Announcing RCI July'09

Close to two and half years ago Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine initiated an event that has become very dear to many food bloggers around the world; it is called RCI or Regional Cuisine of India. Each month, a region/state of India is chosen, and food bloggers around the globe are encouraged to explore the cuisine of that region/state and hence showcase some delicious and authentic dishes exclusive to the state/region.

After exploring many states and regions around our beloved motherland, this month I am honoured to take you all to my native land to sample and devour one of the finest cuisines. Yes my dear friends, this month we will be exploring the hidden gems in beautiful temple town of Udupi and gorgeous coastal city of Mangalore. The RCI for the month of July’09 is RCI-Udupi & Mangalorean Cuisine!


Snuggled between the mighty Arabian Sea on the west and the majestic Western Ghats on the east is this beautiful cities of Udupi and Mangalore. Surrounded by beautiful backwaters of Netravati and Gurupura rivers, Udupi & Mangalore are famous for their rich cultural diversity and are also a commercial trade centres. Everywhere you go you can’t help but fall in love with beautiful green rolling hills, swaying coconut palms, roaring sea, sparkling freshwater streams and glorious red tiled-roof buildings.

Mangalorean cuisine is as diverse as the people who have ruled this beautiful temple and coastal cities for centuries. History shows that Mangalore was ruled by Kadambas, Vijayanagar dynasty, Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Hoysalas, Mysore kingdom, Portuguese and then by the British. Each and every ruler has left behind their rich food culture which has become a part and parcel of Mangalorean cuisine. With four predominant languages being Tulu, Konkani, Kannada and Beary, Mangalore cuisine is also influenced by the neighbouring states of Kerala and Goa.

When it comes to origin of Udupi cuisine it is belived to be linked to the famous Sri Krishna Temple of Udupi. According to Wiki, Lord Krishna is offered food of different varieties every day, and there are certain restrictions on ingredients during Chaturmasa (a four-month period during the monsoon season). These restrictions coupled with the requirement of variety led to innovation, especially in dishes incorporating seasonal and locally available materials. The main ingredients used in the preparation of these delightful cuisines are vegetables, greens, beans & pulses, coconut and seasonal fruits and it strictly follows the tradition of vegetarian cuisine. There are times when you will not find onions and garlic used in cooking. This delicious Udupi cuisine was developed by Shivalli Madhwa Brahmins who cooked food for Lord Krishna, and at Krishna Matha in Udupi, the food is provided free.

The basic ingredients used in Udupi-Mangalorean cuisine are simple and easily available. Many a times you will find the use the ingredients which are grown in the backyard or which can be picked from any farmer’s market. Udupi and Mangalore has tropical climate and thus has abundant palm/coconut trees all around. Every smallest of small back gardens in this region has at least one coconut tree and curry plant and thus its no wonder that these two are the heart and soul of Udupi-Mangalorean cuisine along with ginger, garlic and chillies. When it comes to non-vegetarian cooking, it is next to impossible not to include rich sea food and Mangalorean Fish Curry and Kori Rotti (dry rice flakes served with spicy chicken curry) are the signature non-vegetarian delicacies of this region.

Some of the Tulu, Brahmin and Konkani community’s well-known vegetarian dishes include Neer Dosa (lacy rice crepes), Shavige (Rice noodles), Kadubu (sweet or savoury steam cooked rice dumplings/cakes), Akki Pundi (Rice dumplings, Patrode (colacasia leaves stuffed with spicy batter and steam cooked), Sanna (Fluffy Idli made using Toddy or yeast), Khotte Kadubu (Idli made using jackfruit leaves), Surnali (sweet pancakes), Goli Baje (savoury deep fried fritters), Appa/Appey (sweet or savoury dumplings), Mangalore Bonda (spicy potato fritters), Mangalore Buns (sweet deep fried poori made using banana), Daali Thoy (Lentil soup), Usli, numerous vegetable Upkari/Palya (stir fried vegetables), Saaru (Lentil soups), Sasam (coconut based dish), Kodhel (spicy vegetable and coconut based curry), Kairasa, Gashi (vegetable or lentil based coconut curry), Bolu Huli or Bolu Kodhel (Plain spicy vegetable curry/soup), Kosambari (raw vegetable/fruit salads), Menaskai (Sweet, sour & spicy coconut-sesame curry made using fruits/vegetables), Udupi Sambar (Vegetables, coconut and lentil curry), Majjige Huli (Coconut & buttermilk/yogurt based veg curry), Paramannam (Kheer/Payasam), Rasayana (Milk or coconut milk based fruit dessert), etc.

