Chocolate (or apple) cinnamon rolls

There are so many fillings I make for these rolls. Sometimes, I substitute the chocolate with green apple cubes soaked for a minute or two in some juice of lime. Sometimes, I add the apple along with the chocolate. I also do jam versions, where I just add some blueberry/raspberry preserve along with the cream cheese and icing sugar. The cream cheese is not a mandatory ingredient. You could leave it out. I love to add it to sweet rolls because of two reasons: one, it allows all other fillings to stick to the surface of the dough nicely and snugly; and two, it makes the rolls so light, fluffy and delicious.

The next special ingredient I use is the French vanilla creamer. It is not easily available, except in gourmet stores, but if you find it, bring it home. Its flavour and aroma is so gorgeously beautiful and it renders any dessert or sweet bread its patisserie-like quality. You could use it as a hot beverage creamer, or just add it to a glass of hot chocolate or plain milk and drink it up. However, if you are unable to find it in the market, its not worth fretting about. Just use a plain and simple milk powder/dairy creamer.

There are always those ingredients that add a 'wow' factor to food. They jump the line between good and great. I'v always found people asking me: "Can I leave this out?"; "Cant I substitute it with something?"; "Can I use dried herbs instead of fresh?"; "Can I use coriander instead of basil, or cottage cheese instead of cream cheese"- for some questions, my answer is yes, but in most cases, I wouldn't recommend it. If I say in my post that you can leave it out or substitute it then you can, but if I don't explicitly say so, then any substitutions/adjustments you make should be done at the risk of facing some disappointment when your timer goes off and you peek nervously into the oven. A small adjustment (which we Indians totally love to do) maybe the reason why your final dish was not exactly like someone else's although you claim that you followed the recipe exactly. Think about it; ruminate.

Baking is all about precision, in terms of ingredients, measurements, temperatures, timings, everything. It could be dead easy or impossibly nerve racking, but if you really follow a good tested recipe exactly, I don't see why you shouldn't be dreadfully good at it!     

Makes 20 rolls

Ingredients

Dough
350 g all purpose flour
35 g Nestle French vanilla coffee creamer (can substitute with milk powder)
35 g sugar
1/4 tsp salt
50 g fresh yeast or 2 tsp instant dry yeast
3 large eggs + 1 egg yolk (keep egg white  to brush over the buns)
60 ml lukewarm water
150 g butter

Filling

Mascarporne cream cheese (can be left out)

100 g grated dark chocolate (can use dark chocolate chips)

20 g icing sugar

Superfine cinnamon powder

Optional: 2 green apples, peeled, cubed and soaked in some juice of lime for 2 minutes

Method

Dough and first rise

Set up what you need. All ingredients should be at room temperature for baking any bread. Place all the dry dough ingredients, except the yeast, in a mixing bowl. Dissolve  the yeast in the lukewarm water and add it to the mixing bowl. Add the eggs to the bowl. Knead it together for about 10 minutes by hand or 20 minutes in a bread mixer/stand mixer at medium speed. In the beginning, the dough will be very sticky and loose, but as you continue kneading, you will see that it comes together nicely. Do not add extra flour. Place the dough in a warm place, covered with a wet cloth, such that the cloth does not touch the surface of the dough. Leave it to rise for about an hour or until it doubles.

Rolling and second rise

Place the dough on a generously floured work top. Divide it into two halves. Roll out one half of the dough into a flat rectangle about 2 mm thick. Spread a thick layer of marcarporne on the dough. Now, spread the grated chocolate, cinnamon powder and icing sugar on the dough. Roll the dough gently from one long side to the other. There is no need to seal the open end. Using a sharp knife, cut out slices about 1.5 inch thick. Place the flat on a well-greased baking tray and use a soft silicone brush to coat the rolls with egg wash. Allow to rise for about 30 minutes.

Repeat the procedure with the second half; you could use a different filling.

Place in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown. And voila! 

Serve warm with some hot cocoa or a steaming cup of coffee.

