Crown Pizza with a Difference for the Home Baking Challenge

I have recently joined the Home Baker's Challenge group which hosts monthly baking events.  The Group was started by Priya from Versatile recipes and some of her blogger friends.  This month's baking challenge was Home made Pizza from Martha Stewart's recipe.  I was so glad that this month's challenge was not cake baking as it's one skill I am not good at.

I followed Martha Stewart's recipe for making the base but added a few herbs to the base to make it a bit interesting. I also followed her recipe for the Pizza sauce but added some Indian spices and herbs to  give it an Indian flavour.

Ingredients for 3 large Pizzas

For the base:
500 gms Strong white flour for the base
1 tbs dry yeast
1tbs sugar
150 mls water
bunch of coriander - chopped finely
3-4 cloves of garlic - minced or grated
1tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp salt

For the topping : 

500 grams of passata 
4 cloves of garlic - minced or grated
10-12 baby tomatoes
Mixture of green, red and yellow peppers- sliced or chopped
2 sliced onions -sliced finely
A small bowl of sweetcorn
2 or 3 finely diced chillies
500 grams Grated cheese: A mixture of cheddar and mozzarella cheese
2 tbs Fresh or dry oregano
5-6 tbs of olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1.  For the Yeast: Pour 150 mls of warm water into a tall jug.  Add sugar, and sprinkle in the yeast and  stir the mixture until yeast is dissolved. Keep the jug in a warm place for 10-15 minutes.  After 15 minutes, the yeast mixture will become frothy and rise.

2.  Pour all the flour into a food processor and  add the salt, garlic, cumin, fresh coriander and 3 tbs of olive oil. Add yeast mixture and a half a cup of water and mix  until the dough comes together.

3. Transfer to dough to a clean surface and knead  into a ball.

4.  Grease a large bowl with oil and place in the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean dish cloth and keep it in a warm place for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, the dough will have doubled in size.

5.  Mix the flour again by folding it.  This removes the air.  Place the dough again in the bowl and cover with a dish cloth for 30 minutes.   The dough will double in size again.

6. Mix the dough and transfer to a clean surface. Using a  knife, divide the dough into 3 equal parts

7. Lightly flour a clean surface, take one dough ball and  begin to flatten and push the dough evenly out from the centre until it measures about 7 to 8 inches.

8. Transfer the base to a baking tray and bake it for 10 minutes at 170 degrees Centigrade.

9.  To make the pizza crown, you need to shape the pizza before you make the base.  Arrange any vegetable about an inch and a half apart.  I used tomatoes.

10.  Pull in the dough in between the gaps and make sure it sticks in the shape.  If you like you can add mozarella cheese under the folds.  Bake the base for at least 6-7 minutes to give it a bit of firmness.

11.  Now - prepare the toppings:

12. Heat the pasatta.  Add the crushed garlic, sliced green chillies, salt and pepper.  Let this simmer whilst you prepare all the other toppings.

13.  Put all sauce and your toppings on the pizza base.  Make sure that you leave the crust clear of any toppings.  Brush the toppings with some olive oil and sprinkle some oregano on top.

14. Cook the pizza in the centre of the oven for 15 minutes at 190 degrees.

15.  Serve it hot.

Linking this to the Home Bakers Challenge

 If you enjoy reading my blog, please click on Follow or become a fan of my page on Facebook or follow me on Twitter.

My blog is also available on Kindle.

Fancy a cuppa? Chai pani?

 

The British love their cup of tea and their favourite phrase whether in the office or home is fancy a cuppa?   Most people tend to use tea bags these days and use loose tea as a special treat when they have more time to brew their tea.   Finding the best blend of tea is an art so if you have found a blend of tea you like, my suggestion is to enjoy it and make it your regular cuppa.  

The best tea I have ever drunk was when I visited Japan.  I am not sure whether it was the blend of the tea or Japanese water or their hospitality which made the tea so tasty. 

