Quinoa Oat Flat bread Mini Pizza with Spinach hummus, Roasted Beets and Red bell pepper. vegan glutenfree, gumfree

So I was thinking of making a long post with gf buns, but then I made these individual pizzas the other day and thought that these could make a great superbowl snack!

The flat bread is glutenfree and has cooked quinoa, oats and potato starch, no gum, soy or corn. It is a slightly dense bread. Add 2-3 Tablespoons more potato starch to make the dough lighter. The oats can be substituted with half sorghum half starch. I like my breads light and airy, but for gf breads to be really airy, you need a lot more starch and of course it needs to be steamed to really get them air bubbles!

For a with gluten, wheat flour version of the flat bread see Tomato Sprouted Quinoa Flat bread here.

The cooking method used for this flat bread, is stove top with some steam. This stove top method can be used to make the Glutenfree Naan bread I posted earlier. I made some gf Naan on stove top, kept the Naan bread thinner and it comes out soft and airy! not as super airy as the steamed one, but good enough.

This is a protein filled snack with the Quinoa and hummus and some grilled veggies. Sure to keep you full for the game. You can serve the flat bread sliced up like pita with hummus as well. I stored one in the refrigerator overnight, and put it in the microwave to lightly warm it..and it was soft again.

For more Snack ideas like Beet Chickpea burger, Apple Fries, tempeh kebab bites,, check out the Savory Snacks Album on my facebook page here. Pictures with recipe links!

Method:

Spinach Hummus:

In a pan, add 1 teaspoon of oil, 2 garlic cloves, 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder, 1 teaspoon tahini or sesame seeds, 1 dry red chili. Cook on medium heat for half a minute. Add 1/2 cup cooked or canned chickpeas, 1/2 teaspoon salt or taste. Cook on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add 1/2 cup packed chopped spinach and mix well. Cook for a minute or so, until most of the spinach just about starts to wilt.

Cool to warm and puree with a little water into desired consistency.

Tomato Quinoa flat bread: Makes 4, 5 inch breads

1/4 cup quinoa, uncooked

1/2 cup water, to cook quinoa

1/2 medium tomato chopped

1/2 teaspoon vinegar

1 teaspoon flaxmeal

1 Tablespoons organic canola oil

1/3 cup rolled gf Oats, ground fine

1/4 cup potato starch (add 3 Tbspns more for a lighter bread)

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

3+ Tablespoons water

1 teaspoon active yeast

1 teaspoon raw sugar

2/3 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cumin powder and dried basil flakes

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1/4 teaspoon chili flakes or powder or cayenne or omit

Directions:

1. Cook the 1/4 cup Quinoa in 1/2 cup water,in a covered container till done. Let cool to a warm state.
2. In a bowl, add a Tablespoon of warm water, yeast and sugar. Mix and let sit until frothy,
3. In another bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients(oats, starch, salt, spices, baking powder) till well combined. Add this to the yeast mixture. dont mix yet.
4. In a blender, blend the cooked quinoa, oil, flaxmeal, vinegar and the Tomato and 2 Tablespoons water, just enough so the tomato is well blended.
5. Add this mix to the yeast and flours and and mix well for a minute to get a stiff batter.
6. Spritz the top liberally with water and Let this mix sit in a warm place, covered, for 1-2 hours.
7. The batter will be more doughy since the Oats will absorb some moisture. Oil hands and knead to get it all together. The mix will now be doughy and handle-able. If too dry, spray some water.
8. Make 4 balls and pat each of them to desired thickness on parchment. Keep them thin 1/8 inch.
9. 
10. Spray water on top and cover with a damp towel and let sit in a warm place for 40-45 minutes.
11. Heat up a pan or girdle which has a well fitting lid, on high heat until hot.
12. 
13. Reduce heat to medium-high. Take one of the flat breads. Peel the parchment away from the bread and not the bread from the parchment.(flip the parchment on your hand and peel it slowly off the bread, while the bread is resting on your hand)
14. Place the bottom of the bread(which you just peeled from the parchment, the more moist side) on the heated pan.
15. Quickly spray the top of the bread and the surrounding with water and close the lid.
16. Cook for a minute to minute and a half. Open lid, and flip the bread. make a small trial bread to figure out cooking time since each pan and heating method(gas, electric stove etc acts differently).
17. Cover and cook the other side for a minute. Take off pan and continue with the rest of the breads. I cook only one at a time in the pan, because once the top has been sprayed, you want to close the lid soon to trap a little steam. Let bread rest for 2-4 minutes.
18. These breads dont go dry or go stale in the refrigerator for 2 days. You can make these ahead of time or right before serving. Top off the cooked side with the hummus, beet and grilled Red bell pepper while the other side is cooking. Close the lid for a minute and everything will get heated up to serve.

