Making a dessert is time-consuming don't you think? but after it's made and  if you have a sweet tooth you are bowled out to both the virtual and real treat.  I am not a dessert person, I love pineapple pastry though, I go weak in my legs I have a special love for them and all milk based Indian sweets.  I don't like sweets which are too sweet and surprisingly this pannacotta is not too sweet, well of course you can make it sweet if you add more sugar but, panna cotta aren't too sweet but wickedly delicious.  Panna cotta is an Italian delicacy, panna cotta is an  Italian dessert made with thickened cream and moulded with gelatin, as I don't use gelatine I have subbed it with Agar Agar.  These days panna cotta can be made skinny, dairy free and whatever way you want to enjoy it!

It's that time of the year your palette changes from warm food and soups to something refreshing and cool, Fresh salads either with veggies or fruits or a combo of both and something thandi (cool) to drink.  Spring is slowly settling to Summer,  brings your senses to a galore of tastes tingling your taste buds craving for something fresh and juicy.

Strawberries and summer come hand in hand, you can see loads of strawberries in the market a punnet would cost you a pound, not all strawberries are sweet, talking to local people here I found out strawberries from Hertfordshire are very sweet, and when I find them in the market I never miss to buy them my daughter loves them, both us wander a lot she is a foodie friend to me.  Last time when we went to Gym we found these British strawberries I forgot from where it came, they weren't too sweet, we were a bit disappointed so we decided on munching some cherry tomatoes instead walking back home, Ahh.., I didn't  tell you did I? there is a little farmer's market we often go to whenever we go to Gym pick up some fresh fruits and veggies, Cherries are my favourite, I just can't stop eating with one  by the time we come back home I would finished the whole lot.

I first thought I will make some lemonade then decided otherwise as I had just made it a few days back.  I had put my grey cells to work, I remembered that I had to do a dessert this month for #cookingwithfriends theme and had already planned on making Mango pannacotta  which I changed to strawberry instead and made Mango milkshake (Seekarne).   As the strawberries weren't that sweet I thought of making  this with a combination and decided upon vanilla and some chia seeds  to go with it.

We never had strawberries as kids.  I can only think of Melons and Mangoes when summer set in, in our part of the world, we loved eating loads of watermelons and mangoes and sometimes eat Ice cream when there used to be a man who used to bring in his cart all these Lollipops and sometime Kulfi's,  mother never made them at home looking after three kids and her full-time job was enough for her to manage.  My parents never liked us buying Ice creams from him, and was a rare treat. I still remember my first Ice cream I made was when I was in year 11, for a first timer it was a great success and as eggs were a no-no at home I made it eggless as well.

Time changes so many things in life, never thought  I would be here eating strawberries instead of Mangoes!, how we change our food habits and adapt to what we get.  Mango milk shake to a pannacotta, that's what has changed when you are blogger best of all, with all the love in the world you prepare it.

STRAWBERRY-VANILLA CHIA SEED PANNA COTTA (GELATINE FREE / VEGETARIAN)

Recipe Type: Dessert
Cuisine: Italian
Recipe source: Jayasri
Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes (20 min each)
Serves: 4

INGREDIENTS: 
For Strawberry pannacotta:
500 grms Strawberries
(2 Cups pureed strawberries)
1/4 cup very warm water
2 tbsp Agar Agar powder*
1/2 cup Brown sugar

For Vanilla Chia seed Pannacotta
2 Cups milk
1/2 cup double cream
1 tsp pure vanilla extract / slit and scrape vanilla pod
1 tbsp Chia seed
2 tbsp Agar Agar powder
1/4  cup very warm water
1/3 cup Suagr

METHOD:
Wash and cut Strawberries into a container puree them in a blender  with little water into a smooth puree, pour the pureed strawberries into a container and allow it to cook add 1/2 cup sugar and cook until all the sugar dissolved.

In a container add 2 cups of milk and sugar and boil it in a low flame for 10 minutes to this add chia seeds and cook for 5 minutes,  Meanwhile in a different bowl, boil water add tbsp of Agar powder until it completely dissolves, pour this mixture immediately into the milk mixture, add double cream, Vanilla extract or slit and scrape a vanilla pod  and blend them all together.  Leave it cool for 1/2 an hour, mix now and then, check its not thickening, as you don't want it solidifying, they just need to get cooled down now pour this into the serveware in which you want to serve, I slanted my glasses and put them in the fridge to set. May take 3 to 4 hours.

Once the vanilla panna cotta sets, you can start the strawberry panna cotta, you get two cups of pureed strawberries from 500 grms of strawberries into a container with sugar and cook them together until sugar is completely dissolved switch off the stove and keep aside, In an other bowl warm water and add Agar powder mix well with no lumps add this immediately into the pureed strawberry mixture blend well and leave it to cool, keep checking now and then that it doesn't set, you need it just to cool down, when its cooling down and ready to poured into the glasses to set bring your vanilla panna cotta glasses out of  the fridge.  Pour strawberry panna cotta into the gap until they both balance or the way you like to design it put them back into the fridge to set. May take 2 to 3 hrs
Once both of them are set you can serve them when needed.

NOTES:
Agar - Agar is a sea weed algae, it was discovered in Japan and it is called Kanten, It is called china grass in India, this is  vegetarian/vegan substitute for gelatin.  It even sets in room temperature and is better than gelatine even when temperature rises.  It does not have any taste, odour and smell.  You can find them in health food stores as powder, flakes, threads etc.  1 tbsp of agar powder dissolve it in a 4 tbsp hot water, 10 minutes it will start setting. For one cup of liquid to set use around 10 grms of Agar powder, I used 1 tbsp(8grms) as I wanted it to set it bit softer (wobbly), if  you want it set properly use 10 grms.
Increase or decrease sugar as per your taste.  My strawberries were a bit tart so had to use more sugar to balance it.

Do you like panna cotta, which is your favourite and tell me why it is your favourite?

