Microwave Dates - Nuts Bread Pudding

This is a simple and easy bread pudding that I saw on one of the cook shows I used to watch earlier. The pudding takes altogether about 10 minutes from start to finish in a microwave and is a yummy way to use up any leftover bread one might have. I usually like to prepare this in small bowls for individual servings and so have given measurements for that as well.

Ingredients:
1/2 liter boiled and cooled milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. custard powder
6 whole wheat bread slices
1/2 cup chopped dates
10 gm. each - raisins, cashews & almonds

Method:
* Add sugar to milk and stir until it dissolves. Then add the custard powder to the milk and whisk/ blend until there are no lumps. Keep it aside.
* Chop off the edges of bread slices. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 2 triangles.
* Arrange the 3 cut bread slices in a microwave safe pan in a single layer next to each other and sprinkle dates on top. Next sprinkle raisins, cashews and almonds uniformly. Place the remaining 3 triangular slices of bread over them and sprinkle dates and the other nuts as in the previous step.
* Pour the custard powder - milk mixture over the bread slices and let it sit for 2 minutes to soak up the milk.
* Microwave for 5 minutes and serve immediately. Garnish with honey if desired.

Ingredients for 2 individual servings:
2 & 1/2 whole wheat bread slices
3/4 cup boiled and cooled milk
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. custard powder
1/2 cup nuts and dry fruits (I used chopped dates, walnuts, cashews, dried cranberries and raisins.)

Method:
* Trim off the edges of the bread slices and tear them into small pieces.
* Take one cup sized microwave bowl and arrange the bread pieces in a single layer. Try to fit as many pieces as you can at the bottom of the bowl so that there are no gaps and no overlapping.
* Sprinkle about 2 tbsp. of dates and other nuts used, uniformly over the bread slices.
* Repeat the bread and nut layers one more time.
* Add sugar to milk and stir to dissolve. Next add custard powder and whisk until lump free. Pour half of the milk mixture over the bread and nut layers and let it sit for 2 minutes.
* Take another one cup sized microwave safe bowl and repeat the above steps with the remaining ingredients.
* Microwave each bowl for 5 minutes and serve immediately.

This is my entry to
1. Blogging marathon #58
 
2. Srivalli's Kids' Delight event, hosted by Kalyani this month under the theme 'Cooking with Whole Grains'.

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Bread Dhokla

There used to be a Gujarati cook show telecast on one of the Hindi channels I used to subscribe. It caught my attention one day since it was a vegetarian show and most of the recipes the chefs used to present were not run of the mill kind, at least from a south Indian point of view. I used to watch the show so regularly that I even got acquainted with the language and not even needed the English subtitles for the translation anymore. I had noted down loads of recipes from that show and this bread dhokla is one of them. The chef probably decided to call this dish a dhokla based on how it is presented. I had zero expectations when I first tried this dish but really loved it after giving it a try. This makes a great evening snack and provides a variety if you are bored with the regular sandwich recipes.

Ingredients:
8 bread slices (I used whole wheat bread.)
Ingredients for paste:
6 tbsp. hung curd / yogurt
2 to 3 tbsp. ground peanuts
Salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric powder
1 tbsp grated dry coconut 
1 tbsp green chillie paste
Ingredients for tadka:
2 tbsp. oil 
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies, broken into bits
1 tbsp sesame seeds
Few curry leaves 
A pinch of turmeric powder

Method:
* Remove the crusts of the bread slices.
* Combine all the ingredients under the 'paste' list in a bowl. Spread the mixture thickly on a bread slice and cover it with another bread slice. Cut the sandwich into 4 pieces.
* Repeat the steps with the remaining bread slices and the remaining curd paste.
* Heat oil in a wide, shallow pan and add mustard seeds,cumin and the red chilies. When mustard seeds start to pop, add sesame seeds, curry leaves and turmeric. Saute for about 10 seconds.
* Turn down the heat and next add the bread pieces carefully. Sprinkle some water / butter milk so that bread softens a bit and mix gently. When the bottom side crisps up, carefully flip the bread pieces so that the other side is done as well.
* Serve warm immediately. It can be served as it is or with a sauce of your choice if needed.
 
This goes to blogging marathon #57 under the theme 'Bookmarked Posts' and check here to find out what other marathoners are cooking today.

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Spicy Bread Rolls

During each marathon announcement, Valli keeps on throwing googlies towards us in the form of "conditions" to make the themes more challenging. As one hardly notices the fine print on the products by manufacturers, I pay little attention to the clauses at the first glance. I sit after sending my selected themes to Valli, go through the announcement again and leisurely repent. The same thing happened again with the theme I chose this week. I wanted to try Danish pastries and cigar rolls real bad under the "rolled and baked" theme until I went through the clauses again. My excitement bubble burst after seeing the condition "to be done from scratch". I wasn't going to sit and start from the scratch but went for an easy substitute instead. I had seen sweet and savory roll versions prepared with bread plenty of times before and thought I will go with this instead.

And yes, I do bake bread at home regularly but since this is not about bread making, I will save it for another post. I have used whole wheat bread and spicy potato curry for the filling here. Feel free to use any filling of your choice but keep it on the dry side. These real crisp and yummy rolls can be a great teatime snack. Serve them hot with a spicy / sweet chutney.

Ingredients:

10 - 12 Bread slices

About 1 cup potato curry / any other spicy filling

Melted butter to bush the rolls 

 

Method:

* Take the bread slices and trim off the crusts to make an even shape. 

* Using a rolling pin, roll them thin without breaking.
* Place about a tbsp. of curry on one of the shorter ends. Wet (with water) along the other end of the shorter side.

* Start from the end where filling is, and go on rolling like a cylinder.
* Seal the ends with moistened fingers if needed.

* Repeat the steps with the remaining bread slices. Brush them with melted butter all over and arrange them on a baking sheet.

* While doing the prep work, preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Bake them for 12 - 15 minutes or until they turn crisp. Remember to flip them around a couple of times in between during the baking process.
* For a quicker version, they can be sautéed in a pan too instead of baking.

This is going to be a part of BM # 37 under the theme of "Rolled and Baked Recipes".

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