GARLIC, ONION & POPPY SEED CRACKERS

Iam a Daring Baker for the past 4 and a half years. And I have to admit that I have not been an active member for the past two. Even though I drool over every single challenge I quite didn't want to be challenged off of the time spent with Ian, which was what that kept me away from participating for the past months. I regret it every month,especially when the round up is posted. What creativity! What camaraderie! I am proud to be a part of it and I've baked so many things because of the group...Strudels,Cheesecakes,Bakewell Tart,Yeasted Meringue Coffee Cakes,Milano Cookies, Croquembouche,My Fair Lady Pudding...so so many stuff!

This wonderful group was started by two ladies, Lis & Ivonne. Lis passed away a few days ago due to a heart attack. It shocked the Daring Baker's world. Having interacted with her in the past, when Jamie and myself hosted a challenge, I got to know Lis better. She was a lady with a big heart, ever ready to help.She will be missed.

So we all got together and decided to do a tribute for Lis. A post on our food blogs or a post on Facebook/ Twitter/Instagram or maybe all of it! Some of them are planning to do a Pretzel post, which was the first post of the Daring Bakers,many many years ago. I decided to pull out one challenge from the many that I've missed participating in.There were so so many to chose but I am so pressed for time, this time, because we are travelling tonight.So in between all the packing & cooking for my Little Man,I did this. Trust me, it was a challenge pulling this off. My oven was working day and night. Cookies, cakes,crakers,breads...everything was popping in and out of it one after another.But I was determined to do it for Lis.

This cracker is fantabulous. Are you an Onion lover? Do you find yourself picking up Sour Cream & Onion flavoured potato chips? Do you find yourself digging into that Caramelised Onion Dip? Do you? I do. I have to admit I love anything with onion in it and if there's some garlic too...I would be in paradise! I love the flavour and colour of red onions over all others but this time around I didn't have any so used the regular fat yellow onions that I had in my pantry.This recipe is from 'Menus from an Orchard Table'by Heidi Noble featured on Sarah's blog.

GARLIC, ONION & POPPY SEED CRACKERS
Makes about 6 dozen

Ingredients:
1 cup pureed onion
1 egg
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
2 tablespoon poppy seeds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Method:
Blend the pureed onion,egg and oil to form a homogenous mixture. In a medium bowl, mix together rest of the ingredients and make a well in the centre. Pour the wet mixture into it and slowly stir to form a dough. Wrap and chill the dough for one hour. Roll it out paper thin in between two parchment sheets.Cut them into desired shapes and bake until evenly golden.It can take anywhere between 5-20 minutes at 350F depending on the thickness.It they are thicker,it will puff up like pitas. Cool completely before storing it.

Ian Vaava totally loved this! He was munching on one and he had another one ready in his other little hand.He loved dipping it into theCaramelised Onion dip I made to go along with the crackers. I also served it to our friends and Jobin and everyone had the same opinion...the crackers and dip is awesome!

ARROZ CON POLLO for 5 years of food blogging!

Ilove planning parties and of course planning it's menu!Once the menu is set, which is the most painstaking thing for me, I look forward to the cooking day.How I love that day! I try to cook something new, something different every time. I make sure I read most of the reviews before trying out a new recipe because of obvious reasons.That is exactly why I ask you dear readers to leave a review of the things you've tried out from here. It will help others for sure!

This time, I chose to do a South American themed dinner when our friends came over.As always, I searched high and low for recipes that I've never tried...which does not mean I have tried almost all the recipes in the world! I have so much to try out,so much to learn...the world of cooking is so mighty and widespread.The world of food blogging makes it easier for me.

Arroz Con Pollo. It is a Cuban chicken and rice dish flavoured with spices like oregano,bay leaves,cinnamon. It has lots of tomatoes in it which made me think whether it would be tangy. It wasn't. It just took the whole dish to another level. I totally loved this dish. The recipe calls for stirring the rice and chicken while it's cooking which is a no-no in my usual rice and chicken dishes because the chances of rice breaking up is very high. I guess this dish is meant to be stirred and nothing big happened. It gives you a mushy texture so do not expect every rice grain to be separate from each other, like our Biriyani's.

This food blog of mine turned 5 years,exactly a month ago. On October 10. It totally skipped my mind and I realised it only a few days later and I dont' think I need to mention how terrible I felt then. Of all the things, it's the 5th Blog Birthday and I forgot that! Mommy brains maybe? :-) So this celebratory recipe is from Gourmet,which I found via Deb.

ARROZ CON POLLO

Ingredients:
For the chicken:
3 large cloves of garlic
2 tablespoon white vinegar
2 tablespoon dried oregano,crumbled
12 chicken thighs,skin & excess fat removed

For the rice:
3 ounce Chorizo,skin removed and diced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium onions, chopped
1 large bell pepper,chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoon hot paprika
2 bay leaves
1 pound tomatoes,seeded and chopped
1 12 ounce bottle dark beer
1 1/2 cups chicken stock
2 cups long grain rice
1/4 cup roasted red pepper strips

Method:
For the chicken: Mince and mash garlic using 2 teaspoons of salt. Add that along with the remaining ingredients and marinate chicken for 1 hour.
For the rice: Add chorizo to a large 6-7 quart pot and saute on medium high heat for 2-3 minutes until it renders some fat. Add the onions, pepper & garlic to it and saute for 5 minutes. Add cumin, oregano,paprika and cook stirring for 1 minute. Add the marinated chicken and cook stirring occassionally for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes,beer,chicken stock & rice. Cover it with a round of parchment and place the lid over it. Cook for 20 minutes,stirring once or twice in between until the rice is done.Remove the bay leaves & paper. Garnish with red pepper strips and serve!

I asked Jobin to play some Latin music so that it would set the mood of the party just right. While the music played on in the background, we all munched on some Roasted Potatoes topped with Romesco Sauce (dee-licious!), Potato & Chorizo Empanadas (so so good!), Arroz Con Pollo (yum! yum!) & finished off the meal with a super decadent, delicious Chocoflan. Ian enjoyed the Empanadas the most as it was a finger food that he could enjoy while running around entertaining our guests :-)
 

NO KNEAD ARTISAN BREAD

There was a time in my life when I thought I would never find a liking for artisan breads. I always loved the soft,supple bread loaves we used to get from our local bakeries in Kannur. If you go there are around noon or by 3 pm-ish, you will get hot breads which you will be juggling between your two palms because it is really that hot...straight from the 'borma'. I've never,tasted any bread which tastes as good as that bread in the US.I don't think I ever will. The breads we get in the supermarkets here have some sort of an artificial taste...all the brands,some more,some less.

Now, the story is different. I absolutely love artisan breads. They are firm and crackly on the outside but soft and full of holes inside.The holes help in mopping up any sauce that you want to.I love to dip a chunky slice in some good olive oil with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar and finally topped with some Parmesan. When I bake these breads at home,I can hardly wait for it to cool down. So does little Ian. He loves these kind of breads.He eats it as is but I like my first slice with butter or some good berry jam.

I knew about Zoe and Jeff  when I was in India. That's when their book Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes A Day was released.I was even more excited to learn that they both lived in the area I was about to move into...Minneapolis.This is the Master recipe from that book. So,after getting here,I enrolled for a baking class with them and learnt to bake bread from the best! You can read about that here.

NO KNEAD ARTISAN BREAD

Ingredients:
3 cups of lukewarm water
1 tablespoon yeast
1 - 1 1/2 tablespoon salt
6 1/2 cups all purpose flour

Method: In a large 6 quart  plastic bowl / container with lid, mix together the flour, yeast and salt. Add in the water all at once and stir to form a dough.It will be a sticky dough. Cover the bowl with a lid,but not tightly shut, and let it sit at room temperature for 2 hours.DO NOT punch down the dough,it will would have risen but flat on top. After that, refrigerate the dough overnight. You will notice that the dough has collapsed which is normal.It will not rise again. Sprinkle some flour over the surface of the dough,pull and cut off a 1 pound chunk of it. Shape it and let it rest on a parchment for 40  minutes.
Preheat the oven to 450 F along with the baking stone and a metal tray in the lowest shelf. Slide the shaped dough onto the baking stone and pour one cup of hot water into the metal tray .Bake for 30-35 mins or until deep brown in colour. Remove the parchment after 20 minutes of baking so that the bottom gets a chance to crisp up. Once baked, remove it from the oven and let it cool completely before slicing in.Enjoy!

The leftover dough can be refrigerated and will remain fresh for 2 weeks. It will develop sourdough characteristics during the course of 2 weeks.
If you have any leftover bread, put the cut side down on a plate and leave it. You don't have to cover it.

Like I mentioned before, we really enjoy artisan breads. I am so glad that Little Ian also shares the love for this carb heaven! He was running around when I was photographing the bread and every once in a while he would stop by and point at the bread asking for me to cut and share a slice with him. So the slice with the jam, that you just saw above, was shared by the two of us later!

This wonderful loaf is Yeastspotted!
 

CHERUPAYAR PARIPPU PRADHAMAN

T
his is Ian's second Onam. Last year,Appan & Amma were here with us and our celebrations started and ended at the Malayali Association's sadya. But this year,it was an ongoing event starting from the Malayali Association's sadya. I even participated in a dance for the opening ceremony at the association.It was such a break from my routine and truck loads of fun. We ate 3 sadya's this year but I cooked only for one and that too, a potluck.

I've never cooked a complete Onam sadya yet. We usually have it in a potluck form, which I think is the best. Nobody has to cook up a storm,especially when it comes to a sadya! Also, everyone gets to tastes different versions of every item. Once the date is set, a group email is sent out as to what everyone is supposed to bring or would like to bring and then the excitement builds in me!

After every sadya,I feel so stuffed mostly because I overate even though I knew what my situation would be at the end. This time, it was no different. I was so full that I couldn't even put Ian Vaava to sleep after that. I couldn't hold him close enough because I felt my stomach would burst! So Jobin came to the rescue...ahh!

The colour of this pradhaman totally depends on how light or dark your jaggery is.Mine was very pale and so it reflected in the final product. So,I've made up my mind to hunt for darker ones the next time I am making it.So here's my trusted recipe.

CHERUPAYAR PARIPPU PRADHAMAN
My own recipe

Ingredients:
100g split,skinless moong dal
200g jaggery,melted
300 ml water
600 ml thin coconut milk
250 ml thick coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground roasted cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds
1/4 cup fresh coconut slices
1/4 cup whole cashews
3 tablespoon ghee

Method: In a heavy bottomed pan, roast the moong dal until it turns pale brown/reddish in colour.It will get fragrant at this point.Add  water and cook until soft.Mash it with the back of a spoon and add the melted & strained jaggery and 1 tablespoon ghee.Cook stirring until it starts to bubble up, thicken & leaves behind a line if you draw one with a spoon. Add the thin coconut milk and the spices and continue cooking,stirring occasionally until it thickens up.Switch off the heat and add the thick coconut milk. Stir to combine.Fry the coconut slices & cashews in the remaining ghee until golden brown and pour over the hot pradhaman. Serve hot,warm or even chilled.

You most likely will have to adjust the consistency once the pradhaman is chilled,if so, thin it out using cow's milk.

This is my first trial at making a pradhaman. Mini aunty makes good parippu pradhaman and I've watched her making it once,a long time ago. It seemed simple enough but when I had to make it for the potluck, I was blank.I remembered her roasting the dal but other than that, nothing! So I set out to make my own,which is what you saw above.We really liked it. The colour, like I mentioned before was pale due to the light coloured jaggery that I got from the Indian store here.
Vaava is a big time pradhaman/ payasam lover! So he definately did get a good share of this.Hope you all had a great Onam...we sure did!
 

CREAMY TOMATO & COCONUT FISH CURRY

Ijust realised that I don't experiment a lot with fish. It usually is served in the form of a Fish Fry, a Meen Vevichathu or a Kannur Style Meen Curry. I never went beyond that because I never felt the need to.I was very happy with the same old curry or maybe an occassional Malabar Fish Masala & a Fish Moilee. A few days ago, I was browsing through Monica's cookbook and realised that she had many recipes for seafood and her signature Fish Curry caught my attention.

It's simplicity is beyond words.The texture is super creamy and the curry tastes very mild even though there's a kick from the serrano and the bite from the cayenne.I was tempeted to add more cayenne than what she had suggested but later realised that it would have been a bit too much. Or,it could be the brand of chilli powder that I am using.The heat varies from brand to brand.So add accordingly.And the beautiful red mini cocotte that the curry is served was gifted to us by Honey Sarah Naveen,when we met her back in June.

After Ian was born, I know my day (s)can be unpredictable.I cannot predict what I will have to run after, as soon as I put my hand in to the tray of raw fish/meat/poultry.It could be him climbing on our sofa, on our ottoman or even our LazyBoy!Luckily, he is very sensible for his age.He is careful about what he does. Even though I am running behind him clearing up whatever he pulls out or drops, I am constantly thinking of what to cook/bake next!

Many of you ask me how I manage my day/daily chores with a baby on my hips! The thing is, to be honest, I really don't care! I just do what I have to without thinking much. I've noticed that I've been cooking a lot more than what I used to,before he came into our lives. I think it's because I need something else to concetrate other than just the baby.Cooking is such a pleasure for me. Whenever I cook, I give it my full concentration. I've even noticed that I enjoy peeling garlic and ginger so much more than before,just so that I can get busy in my head,in my own world. I have always been 'from the scratch' kinda cook but now, I am obsessed.I even bake our daily bread! Baby magic? Well, I like to think so :-) That keeps me going!