Disclaimer:
Cooking With Friends: This blog post is part of the monthly “Cooking With Friends” themed blog post challenge. This challenge was started by a bunch of virtual friends united by their love of food, with the aim of tackling a different food-related theme each month. If you want to try this month’s theme, please feel free to do so and link your recipe in the comments section. We’d love to check it out. Meanwhile, check out what the others in the group have come up with this month.
Anjana from At the Corner of Happy and Harried, Garima from CafeGarima,  Jyothi from Curry Tail, Madhuri from MADaboutkitchen, Subhasmita from The Flavors of Kitchen, Sujatha from Spice n Treats, Dolphia from Story of cooks

Print

Strawberry-Vanilla Chia seed Panna Cotta (Gelatine free/Vegetarian)

An Italian delicacy made with thickened cream and chia seeds with Agar-Agar and delicious strawberries.

Course Dessert

Cuisine Italian

Servings 4

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• For Strawberry pannacotta:
• 500 grms Strawberries
• 2 Cups pureed strawberries
• 1/4 cup very warm water
• 2 tbsp Agar Agar powder*
• 1/2 cup Brown sugar
• For Vanilla Chia seed Pannacotta
• 2 Cups milk
• 1/2 cup double cream
• 1 tsp pure vanilla extract / slit and scrape vanilla pod
• 1 tbsp Chia seed
• 2 tbsp Agar Agar powder
• 1/4 cup very warm water
• 1/3 cup Suagr

Instructions

• Wash and cut Strawberries into a container puree them in a blender with little water into a smooth puree, pour the pureed strawberries into a container and allow it to cook add 1/2 cup sugar and cook until all the sugar dissolved.
• In a container add 2 cups of milk and sugar and boil it in a low flame for 10 minutes to this add chia seeds and cook for 5 minutes, Meanwhile in a different bowl, boil water add tbsp of Agar powder until it completely dissolves, pour this mixture immediately into the milk mixture, add double cream, Vanilla extract or slit and scrape a vanilla pod and blend them all together. Leave it cool for 1/2 an hour, mix now and then, check its not thickening, as you don't want it solidifying, they just need to get cooled down now pour this into the serveware in which you want to serve, I slanted my glasses and put them in the fridge to set. May take 3 to 4 hours.
• Once the vanilla panna cotta sets, you can start the strawberry panna cotta, you get two cups of pureed strawberries from 500 grms of strawberries into a container with sugar and cook them together until sugar is completely dissolved switch off the stove and keep aside, In an other bowl warm water and add Agar powder mix well with no lumps add this immediately into the pureed strawberry mixture blend well and leave it to cool, keep checking now and then that it doesn't set, you need it just to cool down, when its cooling down and ready to poured into the glasses to set bring your vanilla panna cotta glasses out of the fridge. Pour strawberry panna cotta into the gap until they both balance or the way you like to design it put them back into the fridge to set. May take 2 to 3 hrs
• Once both of them are set you can serve them when needed.

Notes

Agar - Agar is a sea weed algae, it was discovered in Japan and it is called Kanten, It is called china grass in India, this is vegetarian/vegan substitute for gelatin. It even sets in room temperature and is better than gelatine even when temperature rises. It does not have any taste, odour and smell. You can find them in health food stores as powder, flakes, threads etc. 1 tbsp of agar powder dissolve it in a 4 tbsp hot water, 10 minutes it will start setting. For one cup of liquid to set use around 10 grms of Agar powder, I used 1 tbsp(8grms) as I wanted it to set it bit softer (wobbly), if you want it set properly use 10 grms.
Increase or decrease sugar as per your taste. My strawberries were a bit tart so had to use more sugar to balance it.

The post Strawberry-Vanilla Chia seed Panna Cotta (Gelatin free/ Vegetarian) appeared first on My Veg Fare.

When I was talking to my mum about this she said, that her mum used to make it with stalks of chillies, In India we have this tradition in our  family if somebody asks for yoghurt at night we put a dried chilli in it and give, I really don't know why next time I should ask my mum again about this and will update here

That was when I decided why not check it out and see what really happens, and Lo! here I have my own culture, I need to thank few of friends who always enquired how I made my own Yoghurt, this post has been a long over due and here you are my good friends enjoy making your own yoghurt without any hi-fi techniques.

 Cultured Yoghurt ready to devour

Add stalks of Red Chillies to Luke warm milk

After few hours you will notice that the milk has become a cultured

Take a table spoon of this and...

Add this to luke warm milk mix well and leave it in a warm place for few depending on the place you live if you live in a warm country 5 to 6 hours would be enough if you live in a cold country leave it overnight in a warm place I just live it in my Microwave

 Your Yoghurt is ready to enjoy, Home made from scratch, Love it then try it and tell me...

I enjoyed with warm Upma and Home made pickle

Print

How to Make your own Culture to make your own Yoghurt

Make your own Yoghurt with your own culture delicious and creamy, with no hi-fi techniques with simple pantry ingredients found in your home, Home made from scratch

Course All time

Cuisine Indian

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 6 hours hours

Total Time 6 hours hours 5 minutes minutes

Author Jayasri

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup warm milk
• 6 to 10 stalks of dried Red chillies or 2 to 3 whole dried red chillies

Instructions

• Milk should be luke warm, take any bowl or cup to this add luke warm milk and stalks of dried chillies or dried whole chillies close the lid and leave it in a warm place for few hours, probably over night if you are in a cold country. may be 5 to 6 hours in a warm country.
• After few hours you can check to see that the milk would have set to become Yoghurt.
• Take luke warm milk, that is how much you have planned to make to that add a tbsp of this culture mix well so it gets dissolved well and again keep it in a warm place to get wonderful thick like Ice cream yoghurt to enjoy

Notes

I usually make from 2 to 3 pints ( say 1 to 2 litres) and use 1 tbsp of the culture to make it.
It is important to have luke warm milk, if it is too warm the end product will curdle which you don't want. Below I have mentioned two ways You can choose either way to make it
When I was in India I used to boil milk and let it cool down to luke warm and then make yoghurt.
I also do the above method or sometimes I just warm one glass of milk to 50 sec in my microwave and mix it with the remaining milk around 1 litre which evens out the temperature to luke warm and then proceed by adding 1 tbsp of the culture.
After coming here I just take a cup

The post How to Make your own Culture to make your own Yoghurt appeared first on My Veg Fare.

I am no good with words so I can’t come up with amazing analogies as said by MFK above, instead, I only have one word to describe my feeling whilst baking bread, that it’s Awesome!

