Iyengar Bakery Khara Bread (Spicy Indian flavored Bread)

Blogging Marathon# 53: Week 4/ Day 1

Theme: Bookmarked Recipes -- Veena's Veg Nation

Dish: Iyengar Bakery Khara Bread

We are starting the final week of Blogging Marathon for this month today and I'm paired with Veena and for the next 3 days I'm going to post 3 dishes from Veena's blog. Veena blogs at Veena's Veg Nation and she has an awesome collection of recipes both traditional Indian and International. She is an amazing baker, I have quite a few of her breads and other baked goodies bookmarked, hopefully I'll get to bake them some time soon.

For the first day, I made this Iyengar Bakery style spicy Khara Bread. This bread has delicious Indian flavors with cumin seeds, onions, mint and cilantro. Make it as spicy as you want with green chilies. I kept it mild because my kids are too big on spicy food.

The bread turned out soft with a beautiful crumb. We enjoyed the bread just as is as an afternoon tea snack and with some cream cheese for breakfast. I made grilled cheese sandwich for my son the next day.

Recipe adapted from Veena's recipe:

Ingredients: Makes 1 9"x5" loaf pan

For the dough:

All purpose flour - 2cups

Whole wheat flour - 11/4cups (or use 31/4 cups of all purpose flour)

Instant Yeast - 2tsp

Sugar - 11/2tbsp

Salt - 1tsp

Oil - 2tbsp

Lukewarm water - 3/4cup

Lukewarm Milk - 1/2cup

For the Masala/ Spice mixture:

Cumin seeds - 1tsp

Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped

Cilantro - 1cup, finely chopped

Mint - 1cup, finely chopped

Green chilies - 1~2 or use 1/2tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Salt - a pinch

Method:

• Make the Spice mixture: Heat 1tbsp oil in a skillet, add the cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds. Next add the onions and cook till they turn translucent, about 4~5 minutes.
• Add the red pepper flakes, herbs and salt. Cook for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool for 10 minutes.
• For the dough: Combine all the ingredients for the dough along with the onion mixture in a large bowl or the bowl of the stand mixture.
• Mix and knead until a smooth, soft and satiny dough is formed, about 8 minutes on the machine, 10~12 minutes by hand.
• Place the dough in a greased bowl, cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.
• Remove the dough onto a lightly floured surface, gently deflate the dough and flatten it into a rectangle. Roll into a tight log and pinch the edges.
• Place the log into a lightly greased 9"x5" baking pan and flatten slightly to fill the pan. Cover with a lightly greased plastic wrap and allow to rise for 1 hour or until the dough crests 1" over the rim of the pan.
• Preheat the oven to 375.
• Brush the top of the dough with soy milk and bake for 35~40 minutes or until the bread is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped.
• Remove from the oven and cool for 5 minutes.
• Then invert it over a wire rack and cool completely before slicing.

 

Lets check out what my fellow marathoners have cooked today for BM# 53.