Caterpillar bread with chicken sausage & parsley

Its been a beautiful week, full of soft drizzles, maddening rains, gentle breeze and blooming flowers. In the spirit of mother nature, I was inspired to innovate and be creative with shaping my breads. One gets bored of the mundane buns and loaves. Here, I have attempted to create a cute little caterpillar with the bread dough. It was not only fun shaping it but also waiting for it to rise and then jump around in ecstasy as it browned and glowed in the oven. You can use any filling, really. I have used chicken sausages with some fresh parsley, onions and tomatoes.

A note of caution here. You will see that this bread, unlike many others, has just one rise for the yeast. The second rise is just for about 10 minutes, any longer and the caterpillar will lose its shape. So, do not wait for the dough to double or triple; 10 minutes on the stop watch and straight into a preheated oven.

The recipe calls for 1/4 cup of butter and 1/4 cup of cream cheese, but if you prefer it, you could use 1/2 cup butter and avoid the cream cheese. The cream cheese adds a golden crust and lightness that butter cannot compensate for, but cream cheese is a gourmet product in India and not too easy on the pocket, so use butter if that works out better for you. Also, cream cheese is available in packages of 250 grams or 600 grams and has a relatively short shelf life (just about 2 weeks when sealed with cling wrap) even in the refrigerator. So, if you are buying cream cheese, keep at least 3 recipes ready to explore on your 2-week ticking time. You will find several here, under tags bread, biscuit, crackers, cheese cake etc.

Ingredients
Dough
2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp instant dry yeast or 50 g fresh yeast
1 egg
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup mascarporne cream cheese (can use butter instead)
1/4 to 1/2 cup lukewarm milk

Filling
4-5 garlic cloves chopped fine
1 green chilly, deeseded and chopped fine
1 medium red onion, chopped fine
2 medium tomatoes, chopped fine
2 sprigs of fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp salt (sausages are already salted)
1/2 tsp red chilly paste
A dollop of butter (you can choose the size of the dollop)

Method
Dough and first rise
Place all the ingredients in a wide bowl and knead to get a soft, firm dough. Place the dough in a warm place, covered with a wet cloth such that the cloth does not touch the surface of the dough. Allow the dough to rise to one and half times its size, approximately one hour.

Filling
In the meantime, make the filling. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add the garlic, green chilies and onions. Saute till golden brown. Add the chopped tomatoes and the fresh parsley. Season with salt and red chilly powder. Add some red chilly paste (more if you like heat). Allow the tomatoes to simmer and cook through. Add a small dollop of butter along with the sliced sausages. Allow to simmer for 5-8 minutes. Cover and set aside. You can also add some feta cheese for added flavour and yumminess.

Shaping and second rise
I forgot to take pictures while I was actually shaping the dough, so you have to manage with my attempt at good prose and these silly pictures taken with a piece of paper. I will try and update with real pictures soon.

Place the dough on a generously floured work top. Roll out the dough in a flat rectangle, keeping the thickness even (about 2 mm). With your knife mark (not cut) three points on the short side of the dough that divide it into 3 equal parts: 3a, 3b and 3c. Now, score 3c with 8-10 horizontal cuts making 8-10 horizontal strips (these will form the caterpillar strips). Place the filling at the junction of 3a and 3b and start rolling from the long side of 3a. Roll till you reach 3c. Now, use some egg wash and brush the surface of the rolled dough. Slowly and neatly, place one strip after the other on the rolled dough. Close off the two caterpillar ends by pinching them with your fingers, and turn the roll into a half-circle with the strips pointing outwards (like sun rays). Place two cloves to make the caterpillar eyes. Transfer the roll very gently to a greased baking tray and allow to rise in a warn place, covered, for 10 minutes. Brush with some egg wash and set aside to bake.

Bake in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until gorgeously brown.

Slice and enjoy warm with some soup or as an evening snack.

Thyme and Garlic Focaccia

Italian breads have a beauty that is theirs alone to claim. Simple, earthy and classic, they belong to a league of their own. The basic bread has no special flavouring agent and no other additives, just the dear old yeast doing its thing. And yet, the bread is so wholesome and beautiful. Focaccia is not an extra soft bread, but it is a textural delight to the palate, the visual drama not to be missed. Fresh herbs and olive oil render its flavour memorable, leaving behind a soft trail of roasted garlic, not too overbearing. A classic bread, a simple recipe and incredible flavours. Focaccia, next on stage. 

