March 4, 2017

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.

March 1, 2017

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.