Bread | Aapplemint

Mumbai Style Keema-Pav

All, Featured, Non-Vegetarian 8 Responses »

Mar 202012

“ Pav ” - Its not your fancy posh bread, but its what feeds millions of Mumbai-ites.

Pav is a local basic white bread. But trust me when I say this, there is nothing quite like it out there. Knead to a soft consistency with lots of butter. This dough makes a very light and airy bread that makes so many lip smacking dishes like, Vada Pav, Pav, Bhaji, Kheema Pav, Mutton Pav, Masala Pav, Samosa Pav, Usal/Misal Pav …

I’ve travelled many places and tried many different kinds of bread everywhere, but no one makes Pav. Maybe its the flour here or the water or technique …. I don’t know, but its just different here in Mumbai. I haven’t tried making it cuz it would be insane. Its so very cheap to buy it, why take the trouble. Any which ways Pav was created for fast food, to be had on the go. Available on every nook and corner of the city for just Rs. 1 per piece this bread feeds the masses. And when combined with other street favorites, the results are almost always irresistible.

” Keema ” Is Mutton Mince prepared either in curry or dry style. North Indians have it with parathas and South Indians with rice.

In Mumbai, on the streets its best preferred with Pav. If you like Pav Bhaji , then this is the non vegetarian version for you. Made spicier, tangier and overall yummier, the Mumbai keema pav is very popular, specially after a night out of drinking. A couple of these and guaranteed no hangover the next day.

There was this one night when I was up all night to help a friend make a website. We worked late and got so hungry, we got out to find something to eat. at that hour there were only two options available on the streets – Egg Bhurji and Keema Pav. That night I had the most amazing keema pav I ever had and since then I’m a fan.

If you are in Mumbai here are the places where you can sample some really good Keema Pav.

Gulshan-E-Iran – Near Crawford Market ( Town Side)

Resuatrant Rajasthan and Restaurant Sahil in – Khar ( Suburbs )

Janta in Pali Market – Bandra, for late night snack after a night of drinking and dancing ( Suburbs)

And if you wish to make it at home simply follow the instructions.

Ingredients

250 gms Lamb Mince

1 large onion finely chopped

1 tablesppon ginger and garlic grated

2 green chillies finely chopped

2 large tomatoes finely chopped

1 cinnamon stick

1 whole black Cardamom

2 green cardamoms

1 bay leaf

2 star anise

1 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp Cumin powder

2 tsp corriander powder

1 tsp chat masala ( optional )

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1 lime

salt to taste

handful of chopped corriander

4 to 6 pieces of Pav

Take a heavy bottom sauce pan or a pressure cooker. Heat the oil and sauté the whole spices – cinnamon, cardamoms, star anise, bay leaf till fragrant. Add the onions, ginger, garlic and chillies and fry till onions begin to brown. Add the mince and fry well together. Fry continuously for about 5 mins till you feel the mince is almost done. Add the tomatoes and the remaining spices except the lime n coriander. Further fry for about 5- 10 mins till the tomatoes begin to break down and the oil begins to separate. Now turn turn off the heat, add the coriander and squeeze the lime juice. To serve, slice up the pay and warm slightly on a tawa/frying pan. Then put in the prepared mince and top with finely slices onions. Serve immediately.

Puy Lentils – Masoor Dal

All, Featured, Vegetarian 3 Responses »

Feb 242012

Dal is one of those Indian meals, that is enjoyed the world over. I wish it was easy to categorize dals but there are so many types and variations that it is just not possible to. Within India itself the variations are so many, and each one just as delicious. Eaten by the rich and poor, these grains are a great source of protein and a must in a vegeterian diet. I remember, before I was married and living with my parents who are vegeterian, Dal was prepared practically everyday. Different pulses in different ways, some days a Gujurati style dal, some times Punjabi, and sometimes South Indian. And no matter which dal was there I’d always helped myself to an extra bowl. At the larger traditional family events, it was somehow a mainstay in the banquet, the comfortable, sturdy dish which we all relied on all the guests loving. I often used to dream of holding a food event myself, cooking for a large group for special day of their lives, helping to make it the most memorable for them possible. I would dream up the venue, the menu, the entertainment, and the seating arrangements with all- white furniture hire like in the movies.

