Bread Charlotte... A French Dessert

Bread Charlotte
Charlotte russe is a dessert invented by the French chef Marie-Antoine Carême (1784–1833), who named it in honor of his former employer George IV's only child, Princess Charlotte and his current, Russian employer Czar Alexander I (russe being the French word for "Russian").  Charlotte russe was also a dessert or on-the-go treat popular during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s.
A charlotte is a type of dessert or trifle that can be served hot or cold. It can also be known as an "ice-box cake". Bread, sponge cake or biscuits/cookies are used to line a mold, which is then filled with a fruit puree or custard. It can also be made using layers of breadcrumbs. Classically, stale bread dipped in butter was used as the lining, but sponge cake or ladyfingers may be used today. The filling may be covered with a thin layer of similarly flavoured gelatin. Due to the simple preparation of charlottes, many different varieties have developed. Most charlottes are served cool, so they are more common in warmer seasons. Fruit charlottes usually combine a fruit purée or preserve with a custard filling or whipped cream. Some flavors include strawberry, raspberry, apple, pear and banana. Other types do not include fruits, but use a custard or Bavarian cream. Chocolate charlotte uses a mousse filling within the layers. A citrus curd is a more contemporary choice.
There is a lot of doubt surrounding the origins of the name charlotte. Despite the fact that charlottes are served across Europe, one etymology suggests it is a corruption of the Old English word charlyt meaning "a dish of custard". In another, meat dishes that were known as charlets were popular in the 15th century. Other historians say that this sweet dish took its name from Queen Charlotte (1744–1818), wife of George III of the United Kingdom.It is possible that the dessert takes its name from Alexander I's sister-in-law, Charlotte of Prussia.
Information source Net

My version of the Charlotte
For the Bread
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup + 1 tsp Sugar free Diet Sugar
1  tsp Dry Yeast
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2  cup lukewarm Milk
1/4 cup Milk
2 tbsp Butter
1 Egg

Method

Take 1/2 cup Milk.  Make it lukewarm,  add 2 tsp sugar free diet sugar and yeast. Mix it and let it rise. Take a mixing bowl, add APF, Whole Wheat Flour, salt and remaining sugar. Mix it. Take a another bowl, add the remaining 1/4 cup milk and 1 tbsp of melted butter and egg. Beat it. Now take the dry ingredients and mix it with the wet ingredients, mix it to form a soft dough. Knead it.. add 1/2 tsp butter and knead it for 5 to 10 minutes. Apply the remaining butter on the dough and let it rise. Punch the dough. Take a baking tin. Grease it with butter. Roll the dough to the side of the tin and 1/4 thickness. Spread the roll dough in the tin. Prick the dough with a fork. With the remaining dough, roll the dough out in a circle the size of a glass bowl rim in which charlotte will be set. Bake the bread at 180 degrees celcius for 20 minutes till done. Cool the bread completely.

For the Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup Strawberry pulp
1 cup Sugarfree Diet sugar
1 tsp Lime juice

Method
Mix all the above ingredients in a pan and cook it on a low flame till the pulp reduces and become a bit thick.

For the Custard Filling
Ingredients
2 Egg Yolks
1/2 cup Cream
1/4 cup Milk
1/4 cup Sugarfree Diet Sugar
1/4 tbsp Gelatine
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence
1 sliced Banana

Method
Take the egg yolks and beat it. In a pan, heat the cream, milk, vanilla essence  and Sugarfree. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. Add the beaten eggs little at a time whisking the cream continuously. Put the pan back on a low flame. Keep on whisking till the custard thickens. Take it off the flame and continue to whisk till it cools downs a bit. Take the gelatine and 2 tbsp hot water. Mix the gelatine till it dissolves. Add the gelatine to the custard and mix it. Add the banana in the custard and mix it.