Arrangement:

If you have the breads, hummus and roasted veggies made before hand. Then arrange the bread, top with hummus and roasted/grilled veggies, vegan cheeze, and broil for 1 minute to 1.5. or microwave it for 30 seconds per flatbread. I'd actually love me some fresh crumbled falafel and pomegranate on these breads too!

Roasted Beet:

Take the whole beet and wrap it nicely in a foil. Place wrapped beet on a tray and bake it at 365 degrees F for 35-45 minutes depending on the size of the beet.

Take out of the oven, let cool. Peel, chop, use or refrigerate for 3-4 days.

Phew, one down, 2 more snack posts to go! What are your plans for the weekend.

This mini pizza filled with love is headed to Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Hearth and soul blog hop, Allergy Free Wednesdays, Ricki's wellness weekend , and GFE's Virtual Support group April

The 4th picture below is the wheat Tomato Sprouted Quinoa non gf flatbread.

Red Beet, Pear, Minneola orange and Apple Smoothie. vegan, glutenfree

Another way to use up the Seasonal fruits and veggies. A pretty colored smoothie. Lightly cooked and spiced! and as hubbs points out.. a gorgeous color for a love potion!

It is one of those days when I have like a 1000 pictures to look through, select and edit and cant decide which recipe pictures to edit and post! So I chose the simplest one :) I made a fun green smoothie the other day, but it just feels like a bright color kind of week.

Check out more fun smoothies/coolers like Strawberry Mango Mint cooler or the spiced Blueberry Strawberry or the Pomegranate Apple Satsuma!

Method:

In a pressure cooker or deep pan, add a cup of water, 1/2 medium red Beet peeled and chopped, 1 Pear chopped, 1 Apple chopped and juice of 1 Orange( you can even add some seedless pulp).

Add 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon rock salt, 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, 1 teaspoon raw Sugar or agave, 1 tablespoon chopped fresh mint or 1 tablespoon cilantro or any herb of choice. (I sometimes add 1/2 an inch of young ginger. Dont add mature and fibrous ginger)

Pressure cook for 1 whistle or cook covered for 10-15 minutes on low-medium heat until most fruit is tender.

Cool and blend to a puree. Taste and adjust water consistency, salt, sugar. Garnish with black pepper, cumin powder or dried herbs. drink! Of course, you can spike it with your favorite liquor in the evening.

This pretty smoothie is headed to Sugar free Sunday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, Hearth and soul blog hop, Allergy Free Wednesdays,

Continuing with the cause from my previous post about abandoned girls, and a Fund raiser by Siri to help one of the Ashrams working to help those girls with care and education.

Why are there so many abandoned girls you say. You will find the answer in this documentary below.

The United Nations estimates as many as 200 million girls are missing in the world today because of this so-called "gendercide".
This documentary film tells the stories of abandoned and trafficked girls, of women who suffer extreme dowry-related violence, of brave mothers fighting to save their daughters' lives, and of other mothers who would kill for a son.
Learn more about the film at www.itsagirlmovie.com

Find them on facebook at http://www.facebook.com/ShadowlineFilms

Watch the trailer below. There is no gore in the trailer, just words, but the spoken words are brutal. Viewer discretion is advised.

Panch Phoran Shalgam(Turnip with indian 5 spice mix). Vegan glutenfree. And a Fundraiser for Vaidehi Ashram

Belated Republic Day wishes to all fellow Indians. Fund drive information below the recipe.

A quick dry veggie side today. The spice mix used for this turnip preparation is called Panch Phoran. is a spice blend used in Bangladesh and Eastern India, especially in Mithila, Bengali, Assamese and Oriya cuisine. The name literally means "five spices". The spices typically used are fenugreek seed, Nigella seed, cumin seed, radhuni and fennel seed in equal parts. Celery seed sometimes is used in place of radhuni. I usually substitute mustard seeds for radhuni. Usually this spice is mix has whole spices and is used as is, sometimes I coarsely grind the mix for a more mixed up flavor. This spice mix is fantastic both ways. If you are not a fan of the heat in garam masala or the bland in the yellow curry powder, give this mix a try in dry veggie subzis.

You can find the mix in an Indian store or make your own with the whole spices in equal quantities.

