Showing posts with label Salt. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Salt. Show all posts

Wednesday, 24 September 2014

Rice Holubtsi- Ukrainian Cabbage Roll Recipe

Rice Holubtsi- Ukrainian Cabbage Roll Recipe

Ukrainian food (and the cuisine of neighbouring countries) tends to be rich, heavy on the meat, butter and starches, and   vegetables are hardly used.  This makes some sense when you consider the cold climate and the very short growing season.  Most veggies had to be preserved via canning or pickling, and wheat and potatoes were winter staples.

The authors have shared at length the delicious foods they have enjoyed as a child. I liked the food as well as the way they have described it so I am sharing them,” Because of the natural variances in family and cultural traditions, each and every one of us probably has a different idea of what holiday food is.  Growing up, my family has always enjoyed homemade perogies and cabbage rolls (holubtsi), mashed potatoes, homemade buns, and the very non-vegan turkey and sausage. Some families eat something called "Kutia", which is delicious cooked wheat with lots of sugar, poppy seeds and pecans, great for breakfast.  Saurkraut and dilled pickles are also very common around here, as is borscht (check out my fave recipe for borsht) and all kinds of breads and pastries.”

This Ukrainian cabbage roll recipe is simple, though rolling them up takes time and patience so it’s something that can be done in a group. Sounds like a fun filled activity especially during the holidays.  At the end of the recipe, I'll give some suggestions for easy variations if you want to go beyond just rice. “

I made these rolls twice. First I made them and half baked them left them on the kitchen counter and went to work. The idea was I will continue with the baking in the evening.

Hardly I step in the evening younger one said,” Whatever you made and was lying on the platform was tasty but too tough to eat I finished them all.” So the second round. Must say the rolls were extremely tasty! This is a part of the series "Around the World in 30 Days"!
Rice Holubtsi- Ukrainian Cabbage Roll Recipe

Rice Holubtsi- Ukrainian Cabbage Roll Recipe

Recipe Source : Here 
Ingredients:

  • 1 large head of green cabbage
  • 4 cups half cooked rice ( I used 2 flat cups or uncooked rice) 
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp freshly-ground black pepper
  • 2 tblspn butter
  • ½ cup onion, finely chopped
  • 2 tblspn cheese, grated
  • 1 tomato soup packet + 1 ¼ cup water
  • ¼ cup butter

Method:


  • Remove the tough outer leaves and set them aside.  
  • Place the cabbage in a microwaveable container cover with a microwaveable cling film and microwave on high for in 5 minutes spurts twice.  This will soften the leaves enough for making rolls without boiling the cabbage.  
  • Cut out the core from the cabbage and separate the whole leaves from the head set aside in a bowl.
  • In a large bowl, combine the rice, salt and pepper and cheese.  
  • In a small kadhai/wok low heat, melt the 2 tblspn of butter.
  • Add the onion and fry until the onion is soft and translucent.
  • Add the onion mixture to the bowl of rice.
  • In a same kadhai/wok medium make the tomato soup with the 1 ¼ cup of water. Bring to a boil.
  • Add  the remaining butter.  This tomato sauce will be used to spread over each layer of cabbage rolls.
  • Line the bottom of a   pan with a couple of the reserved outer cabbage leaves so that the cabbage rolls don't stick to the bottom.  

  To assemble:  
Now let’s start rolling:
  • For that you arrange the bowl of cabbage leaves, the bowl of rice with a spoon, the tomato sauce with a ladle, the pan to arrange the rolls, a cutting board and a knife, and a dry towel to rid the cabbage of excess moisture, if necessary.  
  • For the cabbage rolls:
  • The choice is yours either cut each cabbage leaf in half lengthwise or leave it whole to make large cabbage rolls.
  • However cut off any tough stem remaining on the leaf, and place a tablespoon or two of rice on the bottom of each half.  
  • Roll it up while pinching in the sides if there's a side left exposed that’s okay.
  • Place the cabbage rolls in the   pan so that they're quite snug, and after you complete a layer of cabbage rolls, ladle on some of the tomato soup mixture.
  •  Continue until you run out of rice and/or cabbage.  Top with all of the remaining tomato soup mixture.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.  Cover the pan with tin foil and bake for about 2 hours, or until the cabbage leaves are tender when they're pricked with a fork.
  • Serve warm!! 
  • Kiddo had it with some cheese spread!!!
Rice Holubtsi- Ukrainian Cabbage Roll Recipe



Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

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Saturday, 20 September 2014

Blintzes from Russia

 
Today on in the Mega Marathon which has been christened as “Around the World in 30 Days” let us visit Russia!