To Assemble the Charlotte
Take the bread from the tin and cut it into 2 parts. Apply the strawberry sauce on one part of the bread. Cover it with the other  part. Cut it into square or rectangular  pieces. Take the glass bowl. Line the glass bowl with cling flim. Arrange the bread pieces on the sides of the  glass bowl leaving no gap in between. Fill in the centre with the custard filling.  Cover the top with the round bread. Cover the whole bowl with the cling flim. Let it set in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 hours.  Remove the cling flim. Place a plate upside-down on top of the bowl, then invert the bowl so the charlotte can rests on the plate. Gently lift the bowl up, and peel the cling flim from the top of the charlotte.

Baked Strawberry Custard Pudding With Sugarfree...

Baked Strawberry Custard Pudding
With Sugarfree...
For the Strawberry Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup Strawberry pulp
1 cup Sugarfree Diet sugar
1 tsp Lime juice

Method
Mix all the above ingredients in a pan and cook it on a low flame till the pulp reduces and becomes thick.

For the Custard
Ingredients
2 Egg Yolks
1 cup Cream
1/2 cup Milk
1/2 cup Sugarfree Diet Sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

Method
Take the egg yolks and beat it. In a pan, heat the cream, milk, vanilla essence  and Sugarfree. Let it simmer for 2 minutes. Add the beaten eggs little at a time whisking the cream continuously. Put the pan back on a low flame. Keep on whisking till the custard thickens. Take it off the flame and continue to whisk till it cools downs a bit.

For the Pudding
Ingredients
1 cup Milk
2 Eggs beaten
1/2 or more Bread Loaf
Custard
Strawberry Sauce

Ingredients
Cut the bread pieces into strips. Mix the Custard, milk and eggs together. Take a glass square  tray, add the bread strips and fill up half the tray,  pour the milk and the sauce on the top of the bread strips. Lay the remaining bread strips on top, repeat the process and at the end add more bread strips on top. Bake the pudding at 180 degrees celcius for 20 to 25 minutes in a pre heated oven till the top becomes brown in colour.

P.S. I have used Sugarfree Diet Sugar. If required we can increase the sugar quantity according to the taste.  Regular sugar can be added in the same quantity instead of diet Sugar.

Sarson ka Saag Makki Di Roti with Jhatpat Mooli ka Achar

Sarson ka Saag Makki Di Roti with Jhatpat Mooli ka Achar 

Ingredients
1 bunch Green Mustard leaves chopped and cleaned
3 Tomatoes chopped
3 Green chillies
1 small Ginger piece
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Pinch of Asafoetida
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chilli powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp Makka flour
2 tbsp Ghee

Method
Make tomato, ginger and green chillies paste.
Take a cooker and add the chopped leaves and add 1 cup of water and pressure cook it. After 2 whistles take it off the gas and let the pressure release.  Once  the leaves cool down, blend it in a blender into a fine paste. Take a wok, add 1 tbsp ghee, add the cumin seeds and asafoetida, let the cumin seeds crackle. Add the corn flour and roast it till light brown, add the tomato paste, turmeric and salt, saute and cook for 5 minutes. Add the mustard leaves paste and a cup of water.  Stir the gravy, After gravy comes to boil, simmer and  cook it on a low flame till it is in semi liquid form, add the rest of the ghee and serve hot with Makki Di roti and Jhatpat Mooli ki Achar..

P.S. 1/2 bunch of Spinach and 1/4 bunch of Dill  leaves can be added along with Mustard leaves while boiling. Chopped onion and 1/2 tsp chopped garlic also can be added while sauté.

Makki Di Roti

Ingredients
500 grams  Makka Flour
Salt to taste
Warm Water
Butter / Ghee

Method
Take Makka Flour in a vessel. Add salt and mix the flour. Knead dough just before preparing. Knead the flour with warm water. Heat the skillet.  Take a small portion of dough and knead it again with hands until soft. Take a portion of the dough and roll into a ball. Apply water on the palm and flatten the dough with palms and make circles round of 5-6” in diameter.
Place it on hot skillet,  turn when one side is done. When other side is also cooked, with the help of a tong cook directly on the flame,  turning around until both sides are done. Add ghee before serving.

