COCONUT BUN (For Baking Partners)

This is my first challenge for Baking Partners and it was quite interesting.
I chose the Tangzhong method and the end result was really delicious

Ingredients for Tangzhong:

• Flour - 1/3 cup
• Water - 1 cup

Ingredients for bread:

• Bread flour - 2 1/2 cups
• Caster sugar - 3tbsp+2tsp
• Salt - 1 tsp
• Egg - 1 large
• Milk Powder - 1 tsp (optional)
• Milk - 1/2 cup
• Tangzhong ( half of the tangzhong made from the above recipe)
• Instant yeast - 2 tsp
• Butter (cut into small pieces, softened at room temperature) - 3 tbsp

Fillings:

• 1 1/2  Cup freshly grated coconut
• ½ cup crushed cashew nut
• ¼ cup sugar ( increase sugar if you want more)
• Red color
• Butter
• 1 egg white

Tangzhong Preparation:

1. Mix flour in water well without any lumps. Cook over medium-low heat, stirring consistently with a wooden spoon to prevent burning and sticking.
2. Switch off the flame once the mixture becomes thicker
3. Transfer into a clean bowl. 
4. Cover with a plastic wrap to prevent drying up. Let it cool. Use the tangzhong straight away once it cools down to room temperature.

Bread Preparation:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients: flour, salt, sugar and instant yeast in a bowl.
2. Whisk and combine the wet ingredients: milk, egg and tangzhong, add it to the dry ingredients.
3. Knead until the dough has developed gluten and then knead in the butter.
4. Knead the dough into a ball shape. Place in a greased bowl and cover with a wet towel . Let the dough double in size for about 40 minutes
5. Transfer to a clean floured surface.
6. Divide the dough in two halves one slightly bigger than the other.
7. Use the bigger portion for the base. Roll it out to the required size and spread it in the pan.
8. Spread the filling evenly and then roll the another half of the dough and cover the filling gently.
9. Leave it to rest for atleasst 40 mins
10. Brush the egg white on the surface. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 350 F for 35 to 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and tin. Transfer onto a wire rack and let cool completely.

Baking Partners: A new Baking Group

Baking Partners: A new Baking Group

A group of home bakers helping each other to achieve perfection.

Baking a home made Baking a homemade bread, cake or cookies will give the best outcome. However in order to achieve the best results, a perfect recipe and right techniques are required.

We are a small group of home baker friends, who love and want to learn more about the nook and corners of baking.  We are planning to try out recipes from books/magazines and cooking shows.  Every member gets a chance to present their choice of recipe and share important points with the rest of the group.

Main purpose of this group is to learn the techniques, critic the procedure if there are ways to improve, and to eat a delicious food.

Rules are simple, we will choose one recipe and send it out to the group by 16th of every month and the reveal date will be 15th of the next month. On that day we will blog about it. A linky tool will be open during that time and each member can link their post.

First month we are going to do a recipe, 2nd and 3rd month will be a theme and the 4th month we will be back at a recipe. By doing in between recipes, we will able to learn more.

All enthusiastic bloggers interested in baking are welcome, please email Swathi  of Zesty South Indian Kitchen  at favoriterecipes12@gmail.com.

We will appreciate the use of logo or worded link that will help to spread the word.  A bunch of thanks to Tina for designing this beautiful logo

If you   want to make it a gluten or vegan free diet, you can do those modifications also.

