For blog hops this time, when I was paired with Kalyani I knew what to make instantaneously. I had bookmarked this recipe since the time she had posted it. The only thing that worried me was that it was yeast based otherwise I was completely sold over. I have known Kalyani for a very long time now and follow her blog very closely. I did not have to put in any effort to study as I know most of the posts there. I am really interested to learn and make her south Indian recipes especially from the iyengar category. Almost 95% of her recipes are guilt free and you can very well be assured of following a healthy regime if you decide to follow her menu week on week. The occasional indulgent dishes are also pretty good and almost hand picked to make them exclusive. She has created a great repertoire of recipes in a very short period of time.
She has also aided foodies by hosting a series of events that have garnered fantastic collection over a period of time.
About the recipe I picked today, I have a yeast phobia. This is surprising considering that I have made pretty good dishes with it. The problem I have is that the extra sensitive nosal passage of mine sucks in the yeasty odour early on and then it makes my activities in kitchen after that almost mechanical. I lose the interest fearing that I am making a disaster. Nevertheless, I have not given up on trying, hoping that my senses will accept the smell as part of them some day. Sunday was almost that day.
I followed the recipe to the but for making a few changes to the ingredients (OCD!!). The result was a fantastic creation. So much so that DH could not stop raving about it to my parents.
Ingredients (to make 16 mid size pav/ buns)
2.5 cups of whole wheat flour
1 tbsp all purpose flour( for gluten)
25 gms butter
1 cup milk
½ cup water
1 tspn salt (add more if you like)
2 tspn sugar
2 ¼ tspn instant active yeast (7gm)/ 15gm dry active yeast)
2 tspn white sesame seeds
For stuffing
1 cup Split Yellow Gram/ Mung dal (boiled)
1 medium onion finely chopped
1 carrot finely chopped
1 cup sweet corn crushed
2 tbsp chopped Spinach leaves
1 tspn turmeric powder
1 tspn red chilli powder (Add more if you prefer spicy)
1 tspn garam masala (Used kitchen king masala if you have)
1 tspn Dry Mango powder, Amchur( You can add lime juice)
Salt to taste
Oil to cook
Method
1) In a large basin, take the flour, salt, sugar and yeast(I had rapid rise so added it directly to the flour). Proof your yeast as instructed on the pack.
2) Mix the milk, butter and water. Heat it on low flame until the butter is melted.
3) Let it stand till it is luke warm.
4) Add this to the flour mixture. Knead the dough until it is soft. It will be stretchy and sticky to begin with.Do not add more flour or water unless absolutely necessary.
5) Cover the dough with wet kitchen towel or cling wrap. Let it sit until it doubles. About 50-60min. Ensure that it has doubled else it will smell yeasty later
6) In the meantime, take a pan, add oil.
7)Add the onions, carrots, capsicum, corn and saute until they are soft.
8)Add the boiled Yellow gram to this.
9)Now add, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, garam masala, dry mango powder and mix well.
10)Add the chopped spinach and stir again. Let the mixture be completely dry but yet mushy.
11)Check the dough. Punch back the raised dough. Make small balls of the dough. Roll them out individually.
12)Fill each dough with filling and seal it from all ends.Shape this into a bun.
13)Line a tin or baking sheet with parchment/wax paper.
14)Lay each filled bun about 1inch from each other.
15)Cover it for about 30 minutes so that it rises and becomes double in size.
16)Preheat the oven to 200c for 5-10 min.
17) Brush the buns with milk,butter and sugar mixture. Sprinkle some sesame seeds on top.
18)Bake these in the hot oven for about 25 min.
19)Remove, brush them again with the milk,sugar and butter mixture and bake for another 5 min.
Yummy masala buns are ready.
