Paneer Stuffed Bun

I was going through the recipe list on my blog and realised that I had not posted even one recipe with paneer in it. And I made a mental note to include paneer in my next post. Stuffed bun was on my to-do list fr a long time. So I decided to stuff the buns with paneer, so here goes :

Filling:
Ingredients :
1 medium onion
7 to 8 garlic cloves
1 to 2 green chillies
1 medium tomato
1 tsp garam masala
3/4 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 medium capsicum
300 gm paneer, chopped into tiny cubes.
1/2 cup frozen green peas, thawed
1/2 cup boiled corn
2 tbsp tomato ketchup
a few springs coriander leaves
Salt

Method:
Heat butter/ oil. Roast finely chopped onion and garlic, till onion turns brownish. Add finely chopped green chilles, garam masala, chilli powder and turmeric powder and roast for a couple of minutes. Add tomatoes and saute till they are completely cooked. Add capsicum and saute for a few minutes till they become soft. Add paneer, green peas, corn and tomato ketchup and roast for sometime. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Bun:
Ingredients:
2 1/4 tsp (1 packet) active dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
1 tsp sugar
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)
1 cup all purpose flour (maida)
3/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp ghee or butter or olive oil
1/2 cup water
Sesame seeds

Method :
Combine 1/2 cup warm water with sugar. Add yeast, mix gently and set aside for 10 minutes till yeast becomes frothy.

In a large bowl combine the flours, salt, water and ghee/oil. Add the yeast mixture and knead into a dough. (Add more flour or water as needed). Transfer the dough into a well oiled bowl, turning the dough in the bowl so that it is coated with oil. Cover with a plastic wrap and set aside for one and half hours. The dough will double in size.

Punch the dough to remove air. Divide the dough into 12 equal portions and roll each one into a ball.

On a cutting board or a clean counter top, roll each ball into a circle, 4 to 5 inches in diameter. Place the filling (about 1 and 1/2 tbsp) in the center. Pull the sides so that they join together in the centre. Press the sides, flatten with your palm and shape into a round.

Place the ball seam side down on a baking tray, lined with foil. Brush the top with milk, butter or egg wash and sprinkle sesame seeds on top. Cover lightly and set aside for about half an hour. The dough will rise again.

Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Bake for 18 to 22 minutes (mine took 21 minutes) till the bun turns slightly brown in colour.

When my husband came home from office this evening I welcomed him with these hot buns straight from the oven. The look on his face was priceless :)!!

Valentine Cookies

Color flow icing was something I wanted to try for a long time now. Before making it from scratch, my curiosity led me to my favourite store - Michael's, to my favourite aisle, Wilton. However I ended up buying the Cookie Icing bottles. I did not follow the instructions of microwaving the icing, but used it as is, transferring it to a piping bag. Results were not too bad. Took me some time to get the hang of it, but once I did, armed with a toothpick in one hand and the piping bag in another, there was no stopping me!

For the cookies, I used Alton Brown's recipe which I used to make the Halloween Cookies earlier, using heart shape cutters instead of the pumpkin cutter. To get the step-by-step pictures go here.

Wish you a Happy Valentine's Day!

Chane Ghashi

It's car festival time in M'lore and Chane Ghashi has been dominating my mind for the past few days. I finally got around to making it today and thought of posting it immediately.


Ingredients :
3/4 cup chana (black chana)
1/2 can young green jackfruit (kadgi)
3/4 cup grated coconut
5 to 6 roasted red chillies
1 marble sized tamarind
6 to 8 methi seeds
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
6 to 8 curry leaves
Salt
Oil

Method:
Wash chana a couple of times. Soak in about 2 and 1/2 to 3 cups of water overnight.
Pressure cook chana (with the water) for 4 to 5 whistles. Meanwhile, grind together coconut, red chillies and tamarind with enough water to get a smooth paste.
In a large vessel, transfer the chana with the water and add canned young green jackfruit. Make sure you wash the jackfruit throughly before adding it, to remove the briny smell. Boil for a few minutes. Add the coconut paste and bring to a roaring boil.
Season with methi seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves.