Not just for the birds: Bajre ki roti

They say birds know what's good for them!

I knew Millet (bajra – hindi) to be the main ingredient in birdseed, however I did not know that it is one of the earliest cultivated grains. Millet is widely consumed in the Indian subcontinent and used in African and Eastern European cuisine as well. Millet is one of the least allergenic, non-glutinous grains available that is also very high in protein.

As a member the so-called “pseudograins”, (quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, and teff are actually seeds) millet might just be one of the most versatile of those “grains”. Millet has a nutty/earthy taste, and when it is hulled it can be used in making pulao, when pressure cooked or slow cooked one can make a Konji/Kanji/Soup, which would be great for breakfast or stirred raw into baked goods for an extra crunch, sprouted for salads, ground into flour, or popped like popcorn. Thirty five grams of bajra contains approx 4gms of protein, great for the vegan/vegetarian diet.

Better late than never, I‘ve started to consume millet regularly in my diet. I eat it pressure cooked as a substitute for rice (beware - it has a VERY chewy texture), but I like it! I also make roti’s- Indian breads with it, since others in my family are not so gung ho about it I make the rotis with equal portions of Bajra flour and whole wheat flour. I’ve found after many tries that the bread is best consumed fresh and the flavor is enhanced when eaten with raw sliced onions, blistered green chilli/salt or a powder of peanut, coconut, garlic and dry red chillies. Apparently this is how the peasants in India consume the rotis, which also go by the name Bhakri roti and thecha or lahsun chutney.

Millet flour roti

Ingredients

2 cups freshly milled millet flour

2 cups whole wheat flour (atta)

1 medium onion, finely chopped

1-2 green chillies, finely chopped

3 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped

3-4 cups warm water

4 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

Method

Mix both the millet and wheat flours. Add salt, onions, chillies, coriander leaves and 1 tbsp of the oil and rub into the flour mixture. Make a well and pour 2-3 cups of water and knead the dough for about 3-5 minutes or until the dough forms a ball and leaves the side of the bowl. Set aside. Meanwhile heat an iron griddle.

Make lemon sized balls of the dough and roll on wooden board with a rolling pin into the size of a quarter plate (6-7 inchs). The roti should be atleast 3-4mm thick, if you roll the roti too thin it will break while cooking. Using a fork make dimpled impressions all over  the roti and on both sides so that it will cook fast and evenly.

Once the griddle is hot slap the roti on and allow it to cook for 45 seconds and flip over and cook another 30 seconds. Apply a little bit of the reserved oil on each side and cook until light brown spots appear. It is important to cook the bread fast or it will become dry.

Serve warm with butter, sliced raw onion and pickle (see recipes below).

Roasted green chilli: Stick a green chilli on a skewer and roast on an open flame until it blisters. Serve it with salt. To eat, mash the chilli and salt together and apply on the roti.

Lahsun chutney 

(dry garlic/coconut/peanut powder)

Ingredients

100 gms dry roasted skinned peanuts

100 gms grated dry coconut

20-30 garlic cloves

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tbsp red chilli powder

1 tbsp salt

1 tsp sugar

Method

Pound all ingredients together in a mortar and pestle or gently blend in a food processor until a coarse powder is formed.   

Creativity comes in many colors - mine is called Manarola

My connections with Italy began early in my childhood, it could have started with my first bite of pizza, or while caressing the fabulous ox blood red coral beads my grandmother showed me from her treasure box. Needless to say the love affair had started and continued to build up, Baroque music, art and architecture that flourished under the de Medici family or lately my fondness for Gucci shoes, Dolce and Gabbana sunglasses, Versace dinnerware or Statuario marble flooring.

It is my desire to spend a few years in Italy once in this lifetime, so I secretly take time to practice Italian and dream of Cinque Terra. I often dream of strolling down the Via dell’ Amore (aka blue path) to arrive at Manarola. A picture says a thousand words and here is where I want to be.

While I can’t be there right now, enjoying the wonderful mediterranean climate and cuisine of fresh produce and herbs I made this tomato soup in honor of Manarola, quite literally, don’t you think?

Zuppa di pomodoro alla Manarola con crostini

Ingredients
2lbs/1kg fresh ripe tomatoes
2 med sized onions finely chopped
2-4 garlic cloves, crushed
2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil + 2 tbsp butter
1 tsp sugar
½ cup milk or cream
3 fresh thyme sprigs (optional)
1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
¼ cup basil leaves, chopped
Generous pinch of cayenne pepper
Salt to taste

Method
Blanch tomatoes to remove the skin and set aside. Heat olive oil and butter and sauté garlic and onions until they turn translucent. Blend cooked onion and garlic along with tomatoes, milk/cream, spices thyme and basil leaves. Heat the blended mix on a low flame and serve warm with crostini.

Crostini
Slice favourite bread into slices and generously apply butter and grill until golden, top with parmesan cheese.

