Garlic Pull Apart Rolls

Garlic Pull Apart Rolls

Among my friends this is the most requested item when we are gathering up for an occasion or if someone incidentally comes to know that the garlic rolls are being planned…the rolls become an occasion to get together. It is easy to put together and can be made in advance and stored. Only heat it in the microwave for fifteen seconds before serving.

I have made this a number of times and made slight variations now and then. Once you get comfortable with the basic recipe you can do that too. For instance I added two spoons of mozzarella grated cheese to the garlic paste and it did add a yummy cheesy twist to the rolls.

Also I never like to use maida entirely so I have used one part whole wheat flour and one part ground oats too. Sometimes I make it entirely with wholewheat and it tastes perfect that way too. You can use your combination of flours and make it healthier.

Do try it ..call your friends, gather up and gossip over the yummiest garlic rolls..make some lovely memories of togetherness and friendships…

Ingredients

·      3 cups all purpose flour

·      1 tsp dry yeast

·      3/4 cup lukewarm water

·      1 tsp salt

·      1 tbsp sugar

For the Garlic paste

·      12 cloves garlic peeled and crushed

·      100 gms butter

·      1 tsp chopped coriander

·      A dash of crushed peppercorns or chili flakes (as per your taste)

Instructions

1.   Garlic paste - Soften the butter in the microwave and add all the ingredients for the garlic paste. Mix well and keep aside for later use.

2.   Add the sugar, salt and yeast to the flour and stir well. Gradually add the lukewarm water at intervals, combine and then knead for a good ten minutes. Lastly add the oil and again knead for a couple of minutes more.The resulting dough should be elastic and smooth.

3.   Place this dough in a greased container, cover and keep in a warm place for it to rise and double in size.

4.   Once double in volume, take the dough out, deflate it and roll out a ½ inch thick rectangular sheet. Please take care to oil your hands and use minimum dry flour for rolling out the sheet so that the dough doesn’t result in a dry bread later.

5.    Spoon out the garlic paste and spread it well on the dough sheet leaving half inch of space on the outlines so that the garlic paste doesn’t spill and make a mess when rolling.

6.   Fold the sheet into a tight roll and cut the roll into equal pieces. I generally get 8-10 pieces from this quantity. Place the rolls in a greased mould and keep for another half an hour, for it to double in size again.

7.   Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.

8.   Bake the rolls in preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or till sounds hollow when knocked.

9.   Cool the rolls and Enjoy!

Orange and cranberry bread

Orange and cranberry bread

To be honest I have never seen a fresh cranberry all my life and had never tasted one a few weeks ago. I came across a bright red and shiny pack of dried cranberries while doing my regular grocery shopping. Curious and fascinated I lost no time in buying it and I am glad I did. I have been hooked to it ever since.

I ate it just like that most of the time and added it to salads a couple of times. But never got along baking with it until yesterday evening. For the base flavor I chose Orange .Thinking vanilla would be too standard and I think I got it right as the loaf vanished in no time. I used fresh orange juice to knead the dough and the zest lent a strong flavor which is awesome with the sweet and tart cranberries. The aroma of the oranges lingered long after the bread had been baked and eaten.

The bread tastes very much like a fruit cake albeit a little less sweeter. It makes a wonderful accompaniment to a steaming cup of chai or also to milk, for that matter.

Ingredients

·      60 grams bread flour

·      2 tsp dry yeast

·      1/2 cup lukewarm water

·      1/2 tsp salt

·      orange zest from 2 oranges

·      4 tbsp honey

·      1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

·      3/4 cup (180 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice

·      3 1/2 cups (420 grams) bread flour

·      3/4 cup frozen cranberries

·      1 tbsp flour

Instructions

1.   In a mixing bowl, combine 60gms of bread flour with yeast and lukewarm water. Mix well and leave it for 5 minutes or till it takes up a sponge like consistency.

2.   To this sponge, add the orange zest, salt, honey, vegetable oil and orange juice. Now use this mixture to knead the dough. Gradually add the three and half cups of flour, combine and then knead for a good ten minutes. The resulting dough should be elastic and smooth.

3.   Place this dough in a greased container, cover and keep in a warm place for it to rise and double in size.

4.   Meanwhile take the remaining tablespoon of flour and sprinkle on the frozen cranberries. Mix to coat the cranberries well so that they don’t settle at the bottom when incorporated in the dough.

5.   Once double in volume, take the dough out of the bowl, place it on a working area, flatten it with your fingers and add the cranberries on top of it. With your hands, start kneading the dough until all the cranberries are incorporated.

6.   Preheat the oven to 200degrees.

7.   Shape the dough into a log and place it in a greased mould.

8.   Bake the bread in preheated oven for about 25-30 minutes or till sounds hollow when knocked.

9.   After baking, I generally like to remove the bread from the mould and cool so that all the moisture from the bottom of the bread gets evaporated and it doesn’t become soggy at the bottom.

10. Make your chai, slice the bread and you are on the staircase to heaven!

Wholewheat Banana choco chip cake-an ode to simple joys in life

What gives you happiness...simply..effortlessly..without any back breaking work..without any mind boggling?
To wake up to a song of birds..hear them chirping in the golden early morning sunshine,with closed eyes.
A phone call from a friend from another continent whom you have been thinking about..
A surprise find of a big currency note in the laundry bag
A fresh starched sari..
The discovery of a flower bud in the pot that you had been tending you for months in the balcony
A telephonic heart to heart with Mum
The sight of a warm cake rising in the oven
That look of joy in your child's eyes when he spots you in a crowd waiting to pick up their wards at school
That smile of husband when he finds his favorite dish on the dinner table after a long day at work
When you create something awsome from something almost useless..
Ah..thats what I was coming to..The list of things that give us joy..simply..can be endless and this banana cake is one of them.
Its effortless,simple and an absolute work of joy.
What we require primarily is bananas that are overripe but not rotten and beyond the point of use.
You see my point now..creating something that is almost going useless...overripe black bananas are the highlight here. Go ahead and create this simple joy for everyone at home..and importantly for yourself.

Ingredients-

Overripe Bananas-2
Wholewheat flour-1 and 2/3 cup plus one loaded tsp
Baking powder- 1 and 1/2 tsp
Salt-1/4 tsp
Baking soda-1/2 tsp
curd-1/2 cup
Egg-1
Oil-1/2 cup
sugar-1/2 cup
Vanilla essence-1 tsp
Choco chips- 1/2 cup

Preheat the oven at 180 degree.This cake gets ready for baking in a jiffy so you better switch the preheat button first.Grease a 9 inch baking mould and keep aside.
Take a big bowl and mash the bananas. Add sugar and oil and mix. Break the egg and mix vigorously.
Add vanilla essence and curd. Combine.
In a separate bowl, stir the flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder together so its all evenly mixed.
Add it to the banana mixture in batches but avoid vigorous mixing. Gently combine. Feel free to use more curd if the batter appears too dry.
In a small bowl, take the chocolate chips and sprinkle a loaded tablespoon of flour. Mix so the choco chips are coated with flour nicely. This will prevent the choco chips from sinking in the cake batter when you bake.
Add the chocolate chips to the cake batter and gently combine.
Spoon out the batter in the greased mould and bake at 180 degree for forty minutes or till the skewer comes out clean.

Its a simple recipe for spreading love and joy and a wonderful aroma in the house..Do try:)