SarasYummyBites

Iyengar Bakery Khara Buns / Bakery Style Spicy Buns 

Preparation time: 45 minutes  

Proofing time:  

15 minutes for yeast

1 ~ 1 1/2  hour for 1 rising and 30 ~ 45 minutes for second rising

Baking time: 25~ 30 minutes

Yield :  6 jumbo buns as shown in picture or more depends on size  

Recipe Source: eatliveburp

Ingredients:

For Buns:
2 cups all purpose flour +more for kneading
1 1/2 tsp active dried yeast
1/4 cup+1 tbsp milk
1/2 cup water
1 1/2 tsp sugar
3 tbsp butter
1 tsp salt

For Masalas:
3/4 cup finely chopped onions
5-6 Thai green chilies, minced ( I used 2 Serrano peppers)
1/3 cup cilantro leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
10 curry leaves, chopped (or add any herbs as per your wish)
1 teaspoon oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Proofing  the yeast:
1. Microwave water and milk together for 30 seconds ( use stove top to warm the milk and water), it should be warm to touch. ( This is important for yeast to proof).
2.  Add sugar and yeast and mix well. Let it sit for 15 minutes. The yeast mixture should be frothy at the end of 15 minutes. If not, start the process again.

Preparing masala: 
3. When yeast is proofing, Heat oil in a pan or skillet.  When its hot add cumin seeds, let it splutter.    Add finely chopped green chilies and curry leaves.  Cook for a minute.
4. Then add chopped onions,  salt and saute till it turn soft.  Add cilantro leaves, mix well and turn off the heat. Allow it to cool meantime don't kill the yeast. ( Follow step 5 when onion is cooking, this is important for not spoiling yeast).

Preparing bun dough:
5. When onion is cooking, melt 2 tablespoons of butter and add it to the yeast along with salt and mix well.
6. Transfer the yeast mixture to mixing bowl, Add flour, one cup at a time to the yeast mixture and whisk until you get a smooth dough.
7. Transfer the dough to a floured surface and knead it into a smooth, non-sticky dough. Add more flour if required and knead well for at least 10 minutes. If you are using stand mixture, follow the above step and knead it for 10 minutes  in low setting.
8. Flatten the kneaded dough with your hands or as shown in picture and place the onion-chili stuffing in the center. Fold the corners and seal it well.
9. Knead again for 15 minutes by hand or stand mixture, till the stuffing is well incorporated in the dough. The dough might turn sticky due to the onions, so add more flour and knead well. I added extra 1/4 cup of flour to get non sticky dough.
10. Grease a big bowl with little oil and place the kneaded dough in the bowl. Cover with a clean kitchen towel and keep in a warm place till the dough almost doubles ( I kept in oven with lights ON and it took about 1 hour).
11. After the first rise, knead again for 7-8 minutes to remove any air bubbles in the dough.
12. Divide the dough into 6 ~ 8 equal portions and shape into buns. Place them on a parchment sheet lined baking tray.
13. Cover and place the baking tray in a warm place for about 30 ~ 45 minutes.

Baking:
14. At the end of 45 minutes, preheat oven to 425 F.
15. Brush tops of well risen dough with milk and place them in the oven.
16. Reduce oven temperature to 350 F. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the top is slightly brown and the buns sound hollow when tapped on top. This make about 25 ~ 28 minutes.
17. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and brush tops of baked buns for a nice shine. After few minutes, transfer it to cooling rack. Cool completely before storing.  I kept in ziplock bag and stayed fresh for 2 day at room temperature. 

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Pillayarpatti Mothagam / Pillayarpatti Kozhukattai  

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time 10 minutes per batch
Yield: 15 ~ 18 mathagam
Adapted from veggieplatter

Ingredients:
3/4 cup of raw rice
1/4 cup of moong dhal
1/4 cup jaggery or add more as neeeded
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp ghee
2 tbsp coconut pieces (optional)
1/4 tsp of cardamom powder
2 cups + 2 tbsp water or as needed

Method:
1. Heat heavy bottom pan and dry roast rice and moong dhal separately. Let it cool to room temperature.
2. Mean time dissolve jaggery in water. Heat the mixture and strain it through the tea strainer to remove impurities from the jaggery.
3. Bring the jaggery water to boil.  At the same time, using mixer grinder,  powder dhal and rice in to rava consistency ( coarse ).
4. Add the powdered mixture to boiling jaggery water along with salt, ghee, coconut pieces( if you are using), cardamom powder. Mix the mixture continuously.
5. After couple of minutes, rice dhal mixture bubbles up. Lower the heat. Cover and cook the mixture. Stir inbetween.
6.  When water evaporates, check the consistency.  Wet your hand and pinch little of cooked mixture and roll it, it should not stick to your hands. If you are able to roll the mixture without sticking with smooth shape, then turn of the heat and allow it cool to handle OR cook more for couple of minutes and follow the same step.
7. Grease the pan or idly plates with oil or cover it with cloth.  Grease your palms and roll it into bite size balls and place it into greased idly plates.
8. Steam the mothagam for 10 minutes.  If mothagam cooked more then 10 minutes it will become rubbery.
9. After 2 minutes, remove the lid and remove the mothagam and place it to other bowl. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Sabarimala Prasadam / Aravana Payasam