So yesterday when a very dear friend who lives in UK asked me to put up something Vegan that she can make, preferably dal, I knew I had to make this one. My mum used to make us this dal and send it in our tiffin box when we were in school. Only she used to make us Chapatti’s or Rice with it, but now I love having it with crusty bread. Masoor Dal also known as Puy lentils are easily available all over and can be prepared really quickly. They are great when paired with meats, but exceedingly scrumptious even on its own. Like most Dals, this one is very easy to prepare as well. Calls for a basic Indian onion tomato gravy.

Ingredients

1 cup Masoor Dal / Puy Lentils

1 big onion finely chopped

1 large juicy tomato finely chopped

2 fat cloves of garlic smashed

1″ piece of ginger smashed or grated

1 green chilli chopped

1/4th tsp turmeric

1 tsp corriander powder

1/2 tsp Cumin powder

1/2 tsp Garam Masala

Salt to taste

Handful of fresh mint leaves

Soak the dal for about an hour. Boil it it softens but yet holds its shape. Set aside.

In a heavy bottom saucepan, take 2 tablespoons of oil. Fry the onion, ginger, garlic and chilli. When it begins to brown add the tomatoes and all the spices. Fry till the tomatoes have disintegrated and the oil begins to surface. Tip in the lentils along with any water that might be with it. Cook for another 10 mins till it all comes together.If you like a softer texture further ccook for 15 mins on low flame. Add the mint leaves and serve with some yogurt and rice/chapatti/bread.

Rye Pita Bread

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 30 Responses »

Feb 112010

I was ecstatic, enraptured, joyous … I was right there in the middle of the bakery section of the Lebanese supermarket, with my jaw dropped open n eyes popping out … I could not believe my eyes, I had just discovered, that they started making my favourite pita bread in rye too ! Quite a site that must’ve been of me holding the packet of bread in my hand, frozen in time, unaware of my surroundings and dreaming of the zillion things I could do with this bread. How does the bread taste ? … alright - now this is a really pathetic effort to describe it but – its tastes of rye ! Well ok … its dark, deep, intense, slightly sour n bitter … you know … a really good rye taste ! Obviously I’ll need to do atleast a 100 posts before I think I might have done justice to the bread, but you’d be bored out your wits so I’ll spare you for now, leaving you with just these …

Fattoush – Lebanese Toasted Bread Salad

toasted rye bread pieces
2 tomatoes – quatered or cut in slices
1 green cucumber – cubed in large pieces
1 red onion cubed ( optional )
ice berg/ romaine lettuce – roughly cut
parsley + mint – chopped
2 cloves crushed garlic
1 tsp sumac
2 tablespoon lime juice
5 tablespoons olive oil
salt to taste

Start with toasting the pita bread in the oven . Roughly tear the pita bread, spread them out on a baking tray , drizzle some olive oil and bake them at 180 C for a few minutes or till toasted. Set aside. For the dressing mix together, the garlic, sumac, olive oil and lemon juice. Season with salt, whisk together. For the salad, in a bowl toss together the tomatoes, cucumber , lettuce, parsley and mint. You could by all means use onions, they are always used in the original recipe, I just didn’t feel like having some this time ! Add the toasted bread and pour the dressing over and give it a good toss again. Serve immediately.

Reshmi Chicken Kebab with Cumin Raita and Rye Pita Bread

Right so now from Lebanon we hop right over to India. I thought the rye bread goes really well with these soft and creamy yet flavoursome kebabs. Just get them off the skewer, place them in the center of the bread with some raita/yogurt dip , some lettuce and finely slices onion with lime n salt … make a roll and you’re ready to go !

de-bone 2 chicken thighs, cut the meat in cubes
1 tablespoon of ginger+garlic paste
2 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons double cream
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp freshly ground toasted cumin powder
juice of 1 lime
salt to taste

Marinate the chicken cubes atleast for an hour better still overnight in all the above ingredients. Thread on skewers and you can either grill them on the BBQ or on a griddle pan with some olive oil. Cook for about 15 mins or till tender. Serve hot with chilled raita ( yogurt + salt+ freshly toasted cumin powder+ finely chopped mint leaves) and onion salad ( thinly sliced onion rings with salt and lime on top, and all of it mixed together).

