PIZZA BASE (WITH YEAST)

 

Since I got the doughnuts (with yeast) right, I have overcome my fear of using yeast and naturally proceeded to make pizza.

So simple to make! What else can I say.

While we were eating it, I wondered why I spent so much moolah ordering Pizzas from Dominos (pizza aficionados may stick your noses up in the air, Skip and I love pizzas from Dominos) when one could just bake them at home.

The base is crunchy and chewy. If you don’t have yeast at home, you can make the No-Yeast Pizza base and if you don’t have an oven at home, you could try these Whole Wheat, Stove-top Pizzas. The base with yeast does taste the best but the others are great alternatives too.

I made a 6 inch Margherita for Skip and a large veggie one for Sky and me.  

We had a few slices left over. We heated it and ate it the next day, it still tasted great.

This recipe is from Sally's Baking Addiction.

 

PIZZA BASE (WITH YEAST) ( MAKES TWO 12 INCH BASES)

Ingredients:

Warm water – 1 1/3 cups (320 ml)

Instant yeast – 2 ¼ tsp

Granulated sugar – 1 tbsp

Oil – 2 tbsp

Salt – 3/4 tsp

All-purpose flour – 3 ½ cups (450 gms)

Cornmeal – for dusting the pan

 

Method:

 

1.     Add the warm water, yeast and sugar to a bowl and whisk it well. Cover and let it rest for 5 minutes.

2.     The liquid will appear frothy after 5 minutes.

3.     To this, add oil, salt and the flour and mix it with a spatula till it comes together.

4.  On a floured surface, knead the dough for about 5 minutes. ( The dough should remain soft).

5.    Grease a bowl and place the dough in it, covering it with the oil. Cover the bowl and let the dough rise.

6.     After 60-90 minutes , the dough would have doubled in size.

7.     Preheat oven to 250C for at least 15-20 mins.

8.  Shaping the dough : when  the dough has doubled up in size, punch it down to release any air bubbles. Divide the dough in half (to make two pizza bases). Flour your work surface and flatten the dough with either a rolling pin or your hands. Pinch the edges of the base and poke holes in the base with a fork.

9.     Grease the baking dish and sprinkle cornmeal/semolina on it.

10. Place the base on the baking dish, brush the top lightly with oil and add your favourite toppings.

11. Bake the pizza for about 12-15 minutes until the bottom has browned.

12. Done.

 

Recipe Notes:

•      Preferable use Olive oil if you have it.
•       I didn’t have cornmeal so I used semolina for dusting.
•       Step 4: you know the dough is ready to rise when you poke it with your finger and it slowly bounces back. If it doesn’t, continue kneading. 
•      I tried using a rolling pin to shape the dough but found it easier using my hands to stretch the dough.

P.S: I still continue to order from Dominos. Let’s be honest here, it’s sometimes just easier  to order than cook at home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

INSTANT CASHEW COCONUT DOSA

I still don’t know to make the regular Dosa, the one that needs to be soaked, ground and fermented overnight. So, I am constantly on the lookout for instant Dosa recipes and S has an abundant collection of these.

When S sent me the Cashew Coconut Dosa recipe, I knew I’d be making this one for sure. I’d never had Dosa that had coconut in its batter and most definitely not cashews. I have never been more excited about eating any other Dosa.

All recipes that go up on my blog are made by me. I didn’t have time to prepare the batter for this one as I have a tight schedule in the mornings on weekdays. Radha had prepared the batter and as I entered the kitchen and turned on the flame to heat the pan, I couldn’t wait to taste this one. If I were a puppy, I’d have wagged my tail off in excitement.

Speaking of puppies, ain’t they cutest!

Look how crispy these are!

These are crispy Dosas that melt in your mouth. It has a wonderfully, mild coconut flavour, I probably didn’t add enough cashews to taste their rich creaminess. I had the Dosas with chutney and honey. The ones with honey tasted like crunchy, coconut crepes. 

These Dosas are instant, perfect for those days when you run out of breakfast ideas.

I also have the recipe for Instant Watermelon Dosa on my blog. Go check that out.