This spice blend can be used to make any dry vegetable side dish. Try it with cauliflower, belleppers and potatoes, just potatoes, or any not too sweet chunky vegetable. The nigella seeds have a distinctive onion-garlic-pickle kind of taste, so its not necessary to add garlic or other strong flavors. Fenugreek gives the bitter and fennel and cumin the fresh taste.

Panch phoran- Mix equal quantities of Fennel, Fenugreek, brown mustard, Nigella and Cumin seeds.

Directions: Serves 1

In a medium pan, add a teaspoon of organic canola oil and heat at medium.

When the oil is hot, add 1-2 teaspoons of coarsely ground Paanch phoran. Start with 1 teaspoon, you can add more later to taste. The spices have quite a strong individual taste.

Mix for a half a minute till the spices start to give out an aroma.

Add 1/4 cup chopped onion and mix well.

Cook for 2-3 minutes until translucent.

Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and mix.

Add 3/4-1 cup peeled and chopped/cubed Turnip, 1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste and chili flakes or black pepper to taste.

Mix well, cook covered on low heat for 10-12 minute, or until tender(depends on the size of the cubes) Stir occasionally in between. Also, taste test when just about done and adjust salt and spice mix.

Serve hot as a side.

This quick Turnip is headed to Ricki's Wellness weekend, Amee's Fit and Fab Friday and Allergy Friendly Fridays, Simple and in Season Jan

Siri, a fellow food blogger based in India is giving away goodies and raising funds for Vaidehi Ashram, a home for destitute girls, which provides shelter, food, education and nurtures the child for holistic growth. You can read about Siri's vistis to the Ashram here.

The girls here are also taught fine arts such as music, painting, dance and handicrafts etc. They are also provided with sufficient knowledge about good food and health which they in turn use to educate and empower women in nearby slum areas. The Ashram has girls of all ages, Teenagers to Toddlers, who have never known the meaning of parents or a family.

If you read about Siri's trips, you will see how dearly the girls at the Ashram value what they have, they do not waste even a single grain or lentil that is served for meals.

If you would like to participate, there are more than 40 items like Books, Camera lenses, props for food photography, Ice-cream maker, vouchers and more(Available for shipping in US, India and some worldwide), donated by the food blogging community. You can donate via the chip in below, or on Siri's page here, $10 gets you 1 Raffle ticket), you can use that raffle ticket towards any of the 40 donated items. email Siri at info(dot)siri(at)gmail.com with your donated amount and raffle preferences. Detailed instructions on Siri's page here.

Grape Multigrain Sandwich Bread Loaf. Vegan

I made this bread early December, and another few times since then too, when hubbs got a package of ripe juicy huge California Seedless Grapes, ate half the pack and promptly forgot about them for the next few days. You know me, I put all sorts of fruits and veggies in my breads and use them up!
Sometime last month, I took a break from baking breads to try out some new Vegan and Mutigrain options from the market and also try my hand at some gf yeast bread baking. There was obvious comparison of the market breads with my home made breads, And as my kind hubbs so sweetly says about home made breads..
1. They do Not taste like cardboard
2. They do Not break your teeth(my teeth are not super hard walnut cracking machines and some of those 10-15 grains in some breads are just not very chewable or fun, even for hubbs)
3. They hold up very well in Sandwiches and french toasts(hello soggy supermarket bread french toasts)
4. Chewie likes them(he does not like 100% whole wheat cardboard bread. can you imagine that! He will do 5 rollovers even for my burnt bread!, here's a vid of him doing the rollover, with my mom)
5. The breads are fluffy, soft and muchable by themselves, even when filled with a good amount of whole grains..
6. They do Not taste like cardboard....

The addition of fruits adds a mild flavor to the bread and balances out some of the bitterness from some grains and it also helps keep the bread more moist and soft. These breads might not be 100% whole wheat or filled with 20 grains, but there is a good balance in there. You can eat a slice of my bread as is and not get a white carb sugar high! Most of my breads can be found on my Pinterest Bread and buns board here.

Name any fruit and you will find a bread with it. Blueberries, strawberries, apples are my faves. There's Beet, Spinach, Pear, carrots, Mango and more in some of my Breads!

I used Arrow head mills 4 grains + flax hot cereal in this loaf. It has barley and rye grits, steel cut oats, cracked wheat and flax. I add my own cooked whole grains sometimes like cooked Quinoa, oats, millet and wheat berries.

