Sugar et al, Author at Sugar et al

Cauliflower and Cranberry Flatbread with Dukkah

26|08|2014

This post is an entry into the Nuffnang ‘Fresh Recipe’ Network Competition, thanks to BRITA. Check out betterwithbrita.com for inspiration and exclusive recipes by Gary Mehigan’.

Where I grew up, a few decades ago, water was scarce. It was dear. Preserved and valued. Rains were celebrated and rivers worshipped. There were days when one had to go without tap water or make the most of the little that flowed out of the taps. On top of that, tap water was hard and not suited for drinking. Those who could afford a water purifier would get one. The rest would go through the tedious process of boiling gallons of water and storing them in bottles and pitchers for consumption later on.

Basically, at an early age I learnt the importance of having clean, filtered water at home. This experience led me to be grateful for the things that I have today. Running taps…clean, convenient inexpensive filtered water and a great base for cooking delicious food. No, I have never taken water for granted.

Water is vital in cooking. Not just the wonderful soups, curries, smoothies that comes out from our kitchen but also the innumerable ways water is involved in our daily cooking methods. Washing, simmering, soaking and so on. When I think of water as a primary and indispensable ingredient in a recipe, I think of the two-ingredient wonder that my Mother (or for that matter a lot of Indian parents) cooked and fed us often. Roti or flatbreads. Made with wholemeal flour and water and perhaps a solid arm workout. I picture my mother in the wee hours of the morning kneading her way through the elastic dough, adding filtered water, a little at a time from a jug that she filled up as soon as she entered the kitchen. That was first thing she would always do. The dough would then be divided into discs, rolled out, cooked on an open fire and served with curry.

The recipe I am sharing today is one that can be baked and eaten on it’s own. The dough is a like a pizza or Naan bread dough that is topped with crispy cauliflower florets, cranberries, onions, mint and a generous amount of Dukkah to perk up the flavours. Cranberries add a lovely bite and sweetness to the bread and mint gives it a touch of freshness. Dukkah is an Egyptian fragrant, spice and nut blend. It is available in some supermarkets and most farmer’s markets in Australia. It is also very easy to make your own and can be used in a variety of recipes. If you do not have access to Dukkah, you could use cumin or fennel seeds as a substitute. But in that case, add them to the dough instead of a topping. A sprinkling of feta is also great on the flatbreads.

Cauliflower and Cranberry Flatbread with Dukkah
Makes two10 inch by 5inch oval flatbreads

For the dough (makes 2 flatbreads)
1 1/4 cups filtered water
3 cups Plain Flour
2 tsp/7g/1 sachet dried yeast
1/2 tsp castor sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
Olive oil, for brushing
Semolina or Polenta, to dust

For the topping
1/2 cup heavy/thickened cream
A quarter of a cauliflower head, trimmed and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, finely sliced
10-12 small pickling onions, quartered
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 tbsp. Dukkah
2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
mint leaves, thinly sliced
salt and pepper, for seasoning

Make the dough: Heat the water till it is lukewarm to touch. Combine the dry ingredients in a large bowl and make a well in the centre. Add the warm water and olive oil. Mix together and use your hands to bring it to a soft dough. Knead it on a floured surface to make it smooth and pliable. Return it to the mixing bowl that has been brushed with oil. Add the dough and turn to coat.
Cover with a damp tea towel. Set aside in a warm place for 30 minutes or until dough doubles in size. Punch down dough with your fist. Remove the dough from the bowl and knead it gently for a minute. Halve the dough and roll it out to the desired portion and thickness.

Make the flatbread: Preheat oven to 220 degrees C. Place the cream, garlic, cauliflower, onions, cranberries, salt and pepper in a bowl and stir to combine. Spread the mixture on the rolled out dough evenly and sprinkle with dukkah. Drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown on top and puffed up. Remove from the oven. Garnish with fresh mint and slice into wedges. Serve warm.

Flourless Snickers Torte

24|08|2014

A flourless snickers torte made with chopped snickers and a few ingredients to create a delicious gluten free treat. Easy and perfect for a celebration.

