Anaar-Dana Kulcha

Kulcha is a typical Punjabi recipe,  where Flour dough,  mashed potatoes, onion  and lots of spices are rolled into a flat round shape and baked in an earthen clay oven until golden brown.   I saw these Kulchas being made on a Pakistani Food Channel,  and although I had no earthen clay oven,  I just  knew that I had to try them in the normal oven.    They turned out nice and soft and topped with a spicy and tangy potato & pomegranate seed mixture;  they were a refreshing change.

 For the Dough :

• All purpose flour ½ kg
• Baking soda a pinch
• Ghee Clarified  ½ cup
• Yeast 1 tbsp
• Salt ½ tsp
• Milk as required

 

For Filling:

• Boiled potatoes 2
• Onion chopped 1
• Green chilies chopped 4
• Coriander and mint leaves chopped 1 cup
• Cumin seeds 1 tsp
• Crushed red pepper 2 tsp
• Salt ½ tsp
• Pomegranate seeds crushed 4 tbsp
• Butter as required

Mix together all purpose flour, salt, yeast, clarified butter and a pinch of baking soda.

1. Knead into a smooth dough with required milk.
2. Keep aside for 1 hour to rise.
3. Mix together boiled potatoes, crushed pomegranate seeds, chopped onion, chopped green chilies, coriander and mint leaves, cumin seeds, salt and crushed red pepper in a bowl.
4. Now make small flat breads with the dough.
5. Arrange on a roasting tray and  brush with butter and keep to rise for 20-30 minutes.
6. When they rise a bit – sSpread potatoes mixture on top and  brush with butter/ghess.
7. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 30 minutes till brown.
8. Serve hot.

 

Coffee Cream Cake for Diwali and a Birthday Girl

May the auspicious festival of lights

Illuminate your life in the year ahead

With happiness and prosperity

HAPPY DIWALI to our friends, members and readers,

From  the Team of  “Bring On The Chef In You”

                             (Vijay, Joyce, Sylvia and Judy)

We would also like to wish someone special,  who is celebrating her birthday today.

May every moment of your special day….

Be just the way you want it to be ….

Filled with love, lights, sparklers, happiness and celebrations,

And of course GIFTzzzzzzzzzz !!!!!!!

Happy Birthday to you MEIRA !!!!

Saw this recipe on one of the Food Channels and had to try it out.  The  cake in question is a Coffee Sponge Cake,  a unique sponge.  which is feathery-light and wonderfully soft and fluffy.   Our office-boy kindly gave me some Italian espresso coffee powder and the cake turned out really nice,  if I may say so.

Here is the recipe :

For the Coffee Sponge :

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp  espresso powder

1 cup flour

Pinch of salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted and cooled

Preheat the oven to 180C. Line the bottom and sides of a 6- 7″ round cake tin with wax paper.   First apply some butter to the tin and then line the tin (bottom first and the sides next) with wax paper – this way you get a good round shaped cake which is easy to remove from the tin.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the sugar over a bowl of simmering hot water for about 5 minutes till thick and mousse like. Then remove the water from the heat and beat till the mixture cools down (say about 5-8 minutes). Add the espresso and beat it again for a minute.

Fold the flour through gently, in 3 or 4 batches,  taking care not to deflate the batter.

Take a cup of this batter in another bowl, and mix the melted cooled butter through it. Now gently fold this back into the rest of the batter.

Turn the batter into the prepared baking tin, and bake for 30-35 minutes, till a tester comes out clean.

Filling & Frosting (Need 2 batches of this quantity) :

400ml whipping cream

2 tbsp  icing sugar

1 tsp coffee essence + pinch of coffee.

(Make 2 batches of above quantity) one for filling and one for frosting the sides and top.

Coffee Syrup :   1 tablespoon coffee, 3-4 tablespoons of water,  add any coffee flavoured liqueur  (2 tablespoons)

Method:

Whip together cream and icing sugar,  coffee and coffee essence till  peaks form.

When the cake is cold, split the cake into two or three halves and brush each side of the cake with the coffee syrup, and sandwich with the filling.

After stacking and sandwiching the cakes together with the filling,  frost the sides of the cake first, and then the top. Garnish with chocolate flakes and make a scroll for the sides with chocolate.

Ribbon Cake-The Show Must Go On..

12^th October, 2011,   was a sad day for me as I lost my father.  My father passed away peacefully in Mumbai;   surrounded by his loved ones,  but it was very difficult for me as I did not get to say a last goodbye.  I take comfort in the fact that I met him twice this year and his loving memories keep me going on.