I love baking cakes, but baking bread just gives you a different feeling, the hard work of kneading, stretching and pulling (not to mention, waiting!)All for that moment when it comes to life as it rises in the oven and the whole house smells of freshly baked bread, ah…  This Bread I first posted here when I baked it by hand check the link here

This post has been in my draft from August, This recipe is requested by ones of my readers. This reader wanted to know if I could bake this bread in my Bread machine. Koolash, first of all I would like to apologise for posting this very late, I tried making this bread before I left to India, using whole meal flour but, forgot to measure the Ingredients.  After I came back from India, I noticed that I have lost one of my Bread machine blades, so I had to wait for two weeks till it arrived, so after overcoming all the setbacks I was ready to bake; not once, not twice but three times! I’ve had to bake this bread thrice believe it or not!

The first time I made it I added the ingredients, exact measurements and all, but I forgot all about it and left to do some shopping… when I came back bread was ready and good, but I wasn’t happy as I did not see the progress which I always like to watch through the little window. So I baked it again, this time on standby to watch it bake, which wasn’t the best idea since I got scared as I watched it rise in the bread machine, so thinking it might go over the top and worrying it might ruin my machine, I simply switched off the machine and took the bread out, it still had 10 minutes left in the timer so baked it in my Gas oven for the remaining 10 minutes. Surprisingly, it turned out very well; I even gave it to my friends. The bread was huge.

For the third and last time, I made my bread machine work extra hard. This time I altered the recipe a bit. The bread reached the top of the tin this time too but instead of taking it out I waited on it and all was well, the bread came out beautifully, so here I am finally posting this recipe for you! I took a quick photo of this and offered it to my friend, who a few days back had a little baby boy so, I took this bread too, along with some other goodies I had made, and they just loved it!

So, let’s get to the recipe and see how I made this bread using my bread machine.  I don’t have a hi-fi bread machine, and I usually just use it till the dough cycle, since usually I don’t have to worry about my bread rising.

Please note that I have made slight changes to the original recipe.

 INGREDIENTS:

• 575grm White Bread Flour
• 150grms Sugar*
• 75ml Oil
• 2 ½ tsp Yeast
• 1 tsp salt
• 50grm Milk powder
• 125ml Milk
• 125ml + 3 tbsp Warm water

METHOD:

Follow the Instructions according to the Manual of your Bread machine; basically all bread machines have the same method.

• First add all the liquids as it is important for the yeast not to touch the liquids.
• Then mix all the dry Ingredients thoroughly except the yeast, add the mixed dry ingredients to the tin on top of the liquids.
• Add the yeast and set your Bread machine to “normal bread mode” or similar and switch it on.

My machine says it takes around 3 ½ hours for the whole process.

Once it is done, take the tin out of the machine. After about 5 minutes remove the bread and place onto a cooling rack (if it’s a bit stuck give it a little nudge it comes out clean)

NOTES:

Baking in a Bread machine is very easy, no kneading ( Kneading is what I love, methodically stretching & pulling just like an Aerobic dance with music), which of course you miss! However, an important thing you should definitely note is; Please do read your bread machine instruction manual.

The first time I used my bread machine I was a bit scared, now I know how it works. If you know how your bread machine works, after its dough process, that is, after its second kneading you can take the dough out by pressing the “switching off/on” button, for just a brief second as it allows such things. So that if you want, you can remove the blades and put the dough back into the tin, spread it out and allow it to continue its process.

Before the machine starts its baking process, it doesn’t mind if you open the lid every now & then, however, once it starts baking please do not open the lid as the bread might collapse (of course I haven’t tried, but that’s what the manual says!)

About this Bread:

• This is a sweet bread so it comes out really dark in colour, but if you do not want it too dark you can reduce sugar content.
• Please note that if you are baking by hand in your gas/electric oven cover it with a kitchen foil or it will look like it is burnt.
• Even though it has so much sugar in it, it doesn’t taste very sweet, I have added some Tutti-frutti and sometimes dried fruits in them as well
• Because of the sugar and milk powder the dough will be bit sticky than the usual bread doughs

Hope all the information I have given is sufficient to make this beautiful bread, if you need any more clarification please contact me I will try to solve it ASAP.  Bake and Enjoy with a hot Cuppa / Chai  / Milk Or just munch on it and also tell me how much you liked it.

One more Image of this lovely Bread

The post Sweet Bread/Special Bread/Milk Bread from Bangalore Iyengar's Bakery Using Bread Machine appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi Everybody, Hope you are all doing well, thank you all for still visiting me and leaving your valuable comments which has always been a big inspiration for me to come back to blogging. It's been more than a year and I haven't blogged ever since, been through lot of things and, as they say “Old wine in a new bottle” finally here I am with a new domain name and my own website, which is still under construction.

As the days go by I will try my best to make this site more user friendly and post all the things I have cooked and baked this past year which I have captured with my new found love, yes that’s right, my new camera which my Hubby presented me with on my last birthday, I am slowly learning everything about it, still toggling around, trying to learn how things work. WordPress and Canon are two new things I need to master... ahem, not really but, I will try my best!

I was pondering about what to write about in my first post, and wasn’t sure when this was going to happen either, and I guess everything seemed to take its own course. Today is somebody’s birthday; this person is very special to me in every way, so I decided I will dedicate my first post to this person in my life.

I hadn’t decided of cooking anything special as that person will not be able to eat what I have cooked, but my daughter decided otherwise, saying “It’s ok mum, you make something sweet and I’ll eat it”. So I decided to make this sweet (as a last minute plan) and had to take a quick photo of this (Photo courtesy: my dear daughter) and she decided I should post it today, start with a sweet note and make this my first post on the website!

Some things are my favourite when it comes to food; I love all kinds of fruits and vegetables, but, if somebody asks me which fruit you like I always say its Pineapple, I love pineapple and it is a versatile fruit for me, I just use it all kinds of sweets and savoury dishes I prepare, I just love the smell when it is cooked or baked or just eaten raw. How much do you love this fruit? Tell me how you use it in your cooking I would love to learn more ways of using it. Pineapple is one such fruit which is very good for your health too. Will update a few things I have read and googled about it soon watch this space.

Coming back to this recipe this is the usual Rava Kesari we make at our homes,  Here I have used Rice and instead of Rava(Semolina). It’s easy to make and tasty to relish.

