A Twist To Plain Omelette

An  assortment of  omelettes can be created  by adding  your own twist to it.One way to entice your taste buds is adding together a combination of flavorings to the basic omelette recipe.Savoury omelette can be made by adding a small quantity of herbs and or with a few of the mentioned: minced meat,shell fish,grated cheese, onions, tomatoes and zucchini. At home,plain omelette is not a favourite among the children,though they are coerced into eating it when there  are  no other options.As my younger daughter loves savoury,the  rest of my kids too get to indulge in these treats at least once a week.The taste is so lip-smacking and I bet  no one will actually  get fed up of eating omelettes  day after day.

To get a fairly large omelette,I used 6 eggs, one onion sliced, one tomato chopped,2-3 green chillies diced,a quarter teaspoon red chilly flakes and salt and pepper to taste

 

   whisk eggs with the rest of the ingredients
 and cook in a slighly buttered pan

cook both sides till light golden ( 2 minutes on each side)

keep warm in pan and cut into wedges

Serve with toast bread,lettuce and sliced tomatoes

The difference Between Refined And Unrefined Flour

The  difference between  brown  and  white  flour  is that  white flour(refined  wheat flour) contain  only the endosperm,whereas in whole-grain(unrefined whole wheat flour) all of the grain (bran,germ and endosperm )is intact and  utiilized when processing  flour from  whole- grains.So consuming whole-grain whole wheat flour in our  daily diet is highly advantageous as  nothing is lost in the process of making the flour.The  textured, brownish colour of whole grain flour is due to keeping the  bits and pieces of  the grains intact( without discarding them) in the process of making flour.

Whole-grain whole wheat flour is  a healthy,full-flavored flour, fortified  with vitamins, minerals and protein.Whole-grain  wheat flour is more nourishing than their counterpart , the  refined white flour. Refined white flour  does not,contain the macronutrients  of the wheat's bran and germ,especially protein and fibre,like whole-grain flour does. Whole grain has a good amount  of vitamins like calcium , iron,and minerals like selenium.

Unlike white refined flour,whole grain flour  does not raise sugar levels very quickly.So it makes  a better choice for diabetics who wish to keep their sugar levels under control.

However you cannot store the whole grain flour  for longer periods as it has  a shorter shelf life than white flour. The oil content is much higher in the  whole grain wheat flour causing it to spoil quickly, if  it is not  stored in cool places such as a refrigerator.

buns made with refined flour

 

Ghee Cookies ( Nan khatai)

This is a  very  simple recipe and easy to make.Children and adults  will love this any time

Ingredients

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup icing sugar

1/2 cup ghee( melted at  room temperature )

A teaspoon powdered cardamom

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Preparation

In a bowl smoothly cream the ghee and the icing sugar.Mix together  the baking powder and the flour and add the cardamom powder.Mix gently till a crumbly dough forms.Remove the  dough from the bowl and knead it gently on a board .Leave the cookie dough  covered in plastic wrap for about 1/2 hour in the refrigerator.Remove from refrigerator and make little balls.Flatten  them slightly and place them in the baking tray and bake in a pre heated oven ,250 F for about 20 /25 minutes.

This recipe makes a dozen cookies.

I doubled the recipe since I was expecting guests at home.

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Remove from the oven and cool the cookies in a wire rack

I dusted the cookies with powdered sugar just before serving.

Storage tip:* Store in an airtight container in a cool place.Stays fresh for about 3-4 days. 

*Or wrap each cookie in aluminium foil ,place them in a sealed container before storing in the freezer(upto a month).

*Remove from freezer and leave it at room temperature before letting them melt into your mouth.

Mixed Pickle

Pickle is  an essential accompaniment  to rice and curry.And it can be of any kind.Here’s a delicious preserve which  can be enjoyed  on any occasion.This  is  a necessary side dish, skillfully prepared during  festivals or  any formal meals  hosted at home.I can assure you the guests  will greatly savor the taste.

Mixed Pickle

250 grams red onions ( the small variety)

10  small green chillies (seeds intact)
1 medium carrot
250 gr. Dates
2 cups vinegar
2 tbsps.Mustard seeds ( coarsely grind)
3 cloves. of  Garlic
A piece of   Ginger( about an inch)
1 1/2 tbsp. red chilly powder
1 ½  tbsps  Sugar
A sprig - curry leaves,
3 cloves,
A piece of cinnamon stick broken into half.
4-5 cardamom pods
Salt to taste

Optional:  dried& salted lemons/mangoes

step 1

Peel,wash and cut the carrot into julienne pieces.
Peel the onions wash and keep aside.Wash the green chillies and keep them whole
Take half quantity of dates, remove seeds .(The other half, with seeds intact,keep aside).
 

