GARLIC BREAD

Mouth-watering Garlic bread

This is a very simple and mouth-watering recipe, easy to make at home. This bread can be eaten just by itself as a snack or as a side dish with pasta or pizza. I posted this recipe on a special demand by my dear friend :) Enjoy!!!

Ingredients :-

4 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature - this is important)
2 tbsp extravirgin olive oil
6 big cloves of garlic grated
salt (acc. to taste)
1 tsp italian seasoning
1/2 tsp crushed black pepper
2-3 pinches red chilli flakes
1 loaf of ciabatta bread

Bread ready to go in the oven

Directions :-
 
1.  Pre heat oven to 425° F.
 
2.  Mix all the above ingredients (except bread) properly in a bowl. 
 
3.  Cut the bread in half, horizontally and spread the above mixture evenly on both the halves. 

Bread lathered with garlic spread

 
4.  Arrange the loaves butter side up and bake at 425° F for 7-10 mins. until golden on top and crunchy on the sides.

5.  Cut them into 1-inch thick slices using a serrated knife and serve warm.

Variations :-

1.  For a nice cheesy touch, spread grated mozzarella and parmesan cheese mixture on top and let it sit in the oven for 2-3 mins. till cheese is melted.

2.  Try making this bread using french or italian baguette or any multigrain loaf. To make the bottom crunchy, you can let it sit in the oven for a couple more mins. (just keep an eye on it so it doesn't burn). I tried making this with multigrain loaf and it tasted awesome! and of course it is healthy.

3.  To make herb-garlic bread, omit the italian seasoning and chilli flakes. Instead, add 1 tsp each of fresh cut rosemary and thyme to the above mixture and bake it. It tastes wonderful!

Garlic bread

CHIVDA/CHEVDO

The chana dalia, peanuts and curry leaves add a fried crunchy taste to this chivda

 This is a special snack made specially during Diwali but you can also make it any other time. As this is spicy in taste, it goes well with ladoo. So chivda and ladoo is a famous combination. This is a healthy snack as it contains less oil. It goes perfectly well with tea/coffee and so will make a great afternoon snack. You can make it any time of the year and can store it outside for around 10 days. This can make a tasty and healthy snack even if you are travelling as it stays fresh outside. This is also a good snack for kids to take at school or even eat at home.
 

Chivda/Chevdo

 

 

Ingredients :-

2 cups poha (flattened rice) thin (it comes in thick and thin varieties)
2 handfuls of raw peanuts
2 handfuls of chana dalia (you can increase/decrease the amount of peanuts and chana dalia acc. to your taste)
10-15 curry leaves/sweet neem leaves
2 tsp white sesame seeds
1 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd. (or less if you want the chivda to be less spicy)
salt - acc. to taste
1/2 tsp sugar
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric pwd./haldi pwd.
2 pinches asafoetida/hing

The peanuts, dalia and curry leaves add a fine color and texture to the chivda

Directions :-

1.  Heat oil in a non-stick vessel on medium heat.
2.  Once the oil heats, add mustard seeds and let them crackle. Now add turmeric pwd. followed by asafoetida. Add sesame seeds, stir them and add curry leaves.
3.  Add peanuts and saute them continuously for about 2-3 minutes till they are lightly fried.
4.  Add chana dalia, lower the flame and stir them for couple more mins. Be careful in this step  as dalia can burn quickly.
5.  Now add poha, red chilli pwd.,salt and sugar. 
6.  Stir it lightly with spatula or just toss it lightly (if you keep stirring continuously, poha might break) for about 8-10 mins till the poha become crunchy.
7.  Let it cool and store it in an airtight container. It stays fresh outside for about 10 days.

Variations :-

1.  You can also add a handful of golden or black raisins for the chewy texture.
2.  You can also add 1/2 tsp of whole coriander seeds with the curry leaves. Saute them and they will get crunchy and give a nice smoky taste to the chivda.
3.  Instead of red chilli pwd. try adding chopped green chillies for heat. Add them once you add the curry leaves and saute them for a minute till they get fried. When you eat the chivda, the fried chilli bites give a nice hot taste. Also they will help preserving the natural color of chivda.