Recipe Source: Original
Cooking time: 30 to 40 minutes
Serves: 3

INGREDIENTS:
1/3rd Cup Rice
3/4th cup Grated Pineapple
1 ½ cup Sugar*
1 tsp of Cardamom powder
Few strands of Saffron
Pinch of edible camphor
1 ¼ Cup Water
½ Cup Milk and 3/4th cup water
¼ cup Ghee

Garnishing:
2 tbsp Ghee
8 to 10 Dry Grapes (raisins)
8 to 10 Cashew nuts Broken

METHOD:
I used ½ of Pineapple and I got around 3/4th cup of grated pineapple, heat a tbsp of Ghee and add the pineapple with the juice and allow it to cook in a low flame, meanwhile in a pressure cooker cook the washed rice with ½ cup milk and ½ water and keep aside.
While you are preparing these in another bowl add sugar and 1 cup water and allow it to boil to a single thread consistency. Once it has reached single thread take it out and pour it into the wok which has pineapple cooking in it, Meanwhile your cooker would have cooled down as well, add cooked rice into it and keep stirring add another 2 tbsp of Ghee and cardamom powder and edible Camphor into it, a few minutes later you will notice they all come together and leave the side of the wok, just like a halwa consistency. Take it out immediately from the stove and keep aside.
In a small wok heat one or two tbsp of Ghee fry dry Grapes (raisins) and Cashew nuts once they change colour add it to the pineapple Rice Kesari
Serve warm or cold as you like.

NOTES:
*Increase or decrease Sugar depending on the sweetness of the pineapple
Edible Camphor should not be used more than a pinch as the smell is quite strong, if you don’t get it where you live you can omit it.

This recipe is linked to Hearth and Soul Blog Hop of Swathi, check out this link for loads of Recipes linked.

The post Pineapple Rice Kesari appeared first on My Veg Fare.

The wind moving around 70 to 80 miles per hour, has broken my fence off , Sun is playing Hide and seek and the rain pouring down from past two days and the biting cold has driven me mad, It is only here you can see different seasons in one day.  People always talk about weather, even though the weather is not  good, some things make me very happy like  when I have to bake breads, I am not a dessert person, I don't really enjoy baking any kind of desserts but definitely love baking breads, I love trying out new variations, methods, types and from different cuisines and of course around the world, but I need somebody to eat them too.., The problem for me is my kids love eating breads only in their lunch box, otherwise they don't mind eating pizzas. I baked two different breads immediately, when Swathi announced this month's challenge.
I have used Tangzhong method of baking bread previously, and I also have made a separate post on how to make Tangzhong here.  So, I will not be explaining how to do it.
This month swathi of Zesty south Indian Kitchen challenged us to bake Breads using Tangzhong method, for this months Baking Partners Group as I have numerous breads with this method, I chose to bake Hot Cross Buns as we are nearing Easter, Here in Easter you can see these Buns in all Shops, people enjoy this all through Easter and is a favourite for every one, My kids love them and I bake them time to time, as I can use lot of Raisins in them :).. Toast it with some Jam and Mmmm..., super delicious...

HOT CROSS BUNS 
Recipe Source: Christine's Recipes
Tangzhong method minimal changes

INGREDIENTS FOR THE BREAD
350grm Bread flour
35 grms sugar
5 g salt
7 g milk powder
125 ml milk
120 grm Tanzhong ( water Roux )
6 g yeast
30 g butter
100 g Raisins
1/2 tsp mixed spice

FLOUR PASTE:
4 tbsp of plain flour
2 to 2 and 1/2 tbsp of water

TANGZHONG METHOD:
1/3 cup or 50 grms of Bajri flour
1/2 cup of water
1/2 cup of milk

Check out the Tangzhong method in this post, I used Bajri flour, funnily it took a bit long time to get that 65 degree and was a bit liquidy than the usual way I make.  I was a bit worried but my bread turned out beautifully no complaints.

METHOD:
Make the Tangzhong and keep aside for it to cool down.
In a large bowl take yeast and warm water and leave it for few minutes, you will notice bubbles forming, this is to make sure the yeast is still active.
Now to this add all the other Ingredients listed above except for Raisins and knead it into a soft dough, It might be a bit sticky but kneading it well enough with the help of little flour by just dipping your hand in it now and then makes into a pliable dough.
Oil a bowl and leave it for its first rise around 1 to 1 and 1/2 hours, once it is double in size punch it down and spread the dough on the kitchen table and spread Raisins on it and slowly knead it into the dough.

Preheat the oven to 190 degree / 375 dF / Gas Mark 6
Make 6 rolls and leave it for a second rise on a baking parchment, for further an hour.
Make flour paste, add water little by little to the plain flour and make it into a semi thick paste, fill this into a piping bag and make a cross over the Buns.
Give them all a milk wash and bake them for 15 to 20 minutes according to your oven.

Lo!, your Hot cross buns...
Hot Cross Buns
Hot Cross Buns
One a penny two a penny
Hot cross Buns.....

Who want Hot Cross Buns... ?, At last I could post this recipe.., I keep postponing to post all my  recipes even though I cook or bake them, Good God! I have posted them before Easter.....
Here are few more of my posts with this method.., I have a few more which I have not been able to post till..

Tangzhong (water Roux) for  Bread Baking
Paneer and Mint flavoured Garlic Rolls
Eggless Chocolate Coronets
Pear, Nuts and Dried fruits in Swirl rolls

c you soon with an other recipe...
This is also yeast spotted !! 🙂

The post Eggless Hot Cross Buns for Easter ( Tangzhong Method ) appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Yup!, can't believe, can you ? I didn't too..., until it came out of the oven beautifully, Brownie that was what I was planning to bake, these pull apart breads, Aparna got us into We Knead to Bake..., made us Bread Bake-o-holics, bake more breads.., One of the Group member Niv was going on a baking spree just like me, the third bread she baked kept going on in my mind, I think the cinnamon kept going  on and on in my head ended me up baking this bread.
When I baked it and told my kids does anyone want to try out my bread they were making faces, My son went Amma (mum), Please do you think it will work.., and I said I think it has worked he threw his arms up in the air and made faces.  As it was late in the night and I wanted my bread to cool down I just left it at that, next day morning, I left a little note on the kitchen table your bread for lunch box is in the bread box, they were quite huge, I was wondering if my kids would take it in the their lunch box..., but to my surprise out of the six two were gone. So I knew 2 of them in their Lunch box, I couldn't resist, oh! did I tell you the brownie filling was left over which I had baked when the bread was in its second proving stage, Those two little brownies were sat their sadly, feeling bad I suppose that they couldn't go into the bread!!, well, I ate one of them and thought Mmm.., It is yummy..,  Fingers crossed I was waiting for them to come home, I really torture them when I bake, and ask them hundred things about the bake, they get so tired.  I thought of texting them, but decided no let me see their face then I would know the truth, as sometimes they do not want to hurt mum and say so-so and I know I should not post this :).

