Thalipeeth

By Chef Jasmine Dsouza

From Namaste Breakfast

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 30 minutes

Method: Easy

Course: Snack

Type: British

Key Ingredients:

A nutritious snack that the Maharashtrian swear by because it is just as tasty too

Ingredients

Gram flour (besan) ½ cup
Rice flour ½ cup
Whole wheat flour ½ cup
Finger millet (ragi / nachni) flour ½ cup
Large onion, chopped 1
Fresh coriander leaves, chopped 2 tbsps
Green chillies, chopped 3 to 4
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Roasted cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Semolina (rawa/suji) 2 tbsps
Salt to taste
Oil 1 tbsp + to cook
Homemade butter as required
Yogurt to serve
Green chutney to serve

Methods

Take gram flour in a mixing bowl, add rice flour, whole wheat flour and finger millet flour and mix well.
Add onion, coriander leaves, green chillies, cumin powder, roasted cumin seeds, coriander powder, semolina and salt and mix well. Add sufficient water and knead into soft dough. Add oil and knead once again.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a non-stick pan. Spread a plastic sheet on the worktop and grease it with a little oil. Take a generous portion of the dough and spread it on the plastic sheet with your finger tips to a slightly thick roundel. Gently dislodge the disc from the plastic sheet and put it in the pan.
Make a few light slashes in the roundel with the tip of a knife and drizzle a little oil over the thalipeeth and cook on medium heat. Flip when the underside is lightly browned and cook the other side similarly. Make more thalipeeth with the remaining dough.
Transfer the thalipeeths on a serving platter, keep a blob of homemade butter over them and serve them hot with bowls of yogurt and green chutney.

American Apple Pie

By Chef Shilarna Vaze (Chinu)

By Firangi Tadka

Prep: 35 minutes

Cook: 40 minutes

Method: Moderate

Course: Snack

Type: British

Key Ingredients:

Apples

An all-time favourite – apple pie gives a lot of comfort

Serving Suggestion : Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Ingredients

Green apples / cooking apples, peeled, sliced and cored 6
Refined flour (maida) 1½ cups + 2-3 tbsps
Frozen butter cubes 1 cup
Sugar 2 tsps
Cinnamon (dalchini) powder 1 tsp
Nutmeg (jaiphal) powder ¼ tsp
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Soft butter ¼ tsp + as required
Salt to taste

Methods

To make pastry dough mix 1½ cups refined flour, salt and 1 tsp sugar in a bowl. Add frozen butter cubes and rub it in with your fingertips till the mixture resembles breadcrumbs. Add 5 tbsps water and knead gently to make smooth dough. Wrap in moist muslin cloth and refrigerate for 10-15 minutes.
Take apples, 2-3 tbsps refined flour, 1 tsp sugar, cinnamon powder and nutmeg powder in another bowl and mix gently so that the apple slices do not break. To prevent apple slices from turning black, pour lemon juice over them and mix gently.
Bring out the dough from refrigerator and divide into 2 equal parts. Knead both halves lightly.
Spread a plastic sheet on the worktop and place one portion of dough in the centre. Fold the plastic over and roll out the dough into a disc an inch bigger in diameter than the 9 inch pie mould or pie dish. Similarly roll out the second portion of the dough.
Preheat oven to 200 ºC.
Remove the plastic gently and place 1 disc in the pie dish. Flatten it on the base and along the edges of the mould so that excess dough sticks out. Trim the extra dough and put the pie dish in the refrigerator to set.
Once firm, pierce it all over with a fork. Spread 1 tsp butter and then spread apple mixture evenly on the base. Sprinkle 2 tbsps of the sweet apple mixture water on top and dot with some butter.
Place the second disc over the filling, covering it completely. Trim edges. Make a few slits in top so that the steam can escape. You may use the leftover dough trimmed from the edges to make a design on the top.
Brush the top crust with butter before baking. Place the pie dish in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.
Cut into wedges and serve warm with vanilla ice cream.