Whole Wheat Pita Bread Pockets

Nothing can ever beat the soft, fluffy, chewy, healthier pita bread that is made at home. I guarantee you that you wont go back to the store- bought pita. The dough is made using basic ingredients and rolled to thin discs and baked till done. A soft, fluffy golden colored pita breads are ready within no time.

Puffed Pita in the oven

I have been seeing homemade Pita bread recipe from a long time, but always thought it as  difficult  to make. Once you start making this, the process will end soon and delicious and healthy pita bread is ready.

There are some points you should notice while making this pita bread.To get the puffed pita bread, use a preheated tray or pizza stone, The dough should be soft and hold shape, shouldn't open the oven during the first 4 minutes of the process.

Pita bread is best consumed fresh out of the oven but can be freeze in an air tight pack and can be had for quick meals. I hope you will give this a try and please let me know how it turned out.

Ingredients:

1. Whole Wheat flour- 3 Cups
2. Lukewarm water - 1 1/4 Cup
3. Honey- 1 tbsp
4. Active Yeast- 1 packet
5. Salt- as required
6. Olive Oil- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. In a mixing bowl add the yeast, honey, oil, lukewarm water and salt. Mix and let it stand for 5 minutes till it becomes foamy.
2. Gradually add the whole wheat flour into the yeast mixture, mix and sprinkle little bit flour on to a clean surface and turn out the dough. Knead for about 5 minutes until it's smooth and elastic, adding more flour if necessary.
3. Place this in an oiled bowl, covered with a cling wrap in a bowl till it doubles the size. 
4. gently deflate the dough by punching down and shape it into 12 equal dough balls. Roll these balls using a rolling pin into a circle about 1/2 cm thick.
5. Place these rolled discs on a baking sheet and cover using a damp towel for about 30 minutes.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and place 3 rolled discs on a baking stone for about 5- 8 minutes, till puffed.
7. Remove and repeat with the remaining discs and allow them to cool and serve as desired.

• I filled the pockets with a salad of boiled chickpeas, boiled beans, chopped onions, chopped tomatoes, chopped red peppers, chopped lettuce, lemon juice and salt and topped with a dollop of hummus.

Homemade Cinnamon Rolls

Whenever we pass through a "Cinnabon", the inviting scent of cinnamon and freshly baked treats, crave us to try some of their amazingly delicious, gooey delicacies and as a result, we end up buying more than three to four varieties of cinnamon rolls which are not only tasty but very filling with all the frosting and glaze. My kids love cinnamon rolls like crazy but thinking about the amount of sugar and butter in the rolls we buy them once in a while.

Dough ready to get baked...

Recently my daughter was asking me to bake some cinnamon rolls so that she can have them whenever she wants. Before that, I never thought of making the rolls at home, because of the time and effort it would consume. But then I realized that making the rolls at home is far better than store-bought ones as we can adjust the sugar and butter according to our taste and usage. I made this for the first time and these rolls came out perfectly soft, moist and melt in the mouth kind. The best Cinnamon Rolls ever. My little one calls them breakfast sweet rolls.

The ingredients are very basic. We can add sugar according to our choice. While mixing the dough itself, we can add enough sugar and make the dough sweeter. Here I have used instant yeast, then too I gave a little time to proof. Some will add eggs in the dough, but here I didn't use any as without using them the dough was smooth and soft. Here I have mixed with a spatula, you can also use a stand mixer. The dough should be sticky, for a soft roll, don't add too much flour.

For a gooey, rich cinnamon roll, we can add the heavy cream just before keeping the rolls in the oven. But I didn't as I liked it this way. I have used a simple glaze to frost the cinnamon rolls. We can also make a cream cheese frosting to spread on top. The glaze should be added when the rolls are warm and allow it to soak in.

The process looks time-consuming, but once you start making the recipe, it will go with the flow. Here the time-consuming part is the proofing of the dough. Hope with all these tips and tricks you will try making this at home and let me know how they turned out.