If you are about my age you will remember the Span and the “Adventures of Misha.” How I used to wait to see what she came up with next.

Apeksha, my elder daughter has been always after me for pancakes. And as I was researching Russia for some reason she borrowed the laptop, the rest is history this was the page that I was on. If that was not enough after that she was trying to convince me to do crêpes as a Sub-category in street food….

On the day I made these Blintzes it was pouring and we had a lot of guests. The idea was to remake the dish for better pics. Never got down to it. Hope to remake these delicious Blintzes again soon!

According to Wikipedia, “A blin (pl. blini), blintchik (pl. blintchiki) or blintz is a type of thin pancake.  Blintzes are thin pancakes that typically lack a leavening agent and are similar to crêpes, whereas blini are typically thicker and include a leavening agent.

Traditionally Russian blini are made with yeasted batter, which is left to rise and then diluted with cold or boiling water/ milk. When diluted with boiling water, they are referred to as zavarniye blini and were baked in a Russian oven. Though the blini are pan fried they are cooking of blini is still referred to as baking in Russian.

 French crêpes made from unyeasted batter (usually made of flour, milk, and eggs) are also common in Russia.  Flours used for making blini range from wheat and buckwheat to oatmeal and millet, although wheat is currently the most popular.

Blintzes are made in Jewish cuisine too; blintzes that are stuffed with a cheese filling and then fried in oil are served on holidays such as Chanukah (as oil played a pivotal role in the miracle of the Chanukah story) and Shavuot (when dairy dishes are traditionally served within the Ashkenazi minhag). Blintzes are called "blinchiki" in Russian, and are ordinarily stuffed before frying a second time. Fillings include chocolate, mushrooms, meat, rice, mashed potatoes, and cheese.

Blintzes are the traditional meal in Lithuania during Fat Tuesday.

Buckwheat blini are part of traditional Russian cuisine. They are also widespread in Ukraine, where they are sometimes known as hrechanyky (Ukrainian: гречаники), and Lithuania’s Dzūkija   region, the only region in the country where buckwheat is grown, where they are called Grikių blynai.”



Blintz

Recipe Source: Tony Avey
Ingredients:
  For The Blintzes:

  • 2 cup Maida or APF
  • 2 cup milk
  • 2 tblspn sugar
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 2 tblspn oil
  • 2 tblspn baking powder

Ingredients for the Filling:

  • 1 cup fresh paneer, crumbled
  • ¼ cup cream
  • 1/8 cup sugar
  • 1 egg yolk (optional)
  • 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tsp vanilla
  • Pinch of salt
Method:

  • Blend all of the blintz ingredients together using a blender or electric hand mixer. You can blend with a fork too but remember that the batter should not have any lumps.
  • Warm up a non-stick tava/skillet until hot.
  • The tava/skillet is ready check the heat . Sprinkle a drop of water and if it sizzles on the surface of the of the tava , your tava is ready. If the water pops or jumps out of the pan, the skillet it too hot—let it cool slightly before starting.  
  • Grease the tava/skillet generously with cooking oil.
  • Pour the pancake batter using a 1/3 cup into the pan.
  • Tilt the pan in a circular motion till the batter coats the entire bottom of the pan in a large, thin circular shape.
  • Cook for 60-75 seconds until the edges of the blintz brown and the bottom of the blintz is lightly golden. The pancake is done when the centre of the pancake's surface is dry and slightly tacky to the touch.
  • Remove the pancake with a spatula and place it on a plate.
  • Keep the blintzes separated by pieces of butter paper or paper towels to prevent the blintzes from sticking together.
  • Similarly cook all the blintzes.
Now make the filling:
  • Put all of the filling ingredients into a chutney bowl of the blender and pulse it. The filling should not be smooth. But should be well blended.
  • Now let’s assemble the blintzes
  •  Put about 3 tblspn of filling on the lower part of the blintz, about an inch from the edge.
  • Now fold the lower edge of the blintz covering up the filling, say about till the centre.
  • Now fold the sides of the blintz inward, as though you’re folding an envelope.
  • Roll the blintz up and over the filling like a burrito, tucking the edges in as you roll.
  • Finish them all. Then let’s fry them…
  • Heat about ¼ cup of oil in a non-stick pan over medium until hot.
  •  Cook the blintzes in batches see that you have enough space to turn them easily in the pan. Gently lay the flapside down in the oil (take care the oil is hot).
  • The oil will sizzle after 1 ½ to 2 minutes flip carefully the blintzes. They will be brown and crispy.
  • Fry the flipped side again for a 1 ½ - 2 minutes till they are browned evenly.
  • Serve blintzes warm as they are or topped with fruit topping, sour cream, applesauce, whipped cream or maple syrup.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44




Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

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Wednesday, 17 September 2014

QuroosAsal Khubz a Traditiona Bread from Oman

QuroosalAsal
For the alphabet O we have a choice do it with Oman or OMAN in our Mega Blogging Marathon !!

