Apple Cinnamon Yeasty Bread Muffins! Healthy Breakfast!

I wanted to try out yeast in muffins and also reduce the butter sugar content. So i came up with this recipe. It is pretty much a sweet bread shaped into muffins:). It has a nice dense and moist texture with a heavenly cinnamon smell when warm. Of course, Vivek is not too much of a fan because he wants the butter in his muffin!. I like it because it is not as sweet, and not at all greasy on the hands :)

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 apple pureed
• 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/2 cup brown sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions:

1. Warm the milk and add yeast to it. Mix well and let stand for 10 minutes.
2. Add nutmeg, sugar, salt, butter, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix well.
3. Puree the apple using a little water if needed. Add the puree to the yeast mixture.
4. Add in the flours and knead into a soft dough.
5. Divide the dough into small balls.
6. Oil the muffin pan and place the balls in it.
7. Place the muffin pan in a warm oven for about an hour. Also place a pan of boiling water in the oven.
8. Remove the pan of water. 
9. Mix 2 teaspoons sugar with 1 teaspoon cinnamon,
10. Sprinkle the balls with the mixture.
11. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes.
12. Cool on rack and remove the muffins from the pan!
13. Enjoy warm with tea or as buttered snack.

Whole Wheat Bread with a tinge of Lemon!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2.5 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 2 teaspoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 2 teaspoons maple syrup
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 3/4 cup water
• 1.5 teaspoon active yeast

Directions:

1. Warm the water to about 110 degrees F and add yeast to it.
2. Add the sugar and maple syrup in the mixture and let it stand for 10 minutes.
3. Add in the all purpose flour, salt, lemon juice and soft butter and mix well.
4. Add in whole wheat flour and knead into a soft dough.
5. Place dough in a well oiled container. Cover it lightly and place in warm oven for about an hour.
6. Knead the dough again using some flour if needed.
7. Place dough in bread pan in warm oven for another 30 minutes.,
8. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes.
9. Cool on rack before slicing!

Goan chicken Curry!

(chewie waiting patiently in the background for some chicken!!)

I followed the recipe at one of my fav blogs here and ended up with a finger licking dinner. I did not have the dagad phool and mace and did not add too much tamarind and coconut milk. goan chicken has been a hit both times i tried it!!

If i make any major changes, then will put up my recipe. till then enjoy Meera's version http://enjoyindianfood.blogspot.com/2008/06/xacuti-or-sagoti-or-shakuti-goan.html

Serve hot with hot Naan, rotis or Basmati rice!

Saffron infused Raisin wheat Bread!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon active yeast
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 4 teaspoons honey
• 1/2 teaspoon saffron strands
• 1/2 cup raisins
• 1/4 cup water
• 2 teaspoons oil

Directions:

1. In a cup, add milk, sugar and saffron strands and warm it.
2. Mix well. Add yeast to it and mix. Let it stand for 10 minutes.
3. Add in the salt, honey, all purpose flour and mix well.
4. Add the whole wheat flour and knead into a soft dough. Use water if needed.
5. Add in the raisins and knead to distribute them.
6. Place the douhg in a well oiled container, covered, in a warm oven for about an hour.
7. Knead the dough and shape it into a loaf and place on baking sheet.
8. Place the dough in warm oven along with a container of boiling water for about 30 minutes.
9. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes.
10. Serve warm with butter or tea!

This bread is great as a snack or dessert. It is moderately sweet and derives the sweetness from the raisins, honey and saffron. You can add more honey to make it more of a dessert bread. Toast the bread before eating to release the aroma of saffron!.

Rye Bread!

I got some rye flour the other day and looked up some rye bread recipes. Most recipes had caraway seed as an ingredient. I am not a fan of caraway seed, so i added a mix of caraway and cumin seeds.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 cup rye flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tsp sugar
• 2 tsp oil
• 1/4 tsp caraway seeds
• 1/4 tsp cumin seeds
• 1.5 tsp active yeast
• 3/4 cup warm water

Directions:

1. Warm the water to about 110 defrees F.
2. In a large bowl mix the yeast and water.
3. Add in 1 cup whole wheat flour, salt, sugar, and spices and mix well.
4. Add in the rye flour and mix well. Add more water is needed.
5. Add in the rest of the whole wheat flour and knead into a soft dough.
6. place dough in a well oiled container, coevered in a warm oven for about an hour.
7. Knead the dough and make into a long loaf and place on baking sheet.
8. Let rise for another 30 minutes.
9. Bake at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes

Carrot cup cakes with cashews and raisins!