Which ever brand you like, have you thought of  flavouring your tea with spices and herbs and enjoy drinking it like the Indians?

Tea spices or chai masala as it is often called is made up with a combination of spices.  The spices in the masala vary from Region to region in India.  My recipe for Chai masala is here and I am sure lots of my Indian friends and relations will be making it slightly different from me.  But that’s OK as we all have different tastes. 

Lately, the weather in UK has been wet and cold so we have been making masala chai with fresh ginger and fresh mint.  We really love this tea as it warms us up.  Again, some people will make tea by just adding the fresh mint and ginger to the tea and not the usual chai masala.  The best way to find out what you enjoy and  to try out different variations and decide what taste you enjoy.  

Ingredients for 2-3 cups of tea

2-3 teabags or 2-3 teaspoons loose tea (Choose the one you like.  I used PG tips).

1 teaspoon of chai masala. (You can also get packets of ready mixed tea masala in most Indian grocery stores)

1 cup of semi skimmed milk

1 teaspoon of fresh grated ginger

2 sprigs of mint – roughly chopped

Sugar to taste – Most people prefer this tea sweet.

Method:

1.   Take 2½ cups of cold water and add 2 teabags/2 teaspoons of loose tea and spices and herbs to it. 

2.   Heat this mixture until it boils.

3.  As soon as it boils, add the milk and sugar if take sugar.  Most people like to add extra sugar as they like this tea sweet.  

4.  As soon as this mixture boils, strain the tea into your cup or mug. 

5.  Enjoy a hot refreshing cup of masala chai.

Tip: Try not to squeeze the tea bag or tea leaves when you pour your tea through a tea strainer as this could alter the taste of your tea. 

If at stage 4, you feel that the tea doesn’t look strong, you can add the extra tea bag/leaves. Once you taste the tea, you can decide whether you would have preferred more spices or herbs. 

If you start having this tea as a routine, you’ll soon work out a blend you enjoy.

If you enjoy reading my blog, please click on Follow or become a fan on my facebook page or follow me on Twitter. 

My blog is also available on Kindle   

TOMATO DIP/CHUTNEY (tameta ni chutney)

Whenever I make any kind of  bhajias, somosas etc,  I like to serve it with a combination of chutneys and dips.

My recipe for green chutney is here. 

The tomato chutney/dip recipe is really quick and easy. It's a lot milder chutney with a tangy taste which makes it a perfect dip to serve to young children too. I have been making this tomato chutney for a long time and every time - the ingredients may be slightly different depending on what is available at the time of making the chutney. The fun is in the experimenting. 

Ingredients:

4 -5  ripe tomatoes

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

1 tablespoon splenda or sugar

2-3 cloves of finely blended garlic

1-2  green really finely blended chillies(use less or none if you don’t like hot food or wish to serve to children)

½ teaspoon Salt

Pinch of turmeric (optional)

½ teaspoon of cumin/coriander mixture (dhana jiru)

½ teaspoon basil

Method:

1.  Make a small cross at the bottom of your tomato and boil it in just enough water to cover it for a minute or two.

2.  Once boiled, remove from the hot water and dip the tomatoes in cold water.

This helps to remove the tomato skin quicker.

3.  Chop the tomato into really small pieces.

4.  Add the rest of your ingredients to the tomatoes and allow this to cook until the tomatoes have really softened.

5.  Blend this mixture with a potato masher or electric blender.

6.  If the chutney/dip feels too runny, allow it to simmer a bit longer. 

7.  Taste and add salt or lemon to get the tangy taste.

8.  Allow to cool. 

9.  Sprinkle some basil before serving your tomato chutney.

10.  Any left over chutney/dip should be fine for 2-3 days if kept in the fridge. 

For information about my informal but hands-on cookery lessons, please email me on givemesomespice@gmail.com  

If you enjoy reading my blog, please click on Follow or become a fan on my facebook page or follow me on Twitter. 

My blog is also available on Kindle