Foochow Bagels | Kompia | Whole Wheat Bagels

Recipe adapted from here.

Serving: Makes 6 bagels

Ingredients:

1. Whole Wheat flour - 1  2/3 cup and 1/4 cup more for kneading and rolling surfaces

2. Lukewarm water - 3/4 cup

3. Active dry yeast - 1 teaspoon

4. Salt - 1 teaspoon

5. Sugar - 1 tablespoon

6. Sesame seeds - 1 tablespoon

7. Milk  - 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Take 3/4 cup of lukewarm water in a mixing bowl and add active dry yeast. Stir in yeast and let it rest for 15 minutes.

2. Add 1 cup of flour and mix well for couple of minutes.

3. Add salt, sugar and 2/3 cup of flour and knead for 3 more minutes.

4. Sprinkle little flour on a clean kitchen counter and place the dough on it. Continue to knead for 10 more minutes adding little flour if needed. 

5. Cover the dough with plastic wrap and rest in warm place for around 2 hours for the dough to double in size.

6. Divide the dough into 6 pieces and roll into balls. Flatten each of the balls and make a hole in the center.

7. Place the dough pieces on a lightly floured surface and cover with plastic wrap and rest for 15 minutes.

8. Preheat the oven to 400 deg F. 

9. Meanwhile, boil around 2 cups of water in a saucepan and add 1 teaspoon of salt. Boil the dough pieces for 4 minutes turning once. Drain off the water completely from dough pieces and place them on baking tray lined with parchment paper. 

10. Brush the surface of bagel with milk and sprinkle sesame seeds.

11. Bake in oven for 12- 15 minutes until the surface turns golden brown color. 

12. Remove from oven and place on cooling rack. 

Linking this recipe to "International Food Challenge", an event by Saraswathi of Sara's Yummy Bites

An InLinkz Link-up

Whole Wheat Chocolate Brownies

Adapted from: Jenny Can Cook

Serving: Makes 9x9 inch brownie

Ingredients:
Set 1:
1. Whole Wheat flour - 1 cup (I used King Arthur White Whole Wheat flour)
2. Unsweetened cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
3. Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Set 2:
1. Vegetable oil/Canola oil - 5 tablespoon
2. Yogurt - 6 tablespoon
3. Sugar - 1 cup
4. Eggs - 2
5. Vanilla essence - 1 teaspoon
6. Instant coffee powder - 1 teaspoon dissolved in 1 tablespoon warm water

Set 3:
1. Nuts of your choice - you can use walnuts/almonds - 1/4 cup
2. Chocolate chunks/chips - 1/4 cup(optional)

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Line parchment paper in 9x9 inch baking dish.

2. Sift the ingredients in set 1 and keep it aside.

3. Combine all the ingredients in set 2 in a large mixing bowl. Add the ingredients in set 1 in mixing bowl and combine everything together with a wooden spoon.

4. Add the nuts of your choice and chocolate chunks and mix well.

5. Transfer the batter to the baking dish and bake for 35-45 minutes until the toothpick inserted at the center of the brownie comes out clean.

6. Cool on a wire rack and cut into small pieces.

Enjoy these delicious healthy chocolate brownies with a glass of cold milk. 

Spinach Curry with Coconut

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Spinach/Palak - 1 bunch

2. Onion - 1 medium sized

3. Tomato - 1 medium sized

4. Coconut - 1/2 cup grated

5. Garlic - 3 cloves

6. Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

7. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 tsp

8. Dry red chillies - 1 no.

9. Green chillies - 1-2 no.

10. Tamarind - 1 inch piece

11. Oil - 1 tsp

12. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash the spinach and keep it aside. Cut onion and tomatoes in large pieces. 

2. Boil spinach, onion, tomato, garlic, tamarind and green chillies in 1 cup water for 5-7 mins.

2. Cool itdown and make a smooth paste in mixer grinder along with 1/2 cup of grated coconut.

3. Heat 1 tsp oil in a saucepan, splutter mustard seeds and add cumin seeds and red chillies.

4. Pour the ground paste into saucepan and add salt to taste. Allow it boil for 5 mins and then turn off the heat.

This simple yet delicious curry can be served with rice or chapathi.

Carrot Zucchini Poori

Serving: Makes 8 poori

Ingredients:
1. Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
2. Carrot - 1
3. Zucchini - 1
4. Ajwain/Carom seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
6. Oil - 2 teaspoon to add to flour
7. Oil - for deep frying

Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour, grated carrot, grated zucchini, ajwain, salt and 2 teaspoon of oil.  Mix well to combine all ingredients.
I removed the skin of zucchini, but it can be used with skin-on.

2. Make a stiff dough combining all together. The moisture content in zucchini and carrot is good enough to make dough and there is no need to add any additional water.

3. Rest the dough for at least 15 minutes.

4. Heat oil for deep frying in a saucepan.

5. Make small balls of dough and roll out into thin circles. Deep fry in oil and drain excess oil in a paper towel.

Serve with potato bhaji or it can be served as it is, as an evening snack.