Some of Tulu, Mangalorean Muslim and Konkani (includes Mangalorean Catholics) community’s signature non-vegetarian dishes include Mangalore Fish Curry, Kori Rotti (dry rice flakes served with spicy chicken curry), Bangude Pulimunchi (Silver-grey mackerels curry), Sanna-Dukra Maas (Sanna means Idli made using Toddy or yeast and Dukra Maas means pork), Pork Bafat, Mutton Biryani, Sorpotel etc. You can find good collection of Udupi-Mangalorean nonvegetarian cuisines here. Shendi (Toddy), a country liquor prepared from palm sap is a popular drink around the region.

If you are not familiar with this regional cooking, then it is worth checking few websites and blogs like Mane Adige, Aayi’s Recipes, Dalithoy, Home Spices, Konkan World, Mangalore Recipes, Konkani Recipes, Red Chillies and your truly’s Monsoon Spice.

So what are you waiting for? It’s up to you to decide whether you want to impress us with traditional recipes or bowl us with the modern twists. And don’t forget to have loads of fun while discovering new regional cuisine! Please don’t forget to share all those little tit-bits, tips, fond memories while you cook up the storm this month!!!

Here are the Guidelines:

1. Write a post on your blog featuring Udupi & Mangalorean Cuisine from 1st of July to 31st July, 2009.

2. Please link back to this announcement page and/or simply use the logo below, and also to Lakshmi’s RCI announcement page.

3. Please feel free to use the logo below or RCI logo created by Lakshmi.

4. Email the following details to sia[at]monsoonspice[dot]com with RCI-Udupi & Mangalorean Cuisine as the subject line by 31st July.
• Your name
• Your blog name
• Name of the Recipe
• Permalink/URL of your post
• A photograph of the final dish (Any size is fine. Don’t worry about resizing the image.)

5. Please remember that the deadline for this event is 31st July, 2009 and no late entries will be entertained. I'll not include your entries in the round-up unless I get them through emails as it's not feasible for me to check individual blogs and pick your entries. I will post the final round-up in first week of August.

6. There is no limit to the number of entries that you might want to contribute. If you don’t have a blog but wish to participate in this event, send your entries with a picture, your name and recipe to sia[at]monsoonspice[dot]com before the deadline. I will post the recipes with your picture in my blog and include it in the round-up.

Simply copy and paste the below code to your post to use these logos.

<a href="http://www.monsoonspice.com/2009/06/announcing-rci-july09.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2447/3667737935_9fd5862487_m.jpg" alt="RCI-Udupi & Mangalore" width="260" border="0" height="106" /></a>

<a href="http://www.monsoonspice.com/2009/06/announcing-rci-july09.html" target="_blank"><img src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2569/3673082642_b42a259b90_m.jpg" width="154" height="240" alt="RCI Logo1" border="0" /></a>

So friends, don’t delay. Cook some delicious Udupi-Mangalorean cuisine and send your entries. Thank you, Lakshmi for this wonderful opportunity!

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Spicy Tomato Rice: Lazy People's Version

Spicy Tomato Rice

“If life deals you lemons, make lemonade; if it deals you tomatoes, make Bloody Marys”
~Anonymous

Nah… The recipe for Bloody Marys is not you will find here but a bowl of Spicy Tomato Rice.

