Sharu's Fundas: July 2015

              Pizza is so famous nowadays. I have travelled a lot. & Pizza is such a thing which I have found it in every part of the world. Toppings are only different in various parts of the world.

             Today I am sharing with you Pizza recipe. Pizza is an Italian recipe. But the Toppings are of Indian style. How about Chicken Tikka Pizza ?

             I will also share with you a trick to make the pizza base crispy ;)

Preparation Time: 30 minutes
Resting Time: 150 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients:

For the Pizza Dough

All Purpose Flour 2 & 1/2 cups

Wheat Flour 1 cup

Salt to Taste

Chili Flakes 1 tsp

Dried Basil 1 tsp

Dried Oregano 1 tsp

Active Dry Yeast 2 tsp

Warm Water 1 cup

Sugar 1 tsp

Olive Oil 1 tbsp.

For Chicken Tikka

Boneless Chicken Pieces cut into very small pieces 200 gms

Salt to taste

Red Chili Powder 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala 1/2 tsp

Lemon Juice 1 tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste 1/3 tsp

Yoghurt 1 tbsp.

Oil 1 tbsp

Other Ingredients:

Homemade Pizza Sauce

Onion sliced thinly

Capsicum sliced thinly

Grated Cheese of your choice

Pizza Garnishing - Chilie Flakes, Dried Oregano, Dried Basil

Method:

Chicken Tikka

Apply salt, lemon juice, chili powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste & yoghurt to boneless chicken pieces. Rub well.

Keep it for 1 hour atleast.

Heat a non stick pan.

Add oil to the pan.

Add the marinated chicken pieces to the non stick pan.

Cook for 5 minutes or until chicken is cooked on medium flame. Stir frequently.

Keep the cooked chicken pieces aside.

Pizza Dough

Take a cup of warm water (not hot just warm ... so that you can dip your finger in it).

Add 1 tsp sugar &2 tsp yeast in the warm water. Stir well. Leave it for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes you will notice froth in the water.

In a large mixing bowl, take all purpose flour, wheat flour, salt, chili flakes, dried oregano, dried basil & oil. Mix well.

To this flour mix, add the frothy yeast mixture. Knead well for 5 - 6 minutes to form a soft dough.

Divide the dough into two. Form a ball out of each part.

Tae 2 bowls large enough for the dough to expand. Brush the bowls with olive oil. Keep the dough balls in separate bowls. Cover the bowls with cling wrap. & Let it rest for 2 hours.

After 2 hours you will notice the dough has doubled up in volume.

Pizza Making

Take a dough ball & remove it on a plate which is well dusted with flour.

Knead the dough ball for a minute or so.

Now roll it into a semi thick flat disc like a roti. Use your hands or a rolling pin to flatten it.

Transfer it to a non stick tawa.

Leave it like that for 30 minutes on the tawa.

Do the same for another dough ball as well.

Preheat the oven to 220 or 230 degree Celsius. Place the oven tray on which you will place the pizza inside for preheating.

Now after 30 minutes, heat the tawa on medium heat. This make the pizza base crisp ;-)

Keep the heat on for 2 minutes.

While the pizza base is getting heated, spread the pizza sauce over it, then cheese, then chicken tikkas, some onion slices, some capsicum slices & again cheese over it. After 2 minutes, transfer the pizza with the help of the pan itself in the preheated oven. Pizza base is already crunchy.

Cook the pizza in the oven for 10 minutes.

Remove the pizza from oven after 10 minutes.

Cook the 2nd pizza in the same way.

Enjoy the Pizza.

Tips:

You can select any of your favorite toppings for the pizza like mushrooms, jalapeno, sundried tomato etc.

If you don't have oven, cook the pizza on the pan itself, just put the heat on medium - high. When you notice browning at the edges of the pizza, remove it in a serving plate.

When you chop veggies for the toppings, place it on a tissue to remove its moisture.

You can replace wheat flour with all purpose flour for pizza dough.

Don't increase the measure of wheat flour in pizza, it makes pizza dense.

For step by step picture illustration of pizza, see below..

Add 1 tsp sugar & 2 tsp active dry yeast in warm water.
Let it rest for 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, you notice froth in the yeast mixture.
This proves your yeast is active.

In a large mixing bowl, add all purpose flour, wheat flour, salt,
chili flakes, dried oregano & dried basil. Mix well.
Also add yeast mixture to the flour mix.
Knead to form a soft dough for 5 -6 minutes.

Divide the dough into 2 balls. & place it in separate Bowls.
Brush Oil inside of the bowls. Leave it to rest for 2 hours.

After 2 hours the dough will have doubled in volume.

Roll each dough ball into a semi thick chapatti.
Transfer it to a non stick tawa. Let it rest there for 30 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 200 or 230 degree Celsius.

Now heat the tawa on medium high heat for 2 minutes.
Till them Apply pizza sauce to it.

Also add cheese, chicken, onion slices, capsicum slices &
some more cheese. Now transfer it to the preheated
oven & place it in there for 10 minutes.
Later remove it in a serving plate.