Well, the result, My daughter entered and I immediately asked her, how was your bread today..., she said it was so-so mum, I was totally dissappointed, then came my darling son, entered and as always first thing he tells me is how the bread was each and every time I bake a new one for his Lunch box, he is such a Mama's boy that's what my girls call him :)), they are so jealous.., well, whatever it is.., he said mum you bread really worked, the brownie bread was delicious.., down came my daughter screaming oh! R you are such a spoil sport I wanted to tease mum and keep it going for sometime, you spoiled everything, huh!*&%$..., and all said and done and both having argued, she told me, Mum you nailed it, It is really so delicious.., and even my Friend who dropped by too., loved it... Success.., I decided I am going to make it with more variations in future and turn it out much more interesting.., Oh! I know you are all curious to find out how I baked it right ? this is how... go read it and try it and tell me about it...

EGGLESS VEGAN BROWNIE PULL APART BREAD

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE DOUGH
2 tbsp of warm water
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp Yeast
3 cups of Whole wheat White Bread flour ( nearly 375 gms (plus extra around 50 grms)
1 tsp salt
1/4 oil (butter if you prefer 50 grms)
50 grms sugar

1 and 1/4 to 1/2 cup milk**

VEGAN EGGLESS BROWNIE
100 grms Plain flour
1 tbsp Carob powder ( cocoa powder)
1/4 cup oil / 50 grms Margarine
200 grms soft brown sugar
75 grms chocolate chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp Potato flour
6 tbsp water
2 tbsp water
pinch of salt

METHOD FOR MAKING THE BROWNIE BATTER
FOR FILLING IN THE BREAD
100 grms All purpose flour / Plain flour
2 tbsp Cocoa powder (Carob powder)
1 tsp Baking Powder
1/8th tsp Baking soda
200 grms soft brown sugar
1/4 cup oil / butter / Margarine
2 tbsp water
75 grms white chocolate / dark choco chips
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
2 tbsp Potato Flour
7 tbsp of warm water
1/4 cup fudge chips

METHOD FOR THE BROWNIE BATTER
In a bowl take the flour, baking powder, baking soda, pinch of salt and cocoa powder, sift them all well together.
In an another large bowl take warm 7 tbsp of water dissolve potato starch in it completely and beat it well together, it becomes smooth and fluffy, ( I made this in a little bowl and then took it to the large bowl).  to this add sugar, vanilla extract, melted butter / Margarine / oil, blend them well together.
To this above liquid mixture, add the dry Ingredients incorporating all the flour well blended, if it is too dry add one or two tbsp of hot water and keep the batter ready, to this add chopped white chocolate / chips and fudge chips and keep it ready

METHOD:
FOR ASSEMBLING THE BROWNIE IN THE BREAD
In a large bowl take yeast and 2 tbsp of warm water with tsp of sugar and leave it in a warm place for few minutes, you can notice bubbles forming up this shows that the yeast is active.
To this add all the other Ingredients said above under the Dough, mix them well, use a food processor or your hand and make it into a pliable dough, make it into a chappati dough consistency.
Once the dough is ready, Knead the dough  for at least 10 minutes until it very pliable, smooth and soft, this helps in the gluten formation. Lightly oil the bowl and leave the dough covered for at least 1 and 1/2 hours or leave it until it is doubled in size.
Preheat the oven to 180 C / 350 F / Gas Mark 5*
Make the Brownie batter when you keep the dough to raise after an hour.
Oil a tray and sprinkle some flour and tap it down so there is no extra flour on it or place a parchment paper in the tray.

Once the dough is proven deflate the dough dust the kitchen work surface with flour, flatten the dough into a square as shown and the filling can be made in  two ways.
1.  Spread the brownie  filling  on to the flattened dough and  cut it into 6 lengthwise strips and roll them into a circle, pull one of the bottom side and cover it completely and lay it on the baking pan, cake tin, or on what ever you are baking it in.
2. Or as I did,  once you have made it into a square, cut them into 6 equal parts, fill the brownie batter on each of the strip and roll them up as said above and cover one of the side by pulling dough and place it on the baking tin.
Once all the rolls are ready, place them with a few inch gap on the tin, cover it again with a tea towel or with a cling film for an hour or until it rises ( I usually do not allow it to rise too much as the first time round).
At this time for the second raise, I baked the remaining brownie batter in little cases, for 15 minutes.
Brush the top of the bread with milk and bake it in the middle rack for 30 to 40** minutes or until the top is golden brown in colour or check it with a skewer when it comes out clean.
Take it out of the oven and leave it on a cooling rack for 10 minutes, release the bread from the loaf tin immediately after 10 minutes*** and leave it directly on the wiring rack to cool down completely.

NOTES
* As I have always said my oven temperature is very high so I bake them at Gas mark 3
** My bread got baked by 40 minutes
*** I remove my bread immediately after 10 minutes the bread will be still very warm because of this the bottom side becomes soggy if left in tin for a long time this is my experience so I always take it out and leave it on the the wiring rack this helps the bread cooling down without a soggy bottom, sometimes I turn out  the bread place it in the loaf pan again and bake it for 5 more minutes this makes my bread has a crusty bottom as well :)).
You can add Honey, Maple syrup, Jaggery instead of sugar too..
If you want to Make it with Eggs try substituting 2 Eggs for potato flour, but then give more gap between the rolls as it might raise too much.

1. You can use Vegan butter
2. You can otherwise omit the chocolate chips, find daity free chips
3. In place of milk you can use Oats milk, Almond milk, soya milk or Just plain water

If you ever try these variations leave a note here so I would be delighted to know how it turned out. This bread goes to WKTB#1, of Aparna of My diverse Kitchen and it is also yeast spotted.

