Bakar Khani ~ Sweet Puff Pastry Biscuits from Pakistan

I love cookery books, not only do I like cooking from them but I like reading them from cover to cover. I admire the beautiful photos and imagine the author creating all the wonderful dishes in far away places. I own many recipe books but my most favorite ones are those that tell a story and take you back to the roots.

Mountain Berries & Desert Spice by Sumayya Usmani is one book that I totally fell in love with even before I had opened the front page. I loved the beautiful bold orange and pink cover with a paisley intricate flowery design. I immediately wanted to touch the book and peer at what it contained.

When I  looked at the book, I can say I was totally thrilled with the content. The book has recipes that are inspired from the Hunza Valley to the Arabian Sea. The book has authentic Pakistani sweet and dessert recipes using amazing spices and Eastern flavours. The desserts are very lavish and beautifully captured.

Included in the book is a chapter explaining all the authentic ingredients used in the recipes which is extremely helpful for those who are creating the recipes for the first time and are new to the ingredients. The book takes you on a sweet and aromatic journey through mouth watering desserts.

There are so many recipes that I want to make from the book such as the Pakistani Jalebis which are crunchy spirals dipped in a sugar syrup. The Qawwami Seviyan, a roasted vermicelli topped with nuts and Bakar Khani which is a sweet puff pastry biscuit. I finally started with the Bakar Khani, you can see my recreation below which was made with a few minor changes from the original recipe .

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Bakar Khani (Sweet Puff Pastry Biscuits)

by Nayna Kanabar July-26-2017

Sweet Puff Pastry Biscuits with nuts and poppy seeds

Ingredients:

• 1 sheet (320 g) Ready to Roll Puff Pastry
• 2 tablespoons Caster Sugar
• 60 g Pistachio, almonds and cashew nuts (coarsely ground)
• 1/2 teaspoon Ground Cardamom
• 1 tablespoon Milk
• 2 tablespoons Butter (melted)
• 1 tablespoon Poppy Seeds

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C/350 degrees F 2. In bowl add the nuts, cardamom powder and sugar and mix together well.3. On a lightly floured surface unroll the puff pastry and smooth it out.4. Brush the pastry with the melted butter and sprinkle the chopped nut mixture on top.5. Roll up the pastry from the long side and make a swiss roll shape.Secure the end by pressing the pastry down with your finger, so that the biscuits don't unravel whilst cooking.6. Cut the pastry swiss roll into 1 cm thick rounds and place them on a grease baking tray.7. Using your fingers apply pressure to the outer edges of the discs to flatten them slightly to thin them so that when baking the centre of the biscuit rises to form a dome shape.8. Brush the biscuits with some milk using a brush and sprinkle them with poppy seeds. 9. Bake in a pre heated oven for 18-20 minutes, until the biscuits are a light golden brown in colour. 

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 16

The original recipe did not have nuts in it , that was my personal addition. The Bakar Khani, turned out delicious and they were really flaky and delicious served with a cup of strong Arabic coffee. You can store them in an airtight container for up to a week.

I totally loved the book and would highly recommend it to anyone who likes Eastern desserts.

Book Details :
Mountain Berries & Desert Spice Book  by Sumayya Usmani
ISBN978-0-7112-3852-7
Retails  £20.00

My score for the book: 14/15 this is a high score but the book is definitely worthy of it.

Content -5/5
Illustrations-5/5
Recipe Instructions-4/5

 I was sent a copy of the book to review as always all thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.

Kheer ~ Indian rice pudding with Date compote and Lékué microwave rice and grain cooker giveaway

Rich and creamy rice pudding with fragrant cardamom and a delicious date and nut topping.