Ingredients:

1. All Purpose Flour- 2 Cups
2. Milk- 1 Cup
3. Salt- 1 Tsp
4. Sugar- 1 tbsp
5. Yeast- 2 tbsp
6. Butter- 2 tbsp

For filling:

1. Butter- 3 tbsp
2. Cinnamon powder- 1 tbsp
3. Sugar- 3 tbsp

For the Glaze:

1. Powdered Sugar- 1/4 Cup
2. Milk- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. In a measuring cup, add the warm milk, sugar, salt, butter, and yeast. Keep this till the yeast foams. 
2. Take all purpose flour in a mixing bowl, add the foamed yeast mixture and mix well using a spatula, till the dough becomes sticky. Keep this covered for about 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, mix the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon powder together and keep this ready.
4. By this time the dough will rise and doubled in size. Drop this on a floured surface and roll the dough using floured rolling pin into a rectangle.
5. Spread the cinnamon- sugar filling on top evenly using a rubber spatula. Starting at the long end, roll the dough into a tight roll and cut into 10- 12 slices and place on a greased baking tray and allow the slices to rise for another 15 minutes.
6. Bake at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes until the rolls lightly golden brown and cooked well.
7. When they are getting baked, prepare the glaze by mixing the sugar and milk in small portions until they reach pouring consistency.
8. Once the rolls get baked, remove from oven and pour the glaze on top so that the rolls absorb the glaze very well. Serve the cinnamon rolls warm. Store the remaining cinnamon rolls in airtight containers.

Easy Garlic Bread Sticks

This easy, simple homemade garlic bread contains tons of garlic, herbs and is perfectly toasted. This is a delightful, mouthwatering garlic bread recipe that I cannot stop making.
Whenever I feel like making a snack, I will think of something healthy. I will prefer a baked one instead of fried. These breadsticks are a perfect evening snack for the kids. As my daughter's after swimming snack, mostly I will give her favorite snacks to munch but sometimes I experiment with new things and this is one of the experiments which turned out to be a huge hit.

These breadsticks are so tasty, crunchy and crispy even after two days. This is so easy to make, that if we have bread slices and garlic we can make a mouthwatering after school snack which the kids will definitely enjoy.

 Just take some slices of bread, smear garlic- herb infused oil on the slices and bake till done. You can add fresh herbs like the rosemary or parsley. Just chop them and sprinkle on top before baking. Instead of oil, you can also use melted butter. I didn't add cheese, as without adding cheese, these tasted yum. I hope you like this recipe as much as we do.

Ingredients:

1. Bread Slices- 4- 5
2. Garlic Cloves- 4 no
3. Dried Basil- 1 tbsp
4. Red Chili Flakes- 1/2 tbsp
5. Oregano- 1 tbsp
6. Garlic powder- 1/2 tbsp (optional)
7. salt- as required
8. Parmesan Cheese- 2 tbsp (optional)
9. Olive Oil- 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Preheat the oven for about 350 degrees F.
2. Meanwhile take the basil, oregano, salt, red chili flakes, garlic powder in a mortar. Pound them well.
3. Peel the garlic and crush the garlic along with the herbs and olive oil. Crush well till everything gets well mixed.
4. Take the bread slices, smear the above-made garlic paste evenly on the slices. Cut the slices into desired lengths and arrange them on a baking tray.
5. Bake these garlic oils infused bread for about 10- 12 minutes or slightly golden brown on the edges. When done enjoy warm breadsticks along with your favorite dip.
6. If you want to add cheese, sprinkle it on top as soon as the breadsticks are out of the oven.

Focaccia with roasted Garlic, olives and Rosemary with a Herb Dip

Focaccia is a type of bread which is very easy to make and tastes so rich and wonderful with the addition of chopped garlic, fresh rosemary, and olives. In my house, we all are great bread lovers. The smell of the fresh warm bread that emanates from a bakery while walking on the streets of Bangalore still makes my mouth watering.

Before Baking

My daughter is fond of this focaccia with any topping. I decided to make for her school snack. This time our MFB challenge is to "add an ingredient" i.e "olives" and so I have added chopped olives for topping focaccia. I like my focaccia to be thin, you can make it thicker by rolling in the desired thickness.

Dough before baking..

Just whip up a simple batch of dough, once it has risen, proofed and rolled onto a baking sheet. Use your fingers to poke dents in the dough, drizzle the garlic, herb infused olive oil and spread the chopped olives and fresh rosemary needles. Bake till done and enjoy warm focaccia with your choice of dip.
Ingredients:

1. All-Purpose Flour- 2 Cups
2. Yeast- 2 tsp
3. Warm Water- 3/4 cup
4. Salt- as required
5. Olive Oil- 2 tbsp+ 1 tbsp
6. Chopped garlic- 2 tbsp
7. Chopped Olives- 1/4 Cup
8. Dried Herbs- 1 Tsp
9. Fresh rosemary Leaves- 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Sprinkle yeast in the warm water and stir with a fork. Let this stand for about 10 minutes.
2. In a mixing bowl, drop the all-purpose flour along with salt and 2 tbsp olive oil. pour the above warm water little by little till blended. the dough will be sticky.
3. Knead the dough on a floured surface until smooth and elastic. If the dough is sticky just add enough flour and knead well.
4. Grease the mixing bowl with olive oil, place the dough ball and cover with a cling wrap and place it in a warm place. Let it rise for about 50- 60 minutes.
5. Meanwhile, heat 1 tbsp of oil and add the chopped garlic, roast for a minute and add the dried herbs, mix well. When the oil is infused with the aroma of garlic, switch off the flame.
6. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Turn the dough on a floured surface and roll it out in the form of a circle or a rectangle. Let it rise for another 15- 20 minutes.
7. Transfer this dough to a baking tray and poke deep holes on the dough using fingers. Drizzle the garlic and herb infused olive oil in the holes evenly. Spread the chopped olives on the top of the dough and sprinkle the rosemary needles evenly.
8. Bake for about 20 minutes or till the dough is cooked through. When done, remove from the oven, slice, and serve warm along with herb infused olive oil dip.

Olive oil Herb Dip

Ingredients:

1. Olive Oil- 1/4 Cup
2. Dried Herbs(Oregano, Basil, Thyme)- 1tsp
3. Minced Garlic- 1 tsp
4. Salt- a pinch

Method:

• Mix everything together until blended and serve with fresh bread.

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Oven Baked Naan and Butter Chicken without Butter

My all time favorite combination of naan and butter chicken. As Ramadan fasting is going on, I will be searching for a variety of dishes for iftar, rather than having regular food. I came across a youtube video, in which they were making chicken korma along with this naan. First I thought of making the same chicken korma which they showed in the video, but then I changed my mind to butter chicken.

In the butter chicken, the chicken is usually baked along with marinated spices and cooked in the sauce. Here the marinated chicken pieces are cooked directly in the silky and creamy gravy. Thinking about this butter chicken, when we visited my elder brother in the UK, my SIL prepared an amazing restaurant style butter chicken. The taste is still lingering in my mouth. This one, which I made is almost the same. I am glad that I tried it and it tasted incredible.

You may be surprised that butter is not added in the butter chicken. The buttery flavor of this dish comes from the cream, which we are adding at least.

After making the butter chicken I came to know that this is the easiest curries which can be prepared within no time. With just a few ingredients we get lots of flavors.

Every curry needs a bread to scoop up the sauce, So I made naan to go along with butter chicken. Usually, naan is made on a direct flame, but here it is made in the oven and within minutes this will be ready. Naan is a soft, puffy, airy bread. This is a fail- proof recipe, which you can try at any time. Try this out and let me know...

Ingredients:

For Naan:

1. All Purpose Flour- 2 cups
2. Yeast- 2 tsp
3. Butter- 2 tbsp
4. Warm Milk- ½ Cup
5. Salt- as required

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Take a tbsp of flour, yeast and 2 tbsps of warm water in a small bowl. Mix using a spoon and rest for 1 min.
3. In a stand mixer bowl, add the flour and butter. Mix well till the butter incorporates well.
4. In this add the yeast solution and slowly add the milk. Don’t add fully, add little by little and a bit of salt.
5. Mix well till it forms a soft dough. Take it out and grease a bowl with oil. Keep the dough cling wrap for about half an hour to an hour.
6. When it is time, take the fermented dough and punch it well. Make about 8- 10 balls and roll it using a rolling pin in an oval shape.
7. Spread water using a brush on top of the rolled dough and sprinkle some sesame seeds on top and press slightly.
8. Place on a greased tray and repeat with the remaining dough and bake them for about 8 minutes and then broil them for about 2 min or till the top becomes slightly brown.
9. Serve them along with butter chicken.

Ingredients for Butter Chicken:

• Chicken- 1 Whole Chicken

For Marination:

1. Yogurt- 1 Cup
2. Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
3. Tomato Puree/ Paste- 1 tbsp
4. Cumin powder- 1 tsp
5. Turmeric Powder- ½ Tsp
6. Kashmiri Red Chili Powder- 1 tbsp
7. Kasuri Methi- 1 tbsp
8. Coriander powder- 1 tsp
9. Paprika powder- 1 tsp
10. Garam Masala- 1 tsp
11. Lemon Juice- 1 tbsp

For the Gravy:

1. Oil- 1tbsp
2. Ginger and Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
3. Tomatoes- 2 nos (ground to paste)
4. Cream- ½ Cup

Method:

1. Marinate the cleaned and drained chicken using the marinade and keep this for about 1 hour.
2. Heat a pan with oil, add the ginger and garlic paste, when the raw smell disappears add the ground tomatoes.
3. Saute well till the oil separates, add the marinated chicken and mix well. Cover and cook till the chicken get cooked well.
4. Add the cream, simmer for a minute and switch off the flame.