A perfect father,  who loved me unconditionally and who gave me values that I will pass on to my children.  I miss you Papa,  treasure you and will love you always.

For the first few days,  my life had come to a standstill;  but then knowing
that you would want me to be strong……I carry on !!!!

“We thought of you with love today,
But that is nothing new
We thought about you yesterday
And days before that too
We think of you in silence
We often speak your name
Now all we have is memories
And your picture in a frame
Your memory is our keepsake
With which we’ll never part
God has you in his keeping
We have you in our heart.”

Today is the birthday of a friend, and although I am in mourning,   I want to wish her…..coz that would be what Papa would do,  if he was in my shoes.  Mel,  wishing you a happy birthday and hoping that you have a great day.  Would also like to wish our daughter Natasha and our Son, Denver, who celebrated their birthdays last week.   ‘God Bless’  from us and from Papa too.   Please pray for his soul to rest in peace.

Ribbon Cake

Ingredients

Butter 250 g

Flour 225 g

Sugar 225 g

Eggs 5

Baking Powder 2 Teaspoons

Water ¼ cup

Milk Powder 2 Tablespoons

Vanilla 1 teaspoon

Pineapple & Strawberry essence

Pink and green colour

Beat butter & sugar to a soft cream and add eggs one at a time and beat
well.  Sift flour and baking powder 3 times and fold it to the creamed mixture.

Mix up milk powder with water and add to the creamed mixture add vanilla essence.  Divide the batter into two.  Add pineapple essence to one and strawberry essence to another.  Add pink colour to the strawberry one and green to the pineapple one.

Bake in 2 lined pans for 45-50 minutes. Sandwich both flavours with buttercream icing  {which has already been given earlier in the cake folders);  and cover sides and top with buttercream.

Our Blog Anniversary

Yay !!!!   “Bring On The Chef In You”   just completed One year today.

It is a mixed feeling of pride and satisfaction we feel today.  At the beginning, we didn’t think it would last this long, but it has been easy, we have met benchmarks and exceeded expectations, 560 Members, 52926 Hits,  213 Posts,  787 Comments,  23 Categories,  Ranking on Blogtop Site -202,   and Then, Voila!  us featured on Foodgawker.

We are grateful and most importantly feel, we have built a community
which by far is more motivating and encouraging and that which is gradually increasing. This support has had a tremendously positive effect on us.

Seriously! We’ve been challenged, applauded, pushed by readers and fellow bloggers, many of whom we have had the privilege of actually meeting and becoming good friends on and offline. ‘Bring On The Chef In You’  has helped us build relationships and a community we are proud to be a part of.

We have a lot of plans for the future and we shall unfold them slowly but surely.   We have an addition to our team, a 13- year old computer-wiz who will be our IT Administrator.   Thank you Vijay.

Thank you once again and keep patronizing our Food blog. Do spread the word about us. To that end – what would you like to see in your Food Blog ?  Any ideas or recommendations ?  Please feel free to just comment below.

We have one aim in mind…..to serve you better.

So, dear friends, it’s onward and upward towards to our second year.

Cheers

Vijay, Joyce, Sylvia, and Judy

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As a special for our Anniversary, we are celebrating with a new theme, which we hope you will like.

On this our Special Day, we are introducing a new category “Kids can cook” and several yummilicious posts… just for you…

