Buttermilk Pancakes - One of the yummiest pancakes there is

There is nothing like starting a morning with the aroma of pancakes wafting around the house. Among quite a few other breakfast dishes, pancakes also form a substantial part in my house. Check out my other Pancakes, one with multigrain including Teff flour and wholemeal Ricotta pancakes . I forgot to post this basic pancake which is one of the most popular of all pancakes and recently only when my friend wanted me to post this, that I even realised that I dint have it here in my blog! Really...How could I have forgotten!


Since this includes all purpose flour, I make this version say once a month. I dont want to leave out the good things in life :) I have tweaked the basic buttermilk pancake recipe to suit my pantry and nutrition. Instead of whole egg, I add two egg whites - leaving out the cholesterol. Instead of refined white sugar, I usually add Demerera sugar which is unrefined and is better for health. I reduced 3 tbsp butter to one - the egg white takes care of the absent butter.


Making it this way, my taste buds dont decipher the "lack" of anything and yet the favourite recipe remains almost the same except for little enhance in nutrition. Here goes.

Ingredients


• 1 cup All purpose flour
  
  
• 3 tbsp Demerera sugar (or white sugar)
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  
  
• 1/2 tsp Baking Powder
  
  
• 1/2 tsp salt (or as per taste)
  
  
• 1-1/2 cups thick buttermilk
  
  
• 2 egg whites (or 1 egg)
  
  
• 1 tbsp butter (optional)
  
  
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  

Method

Add all the dry ingredients together and stir until blended.



Mix the wet ingredients together seperately and stir well.



Add the two (dry and wet) ingredients together v v gently and slowly blend it together. Let them rest for 5-10minutes. Though it is not neccessary, I find that the pancakes turn out to be airer than without.



In a non stick pan, lightly drizzle some vegetable oil (like PAM spray) or use a paper towel to wipe the surface with oil. Make sure the pan is not too hot or too low. Medium heat is perfect for pancakes. Take a 1/4 cup of the batter and drop it in the pan.



You know you are doing it right, when you see the holes/bubbles appearing on the surface and also that it is time to turn. It takes approx 50 second to a minute.



Turn the pancakes when golden brown and let it cook for another few seconds or until done.



Keep them in kitchen towel to make sure that they are warm until you serve them. They are perfect as soon as they are prepared. Hence serve them pronto :) Drizzle maple syrup (a must! Dont even think of skipping it) and feel heaven coming down :)



I am sure that like me, you will enjoy these pancakes...But I am also sure that unlike me, you will not have to stop and take photos instead of relishing them :)


I was out of town for last few days, hence I have not been able to reply to your A.W.E.D entries and I will surely come and check out your entries soon. Will do the round up of A.W.E.D France soon.

A.W.E.D now travels into hands of other creative bloggers and the first such is taken over by fellow blogger PJ of Seduce your tastebuds who has come up with a fabulous theme : Korean. She has given excellent intro to the cuisine along with links for your perusal. Deadline is April 4th.

Lets start thinking and cooking Korean, shall we :)?

Blueberry Scones with Sour Cream

What could be more enticing than fresh smelling scones in the morning? Featherlight with a suddden burst of blueberry now and then with each bite - now is there a better way to start a day? Especially if it's a monday? Or how about starting a special day , say like a Valentine day (like today) with something special made by your own hands. I made these in the morning for our breakfast and they dissappeared pretty fast.



I used a pretty basic scone recipe,customized to add in sour cream for the richness and made sure to include a generous helping of blueberries. I love to use blueberry in my cakes and muffins. Shows my luv for them, doesn't it? Next of course I had to post scones. We don't prefer anything too sweet, hence I have added very minimal amount. If you like your scones sweet - add more.

Ingredients


• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
  
• 3 tbsp sugar ( you have sweet tooth? Increase to say, 6tbsp)
  
  
• 2-1/2 tsp baking powder
  
  
• 2/3 cup sour cream
  
  
• 1 cup fresh blueberries (can use frozen too. Dont thaw them)
  
  
• 1 egg
  
  
• 5 tbsp cold butter
  
  
• pinch of salt
  

Method

Add the dry ingredients together.



Grate the cold butter into it. I do it since it helps me to mix in the butter better and convert into a bread crumb like texture.



Add rest of the ingrediants.It will little sticky, its fine - slowly add in the blueberries.



