Bread Gulab Jamun

Bread Gulab Jamun – A quick & delicious Indian sweet, made of  bread slices and sugar syrup.

Makes: 7

Ingredients

For the sugar syrup:

½ cup / 100 ml/ 4 oz sugar

½ cup + 2 tablespoon water

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

Method

In a wide bowl, boil sugar and water for 12 minutes (until slightly thickens) on a medium heat. Switch off the heat. Sprinkle cardamom powder.

For the bread:

6  bread slices  (135 g net weight before trimming the edges) milk bread or sweet bread , trim the edges (4 sides) (please do not use garlic bread, masala bread, herb bread, ragi bread…)

60 ml (4 tablespoon) milk

200 ml oil (to deep fry)

Method

In a bowl, 6 mix bread slices and 3 tablespoon milk. Knead and make a soft dough. Add extra 1 tablespoon milk if required to make a soft dough.  It’s very easy to knead and no need  to give pressure like chapatti dough. Bread – milk dough is soft and not elastic like chapatti  dough.

Divide this dough into 7 parts and make equal size round balls.

Heat oil in a deep  frying pan / karahi. Do not fry on high heat. Reduce the heat to medium (wait for 1 minute) and deep fry on both the sides until golden brown in batches (4 jamuns at a time – depending upon size of the karahi)). Drain out from the oil and  soak fried gulab jamuns in hot sugar syrup for 2 hours or  until they completely absorb the syrup. Serve warm or cold.

Aashirwaad Atta Eggless Banana Bread

Aashirwad Atta Eggless Banana Bread

It doesn’t contain any butter / oil. A low calorie and nutritious bread. Must try !!! (Recipe also available @ Aashirwad Facebook Like Page).

Tips

Please measure all the ingredients in standard measuring cups and spoons.

Be sure to use ripe bananas; their peels should be bright yellow, with no green showing at all, and beginning to turn brown. For more pronounced banana flavor, use extra-ripe bananas, ones whose peels are mostly black-brown.

An easy way to mash bananas is to peel, cut into chunks, and place in a zip-top plastic bag, leaving about 1/4" open at the top of the bag for air to escape. Gently knead/flatten/squash the banana chunks with your fingers.

Makes – 9 slices (1 small loaf)

Ingredients

Please use same measuring cup to measure wholewheat (atta), sugar and milk.

1 cup / 200 ml Aashirwaad atta (wholewheat) (Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity) 140 g in weight measurement

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

a pinch of salt

1/2 cup (120 g) mashed well ripe bananas (or 4 small size)

½ cup / 100 g sugar (or ¼ to ½ cup)( Indian standard measuring cup of 100 ml / 4 oz capacity)

¾ cup milk (boiled and cooled milk)

2 tablespoon chocolate chips (optional) or any type of chopped dry fruits

Method

Preheat the oven to 350°F or 180 *C.

Grease baking dish / loaf pan with 1 teaspoon butter and dust with 2 teaspoons flour (sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of flour inside a cake pan and shake to coat all greased surface. Turn pan upside down to tap out the excess flour ) or greased butter paper.

Sieve twice wholewheat, salt, baking powder and baking soda.

In another wide bowl, mix mashed well ripe bananas with sugar and make a smooth mixture. Add sieved atta and gently mix with mashed banana – sugar mixture until well combined.

Add milk and mix well until well blended. Finally, add chocolate chips and mix again gently.

Pour the banana mixture into a paper - lined and greased or greased loaf pan / baking dish and bake at 180 * C or 350 * F for 25 - 35 minutes or a sewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and also it leaves from the sides of the pan / golden brown color. Cool for a while before turning out onto wire rack. Keep aside to cool for 20 minutes and cut into slices or desired shapes.

To cut banana bread into very thin slices, warm the bread knife a little before slicing the bread.

Whole Wheat Bread

Whole wheat Bread

A piece of advice at the start itself (this is the lesson learnt from my many disasters) – If the yeast is not fermenting as described / also shown in the picture – never go any further. The flour won’t rise. Get a new pack of yeast and start all over again.

Makes: 1 bread loaf

Please use standard measuring cups and spoons. Fresh ingredients for best results.