Ingredients:

2+ cups bread flour

1 cup Whole wheat flour

1/3 cup millet or sorghum flour(I used millet)

1 teaspoon vital wheat gluten(optional)

1/2 cup hot cereal(I used Arrow head mills 4 grain+flax. becomes more than a cup after cooking) Use 1/3 cup whole grain cereal, to keep dough more handle-able.

1 cup water to cook cereal

2 Tablespoons warm water

2 teaspoons active yeast

1 cup ripe fat organic Grapes

2 Tablespoons raw sugar or equivalent sugar substitute

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 Tablespoon coconut oil

2 Tablespoons organic canola oil

Directions:

1. Cook the hot cereal in double the amount of water on low-medium heat, till the grains are soft(around 10 minutes). Let cool to a warm state. You can also add other cooked grains like Quinoa, barley, millet etc. Add a total 1 cup of cooked cereal.
2. Blend the cereal, raw sugar and grapes into a puree and keep ready.
3. Warm 2 Tablespoons water and add 1 teaspoon raw sugar and yeast, mix and let sit for 10 minutes or until frothy. (If using stevia, dont add it to yeast mix. Add a teaspoon of flour instead of the sugar, mix and let it get frothy. Add stevia or natural sweetener to the grape mix.)
4. In the mixer bowl, add the flours(start with 1.5 cups bread flour), salt and whisk.
5. Add in the oils, and yeast mixture and mix a bit.
6. Add in the warm grape puree and knead for 6-8 minutes, scraping the sides every 2-3 minutes into a not too sticky and soft dough. Add more bread flour or water if needed.
7. Place dough in well greased container. Spritz top with water, cover and let rise for 1.5 hours or until doubled( depends on ambient temperature)
8. Take dough out, knead it for a minute using a little more bread flour to reduce the stickyness(the fruit makes the dough stickier because of more moisture)
9. Shape into a loaf by pulling on all sides, or by patting dough into a rectangle and rolling it like a jelly roll.
10. Place in parchment lined regular bread loaf pan (with seam side down if jelly roll).
11. Spritz top with water and then with oil and cover and let rise in a warm place,for 45 minutes or until doubled.
12. Bake at 365 degrees F for 40-45 minutes, or until a tap on the top sounds hollow.
13. Take bread out of the pan soon after removing from the oven.
14. Let cool for an hour before slicing. I usually refrigerate it another hour before slicing for less crumbly slices.

This bread is headed to Susan's Weekly Yeastspotting,Hearth and soul blog hop,Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,

Farfalle with Swiss Chard Pesto. vegan

Another quick weeknight meal or lunch idea. Both the pasta and the pesto can be prepared ahead of time and kept. Warm, assemble, refresh with some pepper, cashew or dried basil and serve! Swiss chard gives the pesto a bright green color and it stays that way even when refrigerated. Use glutenfree pasta for a gf meal.

Swiss Chard is one of the most nutritious vegetables around and ranks second only to Spinach in total nutrient-richness of the World's Healthiest vegetables. Cooking it lightly also helps reduce the oxalic acid and hence letting the body absorb more calcium and other nutrients. Chard along with some fortified pasta and nuts and you have a well balanced meal!

We usually get like 12-15 stems of different greens every week! So What else can you do with a bunch of chard?

Add a finely chopped leaf to any of the Daal soups.

Make some Cremini mushroom, rainbow chard and Shallots soup.

Add some to the stuffing to add to a Stuffed Naan flat bread.

or to your morning Chilla- gf breakfast thick crepe!

Ingredients: Serves 1 hungry person or 2 not so hungry.

1.5-2 cups farfalle, cooked al-dente with salt ( or any pasta of choice. Use gf pasta for a gf meal)

5 big Swiss chard leaves and ribs
4 cloves of garlic
1 teaspoon olive oil or organic canola oil
1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
1/2 teaspoon chili flakes or black pepper
1/2 cup packed basil ( or use 2 Tablespoons basil pesto)
1/4 cup raw cashews
1-2 Tablespoons Extra virgin olive oil

1/4+ cup water (coz my blender needs some water to blend well. and hence made about 1 cup of pesto)
Directions:
Heat olive oil/canola in a pan on low-medium heat, add garlic and chopped Swiss chard. Cook covered on low for 4-6 minutes or until the chard just about starts to wilt.
Blend with basil, pepper, EVOO, cashews and a little water if needed. The pesto can be stored in the refrigerator for 3-4 days, without any change in color.

Cook pasta, and serve topped with the pesto.

Garnish with some powdered Raw cashew mixed with nutritional yeast and pepper flakes.