Our weekend trip to farmers market found us, errr, ogling at those juicy, ripe and plump tomatoes in all avatars. So it was no surprise that we came back with a bag filled with cherry tomatoes, plum tomatoes, vine tomatoes, roma tomatoes and common tomatoes (the one which is used in daily cooking is called common tomato in my dictionary. Got it?).

Without a shadow of doubt Tomato Rice got included in list of 'Tomato Menu Week'! After long working weekday at office, juggling meetings, project deadlines, running around to sort some personal work, we both reached home tired, sleepy and famished! And to our (un)luck there was no leftovers in fridge or freezer except for some leftover rice from last night! ~sighs~ It won’t be the last time I wish I could order some good from takeaway but decided not to shell out our hard earned money on foul smelling red gravy topped with half a bottle of cheap oil!

So we decided to make Lazy People’s Tomato Rice. Well, we can afford to be lazy sometimes, right? Since few of days back British summer has turned into rainy season, we were craving for something hot and spicy. I decided to use ready made Garam Masala powder instead of preparing masala powder from scratch. Since I always keep small bottle of grated ginger in fridge along with a pack of Ginger-Garlic paste, all I had to do was chop some onions, tomatoes and green chillies. Just a handful of herbs and pinches of spices, we had big bowl of steaming, spicy and very delicious Tomato Rice in minutes. The spicy and hot kick comes from ginger, green chillies, wee bit of garam masala and red chilli powder. If you don’t want to add garam masala then you can either increase the quantity of red chilli powder or use sambar powder/rasam powder/vangi bhath masala or any other spice powder you prefer. Since I like burst of different shades of colours in my plate, I added good handful of frozen green peas and few spoonfuls of cashew nuts fried in little ghee. You can simply substitute peas with sweet corn or any other vegetable of your choice or simply omit them. And similarly substitute cashew nuts with few spoonfuls of roasted peanuts for added crunch. Over all it turned out to be a very satisfying and delicious meal with spoonful of thick yogurt, pickle and papads. Try this when you are not in a mood to cook elaborate meals or short of time and see how lazy people’s Tomato Rice can turn into simple pleasures!

Tomato Masala for Spicy Tomato Rice

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Spicy Tomato Rice (Basmati Rice flavoured with a base gravy of aromatic spices, delightful herbs and tangy tomatoes)
Prep Time: 5-10 mins
Cooking Time: 15 mins (If using leftover rice) to 30 mins (If making fresh rice)
Serves: 3-4
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium to Hot
Serving Suggestion: As it is or with any Raita or Yogurt

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Ingredients:
2 cups Rice or 6-8 cups Cooked Rice (Preferably Basmati or Sona Masuri)
1 medium Onion, finely chopped
¾-1 cup Green Peas, fresh/frozen (Optional)
1-2 tbsp Tomato Paste or 2 Tomatoes, pureed
3-5 large Tomatoes, finely chopped or 1-1½ cans of Chopped Tomato
3-4 Green Chillies, finely chopped (Adjust acc to taste)
1 inch cube Ginger, peeled and finely chopped or grated
2-3 tbsp Coriander Leaves, finely chopped
Salt to taste

Spices Used:
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
3 Cloves
½-1 tsp Garam Masala (Optional)
½-1 tsp Red Chilli Powder (Adjust acc to taste)
½ tsp Turmeric Powder

For Tadka/Tempering:
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 tbsp Channa Dal/Split Bengal Gram
1 tbsp Urad Dal/Split Black Lentils
1-2 Dry Red Chillies, cut into 1 inch pieces
1-2 springs of Curry Leaves
¼ tsp Hing/Asafoetida
2-3 tbsp Cashew Nuts
1 tbsp Ghee/Clarified Butter
1 tbsp Oil

Spicy Tomato Rice

Method:

