Garlic Knots

Bread baking is a superb stress buster and very satisfying too. When you see your ball of dough puff up like a mountain in the first rise, your chest also doubles up equally with joy in anticipation of eating something awesomely yummy fresh and hot from the oven. I had hosted an all Italian dinner at my place this weekend and to make it even more enticing, I decided to bake my bread at home to compliment my Lasagna. The bread superseded my expectations in every way right from the first rise, the oven spring to the cottony soft texture!! My happiness knew no bounds and even more so when my guests couldn't stop praising my efforts and the food. 

Ingredients 

3 cups all purpose flour (I used bread flour but APF works equally well)

2 1/4 tsp active dry yeast 

1 tbsp sugar

1 tsp salt 

3/4 cup warm water plus 1/2 cup for kneading 

2 tbsp butter softened 

For the garlic wash

1 tbsp butter

2 tbsp olive oil

1-2 tbsp garlic finely chopped (depending in how garlicky you want your knots)

2 tbsp parsley finely chopped 

Direction 

Dissolve the yeast in 3/4 cup warm water (43.3 degree celcius to be precise or till you are able to bear a drop of water on the back of your wrist) and sugar and let it stand till frothy and doubled in volume. 

Mix the flour and salt and add the frothy yeasty liquid to it. Mix with your hands or a spoon until the flour just comes together. It is not required that it forms a dough at this point. Cover and let the dough hydrate for 15 minutes. 

Now add the remaining water little at a time and start kneading the dough. Once the dough starts coming together, transfer to a clean kitchen counter or silicon mat and knead with the heels of your hands till the stickiness of the dough is almost gone. Now flatten the dough slightly with your hands and put 1 tbsp butter on the flattened base and fold in. Bang, fold, and knead the dough with all force till the butter is all absorbed and the dough is smooth with no stickiness. Again roll out the dough with the hands and apply the remaining butter and fold, bang, fold and knead like before till the dough is smooth to touch and and soft and elastic. Oil a bowl and transfer the dough to the bowl and grease it too. Cover and let it rest either in one corner of the kitchen counter or inside the microwave (basically a warm and humid place) until doubled in volume. 

Now deflate the dough and punch down the dough for 2-3 minutes. Line a baking tray with parchment paper and divide the dough into two. Keep one part of the dough in the bowl covered while working on the other. Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough into a circle of 1/3" thickness. With the help of a knife cut long strips. 

Pick one strip and make a knot (bring both ends together and then push one end into the circle making a knot). Place it on the prepared baking tray. 

Repeat with the rest of the strips and the dough. Place the knots 1" apart as you keep them covered in a warm place for their second rise, about 1 hour or until doubled in size. Singapore is quite hot and humid these days and so it took me just 45 minutes in both the proofings for the dough to rise. 

Pre-heat the oven 20 minutes before the end of the second rise at 225 degree celcius. Now make the garlic wash. Melt the butter and oil together on the stove top and add the garlic. Stir for a minute and then remove from heat and add the parsley. Stir and cool it to room temperature. Now brush the cooled garlic wash generously (but gently) on the puffed up knots. Take care not to deflate the risen knots by hard brushing or hot garlic wash. 

Bake in the pre-heated oven at 200 degree celcius for 15 minutes or until golden on top and sounds hollow when tapped. Remove from the oven and brush again with the remaining garlic wash. Transfer to a wire rack and cool completely!

Matar Paneer

Getting a beautiful color for the gravy is a challenge that most beginners face in the kitchen. In a bid to achieve that color, most people end up adding so many spices that eventually ruins the taste, though it might look the way they wanted it to be. This is a situation that I have faced many times in the past when I had just started off in the kitchen. The key to tasty and beautiful dishes, as I have learnt it, does not lie in the recipe. It lies within you and your patience to go through the crucial stages of cooking any dish. My paneer dishes have always lacked the color and consistency that I see in dishes prepared with the same recipe. I used to wonder the reason for the difference until recently when I realized where I was going wrong. Bhunoing (as it is called in Hindi) or frying the masalas until they leave a fragrant aroma and oil separating from the sides (you do not need to put extra oil to get that effect) is what gives Indian curries the look and taste as it should be. 

Ingredients

200 gms paneer

2 medium onions, chopped

1 inch piece ginger, chopped

3-4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp tomato puree

1 medium potato, diced (optional; I added since my husband loves it)

1/3 cup green peas

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander leaves and green chillies for garnishing

1 tbsp mustard oil ( or refined oil)

Direction

Heat oil in a pan. Fry the paneer cubes until golden brown and keep aside. If the paneer pieces are not very tender, you can keep them immersed in warm water until used. 

In a grinder, put the onion, ginger, and garlic and grind to a coarse paste without adding any water. In the same oil where you fried the paneer pieces, add this paste and fry till the onions get translucent and golden in color. Now add the tomato puree and fry on a medium flame till oil starts appearing on the sides. If the paste gets too dry, you can sprinkle some water from the immersed paneer pieces or regular water. Add the dry spices except the salt and sugar and continue stirring until the masalas get mixed well and no raw smell is left. Now add the potato pieces and stir. Add 1/2 cup of warm water (or the water from the immersed paneer pieces) and cover cook on medium flame till the potato is cooked. Next add the green peas and the paneer pieces. Put in salt and sugar and mix. Cover cook for another 3-5 minutes adding additional water if required. Garnish with chopped coriander and slit green chillies and serve hot with roti/rice/pulao.

                                

  

Chicken Bolognaise Pasta

My husband the other day surprisingly made a request for Italian food (he is more of a desi guy), specifically Bolognaise Pasta. I quickly looked up the recipe on the internet and was happy to know how easy it is. The next morning after breakfast, I quickly put my baby on the pram and off we went for the supermarket to get the ingredients. As luck would have it, it started raining. Thankfully, I was carrying the pram rain cover and while my baby was saved, I got completely drenched. This, however, gave me a silly little chance to prove to my husband how much I love him that I went in the rains to cook him his favorite pasta (women never leave a chance, anyway)! So here is the easy peasy recipe of chicken bolognaise pasta. Traditionally, the bolognese sauce is served on top of the pasta. I, however, like it mixed together with the pasta. You can choose your options.

Ingredients

For the Bolognaise sauce

300 gms chicken mince

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 stick coriander/cilantro chopped

5 heaped tbsp tomato pasta sauce

1/2 cup carrot finely chopped

1/2 cup chicken stock

1 tbsp olive oil 

For the pasta

2 tsp butter + 2 tsp olive oil 

300 gms uncooked spaghetti 

1 clove garlic minced 

1 tsp oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

Grated parmesan cheese to serve (I skipped it as my husband does not like cheese)

Directions

For the Bolognaise Sauce

Heat oil in a frying pan and add the onion, garlic, coriander, and carrot. Fry till onions are translucent and carrots tender. You can cover cook for 3-5 minutes to ensure quick cooking. Add the chicken mince. Cook with a wooden spoon to break up the mince for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Add pasta sauce and stock. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook covered for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat and keep aside.

For the pasta

Cook the pasta as per the packet instructions. Add a hint of olive oil while boiling to ensure non-sticky pasta and run through cold water once done to avoid over cooking. 

The assembly

As I mentioned earlier, I like my pasta mixed with the sauce. If you like it separate, you can skip this step. In a large skillet, heat the butter and olive oil. Add the minced garlic and oregano. Add the cooked pasta, little at a time, and give a good stir so that the oil gets coated evenly. Now add the prepared Bolognaise sauce and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat and serve hot with grated parmesan cheese and a glass of good wine!