FALAFEL

Falafel is one of the most popular vegetarian snack in the middle east.These are patties made from chickpeas and spices and then deep fried.Its one of the best things to serve as an appetizer to a vegetarian or a non- vegetarian.It tastes great as it is along with any hot sauce but usually served in pita pockets or wrapped in a flat pita bread with hummus as base.

Canned chickpeas works good for this.If you dont have canned food in your area then you can soak the chickpeas overnight,pressure cook and then use them.

This is my post on day28 of RM2.

INGREDIENTS

Chickpeas - 1 can

garlic - 2 cloves

onion - 1 medium size ,diced large

cilantro/coriander leaves - a whole bunch

cumin pdr - 1 1/2 tsp

red chilli pdr - 1 tsp

coriander pdr - 1 1/2 tsp

lemon juice - 2 tsp

all purpose flour - 1/4 cup

bread crumbs - 1/4 cup + 2 tbsp

salt and pepper

oil for deep frying

METHOD

Heat some oil in a pan and fry the garlic and onions till their raw flavor disappears.Then add all the ingredients including the fried garlic and onions in a blender and blend them till they all come together.Do not add any water, that will make it very thin and will be very difficult to form tight patties.Also if water is present then the patties will absorb a lot of oil.Form lemon size balls from the mixture and gently flatten them.

Heat oil in a deep vessel.When its hot drop the patties very slowly one by one.Fry them till they turn golden brown.Do not overcrowd the pan that will make them very oily as well.PLace them on a paper towel to remove excess oil.Serve hot with hummus or any hot sauce or serve it wrapped in pita bread.

Do check out what my marathon buddies have posted today!!!

1) DK 2) Srivalli 3) PJ 4) Curry Leaf 5) Medha 6) Priya 7) Bhawna 8) Raaji 9) Ruchii 10)Anu 11) Kamala 12) Roopa13) Divya Kudua 14) Rekha 15) Divya M 16) Lakshmi 17) Raaga 18)Lakshmi Venkatesh 19) Sripriya 20) Viji 21) Pavani 22) Kamalika 23) Karuna 24) Roochi

PIDE - Turkish seeded bread

Recently i got this "Ultimate Bread " book by Eric Treuille and Ursula Ferrigno from the library .This is a great book for a beginner like me.It features recipes for 40 or more varieties of bread and describes each and every step thats involved in making a basic bread dough,with photos too.Since it's my 1st time i chose to bake a simple one.

Pide is recognised by its distinctive ridged pattern,golden crust and topping of nigella seeds/fennel seeds/sesame seeds.Its traditionally prepared for the muslim festival of ramadan,when it is eaten to break the fast at sunset.Plain pide baked unglazed and without the sprinkling of seeds is a regular accompaniment to grilled kebabs and kofte.

I am sending this for this months A.W.E.D - middle eastern cuisine hosted this month by Siri of Siri's Corner.

(Recipe adapted from the book "ultimate bread")

INGREDIENTS

Dry yeast - 2 tsp

sugar - 1/2 tsp

water - 3/4 cup + 1/2 cup

Unbleached flour - 3 1/2 cups

salt - 1 tsp

olive oil/veg oil - 2 tbsp + for glazing (can use egg wash too)

nigella seeds/fennel seeds/sesame seeds - 2 tsp

Note:- All ingredients should be at room temperature

METHOD

Sprinkle the yeast and sugar into 1/2 cup of lukewarm water in a bowl.Leave for 5 mins,then stir to dissolve.This should be done just before adding the yeast to the flour.Avoid using metal bowls or utensils to prepare yeast.Metal can impart an unpleasant aftertaste to the yeast mixture.


Sift the flour and salt together in a large bowl.Make well in the center and pour the dissolved yeast and the oil.


Mix in the flour.Stir in the remaining water,as needed to form a firm soft dough.Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.Knead until smooth,supple and elastic ,about 15 mins.Initially the dough will be stiff but will soften and stretch gradually as you continue kneading.


Put the dough in a clean,oiled bowl,turning it to coat evenly with the oil.Cover with a dish towel,then let it rise until doubled in size,about 1 1/2 hrs.To check if the dough has completely risen press it gently with your fingertip.It will not spring back completely if its completely risen and spring back at once when the rising is incomplete.

Punch down the dough and rest for 10 mins.

Divide the dough into 2 equal parts.Roll each piece into a smooth ball and put it on a lightly floured baking sheet.Roll out each piece to form a 1/4in. thick round.Cover with a dish towel and let it rest for 20 mins.

Preheat the oven to 425 deg F

Use the blunt edge of knife to gently draw 4 parallel impressions across on top of each dough,then 4 more in the opposite direction.Brush with olive oil.

Sprinkle the dough with the seeds evenly and bake for 10-15 mins,until puffy and golden in color.wrap the breads immediately in a dishwtoel to keep the crust soft and prevent from drying out.

To check the doneness of the bread: -

A well baked bread should be golden brown in color,not too pale,not too dark in color.The texture and feel of bread should be firm to the touch without seeming hard.The best test is to listen to the sound of the baked bread when it is tapped on the underside.it should sound slightly hollow when it has been properly cooked.