Ensaïmada - A pastry from Majorca

Last month for some reason i couldnt able to participate Defi Boulange, a fabulous bread baking event by Nadia and Manue. But this month i dont want to miss their incredible challenge, our this month's challenge is this ensaïmadas from Majorca. Quite a new pastry for me and when i saw the announcement of this ensaïmadas i know i'll be making these beauties without any fail.Its seems this pastry is quite common in Majorca,Spain and Peru.Its a typical pastry product and they are quite often made during festivals and celebrations in Majorca and Spain.

These ensaïmada is prepared with strong flour,water,sugar and eggs with a reduced pork lard named saîm, fortunately both Nadia and Manue suggested us to use butter in case if we dont find this saïm, thank god that i could make this pastry with butter. Usually this pastry is prepared simply with this famous saïm but nowadays we can find many stuffed ensaïmadas, obviously i baked mine with chocolate chunks.You can also prepared ur ensaïmadas with any filling of your choice, my next trial is with nutella or else with pastry cream. This ensaïmadas tastes fabulous with a cup of coffee and an excellent pastry to start a day. Thanks again to defi boulange for pulling me to make this wonderful pastry from Majorca.

1+1/2cups Flour
1/4cup+2tbsp Luke warm water
12g Fresh yeast
60grms Sugar
1no Egg
1/2tsp Salt
1tbsp Olive oil
100grms Melted butter
Chocolate chips or chunks (as per need)
Confectioner's sugar for topping

In a large bowl, take the flour,sugar,olive oil,salt and add the crumbled fresh yeast, add the luke warm water and beaten egg.

Knead everything for 10minutes until the dough turns soft and elastic.

Transfer the dough to a greased bowl and cover it, leave it aside for 2hours until they double their volume.

Take the doubled dough,punch down the dough and divide the dough as 4equal balls.

Grease the kitchen counter and roll the dough ball as a large oval circle.

Brush the circle generously with the melted butter and try to roll the circle as thinner as possible.

 Now sprinkle the chocolate chips as per need, roll an edge of the circle and form a long log.

Now roll again the log as spiral form or snail like form without rolling them tightly.

Transfer this unbaked ensaïmadas to a baking sheet lined over a baking tray and let them sit in a warm place for an hour.

Preheat the oven to 350F.

Bake this ensaîmadas for 15-20minutes in middle rack until the crust turns golden brown.

Let the ensaïmadas gets cool slightly, dust them generously with the confectioner's sugar.

Arrange them in an air tightened box.

These ensaïmadas are quite addictive and beware of them.

Eggplant in Peanut-Coconut Gravy

My grandma prepares wonderful eggplant curry with peanuts, obviously we never failed to make eggplant curries with peanuts. For a change,i tried my hands in making a wonderful,flavourful gravy with peanuts and coconut paste. Serve this gravy with rice, you can have an extra plate of rice with this nutty,delicious gravy. Also this gravy works out wonder even along with simple phulkas or parathas.We get eggplants easily here thats why i usually skip our usual Indian variety brinjals if the recipe asks for brinjals.

Since i used eggplants i didnt stuffed them and this gravy goes for small eggplant chunks. Seriously i love small cubes of eggplants than the stuffed brinjals in my curry,if you want to replace the eggplants obviously you can go for the small brinjals.Sending to my event CWS-Peanuts hosted by me.

1no Medium eggplant (cubed)
1no Tamarind (lemon sized)
2nos Garlic (chopped)
1no Onion (chopped)
2tsp Coriander powder
1/2tsp Turmeric powder
1tsp Garam masala powder
1/2tsp Mustard seeds
3tbsp Peanuts
4nos Dry red chillies
1/4tsp Asafoetida powder
1/4cup Coconut (grated)
Salt
Oil

Soak the tamarind in warm water and extract the juice from it.

Heat enough oil in a pan, add the onions,garlic,peanuts,dry red chillies,coconut and fry everything in simmer until a nice aroma comes from.

Once cooled,grind them together as smooth paste.

In the same pan, add enough oil again, let splutters the mustard seeds,asafoetida powder, add the cubed eggplant chunks, turmeric and fry for few minutes.

Add the grounded paste and saute for few more minutes.

Now add the tamarind juice,coriander powder, garam masala powder,salt,water (if needed) and cook in simmer.

Cook everything until the oil gets separates from the gravy.

Garnish the gravy with coriander leaves and serve with rice.

Banana, Peanut Butter Smoothie

Banana and peanut butter makes a prefect pair in smoothies. This is one of our family favourite combo in smoothies, i can drink litres and litres of this smoothie, yep i love it that much. Smoothies are quite filling and definitely its my kind of breakfast drink.Am not breakfast person obviously i love to blend fruits with grains or veggies to make a healthy drink whenever i feel lazy to prepare my breakfast.Even these kind of smoothies works wonder when we are in hurry.

If you are yet to try this wonderful smoothie, dont forget to give a try. Am sure you guys will definitely love this nutty as well as very fruity drink at anytime of the day. You can also make a shake with few scoops of banana icecream or vanilla icecream,but however i found that an over ripen banana and a spoon of peanut butter makes a wonderful and filling smoothie.Sending to my event CWS-Peanuts hosted by me.

2cups Chilled milk
2nos Banana (chopped)
2tbsp Peanut butter
Sugar or honey (as per need)

Take the chilled milk,banana,peanut butter,sugar or honey in a blender.

Blend everything as smooth paste.

Serve immediately.