Semolina bread/rava bread

Bread using rava/semolina is a bit surprise to me. When I saw few bloggers about this bread, was quite surprised about how the texture and taste of bread will be. Finally decided to bake it one for me on one fine day. To my surprise, it turned out awesome as other bloggers say. Whoever tries to bake bread, try this first to gain a little bit confidence of baking bread at home.

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

 Water - 1 1/2 cups

Instant Yeast -2 tsp

Semolina/rava - 3 1/4 cups - fine variety
Sugar - 1 tbsp
 Extra-Virgin Olive oil (or any other oil) - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp

How to bake bread:

1. If not using instant yeast, proof it by warming water and add sugar and yeast for about 10 min or until frothy.

2. Add everything together in a mixing bowl and mix it well.

3. Now comes the kneading part.

(A).  If using stand mixer, turn on the mixer to medium speed and mix for about 4-5 minutes. At first the dough will be little sticky and after kneading for about 5 min you can see a elastic dough.

(B). If you don’t have a stand mixer, knead the dough using hands for about 10 min as like a chapathi dough until it becomes elastic.

4. Now grease a bowl with oil and transfer your dough into it and close it tightly using a cling wrap or towel and keep it in a warm place for about 1hour or until it doubles in volume.

5. Grease a loaf tin with oil. I used 9”*3” pan.

6.  Now dust some semolina on the kitchen counter. Take the dough out and make it into a rectangle. Make triple fold as a loaf so that it fits your loaf pan and press the seam.

7. Keep the seam side in your loaf pan and cover it with a cling wrap or towel and proof it again for for 45 min to 1 hr.

8. Preheat the oven to 190 C/ 375 F.

9. Place the tin in the middle rack of the oven and bake it for about 35-45 min or your loaf turns deep golden brown on the top and leaves the sides on the pan.

10. Remove the pan from the oven and remove the baked bread and place it in a cooling rack for further cooling.

11. In order for the top of the bread remaining soft, place a wet towel on the loaf and cover it. Leave it to cool completely for about 2 hrs. This step is compulsory to get neat slices.

12. Then slice, serve and enjoy.

Ragi roti

Ingredients:

Ragi flour- 3 cups

Red chili powder- 11/2 tsp

Salt-1 tsp

Onion-1-medium- finely chopped

Coriander leaves- 1/4cup- finely chopped

Curry leaves -2tbsp- finely chopped

Carrot- 1- finely grated

Oil-2tbsp

How to make:

1. In a mixing bowl, mix everything adding water into a soft dough.

2. Take an aluminum foil/banana leaf, apply oil and spread it.

3. Take a big size Ragi balls and spread using hand with little oil sprinkled in hand.

4. Heat a dosa tawa and reduce the flame to low-medium.

5. Flip the spread roti on the tawa upside down and carefully remove foil.

6. Apply oil over the edges and cook for 3 min.

7. Flip it over and cook on the other side for 4 min.

8. Serve hot and enjoy.

9. Can eat as it is or if you want you can pair it with spicy coconut chutney.

Whole wheat chocolate chip cookies- adapted from New York Times chocochip cookies

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour-1 1/2 cup

Baking soda-3/4 tsp

Baking powder-3/4 tsp

Salt-1/2 tsp

Butter-1 1/2 sticks - 3/4 cup

Brown/cane sugar-1 1/4 cup

Eggs-1

Vanilla extract-1 tsp

Chocolate chips- 1 1/2 cups

How to bake:

1. Sieve all the dry ingredients together.

2. Cream butter and sugar till creamy.

3. Add in eggs and mix well.

4. Add in vanilla extract and mix.

5. Now add in the sieved dry ingredients and mix well. Now this becomes a soft dough.

6. Add in chocolate chips and mix it with a spatula.

7. Store this dough in a airtight container in refrigerator for 36 hours.

8. While before starting baking keep the dough outside for 20 minutes.

9. Preheat the oven @350F/180C.

10. Scoop the dough in a cookie scoop and place it in a parchment paper lined cookie sheet in distances. The dough will expand into a big circle and so keep the scoop so that it doesn’t touch each other.

11. Bake in the preheated oven for 15-17 minutes.

12. Remove from the oven and keep it in tray for 5 minutes and then keep it in a wire rack for further cooling.

13. Keep the next batch of cookies the same way and bake remaining dough.

14. Store it in a airtight container after all the cookies are cool.