The post Eggless Brownie Pull apart Bread - Brownie in my Bread !! appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Queen of Sheba and King Soloman were two characters glued to my mind from my childhood, I always loved reading story books, comics and especially books like Akbar and Birbal, Chanakya, Tenali,  were mesmerizing characters, writing about these books are bringing back lot of childhood memories and loads of books I miss and wouldn't mind reading them all over again.
So, the next question  is ? Queen of sheba and Julia Child, what is the connection between these two. Julia child is an other character I was so loved, when I think back, I never knew who Julia Child was, blogging has brought me to a new world to know about not just recipes but most of the time particularly with International cuisine, why was this recipe named so, what's is the uniqueness of this recipe, who was behind it ?, why did they call it so ?, which place and why has its origin from here etc.., etc.., right ? you too agree with me right ?.

I came to know about why Julia child especially called this cake Rene de saba ( Queen of sheba ), from our beloved Google that when she made this cake she thought this cake is delicious it is fit for a queen and named it after her.
Queen Sheba like King Soloman was famous for her wisdom and also for her beauty and wealth, she is spoken about in Ethiopian history, the Bible and the Qua'ran.
Coming back to this recipe, this recipe is in her book ''Mastering The Art of french cooking'' by Julia Child,  I came to know that this is the last recipe in her book. As I had already made this cake for the Book club by Simran.  I contacted Swathi of Zesty South Indian Kitchen 
who is the brain child for this Baking Partner group and told her about it, and said may be I will try a Eggless version of this cake, and she was delighted and said go ahead and bake it.
I actually should have remembered something before I baked this cake Eggless.  Do you know why ? actually long back I had baked something like this for a brownie. well, was it not a good introduction  that the cake I baked it for the first time was a disaster. The cake was delicious but just collapsed in the middle!! :)), No problem, I had some Ice cream asked my kids to enjoy it, actually they liked it as it tasted like a brownie, anyway that was done and dusted, I went to work, but kept thinking about it, I was really upset that I couldn't achieve it.
Came back home in the night, asked my daughter to measure the ingredients again and set about baking the cake, that was then I was telling her we will reduce the butter content and choco content in it and see what happens, the best thing was she was the one who helped me with the baking ingredients for the first time, just because of  that I think she remembered the measurements and told me mum, I think the butter and chocolate are of almost equal quantities, what do you want me to do ?, I was quite surprised at her memory as she was not too keen on helping me with the cake baking, so we both decided that we will reduce chocolate and butter to the same quantity  and see what happens.
so, this is how I made it...,

EGGLESS RENE DE SABA AVEC GLACAGE AU CHOCOLAT
For an 8'' pan
Baking time: 25 - 30 minutes

Ingredients:
65 grms ( around 2/3 cup) Plain flour*
74 grms ( around 3/4 cup) Ground Almonds
35 gms butter
35 grms Semi sweet chocolate**
2 tbsp of Coffee powder
1/4 cup Granulated sugar
3 tbsp Condensed milk
1/4 cup Yogurt
1 tsp Baking Powder
3/4th tsp Baking Soda
1 tbsp Corn starch
2 tbsp hot water

FOR CHOCOLATE ICING:
56.7 Grams / 2 Ounces semi sweet baking chocolate**
2 tbsp coffee
5 to 6 tbsp unsalted butter

** I have used Dark chocolate
If you like to check out the Original recipe for the cake which swathi gave us do please check out her blog here.
*She uses Cake flour, If substituting for cake flour: Take 1 tbsp of Corn starch in the cup and then fill the rest of the cup with plain flour but I changed it as I have mentioned above.

METHOD:
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3.
In a double boiler method, In a bowl  boil water and bring it to simmering then place a small sauce pan over the bowl melt chocolate, In 2tbsp hot water dissolve coffee powder and then add it to the melting chocolate.allow it to melt switch off the stove.
Line the cake tin with Baking parchment, Measure Almond meal, All Purpose Flour, Baking powder, Baking soda and corn starch and combine well together, and sieve them well together and keep aside.
In a food processor or an Indian Mixie blend together condensed milk, yogurt, melted chocolate with melted butter to a nice and creamy consistency.
In a large bowl take this creamy blend add sugar mix well then add Baking powder and Baking soda, combine them well together, within a few seconds you will start noticing bubbles forming up.
To this blend immediately fold in the dry ingredients delicately with the help of a rubber spatula, until everything is well incorporated.
Turn the batter into the cake tin and bake it in the middle rack of the oven for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven.  Cake starts to puffs up around the circumference,  plunge a tester / skewer into that area of the cake when it comes out clean then you would know it is done.
The center might be a bit shaky if a toothpick inserted comes out a bit oily and comes out with a few moist crumbs.
Take out the cake when it is done, Allow the cake to cool it on a wiring rack, after 5 minutes run the knife through the edge of the pan and turn it on to the cooling rack.
Allow it to cool for at least for at least an hour, if you plan to do Icing, you need to cool it completely.

FOR THE ICING:
Place chocolate and coffee in a small sauce pan, and set it in a larger pan with almost simmering water away from heat allow it to melt with butter beat it together until smooth and shiny.  Immediately spread it over the cake.

I used my pastry brush to make strokes on it and decorated it with flaked almonds in the middle and I had some home grown strawberries which I placed it on top just to make it look nice.  Hope you like it.

If you want to see more beautiful cakes and the challenge done with care, love and especially with perfection here are my friends from Baking partners... check out their blog and enjoy the visual view.

As I had already told you that I had baked this cake long bake for a book club I wanted to show you a click of that as well which I baked using eggs

Here is the link to that post : https://www.myvegfare.com/?p=242 and here is a picture of it.

Seniding this to
cook eat delicious - desserts - Chocolate, started by cook eat delicious hosted by Riddhima of culinary vibes
Sending this to JCO - Super foods - Super Power
Bon Viviant #7, by symee's culinary
Bake Fest by Foodmania, started by Vardhini

The post Eggless Rene de saba avec Glacage au Chocolat appeared first on My Veg Fare.

I know you must be wondering two posts in a day, I am not surprised, because last post was completely ready to post on the festival day, but missed posting it and it just carried on.. :), so decided to post it today morning, and this post is definitely will be posted today, as you all know today is SRC time :). The Secret Recipe Club is my Favourite time...

