Coffee flavored Wheat & Almond Biscotti | Cookie Recipes

It was one fine afternoon last week, I was munching some almonds and reading when it stuck that I had never really baked anything with almonds. Oh how wonderful it would be to get some baked goodies with almonds fresh from the oven. I tried googling for some butterless recipes since I ran out of butter and came across these wonderful and flavorful Coffee and roasted almond biscotti at Deeba's Passionate about Baking.
Biscotti is an Italian word, which has its roots from Latin biscoctus, meaning 'twice baked/cooked'. These are biscuits/cakes which are baked twice to ensure longer shelf life. These are quick and easy to make goodies which are perfect for anytime munching or for travel.

Ingredients:
Original recipe from here
Wheat flour - 1 cup
AP flour - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/8 tsp
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 1/4 cup (60 ml)
Sugar - 2/3 cup
Eggs - 2 (room temperature)
Instant coffee powder - 2 tbsp
Almond essence - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Almonds - slightly less than 1 cup

Method:
Preheat oven to 350 F. Spread the almonds on a non-stick pan and roast in the oven for 10 mins. Roasting the almonds or any nuts for that matter, intensifies its flavor. When done, cool and chop into coarse pieces or pulse for 2 secs in a food processor. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Reduce the temperature of the oven to 300 F.
Whisk/sieve together the flours, salt and baking powder. In a big mixing bowl, mix the oil and sugar. Add eggs, coffee powder and essences. Beat with a hand mixer or whisk until well combined. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, mixing with a whisk everytime until blended. Finally fold in the almonds. Divide the dough into two parts and shape each part into a a log of 12" x 3". My log was rather flat. Have a bowl of water to wet your fingers to shape the log, since the dough will be sticky. Bake in the preheated oven for 35 mins and cool for 10 mins. Carefully transfer the log to a cutting board and cut into 1" pieces. A serrated knife works great for cutting. Repeat for the other log. Return the pieces to the cookie sheet with cut side down.
Reduce the temperature of the oven further to 275 F. Bake the cut biscottis for 8 mins, turn over and bake for another 8 mins. Cool in a wire rack and store in air tight containers.

 
Note: I have added more wheat flour than all-purpose flour, although you may use purely wheat flour or all purpose flour. It is just mildly sweetened and perfect to compliment the coffee flavor, you may add more sugar if you like it more sweet.
I am sending this to Tried & Tasted event which features Deeba's Passionate about baking guest hosted by Jayasri Ravi of Samayalarai Cooking is divine, original event by Zlamuska and Lakshmi.
I am also sending this to Drive me Nuts event by Anamika of Taste Junction and to Bookmarked recipes - Every Tuesday event by Aipi and Priya.


Also linking it up to Flavours of Cuisines - Italian event by Julie.

Kasuri Methi Paneer / Hara Paneer Masala | Indian Curry Recipes

It is so surprising that time flies too fast sometimes and we don't have time to  do whatever we were thinking of doing. It applies very well when it comes to sending entries to food blog events. I will be planning to cook for certain events, do so religiously, but organizing and posting for events on time becomes the challenging part. For this month's Herbs & Flowers - Fenugreek leaves is the chosen herb by Mom Chef of What's Cooking. I love buying fresh greens and regularly buy fenugreek leaves on my trip to Indian grocery. This time I made a simple and flavorful methi pulao. No, I do not have a picture of it here because it was so good (yes, it is true) that I did not even have some left for the clicks. So planned to make a dish using kasoori methi and my favorite paneer for the event.

Ingredients:
Paneer - cut into 1/2" cubes - 1 cup
Onion - chopped fine - 1/2 cup
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
Kasuri Methi - 1/3 cup - crushed
Salt - to taste
Onion - cubed - 1 cup
Oil
Marinade:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Dry mango powder/Amchur powder - 1 tsp (Can substitute chaat masala - see notes below)
Salt - a pinch

Method:
Mix the ingredients for marinade in a bowl and gently coat the paneer cubes with the paste. Set aside for 1 hr (minimum 30 mins). In a medium non-stick pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and saute the cubed onions until it turns pale brown. Let it cool and blend to a fine paste adding little water. In the same pan, heat a tsp of oil and fry the paneer until light brown in medium heat. This may be done in batches. In a wide non-stick pan, heat 2 tsp of oil and saute the chopped onions. When it turns translucent add the ginger garlic paste and fry for a couple of mins. Add the pureed onions with chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Fry for about 5 mins. Add 1/2 cup of water and allow the mixture to boil. Splattering at this stage is possible, take precaution. Now add the paneer cubes and crushed kasuri methi, mix well in fold pattern. Allow it to heat for about 3-5 mins and remove from heat. Serve hot with bread/roti/naan.
Notes:
1. I did not add any tomatoes. You may add pureed tomatoes if desired.
2. If using chaat masala for marinating, reduce the amount of salt, since chaat masala already would have salt in it.
3. Frying the paneer is optional. Marinated paneer can just be added to the gravy directly and cooked. 

Sending this to Herbs & Flowers event by PJ.
I am also sending this and my Honey Brownies to Dish Name Starts with - H event by Akila.

