Pita Bread

Pita Bread

Pita bread is a popular staple in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean cuisine. It is a very simple yet versatile bread,you can serve it with a variety of dips and spreads,make sandwiches and wraps,even make chips out of it. I love it specially with hummus. 

The recipe basically uses white flour,but I have used an equal proportion of white and wheat flour (to make it healthy). The bread turned out very soft,you can change the proportion of the flour according to your convenience.

Ingredients

Warm water - 2 cups

Active dry yeast - 1packet 
Honey - 1Tbs
Wheat flour - 21/2 cups
All purpose flour - 11/2 cup

Salt- 2 tsp

Olive oil/vegetable oil - 1tsp

Method

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 cup of warm water. Add honey and stir until dissolved.Let sit for 10-15 minutes until water is frothy.

Combine white flour, wheat flour, and salt in large bowl. Making a small depression in the middle of flour add warm yeast water.

Then slowly add the remaining water as needed and mix with a spatula or hand to form an elastic dough.
 

Place the dough on floured surface and knead for 10-15 minutes. When the dough is no longer sticky and is smooth and elastic, it is done.

Coat large bowl with oil,I used olive oil and place the dough in bowl. Turn it upside down so all of it is coated with oil. Allow to sit,covered in a warm place for about 2-3 hours, or until it has doubled in size.

Once doubled punch down and knead the dough lightly.

Meanwhile preheat the oven (350 degree F) and lightly oil the baking sheet.

Make small balls out of the dough about the size a bit larger than golf balls.It will make about 10-12 balls. Let the dough balls sit covered for 10 minutes.

Roll out each ball of dough with a rolling pin into circles to a thickness of about 3/8 to1/4 inch thickness(For larger or smaller pita bread pieces, take more or less dough).
 

Place on baking sheet and bake at 350°F on the lowest oven rack for 4-5 minutes until the bread puffs up and then turn the pitas and bake for another 3-4 minutes 

Remove done pitas with a spatula and bake the remaining similarly.

Take spatula and gently push down the puff.Pita bread is ready. If you plan on storing the pitas for later eating immediately place them in storage bags.

For immediate use serve it with hummus or any other dip and enjoy.(Hummus recipe coming next)

Storing Pita bread

Pita bread can be stored for up to a week in a pantry box, and up to a month in the freezer,take care to use freezer bags

Pita bread dough can also be refrigerated for up to one week in the refrigerator.

*Veggie Toast

Sandwich is a food item which is popular all over the globe. I love the fact that its so easy to make and can be eaten anywhere,anytime. You can make so many different varieties of a Sandwich. It is loved by people of all the age groups.

Here is one variation which me and my hubby both love to eat....Whenever I am out of options to cook,this is the first thing to come to my mind. So simple.....yet so healthy and tasty!!!

This is my one more entry for the Sandwich festival hosted by Anupama of Food-n-more blog.

This recipe is also an entry for Great Cooks Community's Kid Friendly Cooking event.I am sure kids will love this sandwich..

Veggie Toast

Ingredients

• Bread slices 8
  

For filling

• Potatoes 4 (small)
• Tomato 1 (finely chopped)
• Onion 1 (finely chopped)
• Capsicum 1 (finely chopped)
• Black olives (chopped)
• Corainder 1tbsp
• Italian blend cheese,shredded 1 tbsp (You can use the cheese you like)
• Black pepper powder 2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Note: You can use bread you like and add vegetables of your choice and vary their quantity according to your liking.

Method

• Boil,peel and mash the potatoes.

• Add rest of the filling ingredients and mix well.
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• 

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• Take a slice of bread and put 1-2 tbsp of filling on it.Spread the filling evenly.
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• Place another slice of bread on top of it.Toast it in a toaster.
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• Serve with Ketchup or corainder chutney.

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Calories ~ 280 kcal/serving

Serves 2

*Kutchi Dabeli (Double Roti)

Today's recipe in my blog comes from the soil of Kutch (Gujarat)-the land of Garba and dandiya and also my native place and I am proud to be a part of such a great land.

Kutchi/Gujarati cuisine is said to be a vegetarian's dream come true.The famous Indian British cookbook writer Madhur Jaffrey has termed Gujarati cuisine as "the haute cuisine of vegetarianism."

I want to share with you all a small briefing on Kutchi cuisine:

The staple food is Rotlas made of Bajri (millet) which the locals relish with butter milk or `chhas`, jaggery or 'gud'. Khichhdi,made of rice and dal (pulses) is liked by everyone. It is eaten with kadhi -a savory curry made with yogurt using bay leaves, ginger, chilies and finely chopped vegetables as garnishing-onions and pickle.Using the same lentils and rice, Kutchi kitchens produce delectable items like the Khaman dhokla, a salty steamed cake made from chickpea flour; Doodh pak, sweet, thickened milk confectioned with nuts, and Srikhand, a dessert made of yogurt, flavored with saffron, cardamom, nuts and candied fruit which is eaten with hot, fluffy pooris. These three delicacies have made their way into the favorites list of the rest of India too and can be found in restaurants all over the country. (http://www.indianetzone.com/20/kutchi_receipes_beverages.htm)

Kutchi dabeli (Double Roti)

Kutchi Dabeli or Double Roti as it is popularly known is a tangy,sweet and spicy delicacy from Kutch ( Gujarat) and traditionally sold on the streets of gujarat. This snack has also become very famous on the streets of Mumbai,we can say its a different version of vada pav. This is one of my most favourite food...........It gives me a kind of nostalgic feeling and takes me down the memory lane to my childhood days when I was in mumbai. When me and my mother used to go to the market,we used to eat Dabeli from one particular stall......it was soooooooo delicious, I have never eaten such a tasty Dabeli anywhere else.