Motherhood has it’s perks. I am not talking about the unconditional love and cuddles, cute little surprises and all that stuff. Those are too precious to even put in words. I am talking about the fun stuff. Like being able to sing nursery rhymes in the shower without being judged. Or having someone to get you the TV remote in an instant. Like eating nachos for dinner. Like having a pantry filled with candies and chocolates. Well, the kid in me is always in awe of motherhood.

I have been very excited to experiment with this recipe. For months I have imagined how candies would work in a torte. Why candies? Because there is a sense of familiarity that comes with them. A bit of childhood and nostalgia wrapped up in those bars. Basically, it is fun to make and exciting to share. If you have never made a torte before, it is nothing but a flourless cake. In this case, it is without added butter or fat too. So what gives it body and keeps it moist? It is meringue, possibly the most beautiful and scientific thing in this world. I have made this torte several times, each time with a different nut and a different variety of chocolate. I chose Snickers bars for two reasons. First, Snickers bars consists of nougat, peanuts, caramel and milk chocolate. So they are without flour. And they would be more suited to a flourless cake than any other chocolate bar.

When I was smashing Ferrero Rocher chocolates for my Mousse Cake a few months ago, my boys found it amusing and handed over two Snickers bars to me. ‘Here, add these to the cake too’ they said. That is the second reason I wanted to make a Snickers torte.

This Snickers torte is like biting into a giant snickers chocolate bar. Every mouthful will speak for itself. It is nutty, chocolate-y, oozing caramel, sticky, moist and outright delicious. It is also easy to make. Do not feel intimidated by the meringue. All you need to ensure is that you beat it to stiff peaks (peaks that hold shape when the beaters are lifted). Here’s a video from the Kitchn in case you are making meringue for the first time. Baking for me, is all about having fun in the kitchen and learning from my mistakes.
The great thing about this torte is that you can eat it even if you are avoiding gluten. This can be also made with plain dark chocolate. You can use this recipe.

Flourless Snickers Torte
Serves 8

100 g (about 1 cup) pecans, or any nut of your choice
125 g (about 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp ) sugar
250 g snickers bars, coarsely chopped
a pinch of salt
7 egg whites (from large eggs), about 1 cup
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar

Preheat the oven to 180 degree C. Lightly grease the bottom and sides of a 8-inch spring form pan.

Pulse the pecans 1 tbsp of the sugar in a food processor until finely ground. Scrape the nuts into another bowl. Use a paper towel to wipe excess oil from the sides of the processor bowl, add the snickers bars with 1 Tbsp. sugar, and pulse until it forms crumbs ranging in size from coarse meal to 1/4-inch bits. Add the chocolate to the nuts and salt, and stir to combine. Set aside.

Using an electric mixer, beat the egg whites with the cream of tartar in a large clean, dry bowl at medium speed until the egg whites are creamy white and soft peaks are formed when the beaters are lifted. Gradually add the remaining 1/3 cup sugar, beating at medium-high speed until the egg whites are glossy and stiff but not dry.

Pour half of the chocolate mixture over the egg whites and fold in with a large rubber spatula until nearly incorporated. Repeat with the remaining chocolate mixture, folding just until evenly incorporated.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the Torte is puffed and golden brown on top and springs back when gently pressed with your fingers. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out moist and possibly stained with melted chocolate, but not coated with raw batter. Set the pan on a rack to cool. Slide a thin knife or a small metal spatula around the sides of the Torte to release it from the pan. Remove the pan sides and transfer the cake to a serving platter.

Dal Makhani, Creamy Lentil Soup

20|08|2014

Creamy and easy lentil soup flavored with spices inspired by the Indian Dal Makhani.

I learnt the fundamentals of Indian cooking from my mother. But it was from my father that I learnt to relish a plate of food. Though a small eater, even today he is so particular about the way food is seasoned and served. He has remained staunchly true to his heritage when it comes to choosing what he wants to eat. On weekdays our meals were simple home cooked mostly vegetarian curries, dal (lentils) and flatbreads. On weekends the lunches were late and elaborate and nothing short of an 10 course meal. Vegetables stir-fries, lentils, meat and seafood curries, chutneys and sweets. Dal was a constant, like it is in most Indian households. It was there every single day. Yet nobody complained as there were varieties of lentils to choose from. However, they had to be seasoned perfectly and compulsory garnished with fresh sprigs of coriander. If it wasn’t Dad would make sure he did it himself. After all these years it wasn’t surprising for me to see my Dad quietly delighting in a bowl of Dal and rice at our home in Sydney, while the rest of us lapped up garlic seafood risotto.