60 g short grain rice
250 ml water
400 ml  full cream milk
60 g sugar
1 teaspoon cardamom powder
few strands saffron
4 almonds for garnishing
6 pistachio nuts  for garnishing
6 medjool dates
60 ml boiling water

Method:

1.Wash the rice in cold water and soak it for 30 minutes.
2.After thirty minutes drain the rice and place it in the Lékué  microwave rice and grain cooker together with 250 ml water and cook on high for 20 minutes until rice is mushy and all the water is absorbed (alternatively you can cook the rice on the stove top.) (The rice needs to be overcooked and very soft)
3.While the rice is cooking , take a heavy bottom pan and pour the milk in it and bring it to a gentle simmer, continue simmering the milk to thicken and reduce it  for 20 minutes.
4.  Once the rice is cooked transfer all the cooked rice to the hot milk, add the sugar and simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring the rice pudding every couple of minutes as not to scorch it.
5. Once rice pudding has thickened add the cardamom powder and saffron and mix it in.
6. Take the pan off the heat and transfer the rice pudding to a bowl. Keep stirring it every few minutes until it cools this will stop any skin forming on it.
7.To make the date compote chop up the dates finely and place them in a small bowl. Add boiling water to the dates and leave for 30 minutes.
8.After 30 minutes mash up the dates in the liquid using the back of a spoon until thick and pulpy.
9.Slice the almonds and pistachio nuts in to thin slivers and keep aside.
10. To serve spoon the rice pudding in serving glasses .Add a spoonful of date compote on the top and garnish with the almond and pistachio slivers.

I precooked my rice in the  Lékué  microwave rice and grain cooker, it is very useful to have as it cooks rice without any fuss and the container is stylish so you can cook and serve the rice straight from the microwave to the table.

The  Lékué  microwave rice and grain cooker is a neat little cooker, a white microwaveable pot with a green silicon lid with holes in it to let the steam escape. Since it has a unique lid water doesn't overflow and the microwave stays clean. The rice and grain cooker can be used to cook a wide variety of other grains such as couscous, wheat, barley, oats and buckwheat . It is dishwasher safe and made from plastic and 100% platinum silicone. The Lékué microwave rice cooker retails at  £ 27.50 and is available to purchase from many high street retailers and also on line from Lékué.

I have been very fortunate and have had the opportunity to try out some wonderful  products from the Lékué range of kitchen ware such  the microwave kit pasta the pasta cooker, which  is elegant in design and you can cook and serve the pasta straight from the microwave to the table.

I also tried the cutting board which is neat and very handy  and is very durable since its  made from pp plastic and trp rubber. The cutting board stores easily in any kitchen drawer and is double sided.

Finally one of my favourite items that I have tried is the kit decomat. This is a lovely kit perfect for those cake decorating fans. It comes with laminated design templates and a special chocolate piping pot that allows you to trace the patterns with the chocolate to make beautiful chocolate decorations.

I would like to thank Lékué  for sending me all these wonderful items to review.All the opinions and views expressed in this post are my own.

Lékué have been very kind and they have agreed to send one lucky simplyfood reader a microwave rice and grain cooker as a prize so that they can cook perfect rice every time.

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Submitting to:
Lets cook sweet treats for Easter event by simply.food

Taste of Tropics ~ Dates Event by Chef Mireille guest hosted by citrusspice

Coconut Srikand with strawberries(Gujarati sweetened yoghurt dessert)

Shrikand is a sweetened yoghurt dish that is made from hung yoghurt and flavoured with saffron and  cardamon Occasionally fresh fruit such as mango or pomegranate is added to it before serving.In Gujarati cuisine, shrikand is eaten as either a side-dish served with a puffed bread called poori or served as a dessert. It is commonly served as part of a vegetarian thali in Gujarati restaurants and festivals.
I have given the Gujarati shrikand a twist by making it with coconut yogurt and serving it with fresh strawberries.

Creamy and delicious yoghurt flavoured with sweet coconut and cardamon and served with fresh English strawberries and a sprinkling of pistachio nuts.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon chopped pistachio nuts

3 tablespoons icing sugar(plus 1 teaspoon for strawberries)

1 teaspoon cardamon powder

8 strawberries

2  450 g tubs of  Rachels organic Greek style coconut yoghurt

1  tablespoon fresh coconut

Method:

1.Place a large muslin cloth in a colander and pour the coconut yoghurt into it. 

2. Gather the muslin up and tie a knot in the top.

3. Place the colander in a bowl to catch the water that will drain from the yoghurt. Leave the yoghurt to drain over night in a cool place or the fridge.

