Capati

Also known as  Roti Capati, it is one of the popular Indian flat breads.  The main ingredient is atta flour (whole wheat flour) mixed with vegetable oil, salt and warm water.  Fried on a flat pancake pan (without any addition of oil) until bubbles can be seen on the surface before turning it over to lightly brown the underside.  Then, transferred onto a metal grill and cooked over open fire (gas stove) until it bloats up. By doing so, your capati will have a soft texture.  Otherwise, just use a small cloth to press the bubbles down while the underside is cooked.  Once cooked, wrap capatis in an aluminium foil to keep them soft.  Capatis taste great with Keema Matar or any kind of curry.

Ingredients (yields 10 pcs):
200 g atta flour (whole wheat flour)
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 tsp salt
enough (about 1 cup) warm water

Method:
In a bowl, add atta flour, salt and oil.  Then, add enough warm water and knead to form a soft and pliable dough. Cover bowl with a damp cloth and leave aside for about 30 minutes to one hour.

Take about 40 g dough and form into a ball. Dip into some atta flour before rolling it out into a round shape.

Heat the pancake pan without oil over medium-high heat.  Add rolled dough to pan and cook until bubbles appear on surface.

Turn capati over and cook the underside.  By using a small cloth, press down bubbles while the underside is being cooked.  Once done, remove capati from pan and wrap in aluminium foil to keep it soft.  Repeat procedure until dough is used up.

Another option to get soft capatis is to use a gas stove.  Once the underside is almost brown, transfer capati onto a metal grill and cook over open fire until it bloats.  Once done, remove to a plate.

The next time I make capatis using our Weber gas grill, I will take a video.

Serve Capatis with any kind of curry.

Bon Appetit!

Keema Matar

A classic and popular Indian dish which is one of our favourites.  The minced meat is slowly simmered with fragrant spices i.e. cinnamon, star anise and cloves which brought out the full flavour. Tastes delicious when served with Capati.  Do give this recipe a try!

Ingredients (serves 4):
2 medium-size onions, to be peeled, halved and finely sliced
2 medium-size tomatoes, to be coarsely chopped
500 g minced mutton (you may use minced beef)
3 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely minced
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp (heaped) red chili powder, to be mixed with a little water to form a paste
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1 pc cinnamon stick
1 pc star anise
4 pcs cloves
1 tbsp tomato puree
120 ml water
4-5 tbsp cooking oil

2 cm fresh ginger, to be peeled and finely minced
1-2 green chillies, to be finely sliced (leave some for garnishing)
60 g green peas (canned), to be drained

Method:
Prepare above ingredients and set aside.

In a medium-size pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Stir-fry sliced onions until brown in colour.  Then, add chopped tomatoes and stir-fry for about 2 minutes.

Add minced meat, minced garlic, salt, chili paste, ground turmeric, cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, tomato puree and 60 ml water.  Bring to a light simmer.  Reduce heat and simmer covered for 30 minutes.

Remove lid and let it simmer until the liquid has evaporated.  Once a layer of oil can be seen on the surface, add minced ginger, sliced green chillies, green peas and the remaining water.  Leave to simmer without lid for another 15 minutes.  Check seasoning.

Serve hot with Capati or any Indian bread or baguette.

Bon Appetit!

Rhubarb-Custard Tart

Another rhubarb tart for teatime to the delight of my two boys!  You may use instant shortcrust pastry if you wish, but making your very own is not that difficult.  As for the custard filling, I do not use any instant pudding powder.  Just whisk eggs, milk, sugar, cornflour & a little vanilla essence together, then cook slowly over medium heat until thick and creamy.  Lastly, sugared rhubarb slices are arranged on top before baking.  Once done, a nice looking tart with an awesome taste will be staring back at you!

Shortcrust Pastry Ingredients:
200 g plain flour
100 sugar
100 cold butter
1 medium-size egg

Filling Ingredients:
400 g fresh milk
3 medium-size eggs
80 g fine sugar
30 g cornflour
1 tsp vanilla essence

500 g rhubarb, to be washed, cleaned, dried and diagonally sliced into 1/2 cm lengths
40 g fine sugar

Method:
Grease a 28 cm diameter tart form with butter and set aside.  In a mixing bowl, add all shortcrust pastry ingredients and form into a pliable dough.  Roll dough between two plastic sheets to a diameter which is bigger than your tart form.  Remove a plastic sheet and position bare dough side down onto tart tin.