Here in US we don't get Dabeli masala, so what,no problems!!! You can make it at home or use this recipe for a jhatpat dabeli,no need to make dabeli masala separately.


Ingredients

• Pav bhaji Buns 6-8

For Filling

• Potatoes 4
• Onion 1 (Medium)
• Hot(spicy ) Peanuts 1/2 cup
• Tamarind-Dates chutney 1-2 tbsp
• Cumin-Corainder (Jeera-Dhania) powder 1-1 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala 2-3 tsp
• Red chilli powder 1 tsp
• Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
• Sugar 2 tsp
• Salt to taste

To serve

• Butter 2 tbsp
• Tamarind-Khajur chutney 4-6 tbsp
• Garlic chutney 2 tbsp
• Hot peanuts 1/2 cup
• Onion (raw) 1/2
• Nylon sev 1/2 cup
• Pomegranate cleaned (optional)

Method

• Boil ,peel and mash the potatoes.
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• Heat the oil in a pan,add asafoetida and saute the onions in it till they are light golden brown.
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• Add the mashed potatoes,hot peanuts,cumin-corainder powder ,garam masala,red chilli powder,sugar and salt.Mix well.
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• Remove from the fire, add 1-2 tbsp tamarind-date chutney and mix well.
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• The filling is now ready.

How to serve:

• Slice the bun horizontally in half.
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• Apply both the chutneys on lower part of the bun.
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• Take about 2 tbsp of filling and place it on the lower part of the bun.
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• Garnish with chopped onion, peanuts, sev, pomegranate.
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• Roast both the sides of the bun using little butter on a non stick tawa.

Ho gayi Kutchi Dabeli taiyaar.....Enjoy!!!

Serves 4

I am very happy to send this recipe for the Sandwich Festival hosted by Anupama of Food-n-more. Eagerly waiting for the round-up.

*Masala puri with Moong

Masala Puri with Moong

"Variety is the spice of life",as it is aptly said,everybody likes change. So lets take a break from the daily routine of eating roti or rice everyday and try this recipe. I am sure you all will like this recipe. I am not a huge fan of plain puris,but when it comes to garma garam masala puri with moong sabji I cannot resist it.....its one of my favourites!!

Its been quite a long time I haven't eaten masala puri. It reminds of my mom,she makes very tasty masala puri. So I thought why not make it myself...and believe me they came out so tasty.I was so happy that I could make it like my mom does. So friends,I want to share the recipe with you all.

Try it and u will love it!!!

Masala Puri

Ingredients

• Wheat flour 2 cups
• Oil 2 tsp + frying
• Red chili powder 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder 2 tsp
• Corainder-cumin seeds powder 1 tsp
• Salt
• Ajwain 1-2 tsp
• Sesame seeds 1-2 tsp
• Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
• Cilantro (corainder) Optional

Method

• Sieve the wheat flour.
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• Add all the above ingredients,mix well.
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• Knead it into a firm dough by adding enough water.(The dough should be harder than the chapati/roti dough.)
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• Cover it and keep it aside for about 20-30 minutes.
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• Lightly knead it once more.Make small balls and roll out small puris.
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• Heat oil in the frying pan and fry the puris.

Serve them hot with your favourite curry. I would recommend to have moong sabji with it. Masala puri and moong sabji compliment each other very well.Just try it once!!!

Whole moong or Green gram is considered as an important food specially for the vegetarians,as it contains about 20-25% protein.But their biological value improves in the presence of certain essential amino acids which are supplemented from cereals.Hence proteins when combined with cereals have enhanced nutritional value.This recipe is one such example.

Here's the moong sabji recipe.

Moong

Ingredients

• Whole moong(whole green gram) 1 cup
• Oil/ghee 1 tsp
• Tomato(small) 1
• Red chili powder 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder 1 tsp
• Corainder-cumin seeds powder 2 tsp
• Asafoetida (hing) a pinch
• Curry leaves 4-5Salt
• Lemon juice for taste
• Cilantro (corainder) to garnish

Method

• Wash the whole moong and pressure cook it to 3 whistles.
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• Do not drain the water,instead use it for making the sabji as it's very nutritious.
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• Cut tomato into small pieces.
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• Heat oil/ghee in a pan,add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and when they splutter add curry leaves and asafoetida.
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• Add boiled moong with the water and rest of the ingredients,except cilantro.
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• Allow to simmer for sometime,covered.Once it starts to boil,put off the flame.
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• Garnish with cilantro and serve it with garma garam puris.

Serves 2-3

You can also serve this sabji with roti or rice.