 

Minced Chicken Burgers

Nothing can beat a simple homemade burger on a lovely cold evening in the comforts of your home. Rather than store bought burgers, the burgers which you make at home with much fewer calories can be enjoyed without any guilt.

All you need is to blend the minced chicken along with spices, dipped in egg and shallow fried, which will make a delicious burger pattie. This will make a perfect school lunch or for parties. This can be prepared within no time if you have all the ingredients with you. This can be ate just like that without sandwiching in the bun. Kids will enjoy them.

You can top the patties with mayonnaise/ ranch dressing/ guacamole or anything of your choice. You can also add a slice of cheese or even sour cream. Hope you all will like this. Try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

1. Burger Buns- 6 nos
2. Minced Chicken- 2 Cups
3. Onions- 1 no
4. Garlic- 3 cloves
5. Green Chillies- 3 nos
6. Coriander Leaves- few
7. Red Chilli Powder- 1 tbsp
8. Garam Masala Powder- 1 tsp
9. Pepper Powder- 1 tsp
10. Salt- as required
11. Oil- for shallow frying
12. Egg- 1 no
13. Cucumber slices- 2 nos
14. Lettuce Leaves- 1 bunch
15. Onions( sliced)- 1 no

Method:

1. Wash and drain the kheema in a colander.
2. Take the drained chicken mince, coriander leaves, onions, garlic, green chilies, red chili powder, garam masala powder, pepper powder and salt in a food processor and process for about 2- 3 minutes, till all gets blended well.
3. Meanwhile, beat eggs in a bowl. Shape the above-blended chicken mixture into round balls and flatten it out in the shape of pattie and dip them in the beaten egg.
4. Repeat with the remaining chicken mixture. Heat a griddle with oil and shallow fry the patties till crisp and golden.
5. Slice the burger buns from the middle and place them on the griddle till they become soft.
6. Place one-half of a bun, over that place the lettuce leaf, sliced onion, and cucumber. On top place the chicken pattie and on top of that a spoon full of ranch dressing or anything of your choice. Sandwich with the other half of the bun and dig into the heavenly burger.

Homemade Almond Nutella/ Chocolate Almond Spread

From so long, I was planning to make this chocolate almond spread and was not so daring to try this at home,  because I was not sure how this spread will turn and whether this will taste like the store bought Nutella or not. I was wrong, the texture and the flavors were exactly the same as the store bought ones. I am really happy with the outcome, though it is made of almonds this tastes just like the hazelnut spread.I wanted to experiment using almonds and so the chocolate almond spread is ready within minutes.

Nowadays we are hearing a lot about store bought chocolate spreads with high sugar content and the oil used (palm oil) in these are harmful in the long run. So I was thinking of making this spread without compromising the taste or flavor. I googled a lot and got the recipe from various websites and I was thinking of making this for so long, but as I said before, I was not confident enough. But I decided to finally have a go at it as soon as I saw this month’s MFB challenge. In this month’s challenge, we can prepare any recipe which we were longing to prepare.

My daughter, who is a big Nutella fan will daily have her toast and Nutella, before going to school. After reading the drawbacks of Nutella, I stopped giving that instead, I tried giving peanut butter with toast. But as she was not ready to eat peanut butter, she asked me to give only the toast without any spread. Then itself I decided to try this at home so that she will be happy and without any tension, we can give. Surprisingly she liked it. I thought this is the perfect post for MFB challenge. Using only four ingredients, an amazing spread is ready, which the kids will love a lot.Try this out and let me know.

Ingredients:

1. Almonds- 1 Cup
2. Chocolate Chips- ⅓  Cup
3. Coconut oil- 1 tbsp
4. Honey- 2 tbsp (optional)

Method:

1. Roast the almonds slightly. When it is cool, blend them in a food processor til they break down into a fine powder.
2. Add the coconut oil and process until it forms a smooth paste. At this stage add the chocolate chips and process well till everything is perfectly blended and smooth.
3. Taste the above made paste and add honey accordingly. No need of adding honey if you feel it is sweet enough. Process a minute or two, till it gets the perfectly smooth and silky texture. Enjoy homemade Nutella/ spread along with toasted bread/ crepes or scoop just like that...

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