again soft and loose dough.
Stuffing
1 . Blend the dates with as little water as possible.
2. Add coconut powder and blend dates cardamom and cook in a non stick pan.
3. When it thickens and leaves the pan turn off the heat and let it cool.
4.  When completely cooled make lemon size balls of the stuffing.
To assemble:
1.  Make balls of lemon size with the dough.
2.  Place the stuffing in the dough and seal it.
3.  Roll or press it to a thin disc of 5 inches on a plastic sheet.
4.  Transfer the rolled holige to a heated non stick skillet and cook on both sides on medium flame.
5.  When the brown spots appear they are done.
6.  Serve with ghee.

Carrot & Beet Crust Pizza

I tried making the pizza crust healthy by adding grated carrots and beets to add more veggies in the diet.  It was surprisingly very tasty.

Carrots & Beet Crust Pizza

Ingredients:
For the crust:
Carrots grated - 1 Cup
Beets grated - 1 Cup
Bread flour - 2 Cups
Salt - 1 Tsp
Sugar - 3 Tsp
Water - 1 Cup
Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
Yeast - 3 Tsp

For the toppings :
Pizza Sauce - 1 Cup
Mozzarella cheese - 1 Cup
Vegetables chopped - Choice of bell pepper, onion, olives, mushrooms, jalapeno etc
Oregano & Basil leaves - to sprinkle

Method:
1.  Disintegrate yeast and sugar in lukewarm water.  The yeast will rise.
2.  Make a well in the flour  and add the yeast mixture.
3.  Gently add the grated veggies and salt and oil and knead to a soft pliable dough.
4,  Cover the dough with cling wrap or towel and keep in a warm place for a couple hours till the dough is double in size
5.  Punch down the down and stretch it and place on a pizza stone and let it rise.
6.  Apply pizza sauce generously.
7.  Cover with mozzarella cheese and drizzle some olive oil.
8.  Top with vegetables of your choice and bake in the over at 425F for about 15 to 18 minutes.

Methi (Fenugreek) Masala Bread

Methi (Fenugreek) is a herb and the seeds and leaves are used in Indian cooking.  This herb is highly beneficial to health and has medicinal value.  I tried to incorporate this in bread and the taste and flavor of this bread was amazing.

Methi Masala Bread

Ingredients:
Yogurt - 3/4 Cup
Salt - 1 Tsp
Sugar - 3 Tsp
Olive oil - 2 Tbsp
Mexican cheese - 1/2 Cup shredded
Chilly powder - 1 Tsp
Garam masala powder - 1 Tsp
Turmeric power - 1 Tsp
Bread flour - 1 1/2 Cups
Besan flour - 1/2 Cup
Yeast - 2 Tsp

To be added during the mixed bread cycle:
Onion medium - 1/2 Chopped sauted in olive oil
Methi leaves - 1/2 Cup cleaned
Cilantro leaves - 2 Tsp chopped
Curry leaves - 2 Strings
Green chilies - 2 Chopped
Ginger - 1/2 Inch grated


Method:
1.  Add all the ingredients for the bread in the bread machine in the order given above.
2.  Set the bread machine to mix bread cycle.
3.  Start the bread machine.
4.  Make sure the dough is a soft elastic ball, if necessary add a tsp of flour if the dough is sticky or a tsp of oil if the dough is tight.
5.  When the machine beeps add the chopped onion, methi leaves, cilatntro, curry leaves, chopped green chilies and grated ginger.
6,  Cool completely when done and slice.

Avalakki (Poha/Flattened rice) Upkari:

Avalakki (flattened rice) upkari is a popular breakfast item or evening snack. It is served for breakfast with upma and banana.

Avalakki Upkari

Ingredients:
Avalakki (Thin variety) - 2 Cups
Powdere Jaggery or brow sugar - 2 Tbsp
Red chilies - 2
Coriander seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Cumin seeds  1/2 Tsp
Fresh grated coconut - 1/2 Cup
Salt - To taste

Seasoning:
Olive/Coconut oil - 2 Tbsp
Asafoetida - A pinch
Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp
Curry leaves - 2 Strings
Coriander leaves - 2 Tbsp chopped

Method:
1.  Dry grin cumin seeds, coriander seeds and red chilies.
2.  Add the grated coconut to the poha and mix.
3.  Add the powered spices, jaggery/brown sugar, and salt.
4.  Head the oil, add mustard seeds and when it sizzles add asafoetida, curry leaves, and turmeric powder.
5.  Pour the seasoning on the avalakki.
6,  Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro leaves.

Chakli

Chakli is a popular savory snack.  It is made with rice flour, roasted gram flour and urad dhal flour mixed with butter and spices.

Chakli

Ingredients: 
Rice flour - 3 Cups (preferably rice soaked, dried in shade and powdered)
Roasted urad dhal flour - 1 Cup
Roasted gram flour - 3/4 Cup
Asafoetida - A pinch
Cumin seeds - a Tsp
Sesame seeds - a Tsp
Butter - 3 Tbsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - To fry

Method:
1. Mix all the flours and add asafoetida, cumin seeds, sesame seeds and salt.
2. Add butter and water to mix  and knead to a smooth dough.
3. Make spiral chaklis with the chakli maker.
4. Deep fry till done.
5. Store in airtight container.

Beet Chapati & Mini Puris

This year for Valentine's Day I tried making chapati with beets.  I steamed the beets and blend in the dough and later cutting into heart shaped pieces and infusing with the dough.  I also made mini puris.

Beet & Plain Chapati

Beet Chapati

Mini Beet Puris

Ingredients:
Plain Dough:
Wheat flour - 1 Cup
Yogurt - 2 Tbsp
Salt - To taste
Water - To make dough

Beet Dough:
Wheat flour - 1 Cup
Small beet - ½ Steamed
Green chilies - 1
Salt - To taste
Water - To make dough

Olive oil - for roasting chapatis

Method for Chapati:
1.  Mix the ingredients for the plain chapati and make a soft pliable dough.  It should be elastic, soft and smooth dough easy to roll.
2.  Blend the steamed beets, and green chilies with very little water and add this to the other ingredients the wheat flour and salt.  Make a smooth and soft dough.
3.  Roll the beets chapati dough thin with a rolling pin and cut out the desired shape with a sharp knife.
4.  Roll the plain chapati dough to a circle.  Place the cut out shapes of the beets chapati dough and gently roll so it fuses with the plain chapati.
5.  Place it on a hot griddle and cook.  Apply oil and cook and flip to turn to cook on the other side till there are golden brown spots.
6.  When it is cooked keep it covered in a container.

Method for Puris:
1.  Roll the beets chapati dough and cut to heart shape pieces and deep fry in olive oil