If cooking rice from scratch, wash rice 2-3 times until the water runs clear. Drain all the water and add 4 cups of water to the bowl and keep it aside for at least 20 minutes. Transfer rice and water into a microwave safe bowl or pressure cooker and cook covered for 17-20 minutes (in microwave) or 2-3 whistles on medium flame (in pressure cooker). Once slightly cooled, add about tbsp of oil or ghee and separate each grain with the help of a fork and keep it aside till needed.
While rice is getting cooked, we can proceed to make tomato base for tomato rice.
Take a pan/wok and add ghee to it. Now add broken cashew nuts and fry them on medium flame till they turn golden brown. Drain and keep them aside till needed.
In a same pan add oil and heat it on medium flame. Next add mustard seeds and let it crackle. Once mustard seeds start to pop and splutter, add channa dal, urad dal, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves and broken red chillies. Sauté for a minute or two till lentils turn golden brown in colour.
Next add hing and curry leave and sauté for few seconds. Mix in chopped onions, green chillies and ginger and sauté for a minute or two till onions turn translucent.
Mix in finely chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder and give it a good stir. Cook these tomatoes till they turn pulpy and release their juice, about 5-7 minutes, on medium flame.
Mix in tomato puree or tomato paste, green peas, garam masala and salt to taste. Simmer and let it cook for another 3-5 minutes.
Next, mix in cooled rice, finely chopped coriander leaves and fried cashews and mix them well so that each rice grain is coated with spicy tomato base and every grain is heated through. Switch off the gas and serve this delicious and Spicy Tomato Rice with chilled yogurt or Raita and enjoy!

Spicy Tomato Rice

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Notes:
You can omit or substitute green peas with sweet corns or any other vegetables of your choice.
Addition of cup full of chopped coloured bell peppers also enhances the flavour. Add them just before cooking chopped tomatoes and fry them for a minute or two.
Substitute cashew nuts with small handful of roasted peanuts for crunch.
You can also omit or substitute Garam Masala with Sambar/Rasam/Vangi Bhath powder.

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Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry with Random Rants :)

Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry

Missed participating in blog events - Check.
Missed visiting blogger friends – Check.
Missed leaving comments in their blog – Check.
Missed posting recipes twice a week – Check.
Missed writing new post for Beyond Curries – Check.
Missed cooking recipes from other blogs (at least 2 recipes per month) – Check.
Missed taking photographs of new recipe I cooked and loved for blog – Check!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I can understand the first six things happening now and then when I am buried till my nose with all new projects and meeting deadlines. But I am still scratching my head thinking how I could have missed taking photos for my blog??? Looks like I am not only busy with hectic work schedule but may be little stressed also. HELP… Anybody?!

Few days back I found few interesting replies from friends on FB when I mentioned that my blog honeymoon period seems to be finally over after 2½+ years of blogging. Some said they too are sailing in the same boat with me and others said this too shall pass! But there was this dear friend of mine who mentioned as far as she was concerned, her relationship with her blog is over and they are divorced! :) I couldn’t help but wonder what will happen to my blog in few months time? Will I ever reach that stage and stop blogging for good? Hopefully not for a while… Yes, not yet!!!! I hope that dear friend of mine resumes blogging as I really miss visiting her witty, humorous and delicious blog. And at the same time I wonder will I be missed by readers of my blog if I decide to stop blogging? :) Looks like I have some food for thought ;)

And not to forget, I also have some recipe for all you lovely people. Today we have this simple, delicious and flavourful Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry to please all your senses! I am quite fond of coloured bell peppers and baby corns and I use them quite often in Indo-Chinese cuisines. Using these two veggies in Indian cuisine has got nothing to do with my creative brain cells or unusual taste buds. It was the result of lack of vegetables in fridge and also laziness to go out for shopping. But I am not here to complain as the chemistry between bell peppers and baby corns was quite hot and sizzling and they literally set our taste buds on fire! ;) While creamy onion and almond gravy tasted superb, the crunch from capsicum and baby corns were very pleasing to our palettes. When served with soft and warm Phulkas and simple Cumin Rice, it was nothing short of touching the stars! Try this curry when you are tired of eating same combination of vegetables or pulses and see this colourful Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry winning positive approval from everyone sitting around your dining table. :) And off this goes to dear Vysh who has spiced up all our blogs by asking us to cook some spicy dishes for her JFI: Chilli, an event initiated by dear Indira of Mahanandi and dear Priya who is guest hosting AFAM-Bell Peppers, an event started by Maheshwari of Beyond Usual.