And when really not in the mood to get fancy, simply enjoy the bread dipped in some luscious labneh with some red paprika n sumac sprinkled on top ! Simply Delightful !

Quick Fixes For That Odd Hungry Hour

All, Non-Vegetarian, Vegetarian 36 Responses »

Apr 012009

Having a well stocked cupboard and fridge can make your life so easy and cooking such a pleasure. Make that effort once a week, get yourself organized and you’ll be sorted for the rest of the week. Have a well stocked cupboard with all kinds of spices, dried herbs, sauces, pluses and grains and a freezer full of your favourite meat cuts. I just always insist on really fresh seafood (preferably live), the rest of the meat is OK frozen. And of course, your fridge must always have all your basic veggies, dairy products, and a whole of fresh fruits and herbs. Have this section sorted out and you can throw together a fantastic meal any time of the day … in a jiffy ! I like to be organized … sometimes a bit too much, ‘cuz I’m always obsessing about food, and i needn’t necessarily be making fancy food all the time. Most of the time, its just really simple tasty home food, that just gives you that satisfying feeling, that no restaurant food can. Like for instance these 2 quick fixes i made for lunch. Extremely easy to make and so good to taste.

Back in Ghana my local Lebanese baker makes me these special mini pita breads. They fit on the palm of my hand and are always so soft and fresh. I use them for appetizers in parties or sometimes even for breakfast or lunch. There are like a million things you could stuff in there, and they look so cute and petit, that you wont be able to resist grabbing one( or a couple actually :p). These pita breads keep really well if you freeze them as soon as you get them from the bakery. When you want to use them, just leave them on the kitchen counter for 15-30 mins and its as good as freshly baked. The same actually goes for most breads, and i learnt to do this while i was in Africa, as its really troublesome to go so far everyday to buy some fresh bread. So i started freezing it. It really is a life saver. Trust me ! Well so this time i just made some spiced chicken burgers with a refreshing mint Greek yogurt in the mini pita bread and some pita-pizza to follow.

Mini Spiced Chicken Burgers with Mint Greek Yogurt

Chicken mince – 250 gms
Chopped red chillies – 2 ; seeds removed – adjust if to your taste. I used Scotch Bonnet , but even Thai red chillis are fine
Chopped Garlic – 3 cloves
Finely chopped Red Onion – 1
Chopped Corriander – handful
1 tsp Red Chilli pd
1 tsp Cumin pd
1 tsp Kafta spice
Salt to taste
Lebanese cucumber sliced with skin on
Greek Yogurt
Chopped fresh Mint
Few leaves of fresh crunchy lettuce

For making the Chicken burger, bring together in a mixing bowl, the mince, spices, corriander, chillies, garlic and onion. Mix it well with your hand and form flat patties and fry them in a few drops of olive oil on a non stick pan or even better if you have a griddle pan. Meanwhile whip together the Greek yogurt, mint and some salt. Warm the pita bread slightly on the naked flame of the gas and then slice it open, place the lettuce right at the bottom, then place the burger and top it up with some yogurt and a few slices of the cucumber. Its a very nutritious and well balanced snack … spicy vs cool, soft vs crunch, hot vs cold, juicy & meaty vs green & sharp … what more could you ask for !

And this one – The Pita-Pizza i think says it all. I’m still such a sucker for my margarita pizzas, I always like it simple – tomato sauce and cheese – no nonsense ! So this one is an a quick fix for that pizza craving at yet another odd hour, when you don’t have any pizza dough at an arms length, then you go for the frozen pita breads. They make an amazingly crunchy base, so thin and light, and bakes in no time at all . Just pour your (homemade) spicy tomato sauce on top, break some fresh buffalo mozzarella over it, bake and enjoy !! yum yum !