Makes 2 flat sqares of Focaccia

Ingredients

380 g  all purpose flour

2 tsp yeast

2 tsp sugar

2 tsp salt

5-6 cloves garlic, chopped

1.5 cups lukewarm water

1 egg, whisked

3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme

3 tablespoons oil

1 red onion, sliced

10-15 black olives, pitted and sliced

A pinch of coarse sea salt

Method

Mix the flour, yeast, salt, sugar, warm water and egg to form a firm, yet soft dough. Mildly flour the dough and let it rise until it has doubled in size. Keep in covered with a wet and clean kitchen towel to preserve the moisture in the bread.

In the meantime, place the garlic cloves and thyme (or rosemary) in a bowl with some olive oil. Let it rest for about 1 hour.

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch out the air with your fingers and let it rise again for 30 minutes.

After the second rise, roll out the dough into a neat and even rectangle. Make small holes in the dough with your little finger, without pushing out the air. Spread the oil mixture evenly on the surface of the bread. Place the onion rings and olives on the bread. Sprinkle some coarse sea salt. 

Place the bread in a preheated oven (in a greased baking tray) at 200 degree Celsius for 15-30 minutes until it becomes a nice golden colour. Bon appetite!

Bread rolls with tomato, basil, feta and caramelised garlic

Greek salad is one of my favourite salads and this bread is inspired truly and completely from this salad. Cherry tomatoes, feta cheese, fresh basil and garlic, all common and signature ingredients of a classic Greek salad. The good bit about these rolls is the absence of any fat to soften the dough; the only fat content is the small amount of olive oil and its hardly anything. The show stopper ingredient in these simple, earthy rolls is the caramelised garlic. I have a separate blog entry for this recipe and strongly recommend that you try it at least once. For garlic devourers, this is a must-have.

The bread speaks for itself: soft, moist and high on the flavour quotient. Enjoy baking it and eating it!

Portions: Makes 18-20 rolls
Ingredients
Dough
1.5 tsp of instant dry yeast
1.5 to 2 cups of lukewarm water
2 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
4 cups flour
1/4 tsp dried oregano
15 g freshly grated cheddar cheese
 
Filling
125 g  cherry tomatoes or 3 large tomatoes, cubed
1 pod garlic (caramelised); for recipe and details see here
100 g feta cheese, cubed
bundle of fresh basil leaves

Method

First rise

Place the flour, oil, salt, grated cheese, dried oregano and yeast in a bowl. Add lukewarm water and knead till you get a soft dough. Place it in a bowl, covered with a wet cloth such that the cloth does not touch the surface of the dough. Place in a warm place for one hour and allow the dough to double in size. 

Filling and second rise

Now the dough is raised and ready to be rolled. Roll the dough into a flat rectangle about 5 mm thick. Place the tomatoes along with the feta and caramelised garlic cloves, on the flattened dough. Now, place the fresh basil leaves on top of the tomatoes. Fold the dough, placing one short side inside till midway. Now fold the other short side slightly beyond midway such that there is a small overlap between the two folds. Make sure the filling is secure within the roll, without any cracks or tear. Cut thick slices from the roll, about 2.5 cm thick. Place them on a greased baking tray and cover with a clean, wet kitchen towel; allow them to rise for about 30-45 minutes. Place in a preheated oven at 225 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until golden.

Once they are out of the over, brush them with some olive oil (use the oil floating on top of the caramelised garlic sauce).

Serve warm with coffee or a soup and salad. 

Breakfast buns with garlic, thyme and cheddar

Breakfast buns are versatile in so many ways. They can be eaten as a snack, as a meal, as a complement to soups, salads, casseroles or just with a warm cup of hot chocolate. They are incredibly soft and store well in the refrigerator for about a week. The fillings can vary to match your palate and your mood. They are definitely softer and moister than the ones you would buy at your local bakery. So, it is no surprise that fresh bread fills the senses and satisfies the soul like nothing else. Oven-fresh, warm and moreish, these breakfast buns make you want to have just one more. Or maybe two.

