Get 'Em While They're Hot: Hot Cross Buns

 Hot Cross Buns are traditionally eaten on Good Friday. You can find them all over the world - from India to Australia. I remember during my childhood days in India, when my father would buy hot cross buns at 3:00 pm from the bakery, singing the Hot Cross Buns song as he walked into the home. All my sisters and I would run to the dining table, and sit anxiously waiting to eat our hot cross buns with my mother's sweet homemade chai. Full and happy, we then went to church - those were the days!

   But throughout history, the Hot Cross Bun was more than a delicious treat for Good Friday. Some people believed that Hot Cross Buns would cure the sick if they ate them because of it's connection with Jesus, who cured the sick, while others believed that if shared between friends, the friendship would be strengthened. There were also those who believed that if taken on sea voyages, the ship and its people would be protected from any harm. Even today, taking a hot cross bun along with you is still a good idea - you never know when hunger will strike!

What you'll need: 

2 cups of flour

1/2 cup of flour ( to help in kneading)

3/4 cup of luke warm milk

1 egg (beaten)

1/2 cup of butter or 1 stick of butter

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of fruits (I used cranberries and raisins but you can use any fruit of your choice)

1 tsp salt

4 tbsp of orange marmalade

2 tsp of dry yeast 

Spices: 

1/8 tsp of ground ginger

1/8 tsp of cloves

Pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp of orange zest 

How to make:

1.  Mix in yeast with luke warm milk and add 1/2 tsp. of sugar. Set aside for ten minutes or until yeast rises.

2. In a bowl, add 2 cups of flour and butter. Mix well. 

3. Put in all wet ingriedients and mix.

4. Put in all dry ingriedients and mix.

5. Let satand in a warm place for approxiametley 30 minutes. 

6. After 30 minutes, punch the dough to remove any air. 

7. Remove dough from bowl and knead for about 10 minutes. Store in a warm place for approximately 1 hour or until the dough doubles in size

8. Punch out any air again, and cut dough into 12 equal parts and roll into the shape of a bun. 

9. Beat one egg and use it to brush the buns. Let stand for 10-20 minutes.

10. Bake at 375° F for 10-15 minutes.

11. Remove from oven and let cool for 15-20 minutes. 

                                                        Bon Appétit!

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Ghanaian Chicken Soup (Nkrakra) and Fufu - A Traditional Meal

Click on image above for video! 

As I sit at my kitchen table writing this, fingertips still numb from the freezing temperatures outside, I can't help but feel like I am going to be making this again tonight for dinner :)! Even though Ghana is a warm, tropical country,  they sure know the secret to staying unfrozen in winter!

      This simple yet delicious chicken soup with added spices from India, is pact full of flavors and nutrients. A tradition from Ghana, it is usually eaten with Fufu, a dumpling-like dish made from root vegetables. Fufu is loaded with fiber and rich in vitamins like C, B and Potassium.  But if you're not feeling up to trying something completely new, it is also best paired with sour dough bread. This brings out the spices in the soup and highlights the taste. So next time you crave something to warm up your soul, make this! It's also the perfect recipe for a cozy time inside as the snow falls and the wind howls on a cold winter's day.   

What you'll need: 

A chicken - you can use a whole one, but I prefer to use backs, thighs, and legs.

1 big onion

2 large pods of garlic

3 cups of water (this depends on how many servings you plan to make; you can add more if needed) 

1/2 tsp. of turmeric powder (optional, but I love to use it in all of my dishes!)

1/2 tsp. cumin

1/2 tsp. of all spice

1/4 cup of ginger (cut into fine pieces)

1 can of tomato puree

1 habanero pepper

For the preparation, check out the video!

Enjoy!

Happy Valentine's Day!: Sweetheart Cake

Everyone has someone they deem their Valentine. It doesn't have to be your lover. It can be anyone who has a special place in your heart! Celebrate their companionship with this awesome cake recipe! 

What you'll need:

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour

4 eggs (separate the white from the yolk)

1 1/2 cups of dried fruits (papaya and pineapple cut into small pieces)

3/4 cup of sugar

1/4 cup of sugar and a pinch of tartar powder to beat the egg whites into a fluffy consistency

1 tsp. of baking soda

1 tsp. of vanilla extract

A pinch of nutmeg

For the preparation, check out the video above!

Enjoy!

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Sweetheart Cake for Valentine's Day

Savory Minced Meat

Want to wake up your taste buds? Make this recipe! It's not only healthy and delicious, but it can also be used to make a wide variety of other dishes!