61st Indepencence Day

All, Dessert 47 Responses »

Aug 152008

Today is a great day to celebrate. After more than two hundred years of British rule, India , after a great struggle, won backs its freedom on 15th August, 1947 and that my friends was 61 yrs ago.
As i awoke this morning i realized how much i was missing being in India, as mum used to always make us wonderful traditional feasts with some really fancy sweets to celebrate today. Being in a far away land and all nostalgic, i couldn’t help but get up n try to recreate the magic. Now getting up last minute does have its advantages and no time to go shopping, and considering the ingredients on hand, i opted for ” Shahi Tukda ” – directly translated to Royal Bite/Piece. Its basically fried bread soaked in rich Rabri. Rabri is milk with dry fruits boiled for hours together until its all evaporated and thick. And besides I’ve seen that almost everybody has a bread dessert in their culture, so what better time to show off mine

I remember making Rabri used to be such a big deal at home. It was dad’s specialty, but he used to make me slog my ass off on it n take all the credit it. He’d put a giant pot of milk to boil over the gas and have me sit right in front as it required constant stirring – FOR HOURS !!! n i absolutely hate milk, n I’d be like dad … i need to go play, its my play time, i don’t want to sit n stir this, n he would be like, every girl should know how to work patiently in the kitchen, playing will not help you in the future, your skills in the kitchen will !! I would sit there with a swollen face stirring that damn Rabri … and the best part was i didn’t even like it back then ! Ha ha, see how times change, and i do thank my dad for all that he taught me, he would be so happy to see this today. But honestly i cant stand for hours together to make it, so I’m doing a cheats version, just as good as the real thing :p

Ingredients

200 ml sweetened condensed milk
200 ml milk ( i used semi skimmed as that’s what was available, you could use whole )
100 ml cream
handful of pistachios and almonds slivers
2-3 pods cardamon
few strands of saffron
4 slices of bread – used brown … at least something should be healthy in here
1 tbsp ghee

In a pot mix the crushed cardamon seeds, milk and condensed milk and boil it for about 10 mins. Add a few strands of saffron, slivered almonds and pistachios reserving some to garnish. When its reduced and thick remove from gas, and cool. Beat the cream lightly to thicken in a bit, but not to much and fold it in the milk mixture. Set aside. Cut the corners of the slice bread and cut it diagonally, leaving with you with triangles. In a frying pan, put the ghee and toast the slices of bread till they are crisp n well browned. Now soak these in the Rabri and leave in the fridge to chill. When ready to serve, place the slices of bread on the plate, pour over the Rabri and garnish with the remaining dry fruits.

And i’m entering this dish for Mona’s Hydrabadi Cuisine Event @ her blog Zaiqa , afterall this dessert originated from Hydrabad !

Healthy Routine

All, Non-Vegetarian 8 Responses »

Apr 082007

Hey everybody, its been almost 2 weeks since i got here and boy am i happy to be back!My sister is in town visiting and actually have been really busy with her shopping and traveling and just basically bonding which i haven’t had the chance to do since that last 5 yrs.I had taken these pictures the day before she had come and was planning to put them up then but never got around doing so.I have lots more but I’ll put them up later.Lots to share with u guys but I’ve just managed to squeeze in some time this Sunday for my blog which has been crying for being neglected .This time as i have no recipe to share with you … but here’s how i spent my day…

This is the mind blowing view from my gym.The Hong Kong sky line with the fantastic harbour right in front of my eyes.

While i’m running on the treadmill i feel as if 1 am running on water.My Ipod and this beautiful scenery can keep me going for ever n ever.

This is by far the best gym view i have ever come across.It really makes working out a sheer pleasure, i actually look forward going to the gym.

One of the million reasons to be happy about getting back is this lovely dragon fruit.Soft centered and very juicy this fruit is available all over eastern Asia.

And after getting back from a great work out this super healthy sandwich of grilled rye bread with left over grilled chicken with a cranberry yogurt smoothie just made my day.

