Amish White Bread Loaf

This is it!!! Once you taste this bread, you will never buy store bought white bread. The bread's crust is a bit chewy and the inside is very soft and airy. This bread is slightly sweet than your normal sandwich bread. But you can easily reduce the sugar and even replace half of white flour with whole wheat flour and make it a bit healthier. Those who are making breads at home surely knows how therapeutic and heavenly it is. It is a keeper for sure. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

3 cups All Purpose Flour (Maida) + more for dusting

1 cup Luke warm water

1/3 cup White Sugar

2 1/4tsp Active Dry Yeast

3/4tsp Salt

2tbsp Canola Oil

1 Egg white, for brushing

 How to:

• Grease a 9"x5" loaf pan and keep it aside.
• Dissolve the sugar and yeast in the warm water and let sit for 10 mins or until foamy.

• In another bowl with flour, add salt, mix well and pour the oil.

• Now pour the yeast mixture into the flour and knead until the dough comes together.

• Transfer it on to a floured flat surface and knead with our palms for 8-10 mins or until dough is soft.

• Place the kneaded dough in an oiled bowl and let rest for an hour to rise in a warm place.

• Punch down the air and knead the dough few secs. Now place the dough inside the loaf pan and gently press to shapen into a rectangle to fit the pan.

• Let rest in a warm place for another 45 mins-1 hour or until the dough has risen 1 inch above the pan.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and brush the top of the risen dough with beaten egg white.

• Bake the bread for 30 mins, until golden brown on top.

• Cool it completely on a wire cooling rack before storing.

• Slice it warm, slather with butter or jam and serve for breakfast.

Aloo Mutter (Potatoes and Peas)

Potatoes and peas, can't be any perfect for your chapathis and rotis. The curry is absolutely spiced up and a slight tanginess from the amchur powder makes you say 'mmm'. You can also add par boiled cauliflower and paneer to the curry. There is nothing more to say except 'you're gonna love it just like i did'. And here goes the recipe,
Ingredients:

3 medium Potatoes

1/4 cup Green Peas (frozen, thawed)

2 medium Red Onion (finely chopped)

3 small Tomatoes (finely chopped)

2 Green Chilli (chopped)

1tsp Ginger (minced)

1 1/2tsp Garlic (minced)

5-6 Curry leaves

2tsp Coriander powder

1/2tsp Chilli powder

1/2tsp Garam masala powder

1/4tsp Amchur powder

1/4tsp Turmeric powder

1 pinch Asafoetida

1/2tsp Cumin seeds

1.5-2 cups Water

Salt

2tbsp Oil

1tbsp Cilantro (chopped), for garnishing

 How to:

• Par-boil the potatoes, peel the skin and chop'em into bite size pieces. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a skillet, add cumin seeds, asafoetida and turmeric powder.

• Add onions followed by curry leaves and green chilies. Saute for 3-4 mins.

• Then add ginger and garlic and cook until raw smell disappears.

• Add the tomatoes and cook with lid closed until it is completely mashed up.

• Now add the masala powders along with salt and cook for couple of mins.

• Add the par boiled potatoes, pour water and cook with lid closed until they are tender.

• Now add the peas, check salt and cook few more mins until desired consistency is reached.

• Switch off and garnish with cilantro.

• Serve hot with chapathi or naan.

Whole Wheat Slider Buns

Whole wheat breads are generally good for our health as it contains vitamins, minerals and protein when compared to breads made from refined white flour. Here, i have used white whole wheat flour which are milled from white spring wheat rather than using the whole wheat flour milled from red wheat. This wwwf bread do not taste bitter and has the taste similar to that of refined flour. As this flour lacks certain compounds that is found in traditional whole wheat flour, you have to knead longer to develop the adequate gluten. Other than that it is a bun to slather the butter on or to make your fav burger or just as a side for a hearty soup. 
Thanks to SnoWhite from Joyinmykitchen for this wonderful recipe. And here it goes,

Ingredients:

3 + 1/4 cups white Whole Wheat flour (wwwf)

1/4 cup Sugar

1/3 cup Oil

1 1/2 tbsp Active Yeast

1 cup + 1tbsp Warm Water

1tsp Salt

1 Egg, for brushing

How to:

• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep aside.
• Dissolve the yeast in the warm water and let sit for 5 mins or until foamy.

• Add the sugar and oil to the yeast mixture, and mix well.

• In a big bowl with flour, add salt, mix well and pour the sugar-yeast mixture slowly and start to knead.

• Once the dough comes together, transfer'em onto a flat surface and knead for 6-8 mins or until smooth.

• Grease a bowl, place the dough and let sit for 15-20 mins in a warm place.

• Now, shape the dough into a log and cut into 12 equal pieces.

• Take each piece, shape and smooth the dough in between your palms and place it on the baking sheet.

• Shape the rest of the dough pieces, cover it with a towel and let rest in a warm place for 20 mins to rise.
• Brush the top with a beaten egg and bake for 8 mins or until golden brown.

• Transfer'em onto a cooling rack and cool completely before storing.

• Serve as a mini burger with your favorite stuffing.

Weston 83-2011-W 3 Slider Mini Burger Press

Spiced Candied Nut Clusters

If you love snacking on nuts and bored of store-bought spiced nuts, you will be amazed how easy and tasty they are to make at home. These sweet, slightly spicy and salty nuts are perfect to munch anytime of the day. These nuts will turn out to be the one of those things that you don't want to put it down. With your own combination of spice mix, you will go nuts over these spiced nuts. Also, nuts are a great way to add good fats to your diet, but make sure you snack'em mindfully. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

1 cup raw Almonds

1 cup raw Walnuts

1/2cup raw Cashews

1/4 cup raw Pumpkin seeds

1/4 cup raw Sunflower seeds

1/4cup + 2tbs White Sugar 

3/4tsp Cumin powder

1/2tsp Red Chilli powder

1/2tsp Cardamom powder

1 1/4tsp Salt

1 large Egg white

How to:

Place the oven rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 300 degrees. 

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and keep it aside.

In a big bowl beat the egg white until foamy. 

Add the nuts and seeds into the bowl, and stir until coated.

In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, cumin powder, chilli powder, cardamom powder and salt.

Sprinkle the sugar-spice mix over the nuts and mix to coat well.

Now spread the coated nuts on the baking sheet in a single layer.

Bake for 35 mins and let cool on the sheet for an hour.

Once cooled, the sugar hardens and you can break'em into bite sized pieces. 

Serve as a party snack or on the-go munchies.