Come on can we not have some more countries with O?
Cuisine of Oman is a mixture of several staples of Asian foods.  Food basically revolves around chicken, fish, and lamb, with rice as the staple food.   Omani food is a rich mixture of spices, herbs and marinades.
Omani food is different for different regions of Oman   but the staple food is curry, cooked meat, rice, and vegetables.  
Soups are also common and are usually made from chicken, lamb, and vegetables (e.g., smoked eggplant). (This I need to check).

 So far Oman I could not find any street food but then somewhere I saw this bread being made. It was a video of some fair and I loved this bread. I just caught the name Khubz, which is bread in Omani.

I searched and was lucky to find the Times of Oman featuring the bread called QuroosAsal
I quote here what Ms.S. Kamal has said in her write up,” Quroos, which means circle in Arabic language, is a bread baked by many tribal people to celebrate the birth of a child in the family. She said that many people in Oman as well as the Gulf mark the festive event by making the honey bread.”
But the actual recipe I got here

Loved it so much that I had to make it. The original recipe said use maida but I used whole wheat flour. I scaled down the recipe to get only two of these beauties. As you can see I need some practice before I get the perfect smooth layer. But that is for later.

Needless to say these were done in a hurry and were finished by yours faithfully for breakfast( but will taste yum with any curry) as I did not expect a warm reception from the family,for they seemed like Neer Dosa only made from wheat flour!!

Later when Apeksha, my elder one asked me what I am making for O I mentioned that I had finished making O!
“How did I not get a taste? When was this? Where was I?” She will make a great Police Inspector, I know!!
My sheepish replies did not satisfy her. Needless to say I need to make them again.

QuroosAsal

QuroosalAsal
Recipe Source: Times of Oman and here

Ingredients for the QuroosAsal:
  • ½ kg whole wheat flour
  • 1 tsp salt
  •  water as needed

For the filling:
  • Grated cheese Or Honey


Method:
  • Mix salt, flour and water (add water slowly as needed)into soft, sticky dough. 
  • Put flat dosa tava or griddle on low heat.
  • Coat griddle with the dough with one hand.

  • Spread the desired filling on the QuroosAsal. I used cheese.
QuroosalAsal

  • Remove from the griddle after about 30 seconds. 
QuroosalAsal

  • Makes about 30, enough for a meal for four.


Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44




Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

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Tuesday, 16 September 2014

Savoury Corn Fitters from New Zealand

Savoury Corn Fitters

Now that school has reopened I have a problem what do I give in the kiddos tiffin box?

To add to my woes she does not have a breakfast, barely gulps down a small cup of milk. 

 She comes home for lunch but she wants something delicious in her tiffin box. Her idea of delicious and mine are mine are poles apart.

 The day I give something she does not want we end up having the tiffin uneaten but loaded with excuses like I had to go to the staff room as I am the CR etc.

About this time I was researching recipes for this trip around the world. I fell for the simplicity of these delicious corn fritters. It also what doctor ordered an egg…

Sorry those who do not eat eggs replace it with 1 tblspn of egg replacer or 1/3 cup of cream.

The original recipe has cheese and ham included but I did not add as I did not have time to grate the cheese and ham I do not do. Please feel free to use them if you like it.

Also the original recipe used flour or maida, APF I replaced it with oats. Another thing she refuses to eat.

The whole thing went down well with tomato sauce. Infact she ate one of the fitters before she left for school… Ahhhhhhh relief!!