Popeye’s Dream Soup

All, Vegetarian 10 Responses »

Mar 152007

Another blog post in quick succession ! That’s cuz i made this yummy soup today and had to share it with you. As a kid i hated spinach and used to get grounded everytime i would not eat it ….. Later as i grew up and couldn’t afford getting grounded all the time i started eating it,the only way i would eat is this a a north Indian style called “Palak Paneer”, meaning spinach and cottage cheese.My mum makes the most amazing palak panner with naan.And now I’m ok with the idea of spinach in almost any style.But it happens so that D is allergic to spinach (though i think its a psychological thing) and i don’t end up making it real often because i really wouldn’t go through all the trouble just for me.Unless of course we are with his parents then we eat spinach at least once a week.Today however i wanted to have some soup so i bought myself some spinach.Here the measurements are for 1 person if its your entire meal.Or two small bowls for starters.

Ingredients

1 bunch of spinach washed and stems removed
1tsp of cumin seeds
1 inch ginger grated plus a few slivers for garnish
1 small onion chopped
finely chopped green chilli
1 tsp freshly roasted cumin powder
1tbsp olive oil
100 ml of single cream
salt and black pepper

In a pot heat the oil and put the cumin seeds.As soon as they start spluttering add the onion, ginger and green chilli.Fry this till the onion has softened and browned slightly.Cut the spinach and add it to the onion.Cover with lid and let it sweat.The spinach will reduce by more than half.
In about 5 mins remove from the stove and blend it in the blender making a smooth puree.Pass it thru the sieve and bring back to the stove. Add the salt and pepper.Bring to boil and add the cream.Plate up the soup.Garnish with the ginger sliver and cumin powder.Serve with some
crusty home made bread.

Want to see something funny…..well here it is…my studio setup in natural lighting….and my skirt as a backdrop.And an important piece of advice :- never plate up and garnish your food out of the studio.I made the mistake of garnishing my soup in the kitchen and then it took me 5 mins to walk slowly and come to my room so that i didn’t spoil my heart swirls and have soup all over the edges.

Lahme

All, Non-Vegetarian 3 Responses »

Mar 142007

Lahme in Arabic literally means meat.Traditionally we used to eat this at Al Reef bakery at Karama, Dubai.Made in kilns and served wrapped in paper with chilli pickles and olives this snaky item was our favourite, along with laban up(buttermilk).I don’t remember a time where i ‘ve not overeaten these.We’d decide before we went there that”today we’ll eat just 2, no more ok“….and before we knew it we had wolfed down 4.They come in a variety with cheese called Jibn, zatar and lahme.Its an Arab snack of Lebanese origin and world famous now along with hommus, shawarma…u know all the Lebanese stuff. So this is something D n me love to eat when we want to go easy on the spices and herbs … sometimes u just crave something that simple to the taste buds and yet satisfying at the same time.Here the main thing is good quality meat.Since we eat this at least once a week i like to try it with different meats.Like i even buy Ostrich fillet and mince it at home.You can even make this before hand and freeze them.When needed just thaw it in the microwave and toss it in the toaster.Personally i’ve never tried to mutilate this recipe by spicing it up because this is something we were brought up on and just love it the way it is.

Ingredients

minced beef / minced ostrich meat / minced lamb
chopped onion
chopped tomatoes
salt

That’s it ! nothing more to it.Natural flavours is what we are looking for here.Put these together on the chopping board and mince with your hand until the onion and tomatoes have mushed and blended into the meat.Spread this onto the homemade or store bought pita bread …..depends on the time you have at hand.

This is what the traditional one looks like which is baked in the oven for about 10 mins.Actually i over loaded this one not supposed to look like this.The bread is not very crisp so what i do is reduce the meat quantity a bit and then fold it over, drizzle some olive oil and toast it in the toaster.This makes the bread really crispy and the meat remains very juicy and succulent.And plus its easier to catch and eat.I haven’t mentioned any measurements as there is nothing to it. All i can tell you is make more than u think u’ll need as i assure you , you will end up overeating.