Pizza Base

 Have made pizza 100s of times at home..but off course always buyed pizza base from shops,wanted to learn making pizza base so heres my first attempt,turned out to be really good.I always enjoyed baking cakes and cookies..but now this is something much more fun.made a simple cheese pizza with sauce and pepper on it :)

Heres the recipe-

Ingredients 

• All purpose flour/Maida - 1 & 1/2 cups
• Active dry yeast - 1 tbsp
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Water - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 tblsp
• Salt - 3/4 tsp
• Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1.Boil the water first in and keep aside. the temp should not be very high or it kills yeast.it should be just a bit warm.Now add milk, oil, sugar, to boiled water and mix well till sugar dissolves. Now add yeast to the milk oil solution.

2.Mix a bit and keep aside for 15 mins . After sometime you can see the yeast completely dissolved.add flour.


3.After adding the flour, gather to get a smooth pilable dough. No need to knead completely just bring it together that is enough.Keep covered with a wet cloth till an hour or 2, preferably in a warm place for best results.i kept it in microwave.

4.When u check after an hr, the dough would have been raised .Now again punch it down incase for any air bubbles and then keep aside.

5.Grease a baking tray with aluminium foil . Keep the dough on the tray, Now roll the dough a little thick as 1 to 1.5 inches .

6.Preheat the oven for 190 degree Celsius(convention mode) and bake for 12- 15 mins,after it raises a bit.


7.now take the base out..i w ill seem soft..now add cheese . can add diff toppings i just made simple cheese one.as i was in mood to hav just cheese :)


8.Bake on convention mode for more 12-15 mins.check in between as its turns a bit golden brown.
i ts done.spread sauce and pepper.and Enjoy :)

Buns

 Wanted to learn making bun so googled a bit and saw some recipes at blogs.,and thought to make plain bun then wil try making cheese buns and loafs..

Ingredients: 

  Maida/APF - 1 & 1/2cup 

  Active dry yeast - 1 tsp 

  Sugar - 1/2 tsp 

  Salt - 1 tsp 

   Butter-melted-1 tsp 

  Oil-1 tsp 

  Warm water(temp should be between 105-109)-1cup   

  Milk as required.

Method :

1. Sprinkle dry yeast in warm water along with sugar. sugar acts as food for yeast.Keep aside undisturbed for 30mins. If you check after 30mins the frothy layer on top will be seen. 
2. In a bowl take maida add 1/2 tsp salt to it. 
3. Add the frothy yeast water little by little and Knead it to a soft pliable dough. Keep the dough undisturbed for 2hrs near a warm place covered with a slightly wet muslin cloth 
4. After 2 hours, the dough must have doubled in size, punch it once to removed the trapped air. Gently knead it again
5. divide dough in small balls and brush it with milk or butter.
6. Place the balls on the tray with silver foil/butter paper.Leave it near a warm place for another 30mins to raise a bit.
7. Preheat the oven for 10mins at 200 deg C, place the tray in the oven and bake it for about 35-40 mins.Check if its golden browned then apply remaining melted butter on top before serving.

Advice to women

  Advice to Women by Eunice de souza..

Read this poem when was studying in College.

Eunice deSouza is one of India's modern poets.Her wit and colloquial,direct style that capture the tragi-comic

of routine mark a peculiar contribution of women Indian poets in English. .. 

A Roman Catholic Goan brought up in Pune.Eunice de Souza use to be Head of  the 

Department of English in St Xavier's College, Mumbai.She is now retired. 

She is a poet, novelist, and editor of many anthologies .Heres the poem..

Advice to Women

Keep cats
 if you want to learn to cope with
 the otherness of lovers.
 Otherness is not always neglect --
 Cats return to their litter trays
 when they need to.
 Don't cuss out of the window
 at their enemies.
 That stare of perpetual surprise
 in those great green eyes
 will teach you
 to die alone.

Eunice compares a cat's haughtily indifferent attitude towards life, the universe and everything to what a woman's reaction must be when ignored or may be jilted or may be due to differences with a lover.She calls upon Women to tolerate the otherness of lover and have patience for their return.

I like the way it cloaks bitter sorrow and anger with light hearted banter about a cat .

Chocolate Cake

Its my Ma's Birthday :)..so made chocolate cake with lot of icing for her :)..turned out to be too Yum..satisfying the midnight crave for sweet.And all of us just loved it...have been making chocolate cake ,since when was just 16.I learnt this Chocolate cake Recipe at a Summer Camp i went when was in school.great memories of that camp and the fun I had there.and i never forgot this chocolate cake recipe i learnt there.Will be posting recipe soon.

Kadai Paneer

Today  I thought to make something new of paneer,saw this recipe of Kadai Paneer,turned our to be nice.heres the recipe.

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 1 packet cubed
• Capsicum - 1 chopped
• Onion - 1 chopped finely
• Jeera - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
• Kasuri methi / dried fenugreek leaves - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Red Chillies - 1
• Salt to taste

For grinding:

• Tomatoes - 2
• Coriander seeds - 1.5 tsp
• Red Chillies - 1

Method:

1. Dry roast coriander seeds and red chillies one by one seperately and grind it with tomato to a fine paste.
2. Heat half a tsp of oil, add cubed paneer and toast it for 2mins. Dont let it brown then transfer the toasted paneer in hot water for 5mins, drain and keep aside
3. Heat remaining oil in a kadai, add jeera allow it to crackle then add red chillies and fry for a minute. Add onions, ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell leaves and onions turn slightly browned.
4. Then add the ground tomato paste and fry for 3-4mins till raw smell leaves. Sprinkle little water if its very thick. Then add the chilli, turmeric and garam masala powder, mix well and fry for few mins.
5. Next add the capsicum and saute till its cooked but retain its crunchiness dont let it become soft.
6. Add kasoori methi and salt to taste. Finally add the cubed paneer and mix gently until well combined. Simmer for 3 mins so that the paneer get nicely blended with the gravy. Switch off ,  serve hot with rotis/chapatis.