Olive Oil-Kissed Walnut Garlic and Dill Povitica (Vegan)....jazzed-up !!

"[Breadbaking is] one of those almost hypnotic businesses, like a dance from some ancient ceremony. It leaves you filled with one of the world's sweetest smells...there is no chiropractic treatment, no Yoga exercise, no hour of meditation in a music-throbbing chapel, that will leave you emptier of bad thoughts than this homely ceremony of making bread."

M. F. K. Fisher, The Art of Eating

I admit I have been lazy. While I have been in the kitchen all the time experimenting, peeking into my friends' and commenting on various other blogs....however I stayed away from posting any recipe on Zaayeka. I blame it on the season...the lovely glassy droplets on my balcony makes me just so whimsical with its pitter-patter; that I just can't tear myself away from them. The lush greenery on the hills (that I see from my window) just perks up when the clouds kiss the earth. Romanticism.....s-i-g-h! :p

Ok I know this is essentially a food blog so I will stick to that without further ado--FOOD!

I made this savoury Povitica, a while ago. I post it only today as the varied types of breads I have been baking is increasing in number and threatens to overtake every other recipes' place on the index, (its been over a month and a half that I have not used store-bought bread, instead making my healthy versions at home) and I do not want my friends/readers to miss out on the magic of breadbaking. Trust me if someone as 'yeast-phobic' as me can make it...sure anyone can!

I am not an authority on bread baking...but I certainly can tell you all about what and how I bake my own bread. I have certainly come a long way from where I started.

And no I ain't talking about quick breads and no-knead breads...I am talking hard-core kneading and rising and rolling and proofing and baking ....et al. All the different colours of the 'rainbow' that is bread-baking.


Traditionally Povitica is a Croatian rolled sweet yeast bread. Essentially a feast bread, it is rolled thin, smeared with the choice of filling (cinnamon sugar, walnuts etc) and then rolled like a jelly roll and baked. The end result is a beautiful swirled slice that the filling creates when the rolled bread is cut.

I made mine a tad bit more ...ahem...gorgeous! (Don't go by my word...look at the pictures.)

The lovely spirals filled with my favourite nut and herbs.

This bread is a little tricky when it comes to putting it together but not impossibly difficult!

Once the dough is rolled out, smeared with filling and cut into strips; the tricky part begins.

Remember not to rush through this process of 'coiling' the strips. Take your time rotating the spring form pan so you can easily start the next strip of dough where the last one left off and gently pressing strips onto the ones that came before it.

Any loose nuts will fall down, so do not worry. Just be gentle. :)

Oh did I forget to mention its vegan !!

Olive Oil-Kissed Walnut Garlic and Dill spiral Povitica (Vegan) :

Ingredients-

For the dough:
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour + extra for dusting
1/2 tsp sea-salt
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp active dry yeast
1 1/4 cups luke-warm water
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
2 tbsp margarine

For the filling:
3 tbsp or more garlic paste
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts

1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil for brushing

Method-

In a large bowl,combine the warm water, yeast, sugar and salt and let it rest at room temperature for 5 minutes. Add the olive oil.

To the flours add the margarine and dill. Stir with a wooden spoon or use your fingers to mix,till the margarine is well combined with the flour.
Now add the liquid ingredients. Stir with wooden spoon.
When the dough begins to pull away from the sides of the bowl dust with flour and turn out onto a lightly-floured surface to knead by hand. Knead by hand for 10 minutes, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Allow the dough to rest for 10-15 minutes in a greased bowl.

Roll the dough out to an 18×10 inch (moderately thin in thickness) rectangle. Brush the garlic paste all over the surface of the dough, then sprinkle with the chopped walnuts on top.
IMPORTANT-Press the nut filling into the dough by lightly rolling over it with a rolling pin, to allow minimal spillage.

Cut the dough lengthwise into 2-inch-wide strips. Take one strip and roll it around itself before placing it in the center of your springform pan, cut side down. Now, one at a time, wrap the remaining strips around the center strip, until you have a mass of shaped dough that looks like a concentric shell . Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let the dough rise in a warm spot for 40 minutes or until doubled in bulk (see pic above).

Brush with olive oil and bake in a pre-heated oven for upto 30 minutes at 190 degrees C.

If the middle of the povitica browns faster than the outer portions of the dough, cut a small square of aluminum foil and place it over the part of the cake that is browning faster.

Cool for 5 minutes before running a greased knife around the edges and removing the sides of the springform pan. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Quick and Easy French (Eggless) Dinner Rolls (MICROWAVE)

“There are people in the world so hungry, that God cannot appear to them except in the form of bread.”--Mahatma Gandhi

Bread baking is something new to me. Although I have made several Indian breads (leavened & unleavened) I have never really baked a loaf of regular white bread. It is a little ambitious, when it comes to yeast, patience and me…not quite a winning combination.


