Atta biscuits

Ingredients:
Atta or wheat flour - 1 cup or 140 gms,
 White sugar(powdered)-1/3 cup or 70 gms( you can less the sugar for mild taste)
 Cold butter-100 gms-cut into cubes,
 Cold milk -1/4 cup,
Cardamom or elaichi - 2 or 3.

Method:
Pre heat oven to 180 C
Place butter paper on the tray.
Take a bowl and mix atta or whole wheat pwd,powdered sugar,elaichi pwd and cubed cold butter.

Mix using your fingers and make into a coarse mixture,crushing the cold butter.

Gradually add the cold milk,using 2 tbsp at the start.

Use only so much milk as to bind the dough.
Make a ball and leave it for ten minutes.

Cover with a cloth.
Sprinkle some flour on the counter and roll the dough into 1/4  inch thickness.

Using a cutter or any top of a bottle,cut out cookies.

Place the biscuits on the tray.
Since the dough does not have any soda or baking pwd,it will not expand.
Place the biscuits closely,leaving little space in between.

Bake the biscuits for 20 minutes or till you see the bottom edges brown and the top edges has some colour.

Take out from oven and place it on wire rack to cool for 10 minutes.

After ten minutes,remove the tray and take out the biscuits from the butter paper.

Let the biscuits cool on wire rack.

Once the biscuits are at room temperature,keep in air tight containers.

Makes 24 biscuits.

cheesy garlic bread sticks

Ingredients:
Flour - 3 cups,
Water - 1 and 1/4 cup,
Sugar-2 tsp,
Salt-1 tsp,
Yeast-1 small packet,
Olive oil- 1/4 cup plus 1 tbsp,
Garlic-10 minced,
Cheese grated -1/2 cup to 3/4 cup,
Pizza seasoning,
Pepper.

Method:
Sieve and measure 3 cups of flour in a bowl.
Add 1 tsp of salt and mix with wire whisk.

Heat 1/4 cup of water for 20 seconds in the microwave to luke warm.
Add 2 tsp of sugar and 1 small sachet of yeast to it.

Mix with spoon to dissolve the sugar.
Leave it in a warm place for the yeast to activate and foam up the water.

As the water foams up,take out 2 tbsp of olive oil from 1/4 cup and pour it in the yeast mixture.
Would advice you to do the mixing in a bowl to avoid messy counter and then do the kneading on the counter.

Take 2 cups of flour and make a well in the center.

Warm the remaining 1 cup of water to luke warm for kneading the dough.
Mix the dough and then keep adding the luke warm water to make a sticky dough.
Once the dough is sticky add the remaining 1 cup of flour and knead for 7 to 8 minutes or until the dough does not stick to the counter and if poked the dough bounces back.

Keep the dough in a greased bowl.
Toss the dough ball to evenly coat it all around.

Cover with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place to rise (double in size) for 1 hour to 1 and 1/2 hour( depends on the temperature)
Once the dough has risen,make a few punches to let the air out.

Pour the remaining 1/4 cup of olive oil to the  9 x 13 baking sheet or tray and spread it to all sides and corners.

Transfer the dough to the counter and with a rolling pin,roll the dough to some extent and then transfer the rolled dough on to the tray.

Spread the dough with light fingers and fill the corners of the tray.The dough has a tendency to pull back.

Cover with a cloth and let it rest for 1/2 hour in a warm place.
Mix the minced garlic  with 1 tbsp of olive oil and keep aside.


After the dough has rested for 15 minutes,pre heat oven to 190 C.
After the dough has rested for 15 minutes,

spread the garlic with olive oil over the top surface.
Sprinkle pizza seasoning (according to your taste).

Sprinkle the grated cheese(according to your taste).
Sprinkle black pepper according to your taste and liking.

Bake the cheesy pepper bread for 30 minutes or till the top is light golden brown.
Take out from the oven and place it on wire rack.

After 5 minutes,run a knife around the edges to loosen the sides.
Place the bread on wire rack to cool.

Once the bread has cooled,then transfer on a cutting board and cut into thin slices.

If you do not like cheese,you can add onions or any seasoning of your choice.

Lemon Pickle

This pickle is made with lemons which have a thin skin and is known as kaagji nimboo (kaagji means paper thin).
This type of lemon is available during the winter months.
It takes 3 weeks for the pickle to be ready and can be stored and used for a year or more like mango pickle.
With time the pickle turns darker.

Ingredients:
Kaagji nimboo or lemon with thin skin-1 kg,
Salt -3/4 cup or 150 gms,
Turmeric pwd- 1 tsp,
Red chilli roasted and grind to coarse pwd -2 tsp,
Yellow mustard seeds ground to coarse pwd- 2 tsp,
Methi seeds or fenugreek seeds roasted and ground to coarse pwd- 1tsp,
Hing or asafoetida-1/4 tsp,
Juice of 10 lemon or 1/2 cup,
Mustard oil-1/2 cup-heated and then cooled,
Fresh ginger thinly sliced- 2 inch or 50 gms.

Note :To make pickle all the utensils,cloth,spoon and jars have to be washed with hot water and wiped clean to avoid the pickle not to be spoilt.
If possible keep them in the sunlight for few hours as you make the preparations.

Method:
Wash and wipe dry all the lemons.

With a clean knife slice or cut the tip in the top center of the lemon.

Cut the lemon into half and then each half into half again and then into quarters.
You can cut into 6 or 8 pieces, depending on the size of  the lemon.
Remove the seeds.
Take a clean bowl and put all the lemon pieces in it.

Add 3/4 cup of salt and 1 tsp of turmeric. 

Mix with a wooden spoon and then transfer the salted lemons to a clean jar.

Cover the jar with a clean cloth and show sunlight for 3 days.

Hold the jar in the hand and give a shake twice or thrice a day to mix and toss the lemons so that all the lemons are coated with salt and do not dry out.

On the fourth day,roast and grind mustard seeds,roasted whole red chillies and fenugreek or methi seeds. Squeeze out the juice of 10 lemons in a bowl.

Take a wide bowl and transfer the salted lemon pieces in it.

Sprinkle mustard pwd, roasted red chilli pwd,methi pwd,1/4 tsp of hing or asafoetida and juice of 10 lemon.

Mix with a wooden spoon and then transfer it to the jar.

Cover the jar'mouth with a cloth and leave it in the sun for a week or 10 days depending on the weather and sunlight.

Stir the lemon pieces  with the wooden spoon twice or thrice each day.
After a week or ten days depending on the sunlight,add 1/2 cup of mustard oil which has been heated and then cooled.

Add two inch thinly sliced ginger to it.

Stir with a wooden spoon and then cover with a cloth.

Keep the jar in the sun for another ten days.
Pickle is ready when the lemon does not taste bitter.

The pickle is ready within 3 weeks to serve.

Keep the pickle jar in room temperature.
With time it tastes better each day and is very good for digestion.
This pickle can be kept for a year until the next winter arrives!
Goes very well with puri,paratha,rice or any vegetarian meal!