Dal Makhani is one of those lentil dishes that were made on special occasions at home. It’s silky creamy taste, melt-in-your mouth texture and the aromatic presence of garam masala makes it a delicacy but it is rich, not something you could eat everyday. Traditionally this is made with whole black lentils and kidney beans that are soaked overnight and cooked down the next day with spices and cream. My version is simpler with fewer ingredients and slightly thinned down to fit into a soup profile. The taste would differ a bit from the original as there are fewer spices in the recipe but nevertheless it tastes delicious. This is particularly keeping in mind that a non -Indian kitchen may not be having all the authentic spices in the pantry. I make this soup version at home for my little ones who are yet to get accustomed to a substantial amount of spice. And soup goes down better with children than calling it lentils. Overall, this is a dinner that is ready under 30 minutes and is loved at home.

I use canned lentils which are pre-cooked and makes the process a whole lot simpler and quicker. If you are making this and want to serve it like the Dal Makhani, follow the exact recipe but skip the last step of blending the lentils. I like to serve this with homemade naan bread but any kind of crusty bread will do. Garam Masala is available in most supermarkets and Indian stores. If you like heat, add a few finely chopped chillies before serving.

Dal Makhani (Creamy Lentil) Soup
Serves 4

1tbsp olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 pods of cardamom
1 stick cinnamon
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp. grated ginger
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup, diced canned tomatoes
1 can (420g) brown lentils (do not drain)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 cup pouring cream
1/2 cup vegetable stock or water (depending on desired thickness of soup)
1/2 tsp brown sugar
salt and pepper to taste
handful coriander, to serve

In a frying pan over medium heat, heat the olive oil, add the bay leaf, cardamom and cinnamon and fry for a few seconds till aromatic. Add the onion and cook till transluscent. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and lentils and simmer until cooked, stirring occasionally (about 15 minutes). Add the garam masala, cream, vegetable stock (if using), seasoning, sugar and stir to mix. Remove from heat. Remove the bay leaf, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick and blend with a stick blender. Ladle into bowls, garnish with coriander.

Hazelnut and Chocolate Chunk Friands (Financiers)

16|08|2014

Financiers or friands as they are known in Australia are a great way of using up egg whites. Personally, I find it hard to decide between a meringue based dessert and a friand if I happen to have egg whites at home. I love making and eating both immensely. The deciding factor ultimately is whether or not I want to use my electric mixer. Friands are simple to make with a few ingredients and can be put together with just a bowl and a whisk. But that is not really the reason why I love them. Friands use nut meal, ground nuts as a core ingredient. Therefore they have a nutty flavour and a crunchy bite to them which is so addictive. And textures are an important part of my recipes.

Though friands are relatively heavier on the butter as compared to a muffin or an unfrosted cupcake, they are truly a treat. The crispy exterior and nutty buttery centre is open to many different add-ins…fruits, chocolate, coconut, nuts and so on. Any ground nut works which means you have so many permutations and combinations to choose from. For me, chocolate and hazelnut are made for each other. In this case, big chunks of chocolate melt in your month as you bite into a warm crunchy hazelnut pastry. I love to use my oval friand moulds to bake these but they result in about 6 big ones that are a bit too much for my little ones to eat. I used a regular muffin pan that yielded 10 friands.

Hazelnut and Chocolate Chunk Friands (Financiers)
Yields 10

6 egg whites
180g butter, melted and cooled
1 cup (100g) hazelnut meal
1/2 cup (75g) plain flour
1 1/2 cups icing sugar mixture
1 tsp vanilla essence
100g dark chocolate, roughly chopped into small and big chunks

Preheat oven to 180 degrees C. Grease or line a 12 capacity muffin pan with paper liners.
Combine the egg whites, hazelnut meal, icing sugar, flour and vanilla essence in a large bowl. Add the butter and stir to combine. Add half the chocolate chunks and stir to combine
Pour the friand mixture evenly among the prepared pans. Sprinkle the remaining chocolate chunks over each friand. Bake in preheated oven for 12-15 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centres comes out clean. Set aside for 5 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool. Eat warm or at room temperature.