This pasta is headed to Hearth and soul blog hop,Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays,Ricki's wellness weekends, Allergy Friendly Fridays.

We had some leftover pesto, so I roasted some large Turnip slices with salt and a little oil the next day, added some fresh chopped tomatoes to the pesto, and topped the Turnip slices with it for a delicious snack!

A thought provoking statistic. One-hundred years ago there were 497 varieties of Lettuce available commercially. Today, there are less than 38. You can participate in the discussion on facebook here

Quinoa Pilaf with Red bell pepper, Leek, Carrot, Peas. vegan, glutenfree

The snow is all gone and finally we got a partly sunny day, though it was still extremely cold.. I froze my toes! Chewie also feels the cold, if we take him on a longer walk he starts jumping instead of walking. Since we were snowed in all of the week, there was a lot of cooking and trials of glutenfree breads and dinner rolls! The dinner rolls were great if you like the sorghum taste..:) I am getting a hang of it now and liking sorghum(Jowar). I will play around with some millet and other whole grains too, lets see.

This pilaf is a quite neutral flavored(no sharp spice or herbs), so it can go well with any spread.

I also met with Eileen this weekend, the founder of Help Animals India , which is an all-volunteer USA non-profit 501(c)(3) charity dedicated to supporting efficient and effective animal protection organizations in India.

The organizations supported by HAI are well known for their work and dedication towards animals, be it spay neuter campaign for street animals, vegan outreach, cows, wildlife rehabilitation and more.

If you have some fun ideas for raising funds for these amazing organizations, please so send them my way!

Directions:

Cook 1/2 cup Quinoa according to instructions(I usually cook 1/2 cup quinoa it in a little more than 3/4 cups water, roughly 1.5 times water, for about 15 minutes). You can also toast the quinoa a little before adding water for a fluffier nuttier quinoa. Fluff it up as soon as cooked.

In a pan on medium heat, add 2 teaspoons Oil, 1/4 cup chopped Leek, 1/3 cup chopped Carrots and 1/3 cup chopped Red bell pepper. Add other veggies like celery, mushrooms, greens of choice in quantities depending on the amount of cooked quinoa.

Cook for 3-4 minutes, uncovered, until Leek and Carrots start to get brown on the edges.

Add 1/4 tsp or to taste chili flakes or chopped green chili, 1/2 teaspoon dried basil and 1/4 cup Peas and cook for another 2 minutes.

Add in the cooked quinoa, 2/3 teaspoon salt and 1/2 tsp lemon juice and mix well.

Cook covered on low heat for 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with roasted nuts(cashew or almond slivers, optional), chopped cilantro and serve hot!

This Pilaf is headed to sugar free Sunday, Hearth and soul blog hop, Slightly Indulgent Tuesdays, and Allergyfree Wednesdays, Ricki's wellness weekends.

Carrot, Leek, Parsnip soup. vegan glutenfree

Hey its friday! We are still snowed in, but the snow is now melting away, so hubbs is off to office.. back to the grind! So we got a big parsnip in the local farm delivery and after peeling it I was like, hmmm.. i dont think I like the smell of that thing.. It is quite a pungent smell/taste when raw.. You either like it or you dont. I added some of it to this soup for a warm wintery evening. The carrot and leek help alter the taste for someone who falls in the not a fan of parsnip group :)

This soup is easy and quick.. I think some lemongrass, ginger or some five-spice mix would go well with it too.

Some other yumm soups to check out

Creamy spinach soup ready in 10

Cremini mushroom, rainbow chard and Shallots soup.

Carrot Celery Leek Potato soup

Ingredients:

1 cup carrots chopped

2/3 cup leek chopped

2/3 cup parsnips chopped

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon salt or to taste

1/2 teaspoon cajun spice blend

freshly ground black pepper or red pepper flakes to taste

about 1 cup water

Directions:

In a pan, heat oil at medium heat and add leeks to it.

Cook for 2-3 minutes until golden.

Add the carrots and parsnip and cook covered for 2-3 minutes until parnips start to get tender.

Blend these with 1/2 cup or more water into a puree and pour puree back into the pan.

Add salt, cajun spice and freshly ground black pepper to taste, mix well and bring to a boil.

Taste and adjust, salt spices and water content.

Serve hot topped with parsley or cilantro.

This soup is headed to Ricki's Wellness weekend, Allergy friendly fridays, Amee's Fit and Fab fridays, Simple and in Season Jan

In other news, Please join us in stopping a Dolphinarium in India.