Sago Kitchdi / Javvarisi Upma | Upma Recipes

Sago is the starchy extract from tapioca. It is also commonly known as sabudhana/Javvarisi/Saggubiyyam in regional languages of India. These are small, dry white balls (about 2 mm or less) which becomes larger, translucent and soft when soaked and cooked. They are mostly used in preparing sweets like kheer/pudding and also savory dishes like upma or fryums. I first tasted this upma when my MIL made. I loved it very much and brought a packet of sago with me during my recent trip to India. I used the smaller variety of sago which is very tiny and called nylon sago. This recipe for sago upma was in the back of the sago packet. This is one simple recipe, which does not require any chopping (even onions) and is ready within no time.

Ingredients:
Pearl Sago - small ones - 2 cups
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 3 or 4
Grated Coconut - 2 tbsps
Curry leaves - a few
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Chana dhal / Split chick peas - 1 tsp

Method:
Wash and soak sago in water for 1 hr. Drain and set aside. Cook the moong dhal with 2 cups of water with 1/4 tsp of salt until soft but still holds its shape.  Heat oil in a wide bottomed non-stick pan and add mustard seeds. When it pops reduce the heat to medium and add chana dhal and fry until it turns light brown. Add slit green chillis and curry leaves, followed by sago and salt to taste. Mix in cut-fold method until the sago turns shiny and transparent, about 5 to 10 mins. Add the cooked moong dhal, mix well and check for seasoning. Turn the heat off and add the grated coconut. Mix well and serve hot. Garnish with cilantro leaves is desired.

Sending this to Srivalli's Breakfast Mela.

Thai Green Curry with Homemade Curry Paste/ Kaeng Khiao Wan

Green Curry is my second attempt on Thai food next to red curry. Referred as Kaeng (Gaeng) Khiao Wan, literally meaning sweet green curry, it gets its name from the color of the curry. The other predominant thai dishes are also referred by their colors red curry and yellow curry. I chose to make a vegetarian version of the curry by substituting soy sauce for traditionally used fish sauce. I also ignored sugar since I used store bought coconut milk can which was sweeter than the one prepared at home.

Ingredients:

Adapted from My delicious blog
Vegetables - Red bell pepper, green bell pepper, radish - cubed - each 1/2 cup
Carrot - sliced - 1/2 cup
Lemon grass - top portion - chopped into 2 " piece
Extra Firm Tofu - 1/2 block - 6 ozCoconut milk - 1 can - 300 ml

Water - 300 ml
Soya sauce - 1 tbsp (I used low-sodium variety)

Thai basil - 5-6 leaves
Salt - to taste - remember soy sauce may already contain salt

For the Green curry Paste:

Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp, dry roasted

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Lemon rind - from 1 lemon

Thai Green Chillies - 4 or 5 - deseeded

Pearl onions / Small shallots - 2

Garlic cloves - 2

Cilantro  - 4 twigs with stem

Thai Basil leaves - 1/2 cup - loosely packed

Lemon Grass - 1 - cleaned and chopped

Galangal/Ginger - chopped - 1 tbsp

Method:

Grind the ingredients under green curry paste to a not very fine paste. Cut the drained tofu into cubes and saute them in a tsp of oil. Drain in a paper towel to let it absorb extra oil. Add the coconut milk to a big saucepan and heat in medium flame. When it is just hot (not boiling) add the ground curry paste and mix once. Cook in low flame until the paste cooks, about 5 to 7 mins. Add the lemon grass and chopped vegetables and cook covered for about 5 to 10 mins, the vegetables should be half cooked, and still maintain the crunch to it. Add the water (based on the thickness required) and allow it to boil. Add soy sauce, salt and basil leaves. Remove from heat and serve hot with steamed rice.

Sending this to Bookmarked recipes - Every Tuesday event by Priya and Aipi and Hearth & Soul - Blog hop #47.

Also Sending this to Herbs & Flowers - Basil event by PJ.

And to Dish it Out - Tofu/Paneer and Bell Peppers event by Vardhini.

Dhal Chapathi | Roti Paratha Recipes

Chapathi with dhal is an usual combo, but using cooked dhal in chapathi itself, not very usual. The other day I had some cooked moong dhal, leftover from doing Sago Upma (recipe coming soon) and wanted to put a best use of it. It was too little to go as a side dish and so I added it directly to the wheat flour to make chapathis. I added onions and chilli powder to spice it up and I loved this quick and easy chapathi. Makes a great breakfast or a lunch box recipe.

Ingredients:
Whole Wheat flour/Atta flour - 2 cups
Moong dhal (cooked) - 1/2 cup
Onion - chopped fine - 3/4 cup
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - a big pinch
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:
Boil moong dhal with 2 cups of water and a pinch of salt until soft but firm. Heat 1 tsp of oil and add the onion. Saute until transparent and add chilli powder, cumin powder and salt and saute for 2 mins. Add the onion mixture and cooked dhal to the wheat flour. Sprinkle water and knead to a soft dough. Coat with little oil and set aside for 30 mins. Take golf ball sized dough and roll to thin chapathis. Heat a hot tawa and place the rolled out chapathis and cook on both sized sprinkling oil. Serve hot with any curry of your choice or just yogurt and pickle.

Sending this to Srivalli's Breakfast Mela.