Every Sunday, we go to the Hindu Temple and our little one attends classes that teach him about the various Gods and Goddesses we worship. It is more like story time and that is what we would like to keep it at. After this class, he toddles off to the regional Language class.
We have enrolled him for Marathi.
I usually sit with him in the class and help him to write Marathi alphabets ( and thorough;y enjoy myself over the pronunciations) .
Over the past few months, these classroom sessions have been fun and also helped me make some friends.
With most Mom's with Kindergartners, we all bond well and have the same complaints and funny anecdotes to share. The teachers are also a lot of fun and keep the atmosphere light and easy going, which helps the instruction.
The class lasts an hour and by noon, all the little ones (and the parent attending with the child) are hungry. A little bite is always welcome!
Just last month, I made a small investment and added, to the already large amount of gadgets in my tiny and cramped kitchen, a Bread Maker Machine.
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I found this on craigslist. I was a bit skeptical when I went to see it, but the person assured me it was in working order. Of course, the couple also added they used it only to make roti dough. I bought it. For the price, it was a good deal.
I came home and Little S and I looked at it carefully and decided to go ahead and bake a loaf of fresh bread.
It couldn't be simpler. And the results were great! I was dancing! No more kneading. Oh yes! I could live with that.
And so, 2 weeks ago, I made this fantastic and fragrant Curry Leaf Bread in my Bread Machine and shared it with the Marathi Class Teachers and friends.
the loaf was sliced in to slightly thick slices and slathered with butter. Everyone loved it and all the pieces were quickly polished off. I was thrilled to bits.
This recipe is a keeper and here is my slightly tweaked version: ( for use with a Bread Machine)
In a large mixing bowl, combine 4 cups All Purpose flour, 1 tsp. Turmeric powder, 1 tsp. crushed Cumin Seeds, 2 Tbsp. Finely chopped Fresh Curry Leaves.
In a microwave safe bowl, add 11/4 cup Water, 2 Tbsp. Unsalted Butter and microwave for 50-60 seconds, until the butter has melted.
The Water + Butter mixture must not too hot (about 110 F)
Add this Water + Butter mixture to the bread pan, to this, add 1.5 tsp. Kosher Salt and 2 Tbsp. Sugar.
Carefully add the Flour Mixture on top of the liquid.
Make a shallow well on top of the flour mixture and add 1 packet (2 1/4 tsp.) Active Dry Yeast.
Close the lid and set the machine for White bread, 2 Lb. Loaf with a Medium Dark crust.
That's it. Really...
A fresh, fragrant loaf will be ready in 3 hours.
Un-mold and cool completely on a rack. Use a sharp serrated knife to cut slices and smear butter and serve.
NOTES:
- I used only Water in this recipe, the original recipe calls for Water and Evaporated milk. I am planning on trying it the next time I make this loaf.
- The original recipe is for baking the loaf in a regular oven. Read the instructions carefully ( the original recipe link is provided above) and follow it.
- I have observed that the bread maker makes wonderful loaves, but they tend to be a bit dry on the second day. This reminds me of the fresh loaf or Paav we get in India. These are preservative free and have a short shelf life. So if you make this bread, share it with family and friends and enjoy it while it is fresh.
- I plan on making this bread again and the next time around, I plan of increasing the liquid and fat amount a bit more. If this experiment is successful, it will be updated here :)
- For a bread maker, add the liquids at the bottom, top with flour and make a well in the flour ( shallow well, do not let the liquid show) and add yeast to the well. Select the right cycle and relax The machine does all the work.
- For a bread maker, add the liquids at the bottom, top with flour and make a well in the flour ( shallow well, do not let the liquid show) and add yeast to the well. Select the right cycle and relax The machine does all the work.
Spring break is almost over and we are back from a small relaxing and fun holiday and schools are all set to open. The weather is still misbehaving at our end and has even more mood swings than a pms'ing woman. We had a disappointing Holi and played indoors with just some dry color, thanks to my friend Sujata who dropped in and added some color into the dull day!
How did you celebrate Holi? Do share some colorful tidbits from your part of the world, I'd love to know!
ETA: I made this loaf yesterday with Evaporated milk and water ( as per original recipe) and the bread was moister and oh! So tasty! the last slice was eaten today morning. Not a crumb left.
ETA: I made this loaf yesterday with Evaporated milk and water ( as per original recipe) and the bread was moister and oh! So tasty! the last slice was eaten today morning. Not a crumb left.
18 comments:
Creativity and intense thinking . Yummy share.
aromatic bread..looks perfect
The curry leaf bread looks delicious! How nice of you to share it with others. The bread maker is a great find, I recently got an old Sumeet mixer through Craigslist and I can't believe my luck! My kitchen suddenly feels complete and I use it almost everyday, I don't know how I managed without it earlier. I made Puran Poli's for Holi and this year I could finally make them just like my mom's which is a huge huge achievement for me. :-) This Holi was sweet and memorable.
- Priti
Just awesome. .....
Just awesome. .....
This bread sounds so interesting. I need to try sometime. Thanks for sharing
Wat a beautiful bread with Indian flavours in it..
lovely bread with curry leaves..
Manasi, what a delicious idea. I can imagine the fragrance of this bread baking -- yum! I like going to the temple sometimes not so much for the religion but because of the great food you can buy as prasad, and also the temple around here has free music concerts ever so often which is wonderful. :)
I have to start visiting Craigslist more often-- what a great find! And I'm really jealous of the person who got the Sumeet mixer. :)
Turmeric and curry leaf in bread sounds a good combination. I will try it soon. I have baked salty crackers with curry leaves and they are a hit everytime I make. I plan to make gujiya for Holi in 2 weeks as a part of Holi potluck with friends!
Wow this is an innovative way to add indian spices to bread.You have got an awesome space,inviting you over to mine sometime :)
that bread with that butter looks divine.
I can smell the curry leaves here.
Such a lovely bread.
Thanks!
You tempt me girlie to go and buy another gadget.. but I will give in to this temptation sooner than later!!!! This bread will make me do it.
Love Ash.
What brand is that machine?
It's a Rosewill.
Thank you for responding. Have you been using it regularly? I am from India too, but my kids eat a lot of bread in addition to Indian food. I was entertaining the idea of baking my own bread with just the basic ingredients and no preservatives or additives, but have also been too intimidated by the idea of baking. This machine sounds exciting.
Thanks for replying. I am an Indian as well. My kids eat a lot of bread along with Indian food. I have been entertaining the idea of baking bread to cut out the additives/preservatives in store brought bread, but I am intimidated by the whole baking process. This machine looks exciting.
I do use it frequently. It is convenient. Just dump the ingredients ( in the right order of course) and set it - 3 hours later, you have a fresh loaf!
I also bake pav, and for that I depend on the old technique and do not use the bread maker.
Apart from bread, I have used it to make a cake (came out perfect) and also kneading.
It has various settings ( there's one for Jam too)
For me, it was value for money. I got if off craigslist, otherwise also, it is not very expensive ( but that depends on individual usage)
Baking is intimidating, at first, but once you get the hang of it, it's FUN! Good Luck.
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