Step 2

I used the blender to mix the, garlic, ginger and  half of the dates (deseed) with the 2  cups of vinegar.this will make a thick paste.Remove from blender and pour the contents into a clay pot or a glass container.

Step 3
Stir into the paste, the red chilly powder, sugar , salt, the mustard seeds,cardamon and the cinnamon stick

Now add the remaining  dates with the seeds intact ,the small  onions ( whole : do not cut or chop) green chillies , carrot pieces  and the sprig of curry leaves .Mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon to coat the paste evenly  so that the vegetables   soak up  the paste .

Optional tip  For that extra zing and a tangy flavor, add  into the pickle 2-3 dried salted lemons cut into quarters or dried  mangoes .(If you add the lemons and the salted mangoes, reduce the salt  when  you make the paste in step 3.

 

If the paste in step 2 is too thick ,add a little vinegar.

I usually serve mixed pickle  with an array of  curried vegetables, meat dishes and steamed rice.

 

This pickle will keep fresh,tightly sealed  in a  clay pot or a glass jar,for upto about three weeks in  the refrigerator.

 

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Baking Bread My Way

 

 

I love bread especially when its freshly baked.The smell of freshly baked bread wafting through the nostrils and tantalizing the tastesbuds..Hmm  don’t you love that? For a  long period of time I have been trying  baking bread at home ,however, I never achieved  the perfect loaf and  I used to get fed up with the end results.But  I didn’t completely give up my determination.I have turned to cook books,TV demonstrations and even foodies in the internet in a desperate attempt to learn the art of bread making.Somewhere in  the mid month of  November last year,things started changing.I was fortunate to learn some techniques that was being  demonstrated on a Food channel. Like how  light  and fluffy the dough should be when we mix in the ingredients and knead. Since then ,my bread making has  slightly improved.During the past months I had been practising almost every week to get the correct proposition for an enhanced loaf.I think I have somewhat achieved my goal, making it my way.I didnt actually follow any exact measurement.I adjusted it accordingly,with a little extra of this and that,here and there. My children loved the softness of the inside and the crusty texture of the outside.With a generous spread of butter in each slice you could very well satiate the taste buds of everyone at home.I am familiar with only one type of ‘bread making’ whereas there are many ways of  making bread.Bread is eaten all over the world. I find irresistible the  thin breads like Naan and chapattis too.The Middle Eastern bread pronounced "Khubz', is a thin flat circular shaped bread,a pita bread  very similar to tacos and delicious when eaten ‘hot hot’.There is also a variety of fillings wrapped in these breads .My children love the filling with chicken, chopped tomatoes, gerkins and a good amount of mayonnaise.A favourite among the young and old.

 

Though the loaf resembled a pound cake,every bite tasted so scrumptious,like the perfect bread

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Curried Chicken

This is the  curried chicken I often mention in my blogs.I  make  this frequently and  is loved by the whole family.This recipe can be adjusted according to your palate.Be generous with the spices If you prefer the curry more  spicy or else be kind enough  to  reduce the fiery stuff.Its all in your hands how you want to pamper your taste buds.
These are the ingredients  you need to make this scrumpious curried chicken.

Chicken about 8-10 pieces (washed and  neatly cut with the bones)
I medium sliced onion
1 medium tomato chopped
3-4 cloves of garlic chopped
A piece of ginger chopped
1 teaspoon cummin seeds
2 tablespoon curry powder ( available in Asian supermarkets)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
A sprig of curry leaves
A cup of water
2 tablespoon oil
2 tablespoon tomato paste
salt to taste
Juice of half a lemon
Yoghurt ( optional)

Method
Heat oil in pan.Add the sliced  onion and cook till it turns pale.Add the cummin seeds,ginger and garlic.When the aroma  starts wafing  through your nostrils ,turn in the chopped tomatoes,curry leaves and cook for a minute or two.Blend  in the curry powder and the turmeric powder with the ingredients thats being cooked.Then carefully place  the chicken pieces into it.Add  salt and water and mix well.Cook till the chicken is tender.Lastly add the tomato paste and the lemon juice.Simmer till the gravy thickens a little.
Delicious with Rice/ Bread/Chapattis .

Tip: Here's where the yoghurt comes in handy
*You can add yoghurt instead of the water.
*You can mix in 2-3   tablespoons of yoghurt into the curry to reduce the spiciness.
*Simple make a yoghurt sauce as an accompaniment