Capsicums & Baby Corns

Print This Recipe

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Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry (Tender Baby Con and peppery Bell Peppers cooked in creamy gravy of Onion, Tomato and Almonds)
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cooking Time: 30-40 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Level: Medium
Spice Level: Medium to Hot
Serving Suggestion: With any Indian flat breads or with flavoured/steam cooked rice

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Ingredients:
15 Baby Corns, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 large Capsicums/Bell Peppers (I used 1 red and 1 green)
3 large Tomatoes, pureed
1 tsp Garam Masala
½ tsp Kitchen King Masala (Optional)
1 tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Cumin Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
½ tsp Amchur/Dry Mango Powder or 1 tbsp Lime Juice
1 tsp Sugar (Optional but recommended)
1 tbsp Oil
Salt to taste

For Onion-Almond Paste:
1 tsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
1 large Onion, peeled and roughly chopped
1 tsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 inch Cinnamon Stick
2 Green Cardamoms
2 Cloves
10 Almonds, soaked in warm water for 10 mins and skinned
½ tbsp Oil

Capsicum & Baby Corn Curry

Method:
For Onion-Almond Paste:
Heat ½ tbsp oil in a pan and add cinnamon stick, cloves and green cardamoms. Cook for a minute, on medium heat, and then add cumin seeds to it. When cumin starts to sizzle and turn golden red, add roughly chopped onions and fry till they turn transparent, about 2 mins.
Next add ginger-garlic paste and stir for a minute or two till raw smell disappears. Switch off the flame and transfer the content to food processor or mixer jar. Let it cool slightly.
Add skinned almonds and grind the mixture to smooth paste without adding any water.

Proceed to Make Curry:
Heat tbsp of oil in a pan and add ground onion-almond paste. Saute on medium flame till the paste turns light golden brown in colour and becomes one dry mass, about 5-6 mins.
Add garam masala, kitchen king masala, turmeric powder, coriander powder and cumin powder and stir for 30 seconds.
Mix in pureed tomatoes and give it a good stir, about 3 mins. Add 1-1½ cups of water, amchur powder, sugar and mix in salt to taste. Keep the flame on medium and bring the whole gravy to gentle boil, about 5 mins.
Add baby corn pieces and cover and cook for 5 mins. After 5 mins, add peppers/capsicums and cook uncovered for another 5-7 minutes till vegetables are cooked through but retain their crunch.
Serve this delicious Baby Corn-Capsicum Curry hot, garnished with finely chopped coriander leaves, with any Indian flat bread or flavoured rice and enjoy.

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Summer Classes for Men!

Everyday my 4-5 personal email inboxes are jam packed with spam mails, forwards and few genuine emails from friends and family. Many a times these spam emails gets deleted without second glance and sometime forward mails also meet the same fate! But today one forward email got my attention because of its title and I was literally rolling on floor laughing loudly, holding my tummy after reading it. I thought why not share it with you all and spread some laughter on boring weekday! Guys, I am not sure if you can stand the heat and ladies, join the laughing club!