What you'll need: 

1 1/2 lb. ground meat (turkey, pork or beef)

2 medium size onions

1/4 cup chopped green chilies

1/2 cup chopped mint leaves

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

2 tbsp. of ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp. red chili powder

1/2 tsp. turmeric powder (optional)

1/4 tsp. cumin powder

1 tsp. garam masala

4 tbsp. of oil

salt to taste

How to make:

1. Pour oil in a pan and fry onions for a minute

2. Fry coriander and mint leaves until moist.

3. Put in the chili, turmeric, and cumin powder. Fry for a minute.

4. Add the ginger garlic paste

5. Keep frying and stir for a minute

6. Add the meat 

7. Add salt to taste

8. Let it cook in its own juices for 15-20 minutes.

9. Before taking it down, put in the garam masala, and cook for another minute . 

10. It's to ready to enjoy!

Pair with:

Rice

Chapati

Or use it to make:

Meat triangles

Meat puffs

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Meat Triangles

Enjoy!

My Memories As A Child In India P2 : Sweet Pongal

What you'll need:

1 cup of soaked rice

1 cup of brown sugar or jaggery

2 1/2 cups of whole milk

2 tbsp. of ghee or butter

1 cup of raisins

1/2 cup of coconut pieces

1/2 cup of nuts (optional)

3 cloves

3 cardamoms

A pinch of mace powder (optional)

A pinch of salt (to bring out the sweetness) 

How to make: 

1. Take a pan and put in the ghee, or butter) and raisins. Fry until raisins are plump.

2. Next, put in the nuts, cloves, cardemams, and coconut pieces. Fry for a minute.

3. Remove from pan and keep aside.

4. In the pan, add the milk, jaggery, mace and rice. Cook on high heat until it boils. Then decrease the temperature and simmer until consistency is thick (approx. 20 minutes)

5. Once thickened, add all the ingredients from steps 1 and 2 that were kept aside. 

6. Enjoy!

The finished product! Yum! 

My Memories As A Child In India: Kara Pongal

Pongal is a harvest festival celebrated by Tamilians all over the world. It is a four day celebration in January. In the south of India, families and people of all ages gather to celebrate. The first day is Bhogi, where people clean their homes, taking all the trash and setting fire to it. The sound of loud drums can be heard all throughout the night. The second day is when they make various rice dishes. Women wake up early to clean their yard in preparation to cook the Pongal later that day. They decorate the yard with a pattern known as Rangoli or Kolam. In the house, they decorate using sugar cane and turmeric saplings, and mango leaves are hung from the ceiling. Once this is all finished, they begin cooking the first rice of the harvest. The third day, or Mattu Pongal, in which the cattle that have helped with harvesting are decorated and lead through the streets. The final day, Kaanam Pongal, is when families visit families bringing gifts and celebrate the holiday. Here are two rice dishes that are cooked during the celebrations - Kara Pongal (Spicy Rice) and Sweet Pongal (Sweet Rice). For the sweet pongal recipe, check out the next post! 

KARA PONGAL

What you'll need: 

1 cup soaked rice

1 cup soaked green gram 

1 small onion (chopped)

1 small tomato (chopped)

A few sprigs of mint (chopped) optional

A few sprigs of coriander leaves (chopped)

2 green chili peppers (chopped)

2 sprigs of curry leaves

1/2 tsp. of mustard

1 tsp. of soaked urad dhal (black gram)

1 tsp. of kali jeera

1 tsp. of cumin powder

1 tsp. of salt

1 tsp. of ginger garlic paste

1/4 tsp. of tumeric powder

1 tbsp. of black pepper (depending on how spicy you want it)

2 tbsp. of ghee ( or butter or oil)

1/2 cup fried cashew nuts (optional)

How to make:

1. Take a 5 liter pressure cooker (why? Because it locks in the flavors and it's finished in half the time!).

2. Melt the ghee, butter, or oil. When hot, put in the mustard, urad dhal, kali jeera, and black pepper. 

3. Once mustard starts to splatter, put in the onions, green chili, mint, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute. Put in tomato. Fry for another minute.

4. Then put in soaked rice and green gram. Fry for a minute. 

5. Mix well and pour 4-5 cups of water into pressure cooker. CLose and wait for it to whistle once or for one ring to show up. 

6. Lower the tempterature to medium-low for 15-20 minutes. Then put stove on low heat for 10 minutes. 

7. Kara Pongal is finished and ready to eat!

Enjoy

HOLIDAY SPECIAL KUL-KULS!

'TIS THE SEASON! Christmas is a time to not only celebrate the present, but also remember the past and how it all began. I love the story of Christmas and every year I enjoy reliving old traditions. 

      One of my favorite traditions to do every year is to make Kul-Kuls.  We make them to symbolize Jesus Christ and the swaddling clothes he was wrapped in when he was born. Using a fork, stripes are made to symbolize the stripped cloth Mary so lovingly wrapped Jesus in. My family would gather around in the kitchen and fill the air with joy and laughter while making these Christmas treats that everyone loved to snack on. 

      The tradition started with my mother's family in India. Over there, Christmas is a grand celebration where families gather together, laughing, singing, and rolling kul-kuls.

      So whether you're looking for a quick holiday recipe thats not only unique but delicious, or you are interested in starting up your own traditions, here's the recipe from our home to yours. 

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