You will need

2 ½ cups ( standard measuring cup of 200 ml capacity) whole wheat flour

2 teaspoon butter

50 ml milk + extra 3 teaspoon

1 egg, beat well

1 teaspoon extra butter (to grease baking tray)

1 small egg (for final stage of baking) or 1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon milk

Extra 1 teaspoon melted butter (for final stage)

For yeast:

5 tablespoons warm water (75 ml)

3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) sugar

1full teaspoon active dry yeast (please use fresh packet)

Method

For yeast:

Dilute 1 teaspoon active dry yeast with 5 tablespoons warm water and 3 teaspoons sugar. Gently stir well. Let it stand for 15 minutes, until it fermented and doubled in quantity (see the photo).

For the dough:

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in 50 ml medium hot milk and keep aside.

Beat 1 small egg with 1 teaspoon milk and keep aside for final stage of baking (egg wash ).

Place 2 cups of flour in a large bowl (or first add 2 cups of whole wheat flour and later adjust with remaining 1/2 cup whole wheat flour), and stir in salt. Make a well in the center, and pour 50 ml milk – butter mix , fermented yeast mixture and beaten egg. Knead into a dough. Sprinkle 2 - 3 teaspoons of reserved milk if required until you have a soft moist dough that can be handled well and soft. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for at least 10 minutes (make an extra soft dough – softer than a soft toy). Return to the bowl, cover with a wet towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Finally make 1 bread loaf.

Place on greased loaf pan (20 x 9 x 4). Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven (OTG) at 375 * F or 190 * C.

Beat egg with 1 teaspoon milk; brush over whole wheat bread or lightly apply with 1 tablespoon milk. Bake at 375° *F or 190 *C for 20 - 22 minutes or until golden brown.

Lightly brush on top the loaves with 1 teaspoon melted butter to prevent the crust from getting hard. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Serve with any accompaniment of your choice.

Dinner Rolls

Dinner Rolls

A piece of advice at the start itself (this is the lesson learnt from my many disasters) – If the yeast is not fermenting as described / also shown in the picture – never go any further. The flour won’t rise. Get a new pack of yeast and start all over again.

Makes: 8

Please use standard measuring cups and spoons. Fresh ingredients for best results.

You will need

400 g ( 2 cups) all purpose flour (maida)

2 teaspoon butter

50 ml milk + extra 3 teaspoon

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 egg, beat well

1 teaspoon extra butter (to grease baking tray)

1 small egg (for final stage of baking) or for vegetarians, apply milk lightly instead of egg

1 teaspoon milk

For yeast:

5 tablespoons warm water (75 ml)

3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) sugar

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (please use fresh packet)

Method

For yeast:

Dilute 1 teaspoon active dry yeast with 5 tablespoons warm water and 3 teaspoons sugar. Gently stir well. Let it stand for 15 minutes, until it fermented and doubled in quantity (see the photo).

For the dough:

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in 50 ml medium hot milk and keep aside.

Beat 1 small egg with 1 teaspoon milk and keep aside for final stage of baking (egg wash ).

Place 2 cups of flour in a large bowl (or first add 1 1/2 cups of flour and later adjust with remaining 1/2 cup flour), and stir in salt. Make a well in the center, and pour 50 ml milk – butter mix , fermented yeast mixture and beaten egg. Knead into a dough. Sprinkle 2 - 3 teaspoons of reserved milk if required until you have a soft moist dough that can be handled well and soft. Turn out onto a floured surface, and knead for at least 10 minutes (make an extra soft dough – softer than a soft toy). Return to the bowl, cover with a wet towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Divide into 8 parts. Shape each into a round bun / roll. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes. Leave 1 - inch gap between each bun.

Preheat oven (OTG) at 375 * F or 190 * C.

Beat egg with 1 teaspoon milk; brush over rolls (or apply milk lightly over the rolls. Bake at 375° *F or 190 *C for 18 - 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Serve with any accompaniment of your choice.

Braided Roll

Braided Rolls

Makes: 3

Please use standard measuring cups and spoons.

