F I L A F I L

Filafil used to be one of my favorite snack during the good olden days in the desert. Although we can find many shawarma vendors in Mangalore, filafil caterers yet to come. After referring to different recipe sites and modifying the recipe as per the availability of the ingredients, I was successful to get the outcome as below:

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TO PREPARE FILAFIL:

Ingredients:

• 250 gms chick peas-soaked overnight
• 3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
• 1/2 green chilly 
• 6 cloves garlic finely chopped  
• 1 small onion-minced  
• ½ cup water 
• 25 gm gram flour (more if required)
• salt & pepper 
• 1 tsp cumin powder 
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
• 1 tspn lime juice

 Method:

• Wash the soaked chickpeas and put them in a food processor with the chilly, garlic, onion and water.  
• Grind until you get a rough moist texture.
• Add salt, pepper, cumin powder, finely cut coriander leaves, lime juice and soda powder. 
• Blend in the gram flour.
• Make small flat patties out of the mixture
• Drop in hot oil, fry over a moderate flame until golden brown and completely cooked.
• Drain and serve hot.

The filafils are good in a pita bread sandwich.

Split the pita bread on one side (lengthwise) to form an opening.

Place a layer of falafil, some *tahini, sour cream and lettuce along with some chopped onions and serve.

Tip: *Tahini is a paste made out of sesame, olive oil and little water blended together.

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PEPPER PRAWNS

Prawns taste delicious, whatever way they are cooked.  Though rich in cholestrol  and fat  contents,  all relish eating the prawn delicacies.  

Prawns pepper is a self-invented recipe, tried out by me and liked by all at home.   This dish requires lesser  time to prepare  and can be included on a party menu. 

TO PREPARE PEPPER PRAWNS

INGREDIENTS:

• 25 Nos. Big sized Prawns, cleaned and washed.
• 1 big onion sliced
• 1” ginger minced
• 2 garlic flakes minced
• 1 tomato diced
• 1 tspn green chilly sauce
• ½ tspn soya sauce
• 1 tspn pepper
• Salt
• 1 tspn lime juice
• 1 tbspn oil

METHOD:

• Saute sliced onion in the oil until translucent
• Add tomatoes and sauté until cooked
• Put in minced ginger and cook
• Add the chilly sauce, soya sauce and lime juice.
• Now add pepper and salt and stir well.
• Finally add the prawns and cook in the juice which comes out of the prawns on a low fire.

Serve hot as a side dish.

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ASSORTED BASKET OF BREAD

Bread making is an art, though laborious worth the efforts.    Here I have tried to make a variety of shapes and sizes of bread.

TO PREPARE  THE ASSORTED BASKET OF BREAD:




Ingredients:

• 250 gms flour
• 2 tsps sugar  
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp yeast
• 125ml water
• 2 ½ tsps oil

Method:

• Ferment the yeast with sugar and 2 tbspns of water.  Make sure that the yeast is active.
• Sieve the flour.
• Add the yeast mixture to the flour and work with the dough adding the required amount of water till the dough is smooth. 
• Put on the work top and knead with the palm of your hand for at least 15 minutes. 
• Then add the oil to the dough and work on it more. 
• Rest the dough in a quiet place for 30 minutes.
• Knock it back on the work surface.

• Shape the dinner rolls according to the shape you desire and then *prove. 
• Egg wash the proven rolls and bake at 160 degrees.
• Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.

• Tip: *Proving is to keep the dough for another 30 minutes after the     desired shape is given. 

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GOLI BAJE - ROUND FRITTERS

Goli baje is an all time favourite snack, can be prepared for breakfast or for evening snack.   Goli means ‘round’ in Kannada and though it is of varied shapes, as the batter is dropped in hot oil using a spoon, it is still called Goli baje.  Goli baje is a Mangalorean snack and can be found in most of the Mangy restaurants in Mangalore and around.  

As Goli bajes are deep fried, more oil is absorbed in it and must be placed on tissue paper soon after removing it from the deep frying pan to get rid of the the excess oil. 

TO PREPARE GOLI BAJE:

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups maida
• 1 tspn gram flour (besan) – for crispiness
• 3/4 cup curd or yogurt
• 1 tspn finely chopped ginger
• 1 tspn finely chopped green chilies
• 2 sprigs curry leaves
• A pinch of asafoetida
• 1/2 tspn baking soda
• 1 tspn sugar (optional)
• 1 onion chopped
• Salt
• Oil
• Tissue paper

Method:

• Mix all the ingredients (except oil) to form a thick batter;  
• batter should be thicker enough to drop off a teaspoon.
• Leave the dough for around 30mins.
• Heat oil in a deep frier.
• Drop a spoonful of batter into hot oil.
• Deep fry until slightly crunchy.

Serve hot with chutney and steaming coffee.

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DEVIL'S FOOD CAKE

April First being a significant day for our family, what else would make it a memorable day than baking and presenting a Devil’s Food Cake to my darling Dad on his birthday.

Forget what the title says, the cake  turned out into a lip-smacking delight.  Chocolate lovers simply love this cake.

TO PREPARE THE DEVILS FOOD CAKE:

INGREDIENTS:

For the cake:

• 50gms cocoa powder, sifted
• 100gms dark brown/demerara sugar
• 250ml boiling water
• 125 gms soft unsalted butter
• 150gms castor sugar
• 225gms plain flour
• 1⁄2 tspn baking powder
• 1⁄2 tspn bicarbonate of soda
• 2 tspns vanilla essence
• 2 eggs

For the frosting:

• 125ml water
• 30g brown sugar
• 100g unsalted butter cubed
• 300g dark chocolate finely chopped
• 2 x 9 inch baking tins

METHOD :

• Line the bottoms of both the tins with butter paper and grease the sides.
• Sift together the flour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate in a bowl and keep  aside.
• Put the cocoa and 100g dark brown/demerara sugar into a bowl and pour in the boiling water. 
• Whisk to mix, then set aside.
• Cream the butter and castor sugar together, beating well until fluffy.
• Dribble the vanilla extract into the creamed butter and sugar – mixing all the while
• Drop in 1 egg, quickly followed by a scoopful of flour mixture, then the second egg.
• Keep mixing and add in the rest of the dried ingredients for the cake.
• Then finally mix and fold in the cocoa mixture, scraping the bowl well with a spoon.
• Divide the chocolate batter between the 2 prepared tins.
• Pre-heat the oven to 180°C
• Place the tins in the oven for about 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
• Take the tins out and leave them on a wire rack for 5–10 minutes, before turning the cakes out to cool.

• To make the frosting: put the water, 30g brown sugar and 100g butter in a pan over a low heat to melt.
• When this mixture begins to bubble, take the pan off the heat and add the chopped chocolate, swirling the pan so that all the chocolate is hit with heat, then leave for a minute to melt before whisking till smooth and glossy.
• Leave for about 1 hour, whisking now and again – when you’re passing the pan – by which time the cakes will be cooled, and ready for the frosting.
• Set one of the cooled cakes, with its top side down, on a cake stand or plate, and spread with about a third of the frosting, then top that with the second cake, and spread the remaining frosting over the top and sides, swirling away with your spatula. Smoothen the top of the cake as much as possible.

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