Paneer-Bhindi Masala

Ingredients

Paneer…………….……………….100 gm (diced in cubes)   

Bhindi (ladyfingers/okra)….8-10 (washed)
Onion…………………………..…..1 (medium, finely chopped)
Tomato…..………………….…...1 (large, finely chopped) 
Garlic…..…………………….…...1 clove (large, finely chopped) 
Green chilli…………………..….1 (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder………...…..1/3 tea spoon 
Coriander powder………..…..1/3 tea spoon 
Red chilli powder……….…….1/3 tea spoon 
Garam masala powder…..….1/3 tea spoon
Cinnamon stick.……………….1 (1 inch) 
Clove…………………………...….1 
Water…………………………...…½ cup 
Salt to taste
Oil to cook

Method

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add the onions and cook until transparent.
• Now add the tomatoes, garlic and green chilli. Cook for 2 min.
• Mix in the garam masala, turmeric, red chilli and coriander powder.
• Add the cinnamon stick, clove and salt. Mix well and cook for 5 min.
• Add water and mix well.
• Now mix in the ladyfingers. Cover the pan with a lid and cook for 10 min or until the ladyfingers are cooked and gravy starts to thicken.
• Lastly add the paneer and cook for 2 min. 
• Serve hot. 

Serves: 2

Wholemeal Challah

Ingredients

Wholemeal flour………………3 cup

Water……………………..………½ cup (warm)
Yeast……………….....………….7 gms (2 tea spoons)
Sugar…………………..….…..….1 tea spoon
Egg…………….………..….……..3
Poppy seeds……………...……2 table spoon
Oil………..…………….………….3 table spoon
Salt to taste

Method

• Mix the warm water and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Add the yeast to the mixture (do not mix). Keep it aside for 15 min to check if the yeast is active.
• Now add 1 ½ cup flour,2 eggs and  salt, making a thick paste.
• Cover the bowl with a cling film and keep it in a warm place until double in volume (about ½ hour). 
• Add the remaining flour and oil and make soft dough.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover with a cling film. Place it in a warm place.
• Once the dough has doubled in size (1 hour), punch it and knead for 1-2 min. 
• Sprinkle some flour on the work place and make the desired braided bread shape.  
• Place the braid on a well-oiled baking tray and keep it in a warm place to rise until double in size (about ½-1 hour).
• Beat the 3^rd egg in a bowl and apply it on the raised braided bread.
• Sprinkle the poppy seeds on the egg coating.
• Pre heat the oven on convection mode at 175°C.
• Place the raised bread in the pre heated oven and bake for 15-12 min.
• Cool it before serving.

Makes: 1 loaf

Pitta Bread

Ingredients 

White flour………..……..……1 ½ cup

Sugar…..……...…………..…...½  tea spoon
Salt…………………………..……½ tea spoon
Yeast……………….……......…1 tea spoon
Water………………..………….¼ cup (warm)  
Oil………..……………….………2 table spoon

Method

• Mix the warm water and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the yeast to the mixture (do not mix). Keep it aside for 15 min to check if the yeast is active.
• Mix in the flour, salt and oil to the bowl and make soft dough.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Keep the dough aside in well-oiled bowl in a warm place. Cover with a cloth.
• Once the dough has doubled in size (1 hour), punch it and knead for 1 min
• Divide it into 6 equal parts.
• Dust the balls with flour and using a rolling pin roll each ball into an oval shape with a 1/6 inch thickness.
• Pre heat the oven on grill mode at 250° C along with a baking paper lined baking tray. 
• Once the oven is hot enough remove the hot baking tray, and place the rolled pitta breads on it (as many as you can fit on it) and put the tray back in the oven.
• Cook for 2-3 min or until cooked. The pitta bread will buff up but make sure it does not turn brown completely. It should be soft.

Makes: 6

Avocado Spread

Ingredients

Avocado……….…..1 (large, ripe and mashed)

Tomato………….….1 (large, finely chopped)
Green chilli….…….1 (finely chopped)
Mayonnaise…….…1 table spoon
English mustard...1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method

• Add the tomato, chilli, mayonnaise, mustard to the avocado paste in a bowl.
• Sprinkle some salt and pepper, mix well.
• Serve as a spread or dip.

