Wheat flour garlic buns

A healthy snack that can be made easily if you are familiar with baking.

Ingredients:

• Wheat flour - 2 cups
• Dry yeast - 4 tbsp
• Sugar - 2 tbsp
• Salt - as per taste
• Garlic cloves - 8 to 10
• Melted butter - 4 tbsp
• White Sesame seeds
• Oergano sprinkles

Steps:

1. Take a cup of warm water, add sugar and dry yeast. Set aside for 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Once the yeast has fermented and frothy, add wheat flour, salt, melted butter, crushed garlic and Oregano sprinkles to the liquid mixture. Mix well and knead the flour. Add more water if required. Knead until the dough attains chapati dough consistency.
3. Apply little olive oil (or any cooking oil) to the dough and set it aside for 20 to 25 minutes.
4. Once the dough is risen, knead it again. Then use a knife to cut it into six or seven equal portions. Shape them into neat balls, place them in an oven tray. 
5. Apply a thin coat of milk on the dough balls. Sprinkle sesame seeds on the dough balls and press the seeds gently. Set aside the dough balls for another 10 minutes.
6. Bake them in a conventional oven at 180°C for 15 to 20 minutes. Alternative method is to bake them over a circular griddle and a large vessel as cover. Bake until the outer layer turns light brown. Switch off oven and take out the buns, place them on a grill to cool down.

This bun can be eaten plain when its still warm or made into mini burgers. Stays good up to 2 days outside a fridge.

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Ragi-Ganji for pet dogs

Ragi-Ganji is a good nourishment for pet dogs. It also works as a coolant during summers.

Ingredients-

• Ragi flour
• Water
• Milk

Steps-

1. Mix half bowl Ragi flour with one bowl water (room temperature). Mix well to a consistent paste. Allow the mixture to soak 10 to 15 minutes.
2. Place a vessel of water (about two and half bowls) on stove, wait until the water starts boiling. 
3. Stir the Ragi-water mixture and pour slowly into the boiling water.
4. Stir continuously but slowly until the liquid comes to boil.
5. Once the liquid starts boiling, reduce the flame to sim.
6. Do not cover the vessel. Boil for 10 minutes and turn off flame.
7. Ragi Ganji is ready. Allow it to cool for an hour.
8. Add warm milk to Ragi Ganji and serve.

Start feeding the food when your pet dog is still a young pup. Ganji can be prepared in the morning and fed two or three times a day. Just mix ganji and milk while serving.

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Chonge

                                 Chonge                               

This sweet dish is originally prepared at time of Muharram by Muslims and it was adopted by my ajji, don't know what might be the reason just to have sweet dish or something else, anyway it's tasty one, it is made in our home in Muharram.

Ingredients: 

Wheat flour : 2 cup

Puttani hittu/ fried Bengal gram flour : 1 cup

Jaggery powder : 1/2 cup, as per taste

Poppy seeds : 2 tsp

Dry coconut gratings : 1/2 cup

Cardamom : 1 or 2

Clove : 1 or 2

home-made thin crust pizza

I learned to make pizza by watching YouTube videos. The first time I made regular pizza with minimum toppings and it took about 2 hours. The pizza turned out good. Encouraged with the success, I started making it frequently and now I need an hour for the entire process.

First comes the ingredients (for dough, toppings and sauce) and then the methods (making base, sauce and finally pizza).

Ingredients for pizza dough-
* 2 cups maida or all-purpose flour
* 1 tea spoon dry east
* 1 tea spoon sugar
* 1 cup water (use as needed)
* 2 tea spoon olive oil
* Salt as per taste

Ingredients for pizza sauce -
* 1 large tomato
* 2-3 garlic cloves chopped finely
* 1 tsp red chilly flakes
* 1 tsp Italian herbs
* Salt as needed
* 4 tsp oil
* 2 tsp tomato ketchup
* 1 finally chopped onion (optional)

Ingredients for pizza toppings -
* Mozzarella cheese about 200 grams or as needed
* 1 cup cubed veggies (capsicum, onion, tomato, mushrooms, olives, etc)
* 1/2 tsp Italian herbs
* 1/2 tsp red chilly flakes (optional)

Making pizza dough -

1. Add yeast and sugar to warm water and mix well, set aside for 15 mins and allow it to activate.
2. When the water turns frothy, add flour, salt and olive oil and mix a dough adding more water if            needed.
3. Knead the dough very well until its very soft.
4. Then apply a thin layer of oil and cover it with wet cloth, keep it aside for 30 to 45 mins. Allow   
    the dough to rise and double in size.

Preparing pizza sauce -
I use a simple method to make pizza sauce.
1. Heat cooking oil in a small pan and saute garlic until it smells good.
2. Add red chilly flakes and then onion if you are using it. Saute until onion turns slightly golden.
3. Add finally chopped tomatoes (you can also use tomato puree instead) salt and mix it well.
4. Cook it until the tomato pieces turn into thin paste.
5. Add tomato ketchup and mix well
6. Set aside to cool.

Making the pizza -

1. Preheat the oven to 240°C for 15 mins.

2. Transfer the dough to work area.

3. Punch the dough to deflate it, and cut to 2 to 3 portions.

4. Gently shape it to a ball and flatten it.

5. Sprinkle some maida over the pizza tray.

6. Spread the pizza sauce as desired (don't apply on edge part).
7. Layer the veggies and then spread grated cheese.

8. Sprinkle Italian herbs and red chilly flakes.

9. Lastly apply some olive oil on edge part of pizza dough.

10. Place it the oven and bake it for 15 mins until the base is cooked and cheese turns slightly golden.

The baking part is crucial. Watch it until its completely done to avoid over-cooking. Once its done, take out the pizza along with the tray and allow it to cool for a minute and few seconds.

pizza base in oven tray

applying auce to the base

cheese sprinkled over the sauce

toppings layered over cheese

Slice and serve pizza hot.

Do share your comments / questions. I would love to hear back from you.
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ಜೋಳದ ಅಂಬ್ರಾ ~ Jolada Ambra

This is a simple, easy to prepare dish usually had during summer months or when weather is warm. Its a coolant, easy on your tummy.

Ingredients-

• Jowar flour, 4 table spoons 
• Curds, should be sour, 1 cup
• Jeera, ½ table spoon (optional)
• Garlic, 5 pods (optional)
• Salt, to taste

Steps-

• Mix jowar flour in curds and ¼ cup water, allow it to soak for 2 to 3 hours
• It can be left overnight if you want to prepare it morning
• Heat 6 cups water to boiling in a curved bottom vessel
• Pour the curds-jowar flour mixture in the boiling water
• Add more water to adjust thickness so its not too thick or watery
• Add crushed Jeera and crushed Garlic
• Add salt to taste
• Boil for about 5 minutes
• Cover the vessel and allow it to cool little
• Jolada Ambra is ready

Serve while it is still steaming hot, You can have when its cool but hot Ambra tastes better. Consume while its fresh, not a good idea to keep it for later. So prepare as much as you can finish.

Jolada Ambara is similar to Ragi Ambali.
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