I will be back with few recipes shortly. Till then enjoy cooking and blogging :)

chao
Sia

Summer Classes for Men at
THE
ADULT LEARNING CENTER

REGISTRATION MUST BE COMPLETED
by Saturday, June 13, 2009
NOTE: DUE TO THE COMPLEXITY AND DIFFICULTY LEVEL
OF THEIR CONTENTS, CLASS SIZES WILL BE LIMITED TO 8 PARTICIPANTS MAXIMUM

Class 1
How To Fill Up The Ice Cube Trays.
Step by Step, with Slide Presentation.
Meets 4 weeks, Monday and Wednesday for 2 hours beginning at 7:00 PM.


Class 2
The Toilet Paper Roll--Does It Change Itself?
Round Table Discussion.
Meets 2 weeks, Saturday 12:00 for 2 hours.


Class 3
Is It Possible To Urinate Using The Technique Of Lifting
The Seat and Avoiding The Floor, Walls and Nearby Bathtub?
Group Practice.
Meets 4 weeks, Saturday 10:00 PM for 2 hou rs.


Class 4
Fundamental Differences Between The Laundry Hamper and The Floor
--Pictures and Explanatory Graphics.
Meets Saturdays at 2:00 PM for 3 weeks.

Class 5
Dinner Dishes--Can They Levitate and Fly Into The Kitchen Sink?
Examples on Video.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning
at 7:00 PM

Class 6
Loss Of Identity--Losing The Remote To Your Significant Other.
Help Line Support and Support Groups.
Meets 4 Weeks, Friday and Sunday 7:00 PM

Class 7
Learning How To Find Things--Starting With Looking In The Right Places
And Not Turning The House Upside Down While Screaming.
Open Forum <>Monday at 8:00 PM, 2 hours.

Class 8
Health Watch--Bringing Her Flowers Is Not Harmful To Your Health.
Graphics and Audio Tapes.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 9
Real Men Ask For Directions When Lost.
Real Life Testimonials.
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM Location to be determined

Class 10
Is It Genetically Impossible To Sit Quietly While She Parallel Parks?
Driving Simulations.
4 weeks, Saturday's noon, 2 hours.

Class 11
Learning to Live--Basic Differences Between Mother and Wife.
Online Classes and role-playing
Tuesdays at 7:00 PM , location to be determined

Class 12
How to be the Ideal Shopping Companion.
Relaxation Exercises, Meditation and Breathing Techniques.
Meets 4 weeks, Tuesday and Thursday for 2 hours beginning at7:00 PM.

Class 13
How to Fight Cerebral Atrophy--Rememberin g Birthdays, Anniversaries
and Other Important Dates and Calling When You're Going To Be Late.
Cerebral Shock Therapy Sessions and Full Lobotomies Offered.
Three nights; Monday, Wednesday, Friday at 7:00 PM for 2 hours.

Class 14
The Stove/Oven-- What It Is and How It Is Used.
Live Demonstration..
Tuesdays at 6:00 PM, location to be determined.

Upon completion of any of the above courses, diplomas will be issued to the survivors.

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Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic Flavoured Whole Wheat Bread: From Baking Virgin!!!

Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic Flavoured Whole Wheat Bread

“Lady, you have been staring at me since last fifteen minute”, said handsome fellow with twinkle in his eyes.
“No I am not!” I said indignantly.
“Oh yes, you are. I am quite sure of it”. He was amused.
“Excuse me! You are imagining things”, I said trying to avoid his eyes.
“Its not the first time I noticed you looking at me ‘that’ way you know. I think I know what you want”, he said looking deep into my eyes.
“Oh, really? So you think you can read my mind? Tell me what’s in mind?” I challenged him as I was quite sure that he was bluffing.
“It’s very easy to read your mind. Well, I know for fact that you want to master me!”

And that’s exactly what I wanted to do all these years even when I was kitchen virgin!
I wanted to master him…

And at last I am happy to announce that I am no more a virgin, ahem, baking virgin is what I meant!!!

Ta-da… I baked bread!!! I did it!!! And how I did it!!!