You will need

400 g ( 2 cups) all purpose flour (maida)

2 teaspoon butter

50 ml milk + extra 3 teaspoon

1 egg

1 teaspoon extra butter (to grease baking tray)

1 small egg (for final stage of baking)

1 teaspoon milk

For yeast:

5 tablespoons warm water (75 ml)

2 teaspoons sugar

1 teaspoon active dry yeast (please use fresh packet)

Method

For yeast:

Dilute 1 teaspoon active dry yeast with 5 tablespoons warm water and 2 teaspoons sugar. Let it stand for 15 minutes, until it fermented and doubled in quantity (see the photo).

For the dough:

Melt 2 teaspoons butter in 50 ml medium hot milk and keep aside.

Beat 1 small egg with 1 teaspoon milk and keep aside for final stage of baking (egg wash ).

Place 2 cups of flour in a large bowl (or first add 1 1/2 cups of flour and later adjust with remaining 1/2 cup flour), and stir in salt. Make a well in the center, and pour 50 ml milk – butter mix , fermented yeast mixture, (extra 2 teaspoon sugar if you need light sweet roll) and 1 egg. Knead into a dough. Sprinkle 2 - 3 teaspoons of reserved milk if required until you have a soft moist dough that can be handled. Turnout onto a floured surface, and knead for at least 10 minutes. Return to the bowl, cover with a towel, and let rise until doubled in size, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Punch dough down. Turn onto a floured surface; cover and let rest for 15 minutes. Divide into 9 pieces. Shape each into a 5 - inches rope. Braid three ropes together. Pinch ends to seal. Repeat with remaining dough.

Place on greased baking sheets. Cover and let rise in a warm place until doubled, about 30 minutes.

Preheat oven (OTG) at 190 *C or 375 *C.

Beat egg with 1 teaspoon milk; brush over braids. Bake at 375° *F or 190 *C for 18 - 22 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from pan to a wire rack to cool. Serve with any accompaniment of your choice.

Banana and Honey Bread

Banana and Honey Bread

Banana bread is oh-so-simple... yet like many simple recipes, requires a few out of the ordinary ingredients to bring it from potentially boring to memorable. A hint of spice, honey for sweetness and moist texture, and one final touch—a few spoonfuls of jam—distinguish this tasty bread from run-of-the-mill versions.

This moist, dense banana bread is a deep golden brown, with mild-to-medium banana flavor and a light touch of spice (Basic recipe adapted from King Arthur Flour)

Tips

Please measure all the ingredients in standard measuring cups and spoons.

Be sure to use ripe bananas; their peels should be bright yellow, with no green showing at all, and beginning to turn brown. For more pronounced banana flavor, use extra-ripe bananas, ones whose peels are mostly black-brown.

An easy way to mash bananas is to peel, cut into chunks, and place in a zip-top plastic bag, leaving about 1/4" open at the top of the bag for air to escape. Gently knead/flatten/squash the banana chunks with your fingers.

Makes – 9 slices (1 small loaf)

You will need

30 g (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at cool room temperature

50 g (1/4 cup) brown sugar, light or dark, firmly packed

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 cup (65 g) mashed ripe bananas (about 2 medium or 1 large bananas)

1 tablespoon apricot jam or orange marmalade, optional but tasty

2 tablespoons honey

1 egg

½ cup (100 g) All-Purpose Flour / Maida

Method

Preheat the oven to 325°F.

Grease baking dish / loaf pan with 1 teaspoon butter and dust with 2 teaspoons flour (sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of flour inside a cake pan and shake to coat all greased surface. Turn pan upside down to tap out the excess flour ) or greased butter paper.

In a large bowl, combine the butter, sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg, baking soda, baking powder, and salt, beating till smooth (please use electric beater).

Add the mashed bananas, jam, honey, and eggs, again beating until smooth.

Add the flour, then the walnuts, stirring just until smooth.

Pour the banana mixture into a paper - lined and greased or greased loaf pan / baking dish and bake at 170 * C or 325 * F (very moderate) for 30 - 35 minutes or a sewer inserted in the centre comes out clean and also it leaves from the sides of the pan. Cool for a while before turning out onto wire rack. Keep aside to cool for 20 minutes and cut into slices or desired shapes.

To cut banana bread into very thin slices, warm the bread knife a little before slicing the bread.