Egg Puffs

Serving: Makes 4 puffs

Ingredients:
1. Puff Pastry Sheets - 1 pack
2. Hard boiled eggs - 2
3. Onion - 1
4. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
5. Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
6. Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
8. Pepper powder - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Garam masala powder - 1/4 teaspoon
10. Oil - 2 teaspoon
11. Salt to taste
12. Milk - 2 tablespoon

Method:
1. Puff pastry sheet needs to removed from freezer and kept in the refrigerator atleast 1 hour before making the puff.

2. Preheat the oven to 450 degree F (230 deg C).

3. Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan and saute thinly sliced onion and salt to taste until onions turn light brown in color.

4. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for couple of minutes.

5. Add coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pepper powder and garam masala powder and fry for a minute. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool down.

6. Meanwhile cut 5x5 inch square pieces of pastry sheet.

7. Slice the boiled eggs in half and keep them aside.

8. Take each of the square piece of pastry sheet, fill a tablespoon of onion masala and place one half of the boiled egg over the masala. Press the diagonal ends together and seal by applying little water.

9. Brush the top of the puffs with milk to get a golden color after baking.

10. Place the prepared puffs in baking sheet and bake in oven for 10-12 minutes until the surface turns golden brown in color.

Serve hot with tomato ketchup. 

Strawberry Banana Smoothie with Rolled Oats

A quick and healthy breakfast smoothie which is very filling and keeps you going until lunch.

Serves: 1

Ingredients:
1. Strawberries - 1/2 cup
2. Banana - 1 medium sized
3. Milk - 1 cup
4. Rolled oats - 2 tablespoon
5. Honey - 1 tablespoon

Method:
1. Blend all the ingredients in a blender and serve.
If you like it cold, add couple of ice cubes while blending or you can use frozen strawberries or banana.

Submitting this recipe to Priya's "Shhh Cooking Secretly Challenge". For this month's challenge I paired with Saraswathi  who gave me strawberry and honey as my secret ingredients.

Peanut ladoo

Wishing everyone a very Happy Sankranti/Pongal. Sankranti or Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated during the end of harvest season. 

Peanut and Sesame ladoo and chikki are famous during Sankranti.

Peanut Ladoo is made with just 2 ingredients: Peanuts and Jaggery. It is one healthy snack packed with proteins. 

Serving: Makes 10 ladoos

Ingredients: 

1. Peanuts unsalted - 1 cup

2. Jaggery grated - 1/2 cup

3. Oil - for greasing hands

Method:

1. Dry roast peanuts on medium flame stirring continuously until you get nice aroma of peanuts and they turn golden brown in color.

2. Remove from stove and let it cool for around 5 minutes. Remove the skin of peanuts by rubbing the peanuts between your palm.

3. Slightly crush the peanuts using a pestle and mortar and then keep them aside.

4. Heat a large pan and add grated jaggery and 2 tablespoon of water.

5. Boil until jaggery melts and the syrup thickens. Turn off the flame when the syrup has the consistency of honey.

6. Add roasted peanuts and mix well. 

7. Allow the mixture to cool for few minutes and then make small balls by greasing your hand. Instead of making balls, you can also spoon the mixture on a greased plate. 

The ladoo thickens after cooling completely. 

Idli using Idli Rava

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1. Idli Rava/ Cream of Rice/ Rice Sooji  - 1 cup
2. Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
3. Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Flattened Rice/Poha - 1 tablespoon
5. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash and soak idli rava and poha in water for 4-5 hours.

2. In a separate bowl, wash and soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds for 4-5 hours.

3. Drain off the water from idli rava and retain the water in urad dal for grinding.

4. First grind urad dal and fenugreek seeds into fine paste, then grind idli rava-poha mixture.

5. Mix together the ground batter and add salt to taste. Idli batter is usually thicker than dosa batter. Set aside the batter in a warm place for 8-10 hours.

6. Steam idlis in idli plate.

The batter should raise well after fermentation, otherwise idlis might not turn soft.

Serve these soft idli with chutney and sambar.

Coconut Coriander Chutney

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1. Coconut grated - 1 cup

2. Coriander leaves/Cilantro - handful

3. Green chillies - 1 or as per spice level

4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

5. Curry leaves - few

6. Oil - 1 teaspoon 

7. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind together washed cilantro, coconut, green chillies into fine paste by adding little water.

2. For tempering, heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add few curry leaves and turn off the heat. Add the tempering into chutney.

Serve with dosa or idli or paniyaram. 

Dosa using Idli Rava

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
1. Idli Rava/ Cream of Rice/ Rice Sooji -1 cup
2. Urad dal - 1/4 cup
3. Fenugreek seeds -  1/4 teaspoon
4. Beaten rice/Poha - 1 tablespoon
5. Salt to taste
6. Oil/Ghee for greasing pan

Method:
1. Wash and soak idli rava and poha in water for 4-5 hours.