Every month I usually forget the dates and days for the posting of the events I participate, but with SRC I usually never forget the date, but most of the time I take a last minute decision to make the recipe, as I keep going through the blog whole month wondering what shall I make, but keep going through the blog, I think I usually get stuck to the recipe on the first round I look at a recipe and end up making it.
This month suzanne, My host has assigned me to Belcher town bites, of German mama, This is a blog from A to Z means Arepas to zwetschgen, totally wondering now right ?, I think she has baked and cooked from A to Z from every place on the Globe. If you want to find a recipe from some country just look into her blog you will find it, I couldn't really go through the whole blog, too many recipes to choose from, I first thought making some salad she has some 35 different salads!!, then wanted to try Turkish bread, but when I was googling, I was wondering about the toppings and the way it is made so the next one I kept going to was these Canadian Oatmeal rolls, the Maple syrup and oat meal attracted me to that recipe. She has wonderful blog with some amazing names and different recipes from nook and corner of the world.
Let's get back to the recipe then, I was browsing through google and was wondering what was so different about the oatmeal rolls, I have always baked oatmeal in my recipes but this was a little different.  I found out that they have used Eggs in one website, I found this recipe made with molasses I adapted some things from this recipe but left out molasses. I wanted to stick to the basic recipe from her blog but made with minor changes from her blog and made these rolls, they were delicious and turned out very well.
I really don't know how exactly the rolls are made, I wouldn't say that this is the authentic recipe, if any of you know the exact recipe do pass it on to me..
Here is how I made them...

NOVA SCOTIA CANADIAN OATMEAL ROLLS
Recipe adapted from Belcher town bites with minimal changes
Cuisine: Canada
Preparation: 20 minutes
Total time Pre-Baking: 5 hours
Baking time : 20 -25 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
1/4 Cup / 60 ml Milk
1 Cup / 100 gms Old fashioned Oats
1 Cup boiling water
1/4 cup / 60ml Maple syrup
2 tbsp oil
1 and 1/2 tsp salt
1 and 3/4th tsp Active dried yeast*
325 gms whole wheat Bread flour
1/4 Cup/  Wheat Germ (optional)**
50 gms/ 1/4 cup Cranberries
1/4 cup Orange Juice

* I had my last bit of yeast 1 and 3/4th tsp so I just used what I had so I had to change the recipe accordingly.
** I saw this added in one of the recipe links I found so just adapted it to make it healthier, so it is totally optional, you can substitute whole wheat flour or All purpose flour of 350 grms.

METHOD:
In a little bowl take cranberries, soak them in orange juice.
In a bowl take old fashioned oats, salt and  Maple syrup.
Pour boiling water over this oats  mix well and leave it for some time until it cools down. once you know it is nearly cooling down.
In a large bowl take yeast and 2tbsp of warm water leave it for 5 minutes.
Once you bubbles forming up and this makes you sure your yeast is active, add Oil and the Oatmeal mixture to it with wheat germ and whole wheat bread flour.
Combine them all well together use water if needed I did not use any extra water, knead the dough for 10 minutes, the dough might be a bit sticky, keep kneading just dipping your hand in the flour now and then the dough becomes soft and nice.
Drain the cranberries from the juice spread the dough, add the cranberries to it, mix well into it.
Oil the bowl and the dough Keep it in a warm place for at least 1 and 1/2 hour or until the dough doubles in size.
Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 3 / 170degree
Punch the dough once it is doubled, make 9 balls out of it, In a baking sheet sprinkle some flour and keep these on it, press them a bit.
Leave these rolls for an other 1/2 an hour or so or until you see that the rolls are rising again.
Sprinkle some oats on it and brush it with milk or either way.
Increase the Oven to Gas Mark 4, place the baking tray and bake for total 20 minutes.
After 10 minutes turn the tray for equal baking and reduce the temperature to Gas Mark 3 and bake for an other 10 minutes.
Remove the tray from the oven and place it on a cooling rack, after 5 minutes remove them from the tray and place them on the cooling rack, Just to ensure the base of the rolls don't get soggy because of the heat from the tray.
leave them to cool, slice them or top them with maple syrup and enjoy these delicious rolls.

Check out all SRC members from my group who enjoyed baking and cooking like me ... I am so looking forward like you all to see what they have been doing.... Enjoy...

Sending this to
Let's Party - Go bake it, of Surabhi Nayak
Love Lock series  - Bread of Divya's culinary journey started by Vidya
Bon Viviant - Baked Goodies by summes culinary bites
{*Linking to Bake Fest hosted by FOODOMANIA*} started by Vardhini
and it is Yeast Spotted !!!

The post Nova Scotia Canadian Oatmeal Rolls appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hi everybody, I am very very Happy, Guess why, before that, I would like to first apologize to Radhika and Farah for not posting on time for my Blog Hop Wednesdays.  I had written to them a while ago before the BHW that I would be posting a bit late, I was all alone, should I say Home alone for 3 weeks as my kids went off for their Hols, and I really did not know what to cook or bake and thinking about how I could live without them when they are not with me anymore!.

Well, after that  every thing changed I couldn't believe that my Mom at last decided to come and visit us after all these years we had been pestering her to come and of course Dad wouldn't come so no question of asking him, She was not ready to come here all this way, a long flight  and she wasn't going to come alone that was my big problem, she was totally scared,  I have to thank my H who had the Lion share in brain washing my mom in coming alone, Thanks to him, I am really so happy..., at last one of my family is here, Kids are really thrilled and I have asked me to retire from the kitchen as they want their paati ( Nan ) to cook and feed them, as she is the best cook ever according to them and my cooking is OK!!.
Yes my Mum is here Yay!!, everything happened quickly, I had a very busy weekend till today :), I am more relaxed today mum is settled in and we all hope to enjoy her short stay here.  After a long time we have a wonderful sunshine here for a few days, hope it continues.., All my friends, family & neighbours keep telling mum that she has brought sunshine to us from India.
Well, coming back to this recipe, I chilled and served this delicious smoothie, with a bit of twist and made it a bit healthy by adding some toasted nuts and flax seed. Thanks to both Radhika and Farah for an other smoothie, I have a few more I need to post.., I Chose this smoothie because of my Prunes, I had bought loads of prunes, so I am trying to use them in many ways, as my kids don't like to eat them as it is !!, using them in  many ways is the only way I can think of using them.
I don't have to say for fellow foodies the goodness of smoothies.., A wonderful complete delicious drink to start your day...,  keeps you energetic and a healthy one too.. what more do you need....