From Devon, our faithful Critic & Motivator  : 5 Minute Chocolate Cake in A Mug

From Judy    :         Starter & Main Course

From Sylvia   :         Brazo de Mercedes

From Joyce   :         Cucumber Idli

From Meira D’silva,  our supporter :      Rice Paper Rolls

From Diana Correa,  our supporter  :     Apple Cake

Bhopali Seekh Kebabs

This recipe is adapted from Pakistani Food Channel, Masala T.V. I love kebabs and nothing would stop me from making these. I took them along for a friend when I visited her and she liked them so much that she pestered me to give the recipe and would not rest till I did so. And here I am sharing this recipe with our valued readers.
Ingredients :
500 grams beef mince (double minced)
4 tablespoon ghee
Cardamom powder -1/2 teaspoon
Cottage Cheese 3-4 tablespoons
Garam Masala powder 1 teaspoon
Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tablespoon
4/5 green chillies chopped fine
1 teaspoon red chilly powder
¼ teaspoon Nutmeg
¼ teaspoon mace (javethri) powder
1 cup fried onions (cut 4-5 big onions and deep fry them till crisp and crumble them)or get readymade fried onions from asian stores
Few cashewnuts ground to a paste
Small green-papaya ground fine (small piece) for tenderizing the meat
1 bunch coriander leaves finely chopped
The mince is to be double minced so you have mince which is very fine. The mince is not to be boiled….add everything to the raw mince and mix thoroughly. Keep in the fridge for sometime so it is easy to form the kebabs.  Form long shapes on skewers or on a chopstick. Refrigerate for sometime.  Just before frying….. cut a small square of foil and keep it on the kebabs. Keep one or two coal balls on the fire till red and then keep on the square foil. Add a few drops of oil on the hot coal and immediately cover it with a foil so that all the smoke is trapped inside. Keep the dish covered for 10-15 minutes.
Later shallow fry or grill the kebabs (I shallow fried them  Sprinkle with lemon juice and serve the fried kebabs with sautéed onions and coriander leaves.

Spicy Lamb & Sweet Pulav

Here’s a flavorful spiced lamb the whole family will enjoy. Serve this lamb stew with hot cooked Pulav, they go very well together.

Spicy Lamb :  Grind to a fine paste 7-8 Green Chillies, 3 onions, 1 teaspoon red chilly powder, 2-3 cardamoms,  a bunch of coriander leaves, few mint leaves, 6-8 pepper corns, 2 teaspoons cumin seeds,  1/2 teaspoon turmeric, 1″ ginger, 6-8 cloves garlic, little tamarind, 1/2 cup almonds. a handful of raisins, 2 inch cinnamon stick, 4 cloves, 3 large tomatoes.

In a non stick pan,  add a little ghee and fry 1/2 onion.  Then add the meat and brown it in batches.  Remove and keep aside.   In the same pan add the ground masala paste and fry for 15-20 minutes till you note that the ghee and ground paste separate.  Add salt and the sauteed/fried lamb and keep frying till the paste is well fried and gives a good aroma.  Add a little water and cook till the meat is tender.  The gravy for this should be very thick.   Garnish with potato wedges.

Sweet Pulav :  2 cups long grained rice, 4 cups hot water, 2 tablespoons ghee and 2 tablespoons oil, 6 cardamom pods, 4  pcs of cinnamon sticks, 1 bay leaf, 6 cloves,  2 onions halved and sliced, 2-3 mint leaves, salt to taste.

For Garnish :  2 tablespoons ghee, 1/4 cup cashewnuts, 1/4 cup sultana, 1 onion halved and sliced.

Soak rice for 20 minutes.  Add ghee/oil to non-stick pan and add spices then onion. Stir rice and toss.  Add water and salt and simmer on a slow fire till the grains are fluffy and cooked.

Fry the items for the garnish separately and add to the rice.  Gently mix it to the rice.

Brazo De Mercedes

Brazo de Mercedes is referred to as jelly roll made of soft meringue with golden yellow custard filling. This heavenly cake is an all-time favorite in the Philippines.

What I like most about this cake is the sponge like texture of the meringue that literally melts in the mouth. The light flavor of the meringue is balanced by the flavor of the rich custard filling. Believe me! This is truly amazing!

Most of you might be thinking that this rolled cake is hard to create; you might be surprised how easy it is to make your own Brazo de Mercedes after reading this post.

Ingredients:

10 large raw eggs, yolks and whites separated

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 teaspoon vanilla extract

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons Confectioners sugar

14 ounces condensed milk

Cooking procedure:

1. Combine egg whites, 1 tsp vanilla essence and cream of tartar then beat using an electric mixer.
2. Make the meringue by gradually adding the granulated sugar while mixing the ingredients. Continue mixing until the texture is semi-firm and you can form soft peaks.
3. Preheat the oven to 170 °C.
4. Place wax paper on top of a cookie sheet or large rectangular baking pan and grease the surface.
5. Place the meringue on top of the greased wax paper then spread evenly using a spatula.
6. Make zigzag lines with a fork on the top.
7. Bake the meringue for 15 to 20 minutes or until the color of the top part turns light to medium brown.
8. While the meringue is in the oven, make the custard filling by combining the egg yolks and condensed milk in a double boiler over medium heat, continuously stirring until the texture becomes thick.
9. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract to the condensed milk and egg yolk mixture, turn off the heat, and mix thoroughly. Set aside.
10. Remove the meringue from the oven and cool down for a few minutes.
11. Sprinkle the confectioners sugar on top of the meringue then place wax paper on the top part of the meringue followed by a similar sized baking pan or tray. The meringue should now be in the middle of two baking trays.
12. Flip the meringue: the new cookie sheet/baking tray placed on top should now be below. Remove the baking tray and the wax paper (you should now see the opposite side of the baked meringue) then spread the custard filling over the meringue.
13. Roll the meringue. Complete rolling side to side starting at the longest side. Make sure that the layer with filling is rolled inward.
14. Transfer to a serving plate then serve.