2. In a separate bowl, wash and soak urad dal and fenugreek seeds for 4-5 hours.

3. Drain off the water from idli rava and retain the water in urad dal for grinding.

4. First grind urad dal and fenugreek seeds into fine paste, then grind idli rava-poha mixture.

5. Mix together the ground batter and add salt to taste. Ferment for 8-10 hours.

6. Make dosa and add ghee to taste. Serve hot with sambar/chutney.

Methi Poori | Poori with Fenugreek leaves

Serving: Makes 8 poori

Ingredients:
1. Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
2. Methi leaves - 1/2 cup loosely packed
3. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Ajwain/Carom seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Salt - 1/2 teaspoon or to taste
6. Oil - 2 teaspoon to add to flour
7. Oil - for deep frying

Method:
1. In a mixing bowl, add whole wheat flour, finely chopped methi leaves, red chilli powder, ajwain, salt and 2 teaspoon of oil.  Mix well to combine all ingredients.

2. Add water little by little and make a stiff dough.

3. Rest the dough for at least 15 minutes.

4. Heat oil for deep frying in a saucepan.

5. Make small balls of dough and roll out into thin circles. Deep fry in oil and drain excess oil in a paper towel.

Serve with curry of your choice or it can be served as it is, as an evening snack.

Coconut Rice

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1. Rice(Sona Masoori/ Basmathi) -1 cup

2. Coconut(grated) - 1/2 cup

3. Peanuts - 2 tablespoon

4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

5. Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

6. Dried red chillies - 2-3

7. Oil - 1 tablespoon

8. Salt to taste

9. Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

1. Wash and boil rice with 2 cups of water and keep it aside.

2. In a large saucepan, heat a tablespoon of oil and splutter mustard seeds.

3. Add cumin seeds and peanuts and saute until peanuts turn brown in color.

4. Add dried red chillies and salt to taste and turn the heat to low.

5. Add cooked rice and coconut and mix well. Turn off the heat and garnish with cilantro.

International Food Challenge Event

We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.  I hope everyone had a great holiday time.

First of all, I would like to thank Saraswathi from Sara's Yummy Bites for giving me the opportunity to host this month's International Food Challenge.  For this month's challenge we are heading towards China and we are going to try dishes from Fukien/Fujian region.

Fujian (conventional Fukien) region is a province in southeastern coast of China.  Fujian cuisine is also known as Min cuisine and it is one of the eight major cuisines of China.  This coastal province of Fujian is famous for its seafood dishes.

A famous dish of this region is Fotiaoqiang, usually translated as "Buddha Jumps over the Wall" which contains over 30 ingredients, including shark's fin, abalone, sea cucumber, dried scallops, duck, chicken breast, pig's trotters, mushrooms, pigeon eggs and other ingredients.  This dish is so rich and aromatic with complex flavors that the monk jumped over the wall of his wayside inn and abandoned his vegetarian diet just to savor this dish.

The dishes I chose from Fujian cuisines for this month’s challenge are

- Spring Rolls

- Hokkien Fried Rice

- Foochow Bagels/Kompia

- MuahChee

The posting dates for these recipes is Jan 31 2015 and a linky tool will be open from Jan 31 2015 to Feb 15 2015.

An InLinkz Link-up

Unakka Chemmeen Manga Chammanthi

Serves: 2

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Grated coconut fresh/frozen - 1 cup

2. Dried prawns/shrimp - handful

3. Dried red chillies - 3-4

5. Raw mango pieces - around 1/2 cup(use according to the sourness of mango)

6. Oil - 3 teaspoon

7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

8. Curry leaves - few

9. Salt to taste

Method:

1. I prefer to wash the dried shrimp to remove excess salt. After washing drain off excess water and pat dry in paper towel.

2. Heat a pan on medium heat and add 2 teaspoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add dried red chillies and fry for few seconds, then remove and keep aside the red chillies. In the same oil, add shrimp and fry for around 5 minutes stirring continuously, then turn off the flame.

3. Grind together coconut, red chillies, shrimp, raw mango and salt into coarse paste. 

4. For tempering, heat a teaspoon of oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and turn off the flame.

5. Transfer this tempering into ground paste and delicious chammanthi is ready to serve as a side dish for rice.

Dal with Bottle Gourd Curry

Serves : 2

Ingredients:

1. Toor dal - 1/2 cup

2. Bottle Gourd/Lauki - 1 cup chopped

3. Tomato - 1

4. Green chillies - 2

5. Garlic - 2-3 cloves

6. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

7. Asafoetida - 2 pinch

8. Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

9. Dried red chillies - 2

10. Oil - 2 teaspoon

11. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and splutter mustard seeds.

2. Add asafoetida and dried red chillies and fry for few seconds.

3. Add crushed garlic, slit green chillies and diced tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add chopped bottle gourd, washed dal, turmeric power and salt to taste.

5. Add enough water(around 1 cup) and pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.

This simple and healthy curry can be served with rice.