Rava Rotti - a traditional Karnataka dish

Breakfast, on most weekdays for me, is something quick and easy. I do try and make it as nutritious and protein packed as I can so that we have a healthy start to the day. It is on weekends that I am really able to try out elaborate dishes that sometimes also double up as brunch. This  rava rotti, though not an elaborate recipe by itself, does require some time, mostly because the dough needs to rest for a while. Packed with vegetables, this is quite a filling meal by itself, or paired with any simple chutney. I had it for the first time at a friend's house and it is there that I learned that this is a traditional dish from Karnataka.

What you need:
Rava/Sooji/semolina - 2 cups

Carrot - 1, grated

Cucumber - 1, skinned and grated

Spinach - 1/4 cup, chopped fine

Onion - 1/4 cup, chopped fine

Green chilli - 3, minced

Coriander and curry leaves - a little, chopped fine

Oil - 1 tbsp

Water 

Salt

Take the all the vegetables in a large bowl. Mix in the rava and salt. Add water, a little at a time and knead into a loose dough. Mix in 1 tbsp. of oil. Cover and leave aside for at least an hour, but if possible, for 3-4 hours. If the dough is not loose after the resting period, add some more water and knead again.

Take a banana leaf or any oiled surface to which the dough will not stick. Pinch out a large golf ball sized piece of dough. Place this on the oiled surface and pat into as large a circle as you can without tearing it. Turn this over onto a hot tawa. After a few seconds, peel off the banana leaf. Since I do not have access to fresh banana leaves, I used a special type of paper called holige paper, which is non-stick in nature and can be turned on to a hot surface without burning. Spoon some oil over the rotti and on the sides. Flip over and cook the other side as well. The rotti is done when the color changes from white to a creamish yellow shade and both sides have brown spots.

This is best eaten hot. It can be eaten as is or with peanut or coconut chutney or pickle.

Note:

• The addition of cucumber makes the rotti soft. If you do not add it, the rotti will turn brittle.
• It is important to rest the dough for at least an hour. The longer you let it rest, the softer your rottis will be.
• Any other greens of your choice can be added.

This is my entry to Week 4 of Blogging marathon #85 under the theme breakfast dishes from different places.

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Pita bread

I have always assumed that pita bread is difficult to make. Don't ask me why.....I just always thought that it wasn't something that could easily be made at home. Until now, that is. Blogging Marathon #50 has made me tread hitherto untested waters and I must say that not only is it not difficult to make pita at home, but it is also lighter and tastier than the store bought, preservative laden version.

Pita bread, hummus and falafel  - a complete meal

What you need:
Flour - 3 cups *(see note)
Instant yeast - 2 tsp
Salt - 1.5 tsp
Sugar - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Lukewarm water - 1 to 1.5 cups

In a large mixing bowl, bring together the flour, yeast, salt and sugar. Add water, a little at a time, until it forms a sticky mass. Add in the oil and transfer to your counter top. Knead well for at least ten minutes and for up to 12 minutes. By then, you will notice that the dough has become smooth, non sticky and pliable. Transfer to an oiled bowl and keep aside covered for 2 hours. The dough will puff up nicely even though it may not double. Punch the dough down, divide it into eight equal balls, cover and keep aside for half an hour. During this time, pre heat the oven to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
Roll the dough into a circle of roughly 6-7 inches and arrange as many of the circles as you can on the back of a cookie sheet. Bake for 4 minutes. The pita should puff up beautifully somewhere between 3 and 4 minutes. Even if it doesn't, don't fret too much about it, because it will still taste just as good.

Pita - hot off the oven

 Remove from the oven and serve warm with hummus and falafel to make a complete meal.

*Note : I have use a combination of 2 cups of wheat flour and 1 cup of all purpose flour. You may choose to use only APF, only Wheat flour, or any ratio that adds up to a total of 3 cups.
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Flour tortillas and vegetable fajitas

One of our favourite things to order at a Mexican restaurant nearby is their vegetable fajita. Fresh grilled vegetables, Spanish rice, refried beans,sour cream, guacamole and salsa are served with soft, freshly made tortillas and can be, based upon the individual's taste, be assembled at the table to make a wrap.
In my home made version, I have skipped the beans, guacamole and rice because I didn't have the ingredients for them on hand, but these fajitas were just as good the way we had them.
Until recently, I thought that all tortillas were made with corn flour. Only while looking for flat breads to make for the Blogging Marathon did I find out that in certain parts of Spain they make flour tortillas using All purpose flour. I have made mine with equal parts of all purpose flour and whole wheat flour. The authentic tortilla uses lard or shortening, which I have skipped and used a teaspoon of oil instead.