CREAMY TOMATO & COCONUT FISH CURRY

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
3 big cloves of garlic, crushed
1 inch ginger,grated
2 serrano chilies, chopped
10 curry leaves
1 large tomato,chopped
1 teaspoon red chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon salt, to start with
1 pound fish, cut into bite sized pieces
Scant 1 cup thick coconut milk

Method: Heat oil in a large pan. Add the mustard seeds and when it pops, add crushed garlic,grated ginger, chopped serrano chilies & curry leaves and saute for 1 minute. Add the chopped tomato and cook it for 10-12 minutes or until you get to see the oil released. If it is sticking, add a little bit of water to aid the process.Add the powders and saute for minute. Now, add in the fish,stir and let it cook for 5 minutes. Then, add the coconut milk and bring to a boil.Reduce the heat and let the curry simmer until the fish is cooked.Serve hot with steamed rice.

Getting back to the curry. It was absolutely marvelous and we loved it. I mopped it up with some homemade Milk Bread (the one you just saw in a photograph above).There's something magical about simplicity in recipes and if you want to be a believer,I insist you to give this recipe a try.
Ian loves his toy fish. So when I was feeding him, I told him that he was having rice with fish(chorum-mee mee-um).As he gobbled it up, I could see his little eyes wandering around to locate his favourite toy! I couldn't help but smile and the same time felt sad thinking what must have gone through that little innocent mind of his :-)
 

POTATO & BROCCOLI RICE - BABY FOOD SERIES (1)

Ijust realised that the last post here was about a month ago! Where does the time go? Days are just flying by and even before I realise Summer is coming to an end, Costco has started stocking up on Christmas decorations!! Eeeks! That means just one thing...winter is around the corner! I know, I know, there's a season called Fall in between to come but everything just spells Winter to me. Winter in Minneapolis...is too harsh.

A lot of you had asked me about what I feed Ian Vaava on a daily basis.I give him different things depending on my mood on that given day.Sometimes, he has a spread and sometimes it's just some veggie loaded rice and yogurt.Either way, he always relishes everything to the last morsel. So,it works out for us.

I also realised,after reading your emails,that I haven't shared any birthday photographs from Ian's 1st Birthday Party as I promised to! So here are some of them. When I look at these photographs, my heart cannot hold back the emotions I had during those days...a month ago.The drama because he was turning one, the headless chicken dance I did because I wanted EVERYTHING, yes, every single thing to be homemade! Did you know that I even asked Jobin if I could make the burger buns & potato chips at home too...so that it's like a complete homemade thing??

To be honest, when I go for a birthday party or for that matter any party,I look forward to eating the food,the host/hostess cooked. If possible, from scratch. Yeah,I can be a bit difficult that way. I somehow love the charm of homemade meals. I love the fact that there was a lot of thought process that was involved in making that day special, in a complete homemade way.

I feel very accomplished,when I look at the food photographs from his birthday party. I had been planning it since the time he was born. Menu changed multiple times and finally we decided on these things that you are seeing right now.Everything, including the spring roll wrappers were made from scratch. I wanted his birthday to be so special, so special that I didn't mind breaking my head over each detail.

It was a quiet,fun filled day with our good friends here.Ian had a good time and stayed up until we packed up and left from the picnic spot.

POTATO & BROCCOLI RICE
My own recipe

One thing I want to tell you is that I am not a certified baby food maker, so please, please use this as a guide to develop your own recipes,for your child. You know your child better,than me. This is what I feed our baby.

Ingredients
2 tablespoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 large dried red chili
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 red onion, sliced fine
1 large potato,peeled & cubed
1 cup broccoli florets
1/2 cup sona masoori /basmati rice
1 1/2 cups water
Salt to taste

Method: Heat oil in a pressure cooker,on medium heat.Splutter the mustard followed by cumin and dried red chili.Add the turmeric,onions,potato & broccoli and saute for 2 minutes.Add the rice and stir for a minute.Add water and salt and pressure cook for two whistles.Once the steam is released,open the cooker and adjust seasonings/water to your child's preference*.
*If your baby likes mushy rice,add more water and mush it up using a potato masher.

We must be quite weird when we say that we really like baby food,when made this way. I find Jobin and myself helping ourselves from his little porcelain pot that I keep his food in. If at all,you feel like making it for yourself,decrease the water and pressure cook it for just one whistle. I hope to update this space with more baby food,so that it may benefit some of you.