However, Usha (of VegInspirations) tagged me on baking for a noble cause. Two very good reasons to go ahead with my “Project Bread”.
One, it was my very first “tag”.
Second, it is for a great cause….to feed the multitudes in Africa who cannot afford the luxury of a piece of bread.



I have been doing social service for as long as I can remember..and I still do. Teaching poor children, co-ordinating with NGOs to re-build schools for children of sex workers’ and drug addicts, teaching dance to orphans and organizing charity shows etc. I was an active member of the Corporate Social Responsibility Committee in HSBC. God’s work still continues...
But never have I done something in the virtual world that will in turn,help in the real world. It amazes how my one act here can touch a life , miles away from me.


Breadline Africa is a registered charity in South Africa that is seeking to put an end to poverty in South Africa and further afield in Africa. Their aim is to break the cycle of poverty and help communities to achieve long term self-sustainability. Breadline Africa was founded in 1993 by social workers and communities in South Africa with minded colleagues in Europe, (who were well placed to source out donations). They are geared to help fund small ground level projects in Africa which are most likely to succeed with financial help.


It launched the Worldwide Blogger Baker Bake-Off Challenge aiming at raising $ 1 M in funds. This bake-off gives us baking bloggers the power to make a difference in this world. What do we do? Bake bread. Give Dough. Feed Africa. Vals says, "You can sign up for the campaign, make a donation, upload your bread recipes and document your culinary adventures in the media center to spread the word. You don't have to donate money but simply just mention the campaign and create awareness."


The following is quoted from the Breadline Africa Bake-Off site:

On 15 October, we launched The Breadline Africa Worldwide Blogger Bake Off.The Blogger Bake Off is an online campaign that challenges bloggers to get involved by baking bread, and then acting by donating to end poverty. And then, challenge their readers and five other bloggers to do the same.

With the money raised, we will be supporting grass roots community projects aimed at ending poverty and hunger in Africa. We’ll be placing container kitchens, vegetable gardens and more in poor communities, sending emergency food relief where needed and helping these poor communities to help themselves.

Quick and Easy French (Eggless) Dinner Rolls (MICROWAVE)

Ingredients-
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp active dry yeast
2 tbsp oil
1 cup warm water (not hot)

Method-
In a large bowl, seive together the whole wheat and all purpose flour.
In a separate bowl take warm water, add the yeast, sugar and salt and oil.

Tip:The yeast should release bubbles when warm water is added. This is a sign of good yeast.The water should not be too hot, as it will kill the yeast instead.

Now, make a well in the centre of the heap of flour, and add the warm mixture slowly.
Knead it well to form a soft pliable dough.Cover the dough in a slightly greased bowl with a cling wrap or moist kitchen towel, for about 2 hrs./ till it doubles in volume.
Then punch the dough back and knead it for another 10 mins. Rest covered again, for an hour.
Punch again after an hour and knead well.

Now, divide the dough into equal sized balls. Using your hands roll each ball of dough to form a long cylindrical (almost snake like) rope.Then, from one end of the long dough rope, keep rolling towards the other end. Twist and seal the loose end to look like rolled buns.

Arrange on baking tray, close to each other. Let rest (covered) for 30 mins.Bake on medium high setting in the microwave for 8 minutes.

Serve with jam, butter, cheese or your favourite dip or curry.

Note: The microwave doesn't brown the tops, like a conventional oven. However they look pretty and have a great texture. Soft and tasty!

The rules for bloggers are outlined below:
1.If you are tagged, copy and paste the rules into your post.
2.Bake bread, do something you wouldn’t normally do, and blog about it. Upload your picture and recipe.
3.Give dough, donate to Breadline Africa and help us end poverty.
4.Tag five bloggers, and ping us so we know you’ve done so.
5.The person who raises the most funds will get to name a Breadline Africa community kitchen and win $500 Amazon Vouchers. There are also three minor prizes of $250 Amazon vouchers for people who receive the most votes in the following categories:
Most Unusual Recipe; Most Nutritious Recipe and Most Traditional Recipe.

I in turn tag Sudeshna, Maria, Arundhuti, Anudivya and Sangeeth.

I send this recipie to Lore.

I send this to Vandana (Cooking Up Something Nice)'s Baking For Beginners' event, beacuse some of us out there also want to use the MW for quick baking. :)

Cooking with Alicia & Annie--Orange Slice Candy Cake

“He hangs in shades the orange bright,like golden lamps in a green night.”

I am an Orange Girl...if I am cross,unhappy, sick, give me an orange and I will be fine. If I am cheery,funny and joyous, give me an orange and I will be happier than ever.

I love fruits..all of them. My mom calls up and says that she misses me, at times more so beacuse all the fruits stay lying in the bowl on the dining table. lol. Fruits used to vanish from our house if I was in the house. Now, that I am not there, no one really eats them (the way I did).