What you need:

 For the tortilla :
All purpose flour - 1 cup
Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Warm water - as needed

In a large mixing bowl, take the flours and salt. Add water, a little at a time, and knead into a pliable, smooth dough. Mix in the oil and knead. Cover and set aside for an hour.

To make tortillas :
Pinch out golf ball sized balls of dough and roll into a circle. Cook on a hot griddle until the bottom starts to brown. Turn over and cook until the tortilla puffs up a little and the other side also gets brown flecks. Store in a tortilla warmer or wrapped in a clean kitchen towel.

For the vegetable mix :
Mixed diced vegetables - 1 cup (I used green bell pepper, yellow and orange sweet peppers, carrot, beans, peas and corn)
Onion - a small one, diced
Garlic - 2 cloves, minced
Butter or oil - 1 tbsp
Salt
Lemon juice (optional)

Heat butter or oil in a sauce pan. Add the garlic and onion. Saute over high heat until slightly browned. Add in the rest of the vegetables and salt to taste. Stir well over high heat for a minute or two. Transfer to an oven safe dish. Grill at 450 degree Fahrenheit for 15-20 minutes or until the vegetables look slightly charred and develop a smoky flavor. Squeeze some lemon juice over this if desired and set aside.

For the fajita :
Tortillas
Vegetable mix
Salsa
Sour cream

To assemble the fajita :
 Heap some of the mixed vegetables onto a tortilla. Spread a generous helping of sour cream and salsa over it. Roll up and enjoy!

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Focaccia Caprese

We are already three months into this new year. Yet, this is my first post of the year. Despite intentions to the contrary, the blog has ended up being neglected. As always, the Blogging Marathon is what I've relied on to bring some action back into the blog. This time round, I've chosen to blog on flat breads from around the world for three days. By choosing this particular bread, I am also able to tick off one of the breads from the list of breads that the We Knead to Bake group has chosen to bake.
Focaccia is an Italian flat bread and Caprese refers to something that comes from Capri - an island off the coast of Italy. The topping on a focaccia caprese is tomatoes, fresh buffalo mozzarella and basil. I have made some changes to the original recipe, the major one being that I have used whole wheat flour in place of all purpose flour, and the minor ones being the use of Italian seasoning mix in place of dried oregano and the use of grated mozzarella and parmesan in place of slices of buffalo mozzarella.

What you need:
For the dough :
Whole wheat flour -  3.5 cups
Instant yeast - 2 tsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1/8 cup (Original recipe calls for 1/4 cup)
Lukewarm water - 1 to 1.5 cups

For the topping:
Tomato - 3-4, sliced into thin circles
Grated mozarella and parmesan - 1/4 cup
Parsley - some, chopped fine

For the herb oil :
Oil - A little less than 1/4 cup
2 large cloves of garlic minced
Italian seasoning mix - 2 tsp
Mix these ingredients together and set aside.

To make the dough :
Take the flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add water, a little at a time and mix to form a pliable dough. Add oil and knead well. Let this rest in a well oiled bowl until doubled in volume. This took approximately two hours.

Divide the dough into two parts. Roll out each part roughly into a rectangle of 11" by 7". I patted it out into a rectangle by hand, to give it a rustic look. Transfer on to a baking tray and let it rise for 20 minutes. Drizzle some oil over it and give it a dimpled look using your fingers.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for 18 - 20 minutes or until the focaccia starts to turn golden brown. Remove from the oven and drizzle the herb oil over the focaccia. Arrange the tomato slices evenly over it and sprinkle some grated cheese and some chopped parsley on top. Top with some more of the herb oil and bake again at 450 degrees Fahrenheit for 5-8 minutes until the cheese just melts. Remove from the oven and top with some more fresh chopped parsley.

Cut into slices/wedges and serve while hot.

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