Cucumber Idli – Steamed Rice Cakes

This is a favorite breakfast/snack of my daughters.  They call it  “Sweet Idli”.  The taste of this Idli is similar to the traditional ‘Thovchyache Mandas’ or ‘Thekkare Adyar’.  The recipe itself is slightly modified and made simpler.  It does not involve grinding of fresh coconut,  instead you need to use desiccated coconut and instant coconut milk powder.

Ingredients :

1-1/2 cup boiled rice

3 cucumbers

1 cup grated jaggery (approx. 4 cubes)

4 tablespoons dedicated coconut

4 tablespoons instant coconut milk powder

6-8 cardamoms (powdered)

A handful of cashewnuts

A handful of fresh coconut (chunks or grated)

Clean and wash rice and soak overnight or a few hours.  Skin and dice cucumbers,  Grind rice, cucumbers and jaggery into a fine paste.  Pour the ground batter into a dish.  The batter should not be too thick.  Add the dessicated coconut and coconut milk powder.  Add salt to taste.   Sprinkle with cardamom powder, cashewnuts and fresh coconut bits.  Adjust consistency as required.  Pour into idli moulds and steam for about 30 minutes.

Rice Paper Rolls – Vegetarian/Tofu

Australia has a big Chinese influence and hence Asian groceries are easy to get and Asian food easy to prepare.

Rice paper rolls are a staple of Vietnamese food; light and delicious with intense flavours and texture. Packed with nutrition it’s easy to get kids to eat it
too. And for a hot spring/summer day – it’s easy to make (with less time in the
kitchen) and has a cooling effect too.

Rice paper rolls are easy to make and are a great side, starter or finger food for guests at a party; we had them at home for dinner too : ) Serve them with dipping sauce and experiment with your favourite vegetables.

DISCLAIMER:
I normally do not measure the ingredients that I use. Everything is eyeballed and guesstimated but I will try my best to provide you with some type of  measurements!

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Serves 12-15 pieces

Ingredients:

• 100g vermicelli noodles – if using Asian Brands – 2 cakes will do
• ½ cup bean sprouts
• 1 Avocado– sliced fine
• 1 large carrot – grated
• 1  Lebanese cucumber – sliced fine
• Tofu Skinor Firm Tofu – sliced fine
• ½ cupfresh mint leaves, chopped finely
• Ricepaper sheets

To serve:

• 3 Tbsp sweet chilli sauce – add a bit of water to dilute it

Method: Place the rice vermicelli in a bowl and cover with boiling water. Soak for 6 to 7 minutes, then drain, run cold water on it and place on a serving dish. It needs to be kept this way so as to make it a bit sticky.

• Get all the other ingredients ready. Since most of the vegies are to be consumed raw (without coking) take care to wash them thoroughly. Cut, slice, dice as suggested above. In a large round plate take some luke warm water. Soften the rice paper wrappers by soaking them for ½ minute, either side. Shake off excess water.  (If the water gets cold, you can replace it with fresh luke – warm water)
• Place on a clean kitchen towel or board and start stacking – vermicelli, bean sprouts, cucumber, carrot, tofu, avocado and mint. If you want it hot, you can add few chilli pieces as well.
• Fold and serve with sweet chilli sauce

Note:
• You can use lettuce or Chinese cabbage as another stuffing ingredient, I didn’t have any so excluded it from the recipe.
• You can add cooked shredded chicken or beef or prawns too.

(By Meira D’silva, Melbourne, Australia)

Apple Cake – Tried and Tested

Our recipe of Apple Cake was tried by many and one of our favourite readers, Diana Correa,  from Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.,  had this to quote :

“Tried out this recipe and it indeed turned out to be a ‘Perfect Apple Cake’. It was my niece’s birthday on the 22nd.  I fondly call her my apple, so I thought it was just apt to treat her to an Apple cake.  Shall forward a pic to you for your viewing “.