Portions: Makes 8-9 large buns

Ingredients

450 g all purpose flour
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 tsp sugar
75 g butter (cubed, room temp)
1 tsp salt
 2 tsp instant dry yeast
1 egg (room temp)
50 g grated cheddar cheese

1 pod roasted garlic (see how to make here)

3 sprigs of fresh thyme

Grated lemon zest

Dried onion seeds (kalonji) for decoration 

Method

First rise

Heat the milk till it is lukewarm. Add the butter to the milk and allow the butter to slowly melt. Add the yeast to this mixture and set aside. Whisk one egg lightly. Place one thirds of the flour, sugar, salt and eggs in a bowl. Add the milk mixture. Knead slowly, add the rest of the flour little by little. Knead for about 5 minutes until you get a smooth dough. The dough is ready when it is firm and leaves the sides of the bowl. The dough must be sticky and loose. Allow the dough to rest, covered with a wet cloth (such that the cloth does not touch the surface of the dough), in a warm place. The first rise should take anywhere between 30 to 60 minutes, depending on the type/potency of the yeast. The dough should double in size.

Stuffing and second rise

After the first rise, place the dough on a floured surface and divide it into 8 or nine equal sized pieces (you could use a weighing scale for precision). Take a piece of dough and flatted it (not too much or else you will lose the airiness). Place the roasted garlic, some thyme and some cheddar in the middle and fold add sides against the middle, securing the filling gently in the center. Place it on a greased baking tray with the folded side down. Proceed similarly with the rest of the dough. Brush the tops of the buns with some melted butter and grate some lemon zest onto the surface. Sprinkle some dried onion seeds on the buns and keep them covered in a warm place for the second rise (approximately 30 minutes or until doubled).

Bake them in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Once they are out of the oven, brush them with some olive oil to keep them soft and moist, and also to add some shine to the crust.

Bread pockets with salami, parsley and bell peppers

These are, by far, the best breads I have ever baked, and I have baked many. There isn't much to say about these breadlings other than the fact that they taste absolutely, gorgeously, fantabulously divine. You should bake them today, right now.

Just a word of caution here. If you feel like your dough is too difficult to work with and keeps tearing apart, place the dough in a covered bowl in the fridge for about 20 minutes before trying again. The cream cheese and the butter make the dough very soft and light, sometimes making it tough to work with shaping/cutting etc, but the thin, golden crust at the end makes it all worth it.


Portion: Makes 6 pockets
Ingredients
Bread pockets
200g flour
50g butter
30g mascarporne or Philadelphia cream cheese
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup milk
11/4 tsp instant dry yeast
1 tsp sugar
Dried chives
Dried lemon pepper powder
1 egg white

Stuffing
5 slices chicken salami, chopped
1 large red onion, chopped fine
1 red bell pepper, chopped fine
3-4 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 sprigs fresh parsley or 1 tsp dried parsley
1-2 tbsp fine quality balsamic vinegar
2 tsp dark brown sugar
1tsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method
First rise
Heat the milk till lukewarm in a microwave; add the butter cubes and allow to melt. It is important that the mixture remains warm. In a large bowl mix together the flour, salt, sugar, baking powder, yeast, chives, lemon pepper powder (brand Keya available in Indian gourmet stores). Add the cream cheese and the lukewarm milk-butter mixture. Make a soft dough kneading gently for 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a greased bowl, cover with a wet cloth such that the dough doesn't come in contact with the wet cloth. Keep in a warm place. Allow the yeast to rise and the dough to double. This should take about 1.5 hours.

Filling
In the meantime, make the filling. Heat olive oil in a non-stick pan. Add chopped garlic, parsley and onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes until light brown. Add the sugar, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper. Add a dash of water and allow the garlic and onions to caramalize for about 6-8 minutes till you see the oil coming up on the sides of the pan. You should have a sticky mixture with little or no liquid. Add the bell peppers and the salami. Cook for 5 minutes or until the mixture is completely dry. Set aside and allow to cool.