Online petition here:http://www.thepetitionsite.com/9/stop-the-building-of-a-dolphinarium/

Other action items here: http://fiapo.org/index.php/component/content/article/36-action-alerts/347-act-with-fiapo-to-stop-dolphinarium.html

In October, 2011, the Government has approved a Rs 510 crore project to build a dolphin park, with a giant aquarium and a facility to train and keep dolphins along the Arabian Sea coastline in Sindhudurg. Such cruel dolphinariums have been criticised and banned in many countries and yet plans are in place to bring them to India.

Dolphinariums are little more than prisons, for what are sentient marine mammals. In fact, whilst the age of dolphins in the wild is 45 years, 53 per cent of dolphins die within three months of being kept in captivity.

Thank you for your support. For more news of animal welfare in India, please do drop by the FIAPO facebook page here http://www.facebook.com/pages/FIAPO/120832497945926.

Almond Oat cake with Candied papaya. vegan

Mom got us some colored candied papaya(tutti-frutti as it is called in India) last year when she visited, and I made this cake for Dad's birthday then. He fell in love with it and I made it twice more for him and also packed some for his flight! I keep making it with different nuts every few weeks, and soon I will run out of my candied papaya stash. Dad likes crumbly, not too eggy cakes, with sweet dried or candied fruit and both mom and dad were surprised by this moist and melt in your mouth cake, without any eggs or butter! It is always fun to debunk the age old myths about perfect recipes:).

Some other cakes posted before

Carrot Almond Cake

Cranberry Blueberry Upside down cake

Blueberry Apple compote cake

On another note, I am making some picture collections on my facebook page.. Check out the Savory snacks and breakfast collection.

You can use the non colored candied fruit mix(I think it is called hawaiian mix) which has candied papaya, mango and pineapple for the cake too. Or you can make your own candied fruit like Candied beet here.

Mom and Dad have also decided to stop eating Parle-G(its a cookie/biscuit, which is omnipresent in almost all houses in India.. marketing 101!). They got some with them when they were visiting and chewie would get a tiny piece very morning and evening during their tea time.. and he started shedding bunches of hair! now if that doesnt tell you what processed stuff is in that never expiring cookie..:)

Ingredients:

1/3 cup almonds, ground (can be substituted with cashews)

1/4 cup oats, ground

1/4 cup whole wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup self rising flour Or all purpose flour +1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/3-1/2 cup candied papaya(sweet preference)

1/4 cup raw sugar( the cake itself is mildly sweet since the candied fruit is very sweet)

1/2 cup water

1 Tablespoon flax meal

1 teaspoon vinegar

2 Tablespoons virgin coconut oil

2 Tablespoons organic canola oil

1/8 teaspoon of cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cloves powder

1/2 teaspoon ginger powder

Directions:

In a bowl, add 1/2 cup warm water, flax, oils, vinegar, spices and sugar and whisk for a minute till sugar is well combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Whisk all dry flours, nut flour, baking powder in another bowl.

Add the dry ingredients and candied papaya in the wet mix. Mix till just about combined.

Pour batter in two 4 inch inch ramekins or one 7 or 8 inch round, greased or lined with parchment.

Bake in preheated 360 degrees F for 40-50 minutes or until toothpick from the center comes out clean.(Smaller ramekins will bake quicker)

Cool on rack for 15 minutes before slicing.

This cake is headed to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and soul blog, Allergy friendly fridays

Whole Red lentil and Mung bean Daal soup with shallots and tomatoes.(Sabut Masoor aur Mung ki daal). vegan glutenfree

One needs a break doesnt one.. after some eureka moments as posted day before(the glutenfree steamed Naan flat bread and the regular Naan bread ).:).. so here I am after a day's break with some comfort food. Indian Daal.

Most dal soups and curries/gravies are naturally glutenfree and generally vegan if not cooked in butter or cream. Daals are an everyday staple in my house and most days I forget to take pictures. I started adding Kale and chard to the Daals lately, amps up the nutrition and tastes great too! Check out all my Daal posts here.

A quick, nonpressure cooked Yellow Daal here.

There are several different lentils and beans, whole or split, which we cook one type at a time or in combinations of 2-3-4 or 5.. My dad's favorite is the paanch rangi daal(5 color daal, with 5 lentil/beans).

The basic Tadka/Tempering is similar for all daals with variations in the spices used(basic: oil, spices, chili, ginger, garlic, onion, tomato) The same Daal/lentil/beans can pick up a completely different taste with different spices. Here are some changes you can make to the tempering.