PRUNE, BANANA AND APPLE SMOOTHIE

INGREDIENTS:
2 Bananas
3 Apples ( medium sized )
12 Californian Prunes
2 tbsp Flax seeds powder
3 tbsp of Toasted Nuts
3 Cups Milk
1/4 Maple syrup
few Ice cubes

I had toasted some nuts on pan, Almonds, Pistachios, Cashewnuts & Walnuts. I added 3tsp of Brown sugar for my kids smoothies as they wanted it a bit more sweeter.

METHOD:
Blend Prunes, Flax seed powder and Apples ( peeled & cored ) until smooth then add peeled & chopped Bananas and blend again, Now add milk blend them well again.
Add Ice cubes and refrigerate for 1/2 an hour and serve them chilled topped with toasted nuts.

sending this to Radhika's Blog Hop Wednesday , Radhika had assigned me to Farah of A mum's Journal, she has a beautiful space, I enjoyed going through her blog, I usually love to bake something but this time I had to choose something else, just because of the prunes everytime I went to her blog, I kept going through this recipe again and again, I kind of get stuck with it. I added some apples with it, I had got exactly three of them and if I didn't use them I would loose them, as I was loaded with apples from my friend who came to say hai to mum!!..  So here is this lovely recipe, hope you like it and make it...

Sending this to Ayesha's cook eat delicious desserts - milk, started by Raven

The post Prune, Banana & Apple Healthy smoothie appeared first on My Veg Fare.

Hello everybody, Hope you are all doing, well, me ? quite tired, I had friends around weekend so that's it, It was cooking, cleaning and site seeing.  Weather hasn't changed much it's still raining, With wind blowing at 70 - 80 mph, my Tomato Baskets, fell down, got really scared thought all the hanging baskets might fall down and decided it is better to bring them all down until the wind subsides, Wind is gone and sun is gone as well, very depressing, have to wear jackets and shoes again, it's become a bit chilly at this end of the city :(, Weeds have come up again, need to pluck them out ( hate this job ), I had actually planned to sprinkle some Veedol when the weather was dry, after I had completed my gardening, but all my plans took a different turn when the rain started reigning over us and our sunny days have disappeared, All my seeds have become little seedlings which need more of a firm place and more soil to grow well and nice. It's such a pity  they are still in my conservatory !!, scared to put them out because of the torrential rains, which has turned down to drizzling rain now, hopefully it will stop and I can see the sunshine again, which the British people and the dear plants need at this time of the year :).

Coming back to this recipe, it is SRC time again, The Secret Recipe club of Amanda who is founder of this club has transferred her reins to April Tuell who is our new Head now, whom we all welcome with love and affection and would love to tell her its great to be with you, but do miss Amanda., Best of luck to both of them with their new ventures. My host Suzanne had assigned me to this blog Restored of Robin, don't be alarmed by the name, her blog is called Penny Pinching Provisions but she has renamed her blog title to Restored, so why is that ?, As she herself says she decided to Restore her health, simplicity and happiness, She says her blog focuses on good and healthy food, simple living and financially living frugally. So, I don't have to tell you more about it, as now you know what her blog stands for with some amazing recipes I have book marked a few and want to try them out, I tried already two of them and they turned out very well, I chose this for my SRC post as it is her own recipe and she has given a new name to it..!!!

When I was going through the bakes ( as I love baking ), this one caught me, I first thought this must be from some place, funnily it is her own make up recipe and name :)), So, I just decided on this, Bascially these cookies are called Scotchilla because it is made of Butterscotch and Vanilla  chips, as I had the Butterscotch chips and oats the cookie was fine to bake but the only problem was Vanilla chips, which I have never heard off and now I have to hunt down for it, so I had to omit that and made with whatever I had in hand and a little changes, do check out her blog for the Original Recipe clicking on the link below.  If you want to try it out.  Go ahead and enjoy these cookies as my kids did....

SCOTCHILLA COOKIES
Recipe Source: Adapted with minimal Changes from Penny Pinching Provisions
Makes : 50 (of 20 grms each)

INGREDIENTS:
3 Cups ( 385 grms ) Old Fashioned Oats

1 ¼ Cup (185 grms ) Whole meal plain flour

½ Cup (115 grms ) Butter

1 Cup (165 grms) Fairtrade cane Sugar

1/2 tsp Baking soda
1/2 tsp Baking Powder

½ salt

1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp Vanilla Sugar

½ tsp Cinnamon powder

2 Tbsp Flax seed

1/4 Cup Milk Powder

1/2 Cup warm Milk

6 Tbsp hot water

¼ Cup ( 57 grms ) Butter Scotch Chips

¼ Cup (57 grms) chopped Dates

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F / Gas Mark 4  / 175  degree Celsius 

Sieve both the flours together then add all the dry Ingredients Baking Soda, Vanilla Sugar and Cinnamon Powder to this flour mixture and combine them well together, 

Soak Flax seed in  Hot water.

In a Large bowl take Melted butter and Brown sugar, cream them well together, to this add Vanilla Extract, Milk Powder dissolved in Hot milk and soaked Flax seed to this and beat them all well together.

To this creamed mixture add the dry Ingredients and gently incorporate the whole flour.

Stir in both the chiips and dates into this cookie batter

Drop these Cookie batter on to the cookie sheets in dollops or make a nice round ball, Press them and bake them for 10 to 12 minutes 

Cool on a wiring rack and Lo! Enjoy these  cookies...

Notes:
Because of the changes I made, I had reduced the quantity of sugar, so they are not too sweet, Perfect for me, as I love oats :),  I made these Eggless, if you want to use Eggs, she uses 1 Egg, she does not use milk powder or milk, I just used all those just thinking of my kids when they are going to indulge in it!, this way they will be consuming some milk too!!, Next time I am planning to reduce the sugar and butter quantitiy.
The cookies were soft but firm, they came out from the Butter paper without any problems they were very enjoyable to bake and eat!! , First time I really sat and ate 3 of them.., I thought they were quite addictive.
Check out all the bloggers who are in club and Enjoy a galore of recipes here....

I would like to send this to Jagruthi's cooking odyssey event Know your Flours - Whole wheat flour

The post Eggless Scotchilla Cookies - Made with Oats. Whole meal flour and Flaxseed appeared first on My Veg Fare.