Savoury Corn Fitters

Savoury Corn Fitters

Cuisine: Kiwi Cuisine
Recipe Source:Kiwi Faves 

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup red capsicum/pepper, chopped
  • ¼ cup yellow capsicum, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, chopped fine
  • 1 ½ cup oats
  • ¼ cup spring onion chopped
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 eggs
  • 1 can cream style sweet corn,1 tin
  • ½ tsp baking powder
  • rice bran oil for frying

Method:

  • In a large bowl mix together the capsicum, spring onion, onion, salt and pepper mix well.
  • Add the sweet corn, mix well.
  • Add the oats and give it a nice good stir. Check the seasoning.
  • Add the egg/ egg replacer, baking powder. Mix well.
  • If you feel the batter is dry add a tblspn or two of water. The batter should be of dropping consistency.
  • The original instructions said “Heat 2 tblspn of oil in a non- stick pan add a tableful of batter in the hot oil.”  I did that but then  preferred the method of adding the ladleful of batter  on the hot pan and then adding oil to the sides of the batter, much like how we add oil to a dosa but of course I need a little more oil than the dosa needs. And I did that from the second batch that I made on the same pan. Suit yourself.
  • Fry till golden on both sides.
  • Serve them with tomato sauce.
Notes: 
  • I used the circular cookied dough cutter that i kept on the tava/ skillet and added the batter in it to get the perfect sized round shaped.
Savoury Corn Fitters





Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 44

Hi! First time here? Well then you are Most Welcome! I hope you keep coming back for more here. If you are my regular visitor then Thanks, for you encourage me to experiment more!! I would like you to please click on my link below and like my Facebook Page. I will be happy if you can follow me on on Twitter too!

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Monday, 4 August 2014

Berry Short Cakes

Berry Short Cakes

Berry shortcakes was a Baking partners challenge. The July month challenge (I know I am late) was suggested by Reeni of Cinnamon nice and everything nice.  This eggless recipe is a simple one and you can use any berries of your choice.  
I agree that there is no better way to showcase them then with fresh whipped cream and classic shortcakes. These shortcakes are like biscuits only instead of butter they use heavy cream.

My family love them a lot. In fact by the time I came back from a bloggers meet they were all gone. 
Thanks Reeni and Swati!

Sunday, 27 July 2014

Mashed Potatoes

Mashed Potatoes

By now you know that September and May are busy months for us at Blogging Marathon.

This month round we are blogging International dishes to make things a little difficult we are doing it in an alphabetical order.

 So I am making my dishes for the marathon, for one such dish I made mashed potatoes as a side. I did not expect the girls to go crazy over the mashed potatoes so I made very little… okay, that is an excuse, I ran out of potatoes , the girls went crazy over the mashed potatoes of course they loved the main dish, that was expected !

Since then I make the mashed potatoes regularly!  Here is what I do.

Monday, 30 June 2014

Komaj~ A Persian Date Bread With Turmeric & Cumin

Koma j~ A Persian Date Bread With Turmeric & Cumin

For this month in We Knead to  Bake we are baking  Komaj which is a Persian turmeric and cumin bread that’s filled with chopped dates.

I was skeptical about its acceptance at home and was right. Hubby refused to eat it! Since I suspected as much I made just 5 Komaj the rest I filled with cheese, chilli flakes and oregano. Sorry this I took  just one picture of the big roll I made and managed to delete that too.

Tthis dough has three rises instead of the usual two.

Monday, 16 June 2014

Tomato, Thyme, Sage and Double Cheese Tart

Tomato, Thyme, Sage and Double Cheese Tart

When Swathi asked me to suggest two baking dishes for the Baking Partners Challenge this tart was my first choice! 

It’s colourful and savoury and well I cannot claim its healthy! 

So it’s liked by the girls and I don’t have to beg them, “please finish that “! In fact I have to post whatever pictures I took before the attack!

Thanks Swathi for letting me choose the bakes else like I said the magazine would have been gracing my kitchen without a page being opened.

Tomato, Thyme, Sage and Double Cheese Tart

Sunday, 15 June 2014

Cheddar and Sage Scones


Cheddar and Sage Scones
First I would like to thank Swathi for giving me this opportunity to suggest bakes here at Baking Partners. 
Lets face it I am safe baker I prefer tried and trusted recipes, and a lazy baker for I hardly open the books I buy for baking (or cooking for that matter) for that matter take up elaborate recipes.
Now at Ahmedabad airport I had picked up The BBC Good Food Issue for two reasons one  it was a vegetarian one  and two there was a Gordon Ramsay recipe featured. Boy was I excited! Hardly sat in the plane and that was the first page I opened, but sadly will never make it as the recipe calls for phyllo sheets , something we do not get here and I have no patience to make  the sheets. So I just kept the magazine on the kitchen side shelf. I did not think I will use the magazine at all.
Then at work I saw Swathi’s message asking me to suggest bakes. I just casually mentioned savoury bakes like tarts, scone I was surprised when Swathi asked to make two.
 I panicked!
 Then I realised that at the back of my mind I had these two interesting recipes that I had noticed in the same magazine.  These scones are very simple and the only complaint against them at home was why only 8 pieces or rather make one more batch !   


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