Place the dough on a floured surface and knead gently until you can roll it out easily



Using a rolling pin, spread it into medium thickness flatbread - expanding about 9-10 inches



Cut it into wedges



Place them on a greased baking sheet



and bake them at 375F for 20-30min until golden brown.Cool them and store in a air tight container.



You can even freeze them and defrost them in m/w when needed.

Zucchini / Courgette Crown Bread - Spongy, light yet filling

There is nothing more satisfying than Baking, esp. Breads. If I had time, I would love to make breads everyday! - Oh well at least every other day. Usually my better half always makes fun of me, that since I am vegetarian and don't eat eggs, that surviving in many places around the world would be mighty difficult for me. But then I can survive just on breads, may be little cheese and some basic tomato soup. These are always available everywhere.



Anyways, when it comes to making breads, I am always fascinated with the ones using vegetables. My first experience with one was when I made carrot cakes after which I progressed to making carrot cupcakes..It was inevitable that I use Zucchini a.k.a courgette next.

The taste is something which I will leave to you – since I really can’t comprehend how I am going to explain the diversity of sensations it made on my taste buds. Where do I begin? With the ease of how simple it was to make bread out of it? The minimal preparation time it requires? The texture, which it provided to the bread and how little I had to do with my hands? Or simply just show you the picture and let it do all the talking? I think I will do the last.



I had been meaning to make crown bread for a long while now ever since I saw one at Costco here. They had some for display, dunno what they were made of but I was fascinated at the shape and look that it had to give. I wanted to wait for an apt moment when we had one of those simple Bread and side dish kind’ a dinner. It arrived few days earlier and I made this along with Vegetarian chili - and relished it like a sloppy joe. I saw this recipe in Muffins and Quickbreads book at the library.I dint want to do any adaptation - it was simply perfect for us. The bread really does not require anything else and tastes wonderful on its own. Bookmark this one – You know you will love it

Ingredients


• About 3-4 cups of Zucchini, grated
  
  
• 5 cups of All Purpose flour
  
  
• 2 packets of fast rising dried yeast
  
  
• 4 tbsp grated parmesan
  
  
• 2 tbsp olive oil
  
  
• salt and pepper for sprinkling
  
  
• 1-2 tbsp of Sesame seeds for garnish
  

Method

1. Place the grated Zucchini in a colander and sprinkle it lightly with salt and toss it well. Set aside for 30 min. Then pat it down until dry with paper towels.



2.Meanwhile mix the flour, yeast and parmesan together and season with black pepper.



3.Stir in the oil and the Zucchini and add enough lukewarm water to make a firm dough.



4.Knead it in a lightly floured surface until smooth.



5.Return it into a mixing bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let it rise in warm place until doubled in size - about 1 to 1-1/2 hrs.



6.Meanwhile grease a round oven pan - you can use a pizza pan and then line it. Preheat the oven to 400F. Punch down the dough, knead it lightly and then break into 8 balls. Roll each one and arrange them, touching, in the pan like a crown. one in the center and the rest surrounding it.



7.Brush it lightly with milk and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Let it rise again ( about 30 min) and then bake it for 30-40 minutes until golden brown. Set aside to cool.



You can always warm it enough while eating.



I dunno if it keeps well for more than 2 days since, it dint last for that long in our house! It got over in 2 meal times. Dinner and next day tea time. This is my entry to this week's Yeast Spotting hosted by Susan

Apple Bran Muffins - Nutrition powerhouse made eggless

You have had a healthy and simple lunch, you are happy that you ate sensibly, you put a nice blue tick near that particular meal in your "Eat Sensibly Resolution Chart" and feeling mighty pleased about it. Tick, Tock, Tick...the clock ticks away slowly the hand creeping towards 4:00 PM and something else creeps in your belly! Hey is a wild cat nearby? Is someone watching your favourite Animal Planet channel? No..No wait a minute? Is that growl coming from your stomach..yeah it is! Hunger pangs and the tongue starts playing dirty tricks - making you imagine - that Jalapeno chips wonderfully crunch, in your mouth; how about that 'tadak' sound when you bite that nutty chocolate bar, mm...and and how about that delicious looking bagel with a nice filling of cream cheese making eyes with you..........aaaaaaaah!!!!