VEG MANCHURIAN

Ingredients:(for veg balls)

Mixed vegetables(carrot, peas, cabbage) - 2 cups

Maida - 2 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Ajeenomotto - 1 tsp

Salt - as required

Soy sauce - 1 tsp

Chilli sauce - 1/2 tsp

Red color - optional

For sauce

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Spring onion - 1stick

Ginger(chopped) - 1 tsp 

Garlic(chopped) - 2 tsp

Soy sauce - 2 tbsp

Chilli sauce - 1 tsp

Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Ajeenomotto - 1 tsp

Oil
Corn flour+water mixture - 2 to 3 tbsp

Method:

1. Boil the vegetables and drain it and try to take all the moisture out of it

2.Mash the vegetables and add all the ingredients (for veg balls) and mix it well

3. Make it into small balls and deep fry it in oil

For sauce:

1. Pour a little oil in a pan and add cumin seeds

2. Add onion, ginger, garlic and saute it in a low flame

3. Add all the sauces, salt, ajeenomotto, sugar and mix well and add a cup of water
4. When the mixture is boiling add the corn flour water mixture and allow it to boil until the sauce thickens
5. Switch off the flame and toss in the veg balls and garnish with coriander leaves

• Be careful while adding the salt in both veg balls and the sauce
• Soy sauce is very salty and remember that ajeenomotto is also a salt so the dish requires very very little amount of salt
• Instead of using water in the sauce use the water that is drained from the vegetables. This gives a delicious sauce
• Before dropping all the balls in the oil check it by dropping one ball and if the ball splits add some more maida to the mixture and mix it and fry it

This dish goes very well with pulao and fried rices

FRIED FISH (Semolina Crusted) WITH TARTAR SAUCE (Homemade)

  This is an awesome fish recipe that i tried recently. The semolina makes the crust really crispy even after when the fish becomes cold. The Tartar sauce was really good with the fish. I usually dont like the tartar sauce from the restaurant. But this one i loved it.                                                                                

 Ingredient for Fried Fish:

• Fish Fillets - 2lbs
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
• Tamarind Paste - 1tsp
• Red Chilli Powder - 2tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Egg - 1

For Crusting:

• Semolina (suji) - 1/4 cup
• Corn Flour - 3 tbsp
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Clean the fish and dry it in a kitchen towel until the fish is completely dry.
2. Mix all the ingredients except the fish and make it into a fine paste.
3. Add the fish to the marinade and mix well.
4. Marinate it for at least an hour. The longer the better.
5. Mix the ingredients given for crusting together
6. Coat the fish in the semolina mixture and shake off the excess and keep it in a plate.
7. Coat all the pieces and keep it in the freezer for 5-10 mins
8. Heat oil in a pan and before dropping the fish pieces in the oil coat the pieces once again in the semolina mixture for more crunch
9. Fry the fish in a medium heat until the fish is cooked well inside and the semolina is crisped.
10. Take it out and dry it in a paper towel. 

Ingredients for Tartar Sauce:

• Egg Yolk - 1
• Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
• Oil - 1 1/2 cups
• Red Onion - 1/2 (very finely chopped)
• Green Chilli - 1 (very finely chopped)
• Tomato chilli sauce - 2 tsp (any chilli sauce is good)
• Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Seperate the egg yolk from the egg white very carefully without mixing the yolk and the whites
2. Add the lemon juice  the yolk  and whisk it a little
3. Now whisk the egg yolk lemon juice mixture and simultaneously add the oil little by little. Do not stop whisking while adding the oil
4. Whisk until the mixture becomes saucy in texture
5. Add the vinegar, chilli sauce, salt, pepper, onion and green chilli and mix well
6. Cover the bowl and refridgerate it until serving
7. This can be stored for upto a week in the refridgerator.

          OVEN BAKED FRENCH FRIES
Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2 
• Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation:

1. Preheat the oven to 425`F. 

• Cut the potatoes into thin long wedges (Try to cut the pieces in same size)
• Take a bowl full of cold water and add some salt and lemon juice to it. Put the potato wedges in it and soak for an hour.
• Take the potatoes out of the water and dry it in a paper towel until all the moisture comes out.
• Add the salt, chilli powder and oil to the potatoes and  toss it
• Arrange the potatoes in an oven rack and bake it in the oven for 30-40 min until the potatoes become crispy.

Note: The Cooling rack used for cooling the baked foods works best for the fries rather than the baking sheet. The Potatoes can be placed on the cooling rack and kept in the oven directly. It doesnt need turning also in between baking. This takes less time for baking.