 

INSTANT CASHEW COCONUT DOSA

Ingredients:

Upma rawa (semolina) (roasted) – 1 cup

Rice flour (roasted) – 1 cup

Freshly grated coconut – ¾ cup

Cashew nuts – ¼ cup

Salt – to taste

For the seasoning:

Oil – 8 tbsp

Green chilli (finely chopped) – 2

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Jeera (cumin) – 1 tsp

Curry leaves (finely chopped)- A sprig ( or two)

 

Method:

 

1.     Blend the coconut and cashew into a fine paste.

2.     Add this paste to the  rawa and rice flour.

3.     Sauté the seasoning ingredients in oil and add to the above mixture.

4.     Add enough water to soak the above mixture and set aside for an hour.

5.   When you pour the dosas, add more water ( batter should be of neer dosa/rawa dosa consistency).

6.     Cook on both sides.

7.     Done.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OREO FUDGY BROWNIES

 28.08.2020: Biryani is my nemesis!

Why is Biryani mentioned in a Brownie post, you may wonder?

I had promised D that I would cook egg biryani for him and though we have been making plans for some time now, the virus, a trip, a vegetarian phase, a sneeze have put this plan on hold.

D was to finally have the egg biryani on the 29^th. I decided to bake a brownie for him the previous day.

The Oreo Fudgy Brownie was on my list. I had been saving a pack of Oreos for this. The recipe is from Baker by Nature. I have reduced the quantity of sugar by 100 gms and choco chips by a few grams in this recipe.  

As the brownie came out of the oven and I admiringly took it to my balcony to click pictures for the blog, Skip hovered around impatiently tapping his foot. I cut two tiny slices and said the remaining was for D. I sent D a picture of the brownie.

As luck would have it, the next day D couldn’t make it. When I told Skip this, a smile broke out on his face and he headed to the kitchen.

I love brownies and there are so many different recipes available. The kind I like best are the ones with crinkly crusts, chewy edges and fudgy centres, with bits of walnuts and choco chips and a sprinkling of sea salt.  

This brownie is all of that plus Oreos. Yumm, yumm! The taste of the Oreos does not overpower that of the chocolate but it does lend a lovely crunch to the brownie. This brownie tastes quite different from the Ooey Gooey Fudge Brownie. You could also try this without the Oreos and it would taste just as great. If you love brownies, you must bake this one and please do follow me on Facebook and Instagram @lucidlucent.

OREO FUDGY BROWNIES

Ingredients:

Unsalted butter – 170 gms (3/4^th cup)

Sugar (granulated) – 200 gms (1 cup)

Oil – 35 gms (3 tbsps)

Vanilla extract – 2 tsps

Eggs – 2 large plus 1 egg yolk

All-purpose flour (maida) – 95 gms (3/4^th cup)

Cocoa powder – 43 gms (1/2 cup)

Chocolate chips – 100 gms (1/2 cup)

Oreo cookies – 12

Salt – a pinch

Method:

1.     Preheat the oven to 175C and grease a baking dish.

2.    Combine butter and 100 gms sugar in a saucepan and cook until the butter melts completely. (I took it off the heat once the butter had melted, please note the sugar hadn’t melted)

3.    Remove from heat and while the mixture is still hot, stir in the oil and vanilla. Set aside.

4. In a mixing bowl, whisk the eggs, egg yolk and remaining sugar until well combined.

5. Slowly add the warm butter mixture into the egg mixture, very gradually, whisking it constantly until it is well combined.

6.   Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt to the above mixture and gently fold with a rubber spatula until it is just combined.

7.    Chop the oreos roughly and fold in half with the choco chips.

8.  Pour the batter into the baking dish and arrange the remaining oreo cookies on top.

9.     Bake for 27-30 minutes or until the top is shiny and slightly cracked.

10. Done.

Recipe Notes:

·       The original recipe calls for 300 gms sugar. I have reduced it to 200 and the brownie was sweet enough.

·       The original recipe calls for cooling the brownie for 2 hours before slicing it. Hmm… I waited for half an hour (and that itself felt like an eternity) and then sliced it.