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 25 ~ 30 minutes

Serves: 1 bowl as shown in picture

Sources: sarasyummybites

Ingredients:

1/4 cup red raw rice or pori rice or basmati rice ( I used basmati)

2 ~ 3 tbsp ghee or as needed

1 cup jaggery ( brown jaggery)

1 tsp cardamom, powdered

Few coconut pieces, chopped 

3/4 cup + 2 tbsp water for jaggery 

Method:

1. Shred the jaggery ball and measure it in to 1 cup). I used measuring cup and you can use any cup but use the same cup for measuring rice and ghee)

2. Dissolve the jaggery and filter it through tea strainer to remove impurities.  Set aside til use. 

3. Wash rice 3 to 4 times with cold water and drain the water through strainer and keep it aside.

4. Chop the coconut slices into small pieces. 

Cooking:

5.  Heat heavy bottom pan with 1 tbsp of ghee, fry coconut pieces till it turns golden brown color. In the same pan, fry rice for 1 ~ 2 minutes in medium heat. Don't fry the rice crispy.

6. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook the rice to 80% or until water evaporates. Stir in prepared jaggery syrup  to the rice.

7. Mix rice and jaggery mixture ( add extra water, if it is too thick for you)  and 1 tbsp of ghee. Stir    continuously for a minute and cook it in medium heat.

8. When mixture boils and reaches a thick sauce like consistency, turn off the heat.

9. Add cardamom powder and fried coconut over to the payasam and mix once.

10.  Store it in airtight container and keeps well for longer time.

Note:
* Always use dark brown jaggery ( Pagu vellam)
* 80% cooked rice will give grainy texture as shown in picture or cook more with extra water as needed
* if you or not able to dissolve the jaggery, then slight heat the jaggery to melt it down.
* Adjust water to your required consistency.

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 Kovil Puliyodarai / Milagu Puliyodarai 

Preparation time: 20 ~ 30 minutes

Cooking time: 30 minutes

Yield: 3 ~ 4

Source: sarasyummybites 

Ingredients:

1 cup raw rice

20 grams / small lime size tamarind

Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

30 ml / 2 tbsp sesame oil +  1 tsp oil for rice

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds

1/2 tsp cumin / jeera

20 grams / 1.5 tbsp channa dhal

20 grams 1.5 tbsp urad dhal

1/4 tsp asafoetida/ hing

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

Cashews broken into pieces (optional)

3/4 ~1 tsp freshly ground pepper corns or more to taste

Curry leaves as needed

Method:

For rice:

1. Wash the rice for 3 ~ 4 times with water and soak it for 20 minutes.

2. Cook the rice with open pot method or using rice cooker with 2 cups of water.

3. Spread the cooked rice on the big plate and cool it completely.

For Pulikachal:

4. While rice is cooking soak the tamarind with 1/4 cup of warm water for few minutes. Gently squeeze the soaked tamarind with your fingers and strain the juice in separate bowl. Add extra 1/4 cup of warm water and extract the remaining juice from the tamarind and mix both the tamarind juice together and keep it aside.

5.  Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan or kadai in medium heat.

6. When oil gets hot, add mustard seeds, allow it to splutter.  Then add jeera, channa dhal, urad dhal, jeera, fenugreek seeds, hing and  curry leaves(then add cashew). 

7. when seasoning ingredients get roasted to golden brown color, pour in extracted tamarind juice, turmeric powder and salt. 

8. Boil the mixture in medium heat till reduce it to half and looks like a thick sauce consistency. At this stage oil will separate from the mixture.

9. Now add freshly ground raw pepper and adjust salt (spice) to taste.  Mix once and turn off the heat.

Preparing puliyodarai:

10.  In a large and wide mixing bowl, mix puliyodarai mixture with cooled rice gently until masala spread evenly over the rice.

11. Add 1 tbsp of raw sesame / gingerly oil to the rice mixture and mix once. Adjust salt to taste.

12. Serve at room temperature or best to served after 4 ~ 5 hours from mixing the rice with masala. Will stay fresh for 2 ~ 3 hours at room temperature when packed in container which is not air tight one. 

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