-Fennel (Saunf) and Nigella (kalonji)seeds compliment each other, esp with split lentils

-Mustard and cumin seeds, or mustard and coriander seeds

-Cumin and carom(Ajwain) seeds,

-add a bay leaf and/or add cloves(Laung)

-add garam masala

-add only garlic or only ginger

-burn the garlic till it is crisp brown

-skip onions/shallots or skip tomato

-add fried onion or fried shallots or fry some fresh cilantro with the spices

There are also regional preferences, like some regions in india prefer mustard seeds in all Tadkas while my mom cannot live without some cumin. I like fennel seeds with whole lentils,(red and mung bean). and coriander, nigella and mustard in yellow lentils.

You dont need all the spices. you can use just garam masala in the tadka. Add some garam masala to hot oil, add onion and then tomato and cooked lentils!

Curry powder is a modified version of garam masala with added spices that make it not so authentic. Keep an eye out for my mom's home made garam masala which I have to remember to get from her today!

Whole Red lentil and Mung bean Daal stew with shallots and tomatoes.(Sabut Masoor aur Mung)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup whole red lentils (masoor)

1/2 cup whole mung beans(green gram)

1 teaspoon salt or to taste

2.5-3 cups of water (less for thicker stew)

Tempering/Tadka:

1 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds

1/2 teaspoon cumin or fennel seeds

1 teaspoon coriander powder

1 bay leaf

1 Serrano chili pepper

5 cloves garlic chopped

1/2 inch ginger chopped

6-8 curry leaves

1/8 teaspoon asafetida(hing)

5-6 fat shallots chopped

1 medium tomato chopped

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

chopped cilantro for garnish.

Directions:

Soak the lentils for atleast 2 hours to overnight. Drain the water and keep ready.

In a pressure cooker, add the oil and heat at medium.

When the oil is hot, add mustard and cumin/fennel seeds and cover(the seeds will sputter out of the cooker).

Add in the curry leaves, asafetida(hing), coriander powder and green chili. Mix for a few seconds.

Add the ginger, garlic and shallots and cook for 2 minutes until shallots turn golden.

Add in the chopped tomato and turmeric powder and mix well. Cook for 3-4 minutes until tomato is mushy. This is the Tadka.

Add the drained and washed lentils, water and salt and pressure cook on low-medium heat for 3-4 whistles.

Let the pressure release by itself before opening. Serve hot topped with fresh cilantro.

To refresh the daal, add a fresh tadka/tempering. heat oil, add mustard and cumin seeds and some red pepper flakes and pour over the daal.

You can also pressure cook or slow cook the lentils till done and keep, and then add the tempering/tadka to it before serving, simmer for 10 minutes and serve.

Serve hot with Indian flat breads like Roti, Paratha , Naan, or with Rice or pilafs.

This Daal is headed to Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and soul blog, Ricki's Wellness weekend and Glutenfree Wednesday

Gluten-free Naan flat bread! Vegan. Gum, Soy, Nut free

Pictured above..Naan Take 2. See them holes!

I got requests after my veganized Naan post, for a GF Naan. and I got obsessed with trying to figure out how yeast breads work gluten free ! I started baking breads back in early 2009 and it took me about one whole year to figure out gluten.. ha! and now I had to figure out what to do without all the gluten that makes the bread so airy, soft and in general bread as I know it!
For the regular Vegan-ized, but with gluten Naan - 4 ways(Plain, Avocado, Garlic and Stuffed with Cauliflower, see here.

Naan take 2.

I was initially going to make this post a story of how I got here with several other breads, but this is already going to be a picture heavy post... so another post will be dedicated to the gf sandwich loafs, tarts and buns.

I baked 2 bread loafs with Bob's All purpose GF flour. One had pureed blueberries in it and tasted decent, but the top fell most likely because of a little extra moisture. The second Bob's Gf loaf didnt fall, but I couldnt take the chickpea aftertaste in it. Then I made my own sorghum + rice + starch mix and made a loaf, tart and buns with it. The problem I had with those were a- I used long grain white rice flour and that is a bit gritty and b- I think my taste buds have not got accustomed to the sorghum taste yet.
Most of these were very edible, The tart and buns were consumed, the blueberry loaf was gone, the bob's chickpea loaf and the sorghum loaf were a tad bit dry, so they were not going to be eaten without some intervention. I made crackers out them.. Made bread crumbs and then added a binding flour, water and spices and voila.. crackers! and they were gone in a day.

