Well-Bread
Bread is the
essence of every cuisine around the world. In India, it is enjoyed by
the natives as roti, which is flat, unleavened bread and has no rising
agent like baking powder or yeast. Thanks to the British, the yeast bread
was introduced to India. The natives were flabbergasted to see such a
tall bread loaf. Politely they called it Double-roti , even though it
was about hundred times the height of roti !
The true charm
of Indian cuisine is it never rejects any food for its foreign origin,
but the food is just cleverly transformed with spices and herbs to suit
the local taste and food habits.
Bread is no
exception to the rule. While the British had their cucumber sandwiches
with the afternoon tea, the native Indians innovated the spicy chutney
sandwiches. Bread is used in a variety of ways besides making sandwiches.
Here are some
interesting ways to enjoy bread-Indian style
Bread
Uppit (Diced bread coated with spices)
10 slices
of bread
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2-3 green chilies (minced)
1 small onion (diced)
10-12 curry leaves (optional)
½ cup peanuts ( unsalted)
½ teaspoon turmeric
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon cilantro
1 tablespoon coconut (unsweetened)
Cut bread
slices into ½ inch cubes and keep aside.
In a large
pan, heat oil and add cumin seeds. Wait till it sizzles and changes
color. Add the chilies and stir for 30 seconds. Add the peanuts and
onions and cook for 4-5 minutes till the onions are translucent.
While the
onions are being cooked, add salt, sugar and lime juice to the bread
cubes and mix well. Add turmeric powder to the onion mixture and mix
well and then add the bread cubes. On low heat, mix all the ingredients
well so the bread cubes are well coated with the spice infused oil.
Cover the lid and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Serve piping
hot, sprinkled with cilantro and coconut.
Hema'
Hints:
It is great
breakfast food and excellent as a snack too. This recipe tastes best
with stale sourdough bread.
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Grilled
Potato sandwiches
This is ahealthy
alternative to grilled cheese sandwiches.
2 potatoes
(baked and grated)
1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon garlic (minced)
1-2 green chilies (minced)
2 bunches of spring onions ( chopped)
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
8 slices bread
Heat oil in pot and add garlic and chilies. Cook for 1 minute and then
add spring onions. Cook for 2-3 minutes.
Next throw
in the potato, lime juice, sugar and salt and cook it for 5-6 minutes.
Smear two tablespoon of the potato mix to the bread slice and place
another slice over it. Grill these bread slices in sandwich maker. Repeat
with the other slices of bread.
Serve it
with tomato ketchup.
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Veggie
chops
1 cup cauliflower
florets
3 medium size potato
2 cups peas
½ beet
1 teaspoon ginger
2-3 green chilies
1 tablespoon lime juice
3 slices of bread
salt to taste
1 cup bread crumbs
½ cup oil
Cook potatoes,
cauliflower, potato, peas and beet in a pressure cooker for 4 minutes,
or cook them in boiling water for 10 minutes.
With a potato
smasher, make a coarse paste of all the cooked vegetables. Grate ginger
and chilies or make a fine mince of it. Add this mix to the veggie blend
along with salt and lime juice.
Dip the bread
slice in water and squeeze the water out of it. Add the bread lump to
the veggie mix. Make small oval shaped patties, about 1 inch thick and
dip them in bread crumbs. Bread acts as a binding agent with the mashed
vegetables to make chops.
In a small
fry pan, place the veggie chops and drizzle ¼ teaspoon oil around
and over the chops. Flip them over and cook them till a firm dark brown
crust forms.
Serve hot
with onion rings and green cilantro chutney
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Bread Pakoda
Bread squares
are dipped in batter and deep fried to make a fun snack.
6 bread slices
1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
½ teaspoon chili powder
¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
¼ teaspoon cumin seed powder
¼ teaspoon coriander seed powder
1 teaspoon cilantro leaves finely chopped
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Make four
squares of each bread slice. Make a smooth paste of rice flour and the
spices with a cup of water. Heat the oil in a fry pan.
Take the
bread pieces and dip them in the flour batter and immediately slide
it into the hot oil. Fry these bread pieces till golden brown.
Serve hot
with tomato ketchup.
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Ribbon
sandwiches
A gourmet sandwich
for your next party with bread and chutney's.
12 slices
of bread ( Buttermilk or potato bread)
Green chutney
1 bunch
cilantro
1 tablespoon coconut (unsweetened)
1-2 green chilies
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 teaspoon sugar
Salt to taste
Red
chutney
½
cup tomato ketchup
½ teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon ginger paste
¼ teaspoon red chili powder
Make a smooth
paste of all the ingredients in the green chutney in the blender. Use
as little water as possible to keep the blender running. Keep aside.
Heat a small
pan and add oil. Throw in the ginger paste and stir it for 1 minute.
Add the tomato ketchup and chili powder and remove from heat.
Take 3 slices
of bread. Remove the edges. Apply a tablespoon of green chutney to one
slice. Place another slice of bread on it. Apply red chutney to the
other bread slice and place it on the sandwich. Now cut the sandwich
diagonally.
Repeat with
all the other slices too.
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Shahi Tukda
Here pretty
shaped bread pieces are deep fried and served with chilled aromatic
sweet sauce. A dessert fit for royalty.
3 cups half
and half
5-6 cashew
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
4-5 cardamom pods
¼ teaspoon saffron strands
1 tablespoon almonds, chopped and roasted
12 bread slices
Oil for deep frying
Heat milk
in a big thick bottomed pan. Make a paste of the cashew with a little
milk and add it to the milk. Add sugar and cook it for 15 minutes. Remove
from heat and add nutmeg and cardamom powder. Keep aside to cool.
Make fancy
flower shapes on the bread with a cookie cutter and deep fry these flower
shaped bread to a golden brown. Remove from the fry pan and repeat with
the rest.
Just before
serving place the fried bread on a plate and ladle a tablespoon of the
aromatic milk on it. Take a couple of saffron strands and gently crush
them and sprinkle on the bread and milk.
Finally garnish
with chopped roasted almonds.
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