Ingredients: yield 10 cup cakes

• 1/2 white cake mix
• 2 eggs
• 1/4 cup oil
• 3/4 cup water
• pinch of nutmeg
• 1/4 tsp pumpkin spice
• 1 cup carrots grated or pureed
• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1/2 cup raisins

Directions:

1. Beat the eggs with oil and spices for 5 minutes.
2. Grate or puree about 1 cup of carrots and add to the mix. Water can be used for puree.
3. Add in the cake mix and water and blend well.
4. Fold in half of the cashews and raisins.
5. Drop ladles of the mix in the cupcake pan lined with baking cups.
6. Sprinkle the remaining cahews and raisins.
7. Bake for 15 minutes in pre-heated oven at 350 degrees F.
8. Great for breakfast/snack time!

Daal Chilla!

I am not a fan of besan these days coz of my unpredictable tummy. But i am a fan of all that can be made with it:).. So yesterday we had some leftover daal (lentil soup) from dinner the night before, amd i thought i should make  chilla out of it.

Chilla/puda is a crepe made of gram flour(besan), or mung dal paste, embellished with onions, chillis, coriander etc. It is usually served as breakfast/evening snack at my place in nagpur.  

Ingredients:

• dinner daal (lentil soup) made of yellow mung and yellowchana. (recipe coming soon)
• 1 chili pepper chopped finely
• 3-4 stems of coriander chopped 
• 2 tsp oil

Directions:

1. Warm the daal and mix well. Add water if too thick to get a flowing consistency.
2. Heat a large flat pan.
3. Add a tsp of oil on it and spread well.
4. Pour a ladle of daal on the pan and try spreading it in circular motion.
5. Sprinkle chopped chillies and coriander on it.
6. Let the spread cook on medium high for 5 minutes. 
7. Once the sides start to easily seaparate from pan, fold the crepe.
8. Some shredded cheese can be added to the crepe as well.
9. Serve with tomato sauce, chutney or plain and enjoy with hot tea!

Date Nut Bread

My breakfast .. a cup of hot masala tea and a slice of the dense date nut bread with cream cheese! This bread comes out nicely dense because of the oats and is very filling. For a lighter fluffier wheat bread, try the whole wheat bread!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour (or more)
• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 tsp active yeast
• 1/2 cup honey/maple syrup
• 1 cup old fashioned oats
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup chopped dates
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 cup walnuts(optional)
• pinch of nutmeg

Directions

1. Cook oats in hot water 1/2 or 1 cup for 10 minutes.
2. Let them cool to a warm temperature.
3. Add in the yeast and honey and mix well.
4. Let stand for 5 minutes.
5. Add in the milk, salt,nutmeg  and all pupose flour and mix well.
6. Add in the wheat flour 1/2 cup at a time to knead into a soft dough.
7. Place dough in a well oiled and lightly covered container in a warm place for about an hour. I usually keep it in a warmed oven.
8. Once doubled, knead the dough a little. 
9. Add the dates and nuts, little at a time and continue kneading. Use flour if needed. I did not use walnuts coz i dont like them much.
10. Place the dough in a greased bread pan and let rise for half an hour.
11. Place a container of boiling water under the pan in the oven when rising.
12. Move the bread pan to the lower shelf of the oven before baking. I also place a baking tray under the pan to reduce direct heat at the bottom. Remove the pan of water before baking.
13. Bake the bread at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.
14. The bread will be golden brown when done and the crust will look hard (but will actually be very soft and bouncy to touch)and of course you can always tell by the aroma!
15. Cool completely on rack before slicing.

This one is my current fav!

Coconut Laddoo!

Check out the newer and yummier Vegan recipe for coconut Laddoo here http://hobbyandmore.blogspot.com/2011/10/coconut-almond-rum-balls-glutenfree.html

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh grated coconut(fresh wet coconut)
• 1 can condensed milk
• 1/2 tsp saffron
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
• 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 tsp milk powder
• raisins for decoration

Directions:

1. In a large pan, heat the ghee till hot.
2. Add the fresh cococnut to it and stir on low flame for 5 minutes.
3. Add the condensed milk and saffron and cardamom and mix well.
4. Let it simmer on low flame with frequent stirring till the mixture starts to separate from the pan.
5. Let the mixture cool before making balls. You can also refrigerate the mixture for a couple of hours as it gets thicker in consistency after refrigeration.
6. Make small balls of the mixture. Cover balls with milk powder to avoid sticking to each other.
7. Decorate with raisins! Keep refrigerated for longer life.