Focaccia Bread

Focaccia bread is usually seasoned with olive oil and herbs. It is a very versatile bread and can be topped with onion, cheese and different kinds of meat or vegetables. You can eat is as an appetizer or a serve it with a steak, make a sandwich, or serve it with a soup to make a meal in itself. 

This time I made rosemary, oragano and onion focaccia, and I am already planning to make it with za'atar (Middle Eastern herb spice mix)!


You need:

All purpose flour/ Maida – Up tp 5 cups

Luke warm water – 1 2/3 cups
Rapid rise yeast – 1 packet (it is a little more than 2 tsp)

Sugar – 1 tsp

Salt – 2 1/2 tsp

Olive Oil – 1/4 cup + 3 Tbsp ( to make herb infused oil for coating the top) + 1 tsp for coating the base of the pan

Rosemary – 1/2 tsp (Fresh or dried  chopped)

Oragano - 1/2 tsp (Fresh or dried chopped)

Onion – 1/4 of a small one (finely sliced)

Sea Salt/ Kosher Salt – to taste (can replace with regular salt)

1. In the food processor bowl add warm water, yeast and sugar. (You can use the regular chopping blade instead of bread making one, it works better for this one). If you don't want to use a food processor use a large mixing bowl to make the dough using hands. 
2. Cover and keep for 5-10 mins until foamy. Be careful not to use very warm/ hot water as it will kill the yeast. It should be just lukewarm.
3. Add Salt, olive oil and 4 cups of all purpose flour (more can be added as needed).
4. Pulse the food processor until the dough comes together. Run the food processor for 1 minute.
5. Add more flour, around 2 Tbsp at a time as needed until a very soft dough forms.
6. Knead dough on a floured work surface or large bowl for 1 minute or until a smooth ball forms. The dough should be very soft and very easily pliable. 
7. Generously drizzle olive oil to coat the bottom of a 15×10 inch baking pan.
8. Place dough ball in pan and press into the bottom into an even rectangular shape, almost 1 inch thickness. The spread out dough should be of even thickness all over.
9. Cover with a kitchen towel/ Cling wrap and keep in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours to rise. You can also pre-heat oven to 150 F and switch off and keep the pan inside the oven. 
10. After 1- 1.5 hours take out the tray and preheat the oven to 425F/218C.
11. With your finger or blunt end of a rolling pin, gently press on the dough. You will get a slight pit on the dough. Don't press too hard to make it too deep, just like a small puddle kind. Now make more such pits 1 inch apart from one other, all over the dough.
12. In a small bowl, mix 2-3 Tbsp of olive oil with rosemary, or any other herb of your choice and sliced onions.
13. Spread the oil mixture over the top of the risen dough using a brush. 
14. Arrange onions and herbs evenly over the top.
15. Bake the dough  for 20 mins at 425F/218C. Towards the end keep watching as each oven works differently. 
16. Enjoy with an olive oil + garlic + rosemary + oregano dip. (shown in picture)

Naan/ Butter Naan (Flat Indian Bread)

Fluffy oven-baked flat bread. While baking it in oven gives it a nice taste, I also tried making naan (don't know what can I call this version ;) ) with the same dough on tawa/griddle. Made it the exact same way as a phulka and puffed it on the flame and boy-o-boy, we all loved the soft fluffy kulcha kind of end result. So pick what suits you, while naan in oven has its own charm of crispy top and soft interior, the tawa version is nice and easy too!

This makes 5-6 naans

You need:

All Purpose flour/ Maida - 2 Cups

Active dry yeast - 1tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp 

Sugar – 1 tsp

Baking soda – just a pinch

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Yogurt – 2.5 Tbsp

Lukewarm water - 3/4 Cup

Ghee/ Clarified butter – To brush on naan before serving

Method:

1. Dissolve active dry yeast and sugar in lukewarm water and let it sit for 7-8 minutes. Make sure the water is not hot, otherwise it will  kill the yeast. The best temperature is between 105 F to 115 F. To test if its a good temperature for yeast, put a drop of water on your wrist, if you feel its gentle warm, its perfect.
2. Add salt and baking soda to the flour and mix well.
3. Add the oil and yogurt mix, this will become crumbly dough.
4. Add the water/yeast mixture and make a soft dough. Don't worry if its too soft, as thats how it is supposed to be. Knead until the dough is smooth. 
5. Cover the dough with a moist cloth or a cling wrap and keep in a warm place for minimum of 1 hour. The dough should almost be double in volume.
6. Pre-heat the oven (for 15 min) to 500 degrees or more if you have the option (my oven's maximum temp is 500 :( )
7. Knead the dough again for a min or so. Divide the dough into 5-6  equal parts, depending on how big you want the naan to be.
8. Take each piece of dough, one at a time, and roll into 8-inch oval shape. Dust lightly with dry flour to help with rolling.
9. Place the rolled naan in a baking sheet/ tray (you can put 2 naans on a standard sheet at a time.
10. The Naan will take about 2 to 3 minutes each side to cook, depending upon your oven. It should be golden brown.
11. Take naan out of the oven and brush lightly with ghee.
12. Wait 2 to 3 minutes before baking the next batch of naan. It gives oven chance to get heated again to max.

* Pre-heat a pizza stone, if you have one, instead of using a baking tray. It makes better naans. But baking tray is also good enough.

** Press chopped garlic, mint leaves, sesame seeds, nigella seeds, on top of the rolled naan to make flavored naans. 

Aloo Kachori (Deep fried, potato stuffed in dough)

Perfect for breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack -  My 'all-time, any-time' favorite!

You need:

Wheat flour dough

Boiled potatoes – 4-5 medium size

Onion - 1 medium (fine chopped)

Ginger – 1 inch (fine chopped)

Garlic (optional) – 2-3 cloves (fine chopped)

Green chili – 1 no. (fine chopped)

Coriander seeds – 2 tsp

Coriander powder – ½ tsp

Red chili powder – ½ tsp

Green coriander leaves/ Cilantro

1. In a pan heat oil, add the coriander seeds and let it fry on low heat till it gets golden brown.
2. Now add the green chili, ginger and garlic. Fry for a minute.
3. Add the onion, salt, red chili powder. Fry for a minute.
4. Now add the coriander powder and fry for a min.
5. Add potatoes and fry till they become slightly golden brown.
6. Remove from heat and add coriander leaves/ cilantro. Mix well.
7. Once the mixture cools, its ready to be stuffed.
8. Make a small dough ball. Roll it to form a chapati of approx 4 inch diameter. Place 2 tbsp of potato filling in the centre and fold the ends together to from a potato filled dough ball. Flatten this dough ball using the palm of your hand. Roll it into a thick stuffed disc, making sure there is no opening anywhere.
9. Deep fry this kachori to golden brown.
10. Serve with creamy yogurt, and mint chutney.

*You can also makes this with maida/ all purpose flour.
**Stuff this kachori with green peas, mixed vegetables, spicy moong dal.  
***You can shallow fry instead of deep frying.
****Omit garlic if you want to avoid it.

Matar/ Green peas Paratha (Indian bread stuffed with sweet green peas)

You need:

Wheat flour

Green peas - 500 grams (I use organic/ frozen baby sweet green peas)

Garlic - 5-6 cloves (finely grated)

Onion - 1/2 medium size (finely chopped)

Green chili - 2 (finely chopped)

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt

Garam Masala - Pinch

1) Heat a Tbsp of oil, add cumin seeds. Once it crackles, add the green chilies, garlic. Fry for a minute.

2) Now add onion, salt, turmeric. Once the onions get translucent, add coriander powder and red chili powder. Fry for a min

3) Now add the peas with 3 tbsp of water. Cover and cook till peas become totally mushy. You can also use a hand blender to make it into a coarse paste. But make sure some peas are still seen.

4) Now make dough using wheat flour and water.

5) Roll out the wheat flour balls to make a circle, keep one table spoon of the stuffing in the centre and fold from all sides to close and make a ball. Roll out the ball gently to make a round paratha.

6) On a got griddle, shallow fry with one tea spoon of oil (or cooking spray) till golden in colour.

7) Serve hot with some butter, yogurt and mint chutney.

* You can also use all purpose flour/ maida

** Deep frying a slightly smaller and thicker stuffed bread will make it a kachori.

*** Aloo dum goes well with this dish