I didn’t follow any recipes or cook books or any cookery shows to bake my first bread. Since my last successful story of baking Poolish Focaccia, I wanted to bake another batch of bread but I have been putting it off for long. Then last week I felt like baking something, anything from scratch! Since I was short of sugar and eggs, this idea of baking bread came to my mind. I sat back and thought of ingredients that go into baking bread: flour and yeast. Well, for the first time in my mind the thought of baking bread didn’t scare the hell out of me! My fear of handling yeast is wearing off as I am quite confident in making good batch of Naans and I felt pretty confident at using it in baking bread. It didn’t take me long to decide what I wanted in my bread and how I am going to bake it. And rest, as we say is history!!! ;)

I decided to stick with whole wheat and ditched the thought of using plain flour as I find the whole wheat flavour to be more to my liking and quite earthy. I decided to flavour my bread with sun dried tomatoes (as I had this bottled sun dried tomatoes nearing its expiry date), garlic (can’t get enough of it) and some dried Italian herbs. Since I was baking it for lunch of big bowls of Roasted Pepper & Tomato Soup, and since I also happen to love the flavour of olive oil in breads, I used good amount of extra virgin olive oil. So the end product is Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic flavoured Whole Wheat Bread. I wanted my bread to be pretty basic and rustic looking, something that I buy from farmer’s market every weekend. So I shaped it into rough circle and made few incisions with knife and sprinkled generous poppy seeds on top of it. After few minutes of baking in my ancient oven, my kitchen smelled like bread shop that made us twice hungry! The upper crust was golden brown and little hard and the inside was spongy and well, bread-y ;) It’s a miracle we didn’t start tearing it off as soon as it came out of oven and stuff our mouth with freshly baked goodness! And boy!!! Did I master him or what!

Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic Flavoured Whole Wheat Bread

Print This Recipe

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Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic Flavoured Whole Wheat Bread
Prep Time: 15 mins (excluding resting time)
Baking Time: 35-45 mins
Serves: 4-6
Recipe Level: Basic/Beginner
Spice Level: Low
Serving Suggestion: With Soups & Salds

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Ingredients:
2½ cups Atta/Whole Wheat Flour
1 tsp/1 sachet quick action Yeast
¼ cup warm Milk
1 tsp Baking Powder
6-8 Sun Dried Tomatoes, chopped into ½ cm pieces
¾ - 1 bulb Garlic, crushed to rough paste
1-2 tsp Dried Italian Herbs or any herbs of your choice
1-2 tbsp + ¼ cup or less Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp Black Poppy Seeds or any topping of your choice
Salt to taste
Water to knead

Sun Dried Tomato & Garlic Flavoured Whole Wheat Bread before Baking

Method:
Preparing Dough:
Mix dry yeast in warm milk and keep it aside for 10 mins, by when the yeast would have started to react and bubbled.
Sieve whole wheat flour, baking powder and salt to taste in a large mixing bowl. Mix in chopped sun dried tomatoes, Italian herb mix and crushed garlic.
Make small hole in the centre and add yeast dissolved in milk along with olive oil and start to mix them well.
Slowly start adding water as and when needed and form smooth, pliable dough.
Cover the dough with cling film and let it rest for minimum 1½ hours till the dough starts to rise and doubles in volume.

Baking the Bread:
Preheat the oven at 220 degree C.
Line parchment paper on baking tray and spray it with oil.
Gently transfer the dough into centre of baking tray and shape it either square or rectangle or circle as I have done here.
Using a large knife, lightly press the surface horizontally and vertically forming squares.
Brush the surface with 1-2 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil, coating the top surface well and sprinkle poppy seeds or topping of your choice.
Place the baking tray in mid rack and bake it undisturbed for 35-45 mins depending on the type of oven. The bread should be backed well and the surface should turn golden brown in colour.
Place the backed bread on cooling rack and let it cool for 15 mins before cutting them into desired shape. When tapped, the bread should produce hollow sound which assures that the bread is baked well.
Cut bread into desired shapes and serve as it is or with hot bowl of your favourite soup and enjoy!

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