Garlic and Herb Bread

Ingredients

White flour………………1 cup

Wholemeal flour………1 cup
Garlic powder…….……2 tea spoon
Mixed herbs…..…..……2 tea spoon
Water……………..………1 cup (warm)
Yeast…………...………….2 tea spoons
Sugar…………………..….1 tea spoon
Egg yolk…………………..1 (beaten)
Oil………..…………………3 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Method

• Mix the warm water and sugar in a large mixing bowl.
• Add the yeast to the mixture (do not mix). Keep it aside for 15 min to check if the yeast is active.
• Add in the garlic powder, mixed herbs, salt and oil. Mix well.
• Now add the flour 1 cup at a time and make a soft dough ball.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Place the dough in a well-oiled bowl and cover with a moist cloth.
• Place the bowl in a warm place.
• Once the dough has doubled in size (2 hours), punch it and knead for 1 min.
• Give the desired shape.
• Place the bread dough on the well-greased baking tray.
• Cover with a cloth and keep it aside in a warm place to rise for 1 hour.
• Beat the egg yolk in a bowl and apply on raised bread dough with a baking brush.
• Pre heat the oven on convection mode at 175°C.
• Place the raised dough in the pre heated oven and bake for 15-20 min.
• Check if the bread is cooked by tapping the base of the bread. If it sounds hollow it is ready.
• Serve once cooled.

Makes: 1 loaf

Spicy Chicken in Blanket

Ingredients
 

Cocktail chicken sausages…32 pc

White flour………………..….…1 cup
Garlic powder……………..……½ tea spoon
Chilli powder……….…………..1 tea spoon
Water……………………...………1/3 cup (warm)
Yeast………………......……….…3/4 tea spoons
Sugar…………………...….…...…½ tea spoon
Egg yolk………………..….….….1 (beaten)
Poppy seeds……………..…..….2 table spoon
Oil………..……………….……..….2 table spoon
Salt to taste

Method

• Mix the warm water and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Add the yeast to the mixture (do not mix). Keep it aside for 15 min to check if the yeast is active.
• Now add the oil, flour, salt, and garlic and chilli powder and make a soft dough ball.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Place the dough in a bowl and cover with a cling film. Place it in a warm place.
• Once the dough has doubled in size (1 1/2-2 hours), punch it and knead for a min.
• Sprinkle some flour on the work place and using a rolling pin flatten it to an even thickness of 4mm.
• Cut the dough into strips about ¾ inch in width or as per the sausage width, with a pastry cutter.
• Roll each sausage with the dough strip until the start end overlaps. Then press and seal the wrap.
• Place the wrapped sausages on a well-greased baking tray or aluminium foil lined tray.
• Keep it aside for ½ hour.
• Beat an egg yolk in a bowl and apply it on wrap.
• Sprinkle the poppy seeds on the egg coating.
• Pre heat the oven on convection mode at 175°C .
• Place the sausage wraps in the pre heated oven and bake for 10-15 min.
• Cool and serve with your choice of condiments.

Makes: 32

Thick Crust Pizza (with Yeast)

Ingredients

For the pizza base:

White flour………..……..…….1 ½ cup
Sugar…..……...…………..…....½   tea spoon
Salt…………………………..…….½ tea spoon
Yeast…………………….......….1 tea spoon
Water……………..……………..½ cup
Oil………..……………………..…2 table spoon
 
For the toppings:
Tomato ketchup………….…..6 table spoon
Grated mozzarella cheese.…2 cup
Garlic……………………….……..2 (large, finely chopped)
Mixed herbs…………..………..1 ½ tea spoon
Chestnut mushrooms…...….175g (diced)
Bell pepper…......………………1 (cut in juliennes)
Or any other topping/s as required
Salt to taste

Method

For the pizza base:

• Mix the water and sugar in a mixing bowl.
• Add the yeast to the mixture (do not mix). Keep it aside for 15 min to check if the yeast is active.
• Mix in the flour, salt and oil and make dough.
• Knead the dough for 2-3 min.
• Keep the dough aside for an hour or until it doubles in size in a warm place. Cover with a cloth.
• Divide it into 3 equal parts.
• Dust the balls with flour and roll each ball into the required pizza base shape (circle/square) with a rolling pin or by hand. Keep the edges (crust) thicker than the centre.
• Place on a baking paper.
• Pierce each pizza base with a fork at random place to keep it from puffing up while it cooks.

For the toppings:

• Apply 2 table spoon of tomato ketchup on each base.
• Sprinkle the garlic and add the toppings on the pizza base.
• Sprinkle some mixed herbs and salt on the toppings.
• Lastly top the pizza with the cheese.

To cook the pizza:

• Pre heat the oven on convection mode at 225° C along with a baking tray. 
• Once the oven is hot enough remove the hot baking tray and place the pizza on the tray along with the baking paper it is placed on and put the tray back in the oven.
• Cook for 10-15 min or until pizza base is cooked and cheese has melted. 

Cut the pizza as required with a pizza cutter and serve hot.

Makes: 3