Related Recipes:

Saturday, July 25, 2015

Instant Home made Pizza Sauce

              I made this instant Pizza sauce. It takes just less than 2 minutes to make. It is so yummy you can have it just like that ;-) Its that yummy.

              In this recipe you need not boil tomatoes for a long time. Too simple !!!

Ingredients :

Tomato Puree 1 cup (I used storebought)

Salt to taste

Chili Flakes to taste

Sugar a pinch

Dried Basil 1/2 tsp

Dried Oregano 1/2 tsp

Onion Powder 1 tsp

Garlic Powder 1 tsp

Water (Optional if needed)

Method:

If your tomato puree is too thick (i.e. not of spreading consistency), just boil it adding some water to water. No need to boil too much, just 1 minute is enough.

If your tomato puree is of perfect spreading consistency, skip the above step & continue with the below steps.

Add all the remaining spices to the tomato puree - chili flakes, salt, sugar, dried basil, dried oregano, onion powder & garlic powder.

Check for the seasoning. If you feel the need to add any of the spice, feel free to do so. Make it perfect according to the taste you desire.

Isn't it very simple ??? :) :)

Related Recipes:

Thursday, July 23, 2015

Coconut Chutney for Idlis

Idli is everyone's favorite breakfast. Idlis go well with chutney or sambhar. Just yesterday I shared with you all fermented idli recipe. Today sharing idli chutney recipe. Everyone's way of creating idli chutney is different. This is my way of creating idli chutney. Hope you all enjoy it !!

Preparation Time: 5 minutes
Cooking Time: 5 minutes

Ingredients:

Fresh scraped coconut 1/2 cup

3 green chilies

Lots of coriander leaves

Garlic Clove 2 medium sized

Salt to Taste

Raw Mango pieces 1/4 cup (depends on the tanginess of raw mango)

Roasted peanuts 1 tsp - Optional

Oil 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Few Curry leaves

Method:

Grind coconut, green chilies, garlic cloves, coriander leaves, salt to taste, raw mango pieces & peanuts into a fine paste.

Use water for grinding.

Add some extra water since the chutney tends to dry out after sometime. So add a tbsp. extra water & make it a bit watery.

Heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter add curry leaves.

Put this oil in ground coconut paste.

Chutney is ready.

Enjoy with idlis !!

Tips:

Using peanuts is optional.

If you don't have raw mango, use 1 tbsp. aamchur powder to give it tangy taste.

Check out Idli recipes here

Fermented Idlis

Instant Semolina Idlis

Curd Dip

Idli Upma

Mini Uttappam Platter

Cheesecake Brownie

Chicken Stir Fried Noodles

COPYRIGHTS BY SHARU'S KITCHEN FUNDAS !!

Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Fermented Idlis

Who doesn't love idlis ?? They are easy to make. Its a perfect breakfast dish. Obviously you can have it in lunch or dinner as well. It is that filling. Idlis are South Indian delicacies. Here is the recipe....

Ingredients:

Urad dal 1 cup

Idli Rice 2.5 cups

Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Cooked leftover Rice 1 cup

Method:

Soak urad dal along with fenugreek seeds for 8 hours

Soak idli rice for 8 hours.

After 8 hours of soaking, just drain the excess water from both urad dal & idli rice. But don't throw it. Use the drained water for grinding.

Grind urad dal & fenugreek seeds mixture until smooth. Use little water to help grinding. Remove the ground paste in a very big utensil (Since after fermenting the idli batter doubles in volume)

Simlarly grind idli rice & leftover cooked rice using little water until smooth (not very smooth). Pour this ground idli rice paste in the same utensil containing urad dal paste.

Mix both the pastes very well with the help of spoon. Keep the mixture medium thick (not too thick & not too thin). To adjust the consistency add the excess drained water little by little till you get the perfect consistency.

Add salt to taste to the mixture & stir again.

Leave it to ferment for 10 - 12 hours. Fermentation time depends upon the temperature. If its too hot, fermentation is fast but in cold regions fermentation may take 1 full day also.

After the batter is fermented (the batter will double in volume), add 1 tbsp. oil & stir.

Take a idli stand & grease its plate with oil.

Boil some water in the idli cooker (water level should be such that it doesn't touch the bottom idli plate).

Pour a ladle of idli batter in the idli plates. Arrange the plates in the idli stand. Put the idli stand in the idli cooker. Cover it & let it get steamed. After around 10 minutes switch off the heat. Let the cooker cool down. Then remove the cooked idli with the help of a butter knife or spoon.

Serve with chutney or sambhar

Tips:

Fermentation time depends upon the temperature. In cold countries it takes time for fermenting.

For cold countries, a small tip for fermentation. Just preheat your oven for 5 minutes & switch it off. Put the idli batter vessel in it. You can also keep the light on of the oven to keep it warm.

While removing idlis with a butter knife keep a glass of cold water 7 napkin besides you. When one idli has been removed, put the butter knife in cold water & light pat it dry with the napkin & use the butter knife to remove another idli. Repeat this for each idli. Idlis come out clean like this.