Jhatpat Mooli ka Achar
Ingredients
3 Radish (Mooli)  washed and  cut in to big pieces
1/2 cup Radish leaves stem washed and  chopped
6 Green Chillies
1 small Garlic Pod cleaned
1/4 cup Vinegar
1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Carom seeds
1 tbsp Feaugreek split dal
2 tbsp  Mustard split dal
2 tbsp Red Chilli powder
Sea Salt to taste
2 Pinch Asafoetida
1/4 cup Mustard oil

Method
Take a chopper, add the radish, radish stem, green chillies, garlic, vinegar, turmeric, carom seeds, Feaugreek dal, mustard dal, chilli powder and salt. Coarsely grind the ingredients together. Take a pan, heat oil, add the asafoetida. Add the ground ingredients in the oil, cook it till the water from the ingredients have dried up and only the oil should remain. This pickle can be had instantly after it cools down, store it in a dry glass bottle and refrigerate it. It remains till 3 months.

Stuffed Paneer Batura and Pickled Carrot

Stuffed Paneer Batura
Sita Ram Diwan Chand in Paharganj, is the place once long time back I had this Stuffed Paneer Batura; Chana and Carrot pickle with sliced onions. The shop I believe is since 1948. Suddenly the other day while surfing, one of the food channels on television was telecasting Delhi street food and this shop was shown. I with great interest started to watch as I had already been to the place. Then what... I want to make this.. I had the carrot pickle at home and here is the recipe..

For the Batura Dough
Ingredients
3 cups of All Purpose Flour
1/2 cup Curd
1 tbsp Sugar
Salt to taste
2 tbsp Oil

Method
Take the curd and mix sugar and salt. Add the curd in the flour, oil and add little water at a time as much required to make a soft dough. Cover and keep for 30 minutes

For the Paneer Stuffing
Ingredients
250 grams Paneer crumbs
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Pepper powder
1/4 tsp Chaat Masala
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Green Chilli minced
1 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped
1/2 tbsp Mint leaves chopped

Method
Mix all the above ingredients together.

To make the Batura
Divide the dough into equal big lemon size balls. Take one portion and fill in the suffering. Roll the dough and shallow fry it in oil. Serve it with Chana and Pickle  Carrot..

Pickled Carrot
Ingredients
2 Carrot cut into strips
Few Chillies slit
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds crushed

Method
Mix all the above ingredients and store in a glass bottle for 2 day and have it.

Sprouted Moong and Corn Butter Masala Chaat

Sprouted  Moong and Corn Butter Masala Chaat

While my stay in Bandra and a stroll at Bandstand, I remember the Chana masala chaat vendor.. I use to enjoy the hot, spicy chana masala chaat he use to make... Special chana masala chaat had butter in it. It had green chana which was boiled and then sautéed in butter with onions, tomatoes and chaat masala... Lime juice and coriander leaves was sprinkled before serving and it was served in disposable eco friendly bowl with a thick paper cutting used as spoon...
Ingredients
1 cup Sprouted Moong
1 cup Corn
1 Onion finely chopped
1 Tomato chopped
1 small size Cucumber chopped
2 Green Chillies chopped
1/2 tbsp Raw Mango finely chopped
1/2 tbsp Nutralite / Butter
1/2 tsp roasted Cumin seed powder
Chat Masala to taste
Black Salt to taste
1 tsp Lime juice
Few Coriander leaves chopped

Method
Take a pan, add butter, add onion and chillies. Sauté it for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, sauté it for another 3 minutes. Add the sprouted moong and corns. Sauté it for 5 minutes stirring it continuously. Add the cucumber, raw mango, roasted cumin powder.  Stir it and let it cook for 2 minutes. Add the chat masala and black salt and stir it. Add lime juice and coriander leaves before serving.