Naan Take 1 with a little Sorghum. Its a teeny one, hence well shaped.


If you have heard of glutenfree steamed Indian cakes like Idli (Rice and Lentil steamed cakes) and Khaman/Dhokla(Chickpea flour savory cakes), you will know why I thought of steaming the bread. The steamed cakes are very moist and soft.
And I used oats and potato starch as major ingredients, because I kinda know what to expect in terms of taste and texture with them. Please make sure to use glutenfree oats.
I need a glutenfree sampler person who knows these new tastes, to give me feedback about if the final product is supposed to be the way it is. I mean to accept that this is how a gluten less bread would feel, texture wise., or this is how sorghum tastes like! So, if you are close to Seattle downtown and would love to sample some gf goods, ping me!:) I promise I will pass on only the good stuff.

This is gum , soy, nut free.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup finely ground gf Oats (not quick oats)
1/2 cup Potato Starch
1 teaspoon active yeast
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons agave syrup
1 Tablespoon organic canola oil
1/4 cup warm water +1.5-2 Tablespoons water
spices:
1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon carom or fennel or nigella seeds
Top with nigella or sesame seeds

Directions:
In a bowl, add 1/4 cup warm water and yeast and let it sit until frothy. 10 minutes.
In another bowl, whisk oats flour, potato starch, baking powder, seeds, salt, cumin powder, black pepper, very well.
Add in the dry ingredients to the yeast mix. Add salt, agave and oil and mix well to combine.
Add a tablespoon of water at a time to make a thick batter (not really flowy) . Pictures of the process are from Naan take 3.

Spray top with water so the dough doesnt dry out.
Cover with damp towel or plastic wrap with enough space to double, and Let sit in warm place for 1.5-2 hours or until doubled.
The batter will turn doughy because Oats will absorb the extra moisture.

Below- after rising for 1.5 hours.

Oil hands and pick the dough up and gather into 1 or 2 balls. You can make two, 6 inch flat breads, a bit less than 1/4 inch thick. I made one 8 inch 1/4 inch thick and a small dinner roll for Naan take 3.

Pat the dough into desired shape on parchment. Use parchment size that will fit in your steamer and leave some space for the steam to circulate.

Sprinkle some seeds on top and pat them in.
Spritz top with water. Cover with towel and let rise for 45 minutes to an hour, until almost double.(Let is Rise well. (below, after 45 minutes of rising)

Start up the steamer. Place parchment on steamer tray. Place steamer in container when water is boiling(steam is getting produced continuously).
Cover and steam for 12-14 minutes.
Carefully lift tray or parchment out. Lift up the flatbread and flip it and place on dry parchment, so the bottom doesnt get soggy. (below, parchment has been peeled off the bottom)

You can leave it be at this point and serve after a minute. Or do a quick grill.
Start up a pan on high heat.
Place the flat bread with bottom on heated pan.

Cook for half a minute. Flip and cook for another half a minute.

Let bread cool for half a minute before serving. Serve hot with any favorite indian curries or lentil soups. or cut it up to use as pita or a side.

Substitute spices with dried basil and olive oil to make a pizza base. Top with roasted veggies, cheeze, do a quick broil and serve!

You can also make small dinner rolls and steam them. This quantity will probably give 6.

Store in refrigerator for not more than 2 days. Freeze with parchment separating the flatbreads and ziplocked with least amount of air.
Reheat on pan or toaster and use.
(below fresh Naan bite!) Naan take 3.. gone in 3!


It looks like a long process, but most of it is just rise time. Once you have the breads patted and ready, you can steam them 2 at a time on the steel steamer, or more if you have multilevel bamboo or digital steamer.
I had used 2 Tbsps sorghum flour and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch in the first batch. And the dough was similar.
If you want to try variations, keep atleast 40% Oats and 40% starch and add other flours of choice in the other 20%. Keep the batter moist and let it rise well.

Naan take 2.. day 2 after refrigeration.. still soft and airy!

There are other ways of cooking I have tried and I will do a post about them, but steaming gives the softest bread, and it doesnt get hard or stale as quickly.

If you do try the bread, please do leave me feedback!
This bread is starchy and I will work on a less starchy, more flours and a sandwich loaf version. Till then.. Wish me luck in more successful adventures with gf breads!

This fluffy allergen free flat bread is heading to Cybele pascal's Allergy Friendly Friday, Sugarfree Sunday, Slightly Indulgent Tuesday, Hearth and soul blog, Ricki's Wellness weekend and Susan's Yeastspotting.