My Easy Homemade Soda Bread.

My Easy Homemade Soda Bread.

There is nothing I love more than freshly baked, homemade bread. But making your own bread can be time consuming. That’s why most days I make soda bread. It’s easy to make, quick and darn right yummy.

For special occasions, I add dried fruit and or nuts. Mixed herbs and/ or, sundried tomatoes and olives.

If you want the bread to be dairy free, you can substitute the milk with soy or almond milk.

 Easy Homemade Soda Bread

Makes 1 loaf

350g plain flour      1 teaspoon salt      1 teaspoon baking

Soda (bicarbonate of soda)      300 ml milk     

1       tablespoon lemon juice or apple cider vinegar

1.     Preheat your oven to 220C / 200C fan / gas mark 7 / 425F. Dust a baking tray with a little plain flour.

2.     Put the measured milk into a bowl or cup and then add the lemon juice or vinegar and stir into the milk to make it curdle.

3.     In a mixing bowl, mix all the dry ingredients together thoroughly. Add the soured milk, and stir to combine.

4.     Keep stirring until the ingredients come together as a dough, then knead together to form a ball.

5.     Place the ball of dough on the baking tray and cut a deep cross in the centre. This helps the centre of the bread to cook properly.

6.     Cook for around 30 minutes until golden brown. Tapping the bottom, you should hear a hollow sound, this means the bread is cooked.

MOREISH MONSOON MEALS

So many people ask me, “What is the monsoon like in Goa?” Well believe it or not it’s actually summer here. The temperatures remain the same and still some nice sunny days.  However, maybe it’s my frame of mind that when the rain is beating on the windows, and the wind is gusting through the palm trees, I get an urge to eat comfort food. Good for the soul, but not for the waistline.

So, without further ado, let’s kick off my Monsoon Moreish Meals with a pungent Beef Pepper Pot Stew.

BEEF PEPPER POT STEW – SERVES 4

Get what you need

1 ½ Tbsp. plain flour        salt & pepper      450g Stewing beef- cut into chunks      2 Tbsp. olive oil     1 large onion chopped     4 crushed garlic cloves      1 fresh green chili deseed and chopped      3 sticks of celery sliced    4 cloves    2-3 Tsp. hot pepper sauce (Or to taste. I tend to use 2 and then place the bottle on the table if people want it more spicy J ) 1Tsp. mixed spice     600ml beef stock     225g pumpkin cut into chunks    1 large carrot cut in chunks    1 large Red or green pepper chopped     4 tomatoes roughly chopped

NOW COOK!

·         Put the flour, salt and pepper into a bowl or ideally a freezer bag J and toss the beef in the flour.

·         Heat the oil in a heavy based pan or frying pan and fry on a medium heat the onion, garlic, and chili, celery, also adding the cloves and mixed spice.  Stir frequently until soft. Turn the heat up to high and add the beef, browning on all sides and sealed. Add any remaining flour, and stir constantly for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat.

·         Add the hot pepper sauce, and steadily add the beef stock, then return to the heat and bring to the boil, keep stirring, don’t let that sauce stick!

·         Add the pumpkin, carrot and pepper. Cover and simmer for a further 15 minutes. Add the tomatoes and cook until the beef is tender.

·         Serve with flat rice noodles

ALTERNATIVE SLOW COOKER METHOD J

Do steps 1-3 THEN PUT THE BEEF MIXTURE INTO SLOW COOKER, WITH THE PUMPKIN, CARROT, PEPPERS AND TOMATOES. GIVE A LITTLE MIX AROUND AND THEN COVER AND COOK ON LOW FOR 4-5 HOURS. BOY IS THE MEAT NICE AND TENDER!

Jo’s Aubergine Tofu tomato and basil Toasties

You will need 2 slices of aubergine already fried for each bread roll/burger bun or poee (Goan Bread)

A slice of lightly fried tofu per bun.

A slice of tomato, basil leaf salt and black pepper per bun.

Cut bun in half and on the bottom layer as follows:

Slice of aubergine, slice of tofu, slice of tomato, basil leaf, salt and pepper. Top with another slice of aubergine. 

Put into a toasty machine until crisp and brown.

Serve with tortilla chips and salsa.

If you want to be really naughty! Then on top of the last slice of aubergine grate some cheese.

I also swap the tofu for paneer cheese.

Lunchtime review Vihar pure Veg Udupi Restaurant Panjim Goa

Another great little find in Panjim, Vihar Pure Veg, near the head post office in Panjim.

A small, clean, tidy restaurant offering a great menu of Indian vegetarian delights. The staff were gracious and proficient.

From where I sat I could see into a well-equipped, hygienic, catering kitchen, observing a competent kitchen staff. What really thrilled me, was to see two lady chefs.

When the food arrived it was piping hot and unmistakably freshly made to order.  As for the taste, could not to be faulted.

There is also an a/c section upstairs.

Veg koplhapuri Rupees 140/£1.58/€1.76/₽126.82/$2.01/₴52.73

Very tasty, full of fresh veg and paneer, perhaps not as spicy as I like it.

Palak Kofta Rupees 150/£1.69/€1.89/₽135.87/$2.15/₴56.50

Loved, loved, loved this dish. Creamy sauce. The kofta was a good size, tasty and perfectly made. I wanted more kofta!!!

Steamed Rice Rupees 70/£0.78/€0.88/₽63.41/$1.06/₴26.36 More than enough for two, nice and fluffy.

THE SCORES:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS 5/5

AMBIENCE 3/5

STAFF    5/5

SERVICE 5/5

HYGIENE 5/5

FOOD 5/5 5/5 5/5 

OVERALL SCORE 4.7/5 Red Hot chillies 

Would I go again? Oh yes, will certainly have Vihar on a regular to eat venue when in Panjim.

Near Head Post Office, Patto Panaji Road, Mg Road, Panaji, Goa 403001