Second rise
After 1.5 hours of the first rise, transfer the dough to a generously floured surface (do not punch out the air deliberately). Roll out the dough into a flat rectangle about 1/2 inch thick. Using a large cookie cutter cut out round shapes. Take one round shaped dough and place 1 tsp of filling in the centre. Using a silicone brush, gently brush the outer circumference of the round with egg white (this will cook on heating and act as a glue to hold the two rounds of dough together). Place the second round on top of the first and gently press down with your fingertips, securing the filling neatly inside the pocket. Repeat the procedure for all the pockets. Brush the tops of the pockets with egg white and transfer to a greased tray keeping enough space between two pockets to allow them to rise. Cover with a wet cloth (not touching the surface of the bread), keep in a warm place and allow 1.5 hours for the second rise.

After the second rise is complete, transfer the pockets onto a baking tray lined with a baking sheet, and greased with some butter. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Enjoy warm with some hot coffee or a warm cup of hot chocolate.

Herbed and oven charred aubergine bruschetta with sautéed asparagus

Bruschetta is now on the menu of every small diner in town, but it’s the same old tomato and basil or mushroom and anchovies. I am a big fan of aubergine and love it on my pizzas and lasagnes, so why not on bread? This is a great antipasto dish for dinner parties where you want to spend less time in the kitchen and more time with the gossip girls. Leave them in the oven at a low temperature and serve them as and when you like. No last minute ‘deep frying’ or ‘tossing with the dressing’. It’s fresh, fast and simple (like Donna Hay would say it).

I do make a longer version of this recipe sometimes. And that just involves spreading a layer of tomato salsa on the focaccia before placing the aubergine on it. I usually make the tomato salsa a day in advance; it only develops more flavour overnight with the balsamic vinegar in it (see my recipe for tomato salsa). But keep it simple and try this one first. You can always add and subtract ingredients, depending on what you find at the local grocer’s. Use different combinations of herbs, but not all at once. Use nuts if you like.

This recipe started to take shape when I came to mum’s place and saw this huge bed of sweet Thai basil in the kitchen garden! I just wanted to make something with it, and I think this recipe clearly brings out its beautiful oriental flavour and aroma.

If you multitask (all women know how to do this), you can get this done in as less as 15-20min. Isn’t that real quick?

Prep time: 10min

Cooking time: 25min

Serves: 4 pieces

Ingredients

Focaccia bread, sliced to get rectangular pieces

50g mild cheddar, grated

1 large aubergine, sliced and immersed in ice cold water

For the sautéed asparagus

5-6 stalks asparagus, keep only the top tender half

2tsp olive oil

20g softened salted butter

A pinch of ground black pepper

Salt to taste

Herb-mix for the aubergine (grind coarsely and keep aside)

10 leaves sweet basil

1 sprig rosemary, leaves only

4-5 pitted black olives

½ tsp lime zest

3-4 cloves garlic, peeled

1 tsp extra virgin olive oil

A pinch of ground black pepper

Salt to taste

50g sour cream (home-made or bought); to serve

Method

Preheat oven to 150°C.

Marinate the sliced aubergine in the herb-mix for 5-10min. In the meantime, heat olive oil on a skillet and mildly sauté the asparagus stalks with some salt and pepper. Make sure they are nice and crunchy. Keep aside.

On the same skillet, heat some olive oil and cook the marinated aubergine slices. Cook them on both sides, till they are brown and soft (should take about 5-6min). Do not overcook.

Slightly butter the top and sides of the focaccia, place 2 aubergine slices on each piece, top it up with some grated cheddar and bake in a preheated oven for 5-10min. Remove and serve hot with the sautéed asparagus and some sour cream.

Note: To make sour cream at home, use a 60:40 proportion of single cream to milk. Heat the milk till it is warm; add it to the cream kept at room temperature. The final mixture should still be lukewarm (so heat your milk accordingly). Add a tbsp of sour yoghurt to this mixture, stir gently with a spoon, cover and allow to set for 4-6 hours (in summers; 7-9hrs in winters). This process is the same as setting normal yoghurt, which we do everyday at home. To get a thicker sour cream- use whole fat milk, whole fat cream, or just tie up the ready sour cream in a muslin cloth and leave to drain in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.