However, oranges have my favour...I adore these bright coloured fruits that pack such zing and freshness. Almost making a dull moment psychedelic.

I found this lovely recipie at Alicia's--Candy recipes. I tweaked it a little to suit my taste and also to accomodate what I already had in my kitchen. :)

It goes to Cooking with Alicia & Annie's Dec. blog event.

Orange Slice Candy Cake-

Ingredients-

1/2 cup margarine

1 cup granulated sugar (I used brown sugar)

2 large eggs

1/3 cup buttermilk

1 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 cup flour ( I used whole wheat flour)

1/2 cup dates chopped ( I used chocolate chips instead)

1/3 cup candied orange

2 tbsp pecans, finely chopped (I used almonds instead)

a dash of freshly squeezed orange juice

Method-

In large mixing bowl cream the margarine and sugar. Add the eggs,1 at a time, whisking continuously. Add the buttermilk and baking soda, mix well. Add in the flour. Mix well. To this mixture add choco-chips(or dates), chopped almonds/pecans, and candied orange.

Batter will be thick and stiff.

Put into a greased pan. Bake for 45 mins. I microwaved for 8 minutes on medium high setting.

Optional-Mix together 1 cup powdered sugar and 1/2 cup orange juice and when cake is done pour orange juice and powdered sugar mixture over cake while it's hot.

(I skipped this , as I wanted to have just a hint of the orange flavour. The candy cake turned out to be denser, though still deliciously fresh.)

Also, instead of baking it as a whole I had baked it like cookies in batches as the dough was stiff. It worked just fine. :)

Steamed Spinach and Fenugreek dumplings

This post is dedicated to the one woman who would have trusted me to be good, even if the world thought I was evil; the woman who loved me so much so that the Gods would be jealous; the one who loved me unconditionally and probably even more than my own mom.........my Nani ji (maternal grandmom).

She passed away just before my marriage last year,(that will pain always as she had wished to see my 'dulha' and kiss him). My Nani believed in PDAs...public display of emotions. She always hugged everyone who visited her and would hold the person's chin and then kiss his/her forehead. The most loving lady I had ever known. I was close to all my grandparents(both sides), but nani was my partner-in-crime...my counsellor...my agony aunt...my best-est friend.
Infact everyone in the family thought (including my parents) that my death would follow hers. Alas, people grow up and grow strong...and life continues.

How I wish I could have stayed with her longer...the time just wasn't enough. I had stayed with her and helped her cook. Infact my first ever jalebi was made under her guidance. Needless to say she was a foodie and a great cook. (I guess it runs in the family, my mom is one too...hope I can continue the legacy).

Remembering her now still makes my eyes moisten. She was a Diabetic.

So this post is for all the diabetics of the world. Never give up. Be happy and lick the ice-cream (of life) before it melts ! Cheer up!!

A need to mention Sangeeth (of 'Art of Cooking Indian Food') 's Monthly event of "Eat Healthy, Fight Diabetes" is necessary. It was this event that inspired me to cook something for those who ineviatbly have a sweet tooth and more often than not are prey to 'diabetes' .
This ones' for you Sangeeth.

This dish has the best of both worlds....

It has Methi (Fenugreek leaves) that counter acts the disease. Infact Methi has been used in Indian cuisine since the Vedic age. Its only now that we are re-discovering its medicinal properties. So much so that Methi is also sold in drug stores across the United States, over the counter for lactating mothers as it helps in building more milk for the feeding child.

It also has Paalak (Spinach) which is a nutrition power house. The calcium in spinach strengthens bones, which is a must for diabetics, as the they are more prone to weak bones.

Served with sliced tomatoes which contain lycopene, one of the most powerful natural antioxidants, which, especially when tomatoes are cooked, has been found to help prevent prostrate cancer.

The fibre in this dish is attributed to the whole wheat flour and Bengal gram flour.

This dish is prepared by steaming, not deep frying, so fat free, low-sodium and healthy.

PAALK METHI NU MUTHIYA

(Steamed spinach and fenugreek dumplings )

Ingredients-

1 bunch spinach leaves, chopped
1/2 bunch fenugreek leaves, chopped (if using dried methi, use 4 tsp)
1 1/2 teaspoons green chilli-ginger paste
4 tablespoons whole wheat flour (gehun ka atta)
2 tablespoons Bengal gram flour (besan)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/4 teaspoon soda-bi-carb (baking soda)
3 tablespoons oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
salt to taste

Method-

In bowl mix all the ingredients. Add a little water if required.

Tip: Take care to see that the dough should not be very runny.

Now make small balls out of the dough using your palm. Brush the steamer with a little oil to avoid sticking of dough.

Steam for 15-20 minutes.

Tip: The more water the dough absorbs the softer and spongier the dumplings will be.

Serve topped with slices of cherry tomatoes and tiny cottage cheese cubes (if desired).