Trim excess dough and leave tart form in fridge for 30 minutes.

Remove tart tin from fridge, place a baking baking paper and dried beans (I use chickpeas) onto pastry shell.  Bake in a preheated fan oven at a temperature of 160° C for about 20 minutes.  Once done, remove from oven and leave to cool down completely.

In a medium-size bowl, mix rhubarb slices and sugar together.  Leave aside for 15 minutes.  Then, add rhubarb sliced to a sieve over a bowl.  We will need the saved juice for making the glaze later on.

In a medium-size saucepan, add milk, cornflour, eggs and vanilla essence.  Whisk mixture together and cook over medium heat, stirring all the time until thick and creamy.  Transfer to a plastic bowl and cover with cling film.  Leave aside to cool down completely.

Add custard to pastry shell and spread evenly.  Arrange rhubarb slices as shown in the following pictures:

Bake in a preheated fan oven at a temperature of 180° C for about 20 minutes.  In the meantime, cook saved rhubarb juice in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it reaches a syrup-like consistency.

Once pastry shell is done, remove from oven and by using a small pastry brush, brush the rhubarb slices with rhubarb glaze.

Leave tart to cool down completely before serving.

Happy Baking!

Rhabarber-Streuselkuchen (Rhubarb-Streusel Cake)

Since rhubarb is presently in season and available in abundance in the supermarkets, I baked this cake last weekend as per my hubby's request.  He loves both rhubarb and Streusel, also white asparagus! Luckily, asparagus cannot be included as one of the ingredients, or else ....... this cake will become something else. Heng arh!!!

Ingredients:
110 g fine sugar
100 g soft butter or margarine
250 g plain flour, to be sifted with baking powder
9 g baking powder
2 eggs
150 ml fresh milk

300 g rhubarb, to be cleaned and cut into 1 cm lengths
90 g fine sugar

Streusel Ingredients:
70 g cold butter or margarine
100 g plain flour
1 tsp vanilla sugar or bourbon vanilla sugar

sugar powder for garnishing

Method:
Grease a springform tin (26 cm diameter) with butter and leave aside.  In a mixing bowl, whisk sugar and butter together until light and creamy.  Add flour mixture a little at a time, alternating with eggs and milk.  Do not overmix.  Pour into greased springform and level the surface.  Then, arrange rhubarb pieces on top and sprinkle with sugar (90 g).

In a mixing bowl, add the Streusel ingredients and by using the dough hook, mix to form lumps (this is known as Streusel).  By using your hand, lump mixture into big lumps and sprinkle onto rhubarb.

Bake in a preheated fan oven at a temperature of 160° C (conventional oven:  180° C) for about 40 to 45 minutes or until the top is golden brown.  Once done, remove from oven and leave it to cool down completely before removing the ring of the springform.

Happy Baking!

Simple Fried Egg Noodles

A simple and quick to prepare dish for lunch today.  Tastes delicious when eaten with sliced green chillies in light soy sauce on the side.  If you prefer a spicy taste, just add a tablespoon or two of Sambal Oelek when adding the seasoning ingredients.

Ingredients (serves 4):
300 g dried egg noodles, to be soaked in hot water for 3 minutes and drained
3 pips garlic, to be peeled and finely minced
200 g chicken breast meat, to be sliced into bite pieces
40 g fish cake (I used mini fishballs which are left whole), to be finely sliced
4 dried mushrooms, to be soaked in warm water until soft
1 medium-size carrot, to be peeled, finely sliced into sticks
80 g shredded cabbage
1 medium-size onion, to be peeled, halved and finely sliced
130 ml water
2-3 tbsp cooking oil

2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
salt & ground pepper to taste

Garnishing:
2 eggs, to be beaten, fried into an omelette and cut into fine or coarse strips

Method:
Prepare all ingredients and set aside.

In a wok, heat oil over medium-high heat and stir-fry minced garlic until fragrant. Then, add chicken and stir-fry until chicken changes colour.

Add all other ingredients except noodles and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until cooked through.

Lastly, add noodles and stir-fry until almost dry.

Serve hot garnished with fried egg strips and sliced green chillies in light soy sauce.

Bon Appetit!

Apfel Rosen (Apple Roses)

Needed something quick-to-prepare for tea-time with my best German girlfriend cum neighbour.  Not my recipe but you can find the video on how to prepare these awesome & delicious treats here.

Happy Baking!