Vada Pav with garlic and peanut chutney powder, mint and raw mango chutney, and stuffed green chillies

This is something I have grown up eating and loving. Having a whole bunch of cousins in Pune, I couldn't help myself from getting addicted to this wholesome street food winner. And yet, what I make at home seems like such a gourmet version of what you might find on the streets for only rupees 10. It is as close to the original as possible, as this recipe is a family pass on. So I can vouch for its authenticity.

When you are obliged to live in a city up north (like me), far far away from the vada pavs, bhel puris, and kacchi dabelis of Mumbai and Pune; this is the closest you can feel to your palate roots. Being from North Karnataka; having a host of family in Pune; and my obvious love for baking and continental food; render my cuisine at home so varied that you might find it odd that on the one hand I post recipes of cheesecakes and tarts, and on the other there is the very maharashtrian vada pav or the very 'namma bengaluru' kesari bhath. My recipes are mostly adopted from mum or grandmum, and I want to make sure that they don't get lost somewhere along the way.

I hope to post many more wonders of our simple Indian cooking in the months to follow. There's always room for suggestions and requests. If I know how to make it, I'll post it. For now, enjoy making and relishing the one and only 'vada pav'.

Prep time: 1 hour 30 min

Cooking time: 30 min

Serves: 4-5 people (10-12 pieces)

Ingredients

For the vada pav

10-12 Pav (bread), halved

50g softened butter

250ml vegetable oil for deep frying

Filling for vadas

½ kg potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed

½ tsp turmeric powder

2 tbsp vegetable oil

Juice of 1 lemon

Salt to taste

Masala mix:

6 green chillies

1 bunch fresh coriander

1 bunch Curry leaves

1½ inch piece ginger

1 whole pod of garlic (small), peeled

Batter for vadas

2 cups gram flour (besan)

1 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder

Pinch of asafoetida (hing)

½ tsp whole caraway seeds (ajwain)

½ tsp whole cumin seeds (jeera)

1 tbsp vegetable oil

Salt to taste

Water as required

 Mint and raw mango chutney

1 raw mango, peeled and flesh grated

½ bunch mint leaves

½ bunch fresh coriander

4-5 green chillies

¼ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

3-4 cloves of garlic, peeled

2 tbsp thick yoghurt

¼ tsp sugar or some jaggery (add only if the mango is very sour)

Salt to taste

Garlic and peanut chutney powder

½ cup roasted peanuts

½ cup roasted gram lentil (roasted chana)

2 tsp kashmiri red chilli powder

1 whole pod garlic, peeled

½ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

2 inch piece of deseeded tamarind

3 tbsp desiccated coconut, grated

Salt to taste

Stuffed green chillies

4-6 green chillies, slit and deseeded

Rock salt (kala namak)

Cumin powder (jeera)

Asafoetida powder (hing)

Dry mango powder (aamchur)

Method

 Vada Pav

Grind all the ingredients of the masala coarsely.

Add oil to a large saucepan. Add the ground masala. Fry for a minute. Add turmeric powder. Add the mashed potatoes. Add salt, and stir well on a low flame. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the juice of a lime. Stir and keep aside, allowing to cool completely. Once cooled, divide the mixture into10-12 equal portions, and shape them into small patties.

For the batter, mix all the ingredients in a large bowl, adding water slowly to make a thick smooth batter without any lumps. Keep aside.

Dip the potato patties in the batter and deep fry on a medium flame until golden yellow.

Toast the pav with a generous helping of butter on a non-stick pan, till they are nice and golden brown.

Mint and raw mango chutney

Grind all the ingredients in a blender to get a smooth paste. Add water if necessary.

Garlic and peanut chutney powder

Grind all the ingredients in a blender to get a grainy and coarse powder.

Stuffed green chillies

Stuff the green chillies with all the ingredients mentioned above and deep fry in a small saucepan.

Assembling

Place a vada between the two halves of the pav, season with the two chutneys and serve with the stuffed green chilly!