Pizza with Home Made Base

My boys love pizza, and I have made it for them many times. I prefer making the base at home myself. Just realized that I have never posted it here. This time, i put the extra pizza dough in my cupcake tin, and made Cupcake Pizza...as the boys call it!! Unfortunately I did not get enough slices for good pictures because the boys gobbled them up very fast. The sauce used for the pizza can also be used for Pasta.

Ingredients for the Pizza Base:
Plain Flour (Maida): 2 cups
Yeast: 2 tsp
Sugar: 1 tsp
Salt: 1tsp
Olive Oil: 1 tbsp
Water: As needed

Method:
1. Add 2 tsp yeast in double its weight of warm (not boiling) water. Let it stand for 10 mins till the yeast dissolves.
2. Add the salt, sugar, and the yeast water to the flour.
3. Knead it to a soft dough using enough water until it is smooth and elastic. If the dough is too stick, add bit more flour.
4. Add the olive oil and knead again.
5. Cover the dough with cling wrap and let it sit till it doubles in volume. This should take around 20 to 30 minutes.
6. Press the dough lightly to remove the air.
7. Divide the dough in 2 parts.
8. Roll it out, and prick holes with a fork.
9 The dough is ready to be baked.

Ingredients for Pizza Sauce:
Tomatoes: 1 kg
Onion: 2
Garlic: 10 flakes
Capsicum: 1
Paneer (Crumbled)/Kheema: 200gms
Oregano (dry): as per taste
Rosemary (dry): as per taste
Salt: as per taste
Olive Oil: As needed
Tomato Sauce: as needed

Method:
1. Blanch the tomatoes. Skin them if needed. Puree them.
2. Mince the garlic and onion finely.
3. Cut one capsicum in small pieces.
4. In hot olive oil, saute the garlic for 2 mins. Add the onions.
5. When the onions turn translucent, add the tomato puree.
6. Cover and cook for 7 mins.
7. Add the kheema or paneer, and let it cook for 20 mins, covered and on a low flame.
8. When the kheema/paneer is nearly cooked and the tomatoes also seem cooked, add the salt, oregano and          
rosemary.
9. Let it cook for 5 mins more.

Preparing the Pizza:
Capsicum: 1
Onion:1
Cheese: as needed
1. Cut the capsicum and onions in thin stripes,
2. Spread tomato sauce on the pizza base.
3 .Next spread the pizza sauce on it and garnish it with the sliced onion and capsicum.
4.Top with as much cheese as preferred.
5. Bake it in the oven for 10 mins at 200 degrees.

The rest of the dough can be stored for later use, or can be put in a cupcake tin, with the sauce and cheese and baked for 10 mins. It is perfect for packing in tiffin boxes for kids.

Chicken and Rice Soup

My sister mailed me this recipe when my boys were unwell. It is a very popular Korean dish. It is very simple and healthy with no spices and no oil. To make it even more healthy, I added loads of veggies in it. Also I did not use a whole chicken, but chicken breasts. And while serving, I did not separate the chicken from the soup. My boys ate this without any complains!! This is my first soup post!!!!

Ingredients:
Chicken Breast: 1 pack
Rice: 1 cup
Garlic: 1 cup
Veggies: 1 cup cubed (carrots, peas, beans, cauliflower, potatoes)
Eggs: 2
Spring Onion: 3
Salt and Pepper: as per taste

Method:
1. Wash the rice and soak it for an hour.
2. Clean the chicken and trim off the fat.
3. Place the chicken in a large pot, and add around 8 to 10 cups of water.
4. Add 1 cup garlic and boil for 15 minutes on a high flame. Then turn down the heat, cover and cook for 15 more minutes.
5. Drain the rice, and it to the chicken. Also add the veggies.
6. Remove any fat floating on the top with a spoon.
7. Boil covered for 20 more minutes.
8. Meanwhile, chop the spring onion stalks and beat the two eggs.
9. Once the chicken is tender and falling off the bones, season with salt and pepper.
10. Add the Spring onion, and the eggs, stir and cook for 3 more minutes.
11. Serve hot and enjoy.

Dal Makhani

Its been a long time since I blogged. My boys keep me on my toes all day long, so blogging becomes a bit difficult. I decided to start with Dal Makhani, an all time favourite with everyone. I found the perfect recipe on Malabar Spices . Only difference is that I did not use canned tomatoes, only fresh ones. The end result was just great. My entire family loved it.

Ingredients:

To pressure cook:

Split Black Gram (Urad dal): 1 cup

Bengal Gram (Channa dal): 2tbsp

Red Kidney Beans (Rajma): 1/4th cup

Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp

Ghee: 1 tsp

For the seasoning:

Green Chillies: 3

Garlic: 1 1/2 tbsp chopped

Onion: 1 1/2 cup chopped

Ginger Garlic Paste: 1 tbsp

Tomatoes: 5 medium

Tomato Paste: 2 tbsp

Red Chilli Powder: 1 tbsp

Garam Masala Powder: 2tsp

Kasuri Methi Powder: 1 tsp

Salt: to taste

Oil: 2-3 tsp

Butter: 2-3 tsp

For garnishing:

Butter: 2tbsp

Fresh Cream: 1/2 cup

Corriander leaves: a handful

Method:

1. Soak the black gram dal, bengal dal and red kidney beans overnight. in lots of water.
2. Rinse the dal properly and pressure cook with ghee and the ginger garlic paste. Cook till the dal is mushy.
3. Heat oil and butter in a pan. Fry the onion, garlic and green chillies, till the onion is translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and saute a bit more.
4. Then add the tomatoes and salt and saute till the tomatoes are cooked. To this, add tomato paste, red chilli powder and garam masala and cook.
5. Next add the cooked dal, some salt and water and simmer constantly over a low flame for around 20 minutes. 
6. When the dal seems cooked, add the kasuri methi (it should be crushed in the palms to release the flavours better)
7. Garnish with butter, cream and corriander leaves.