4. In the morning transfer the drained yoghurt into a large bowl and discard the drained water.(This is called hung yoghurt)

5. To the hung yoghurt add the icing sugar and cardamon powder and fold gently till all the sugar is incorporated. Place in refrigerator to chill.

6. Hull and chop 4 of the strawberries into small pieces, place the strawberries into a bowl and add 1 teaspoon icing sugar and mix.(you can omit this if strawberries are very sweet)

7.In a dry pan  toast the coconut to brown it slightly. Once coconut has started to brown transfer it to a dish to cool.

To assemble:

8.Slice the remaining 4 strawberries and line 4 serving glasses with them.

9. Spoon the coconut shrikand into the serving glasses.

10. Spoon the chopped strawberries on top and garnish with the toasted coconut and pistachio nuts.

Serve chilled.

NB- the yoghurt I used was already sweetened and  had coconut in it if you use plain unsweetened yoghurt than add extra sugar to taste and two tablespoons of fresh grated coconut  at stage 5 of this recipe.

The Rachel's organic Greek style coconut bio live yoghurt used in this recipe was sent to me by Rachels to sample.The yoghurt was extra thick, rich and creamy, it was blended with organic coconut pieces and the  organic creamed coconut that gave the yoghurt a lovely texture with a subtle coconut flavour. 

Rachels yoghurt range comes in many delicious flavours such as gooseberry, honey, ginger, peach and passion fruit, strawberry and rhubarb,blackcurrant,vanilla, lemon and ginger,raspberry,rhubarb,mango pineapple and passion fruit and also cherry.The yoghurts are all made from locally sourced organic milk and organic ingredients. The yoghurts are available in  the 450 g size and also come in small 150 g pots for individual servings, kids packs as well as multi packs to suit all  requirements. also produce organic milk, butter and rice puddings in their range which is available at most large supermarkets.

I would like to Thank Rachels for sending me lots of coconut and strawberry and rhubarb yoghurt to sample.

All the views in this post are my own.

You may like:

Traditional Srikand

Pisang Goreng- Banana fritters.

Sweet banana deep fried in a crispy  crunchy coating ,drizzled with a flurry of icing sugar.

Ingredients:

3 sweet  firm medium bananas (Do not use over ripe bananas)
30 grams / 1 oz  rice flour
120 grams  /4 oz plain flour
60 grams  / 2 oz  corn flour
Pinch of salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
180ml (approx) water to make batter
Sunflower oil for deep frying.
Icing sugar to sprinkle

Method:

1. In a  bowl add the flours and salt and gradually add the water to form a  thick batter that coats the back of a spoon.(It should be fairly thick so that it coates the banana and doesn't drop off)
2. Peel and slice the bananas into two .Cut each slice into  three pieces and keep aside
3. Heat the oil and when it is hot, dip the  banana pieces into the batter and drop them gently into the hot oil.
4. Deep fry the banana fritters on medium heat  until golden brown , remove from oil and drain on kitchen paper.
5. Sprinkle some icing over the bananas and transfer them to a serving dish.

Serve with Vanilla icecream.

Fritters are very popular in lots of Asian countries. I love all Asian desserts and am trying to cook my way through the different types. If like me you like Asian desserts do check this list of 25 Indonesian Desserts

You may Like:
Coconut  milk  pudding.

Submitting to:
Flavours Of Singapore event by simply.food

Singapore Coconut milk pudding.

Creamy, smooth pudding with a delicious coconut fragrance and taste.

Ingredients:

250 ml coconut milk
1 tablespoon agar agar flakes
2 tablespoons sugar

Method:

1. Add the coconut milk to a sauce pan and heat it up.
2. Add the sugar and agar agar flakes and stir on medium heat untill agar agar and sugar have completely dissolved.
3. Get two ramekin dishes and strain the mixture into them.
4. Leave the pudding  aside to cool to room temperature.
5. Once cooled, place in fridge to set for two hours.

Serve chilled.

You may like:
Coconut Barfi

Submitting to:
Flavours Of Singapore event by simply.food