Kurma

Hello Kurma,

I had the great pleasure to attend your class in Dublin, but alas need one of the recipes and can no longer find my notes. If you would be so kind as to send me a copy of your Masala Chai recipe I would be most grateful. Thanks, Eoin Magrath

Here it is Eoin:

Hot Spiced Tea (Masala Chai)

Whenever I make this tea at home, I use a naturally caffeine-free tea from the plant Aspalathus linearis called Rooibos, that is grown on the slopes of South Africa's Cedarberg mountains. It is available at well-stocked supermarkets as Rooi tea (pronounced "Roy"). The tea lends itself well to this version of the ubiquitous spicy chai available all over the Indian Subcontinent. Serves 4.

4 cups water
one 6cm cinnamon stick
10 green cardamom pods
10 whole cloves
1¼ cups milk
2½ tablespoons sugar, or to taste
6 teaspoons Rooibos tea

Bring to the boil the water, along with the cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, in a medium saucepan over full heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

Add the milk and sugar, return to the boil, drop in the Rooibos tea, remove from the heat, cover and set aside for 2 minutes.

Strain and serve immediately.

Note: unlike most teas, Rooi tea can be left to draw for long periods then successfully reheated without any bitterness.

Discuss Comment [0] Trackback [0] Tea for Two

K M from Rostov, Russia asks:

"How can I make a soft, light bread, but without yeast itself?

My reply:

This recipe has never let me down. If you want a fast and easy homemade bread recipe with a good texture and a delicious tangy flavour, this is the one for you. Because it contains no yeast, this bread is best made and consumed on the same day. The quantity makes one loaf.

Buttermilk Soda Bread

2 cups, about 300g (11 ounces) unbleached plain flour
2 cups, about 300g (11 ounces) wholemeal (whole wheat) plain flour
½ teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups buttermilk (or some sort of cultured or sour milk)
sea salt flakes

Preheat the oven to 220° C / 425° F. Lightly flour a baking tray. Sift the flours, cream of tartar, bicarbonate of soda and sea salt into a large bowl. Make a well in the centre of the mixture.

Pour in almost all the buttermilk, then stir with a wooden spoon until thoroughly combined. Feel the dough. It should be slightly sticky. If too dry, add the remaining buttermilk. Transfer the dough to a lightly floured work surface.

Gently knead the dough for 1 minute (do not over knead).

Shape the dough into a round and place on the prepared baking tray. Cut a 1.5cm (½-inch) deep cross into the dough and sprinkle with the sea salt flakes.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until golden and cooked through (test with a wooden skewer - if it comes out clean, it's done).

Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack. Allow to cool then cover with a dampened towel until required.

Serve: break off chunks or cut into slices.

Note: you can add nuts or dried fruit to this recipe.

Discuss (1 response) Comment [1] Trackback [0] Yeast-free Bread

Fair enough...

Discuss (1 response) Comment [1] Trackback [0] 'Just Following Orders, Sir...'