No, No, you say, looking at your chart!. Then you think of diverting by checking your mails and you get entries for events you are hosting where your fellow foodies are Flaunting .Their . Wares . You start feeling like a dog! No not in a derogatory way..but you so resemble one, salivating this way! You are like OK, THAT's IT and try to grab that Cream cheese bagel - and that's when I say STOP! Here is another yummy alternative which wont make you feel that you are on a diet or something.



Apple Bran muffins is the way to go - They have that Jalepeno chip like crunch as soon as you bite into it and 2 seconds later, you get a nice chewy texture like that bagel and in the end you feel like you have bitten away the nutty chocolate bar to glory - except that you havent. What you did was eat into a nutrition powerhouse that is so ridiculously low in calories in return of immense benefits that its not even funny! It has a fruit, goodness of wheat and wheat bran, nuts and spices which make blend it all together. Don't go by the appearance - This is one Abraham Lincoln model - The packaging isnt pretty - but whats inside is worth all the time, effort and money :)

Ingredients


• 1 apple, grated ( pls dont peel the skin! There are nutrients in there)
  
  
• 1 cup wheat bran
  
  
• 1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
  
  
• 1/4 cup All purpose flour
  
  
• 1 cup milk
  
  
• 1/4 cup pecans ( or walnuts)
  
  
• 2 tbsp brown sugar ( this muffin is v mildly sweet, the way I like it. You can add more if you desire..)
  
  
• 1 tbsp butter
  
  
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
  
  
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
  
  
• 1/4 cup applesauce
  
  
• 1/4 cup oil
  
  
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
  
  
• 1 tbsp baking powder
  
  

Method

1.Preheat Oven to 375F. Mix all the wet ingredients together along with the spices.



2.In a seperate bowl, add all the dry ingredients together.



3.Now mix both of them together.



4.Drop spoonfuls of the dough into a lined muffin pan.



5.Bake them for 20-30 min until golden brown.



Cool them in a counter and enjoy!

Puran Poli - Unique and only one of its kind!

It looks like a flatbread but the similarity stops right there. Known by various names like Poli(Tamil), Obbattu(Kannada) and Bobbattu (Telugu), this traditional sweet dish is made for festive occasions. But festive or not, we enjoy Poli even on an ordinary day - that much is its love in our home. Until about a year back, I was not aware of another variation to poli where the stuffing is made using powdered sugar instead of the Jaggery which is what I grew up with. Variation nevertheless, it is one dish which will blow your mind however you make it.



This is made for quite a bunch of occasions like Pongal,Avani Avittam etc. I made it on the day of Boghi which is the first day of Pongal. Dont even think of cutting out the ghee! Forget your diets when having a bite of this - you can always starve yourselves the next day! ;-)

Ingredients


• 1 cup all purpose flour/Maida (sifted)
  
  
• 1 cup bengal Gram Dal
  
  
• 1 cup grated jaggery (remove stones/dust etc)
  
  
• 1/2 cut grated coconut, fresh preferred ( but incase of non availibility, forzen can be used too. Thaw it first)
  
  
• 1/2 tsp cardamom powder
  
  
• pinch of turmeric
  
  
• approx 1-2 tbsp broken cashews
  

Method

1.Mix flour, turmeric and 1 tbsp of vegetable oil(optional), mix well and add water as needed to make into a soft pliable dough.



2.Set aside covered with a cloth.



3.Meanwhile in a saucepan, boil bengal gram in 2 cups of water until soft.



4.Drain the lentil well and then drop it back into the saucepan along with jaggery, coconut and cardamom powder. Mix well until the jaggery melts and all the ingredients come together into one harmonious mass.



5.Cool it lightly and then grind this mixture in food processor without adding any water. Toast the cashews (dry roast/in ghee) and then add it to the lentil-jaggery mixture.



6.Now take a small lime sized ball from the dough.Roll it out into a small circle.



7.Similarly make a small ball from the lentil mixture and place it in the middle of the dough.



8.Bring the end of the dough to the center on top of the lentil mixture,pinch them together and then press it down into a flatbread.



9.Now lightly roll it out into a flatbread. It does not matter if a circle is not perfect. You can roll it as thinly or as thick you desire.



10.PLace it a griddle, spoon some ghee all around it and cook until golden brown.

11.Turn it around and similarly cook until golden brown/reddish.



12.It is good on its own although a little ghee on top makes it irresistable.