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This recipe has been submitted for the event, Healing foods, created by Siri of Siri's Corner and hosted by Padmajha of Seduce Your Tastebuds.

A slippery situation

Mention Okra and you will find many people who love to hate it - the reason that this crisp vegetable gets a bad rap is because: (a) Ooze - if the vegetable is damp from rinsing it will ooze while cooking; (b) if it is overcooked it will turn gelatinous.

Be good to yourself and indulge in this vegetable, or more like: Indulge as much as you can.
The reason is simple. Okra or ladies fingers (british english name), you're doing yourself a favor. Okra has lots of vitamin C and plenty of B vitamins and minerals, especially magnesium, potassium and calcium. It also is high in fiber.

Once treasured as a delicacy in Moorish Spain, this vegetable had its origin in Ethiopia. From that ancient land, it traveled north to the Mediterranean shores and east to India.

As children our grandmother encouraged us to eat our okra as it said to increase brain power! Research now shows that okra contains a fair amount of folic acid which helps prevent neural tube defects in developing fetuses….not an old wife’s tale after all.

I make okra quite regularly as my husband enjoys it and here is one version of the vegetable side dish I make. I am often asked what is the magic to making this delicious dish? It is quite straightforward and that is the honest truth! I hope you can enjoy the simplicity of this dish.

Kale Aloo Bhindi

Ingredients

1 lbs okra / ladiesfinger, rinsed and completely dry (not a spot of moisture) and cut into 1 inch pieces
½ lbs potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp whole coriander seeds
1 + ½ tsp whole cumin seeds
1 tsp red chili powder (optional)
2 tsp Amchur powder (dry mango powder) or 2 tsp lime juice
2 - 4 tsp oil
Salt to taste

Method
Heat a pan and broil the coriander seeds and 1 tsp of the cumin seeds. Cool and powder. Heat oil in a pan and add ½ tsp cumin seeds and allow to sputter. Add the turmeric powder and chopped potatoes. Cook on a low flame until the potatoes are ¾ cooked. Add the okra, cumin/coriander powder, chili powder (optional), lime juice and salt. Cover and cook until the okra is tender but still firm. Serve warm on ciabatta bread with garlic aioli or with roti’s and dal.

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This recipe has been submitted for the event Green Gourmet, created and hosted by Preeti of Write Food

In Knead of a Crust

My son K, loves Olives…actually so does his mom! K is the only kid I know that takes them to school as a snack and so I tend to buy a variety as each one has its own special flavor and use. Cured olives can broadly be classified by their color either black (purplish) or green. I’ve listed a few that I personally like…….

Kalamata – Smallish salty, flavorful, black and a bit bitter, you can find these popular Greek black olives in most large supermarkets. (my favorite kind)

Nicoise - A key ingredient in Salade Niçoise, these small purplish-black olives have a distinctive sour flavor.

Gaeta – These are small black Italian olives and are either dry-cured or brine-cured and a great substitute to the Kalamata.

Manzanilla – These green olives are often pitted and stuffed with pimento, garlic or cheese. These are the olives that garnish a martini cocktail.

Sevillano - This is a large, green, brine-cured olive, but not as large as the manzanilla and never stuffed.

Picholine - Green torpedo-shaped olives that are brine-cured and the ones made in France are marinated with coriander seeds and herbes de Provence while the American made version are soaked in citric acid, these make great martini olives as well.

Finally, the humble Mission - Common black sliced kind available at most supermarkets and the kind we see on a pizza or at the salad bar, this olive lacks flavor when compared to any of the European olives.

I’m passionate about bread…and the ones made with Olives are enjoyed by all at home, so I baked a simple Olive bread this weekend.

Simple Olive Bread

Ingredients
1 package active dry yeast

1½ cups warm water

3 –3 ½ cups bread flour, plus more for dusting1

½ tsp sea salt or kosher salt

3 tsp first cold press olive oil

¾ cup olives of your choice, chopped

Suji/cornmeal for dusting

Method
Prepare yeast as per direction on the envelope. Sift flour with salt and add the olive oil. It is essential to use extra virgin first cold pressed oil as this flavors the bread. Mix it well. Add the frothy yeast liquid and warm water and mix until the dough is sticky. Turn dough onto a floured surface and knead it for 8-10 minutes. Place in an oiled mixing bowl, cover with shrink wrap and allow it rest for 20-30 minutes. Remove from the bowl and knead the dough again, this time sprinkling some chopped olives as you go for about 6-8 minutes and shape into a smooth ball. Place the dough an oiled (2-3 quart) pyrex bowl, sprinkled with suji/cornmeal. Cover with dampened tea towel and allow this to rise once more, about 45-80 minutes. Put the lid on the bowl (this yields a nice chewy crust) and bake in a 375 degree oven for 35 minutes. Remove lid and bake for another 5-10 minutes until when knocked on the side it sounds hollow. Remove and allow to cool. Serve warm with butter.

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I would like to submit this for the JugalBandits event, Click-Crusts