Tahini Sauce

I have lived in the Middle East for 5 years and fell in love with the food there, though a little bland for our Indian taste buds......something worth giving a try...............be it Baba ganoush, hummus, sheesh tawook, falafel, kuboos,pita bread, baklava, umm ali and my all time favorite shawarma.

This is just a small attempt to try to relive the memories I have had when I was in Bahrain.

Ingredients 

• 2 cups Sesame seeds
• 1/4 cup or little more Vegetable oil

Method

1. Spread sesame seeds on a flat baking sheet.
2. Preheat oven to 200 degree C and pop into the oven and bake for about five minutes, do not let the sesame seeds brown.Remove and let it cool.
3. Transfer the seeds into a blender or food processor, add oil and blend to a smooth paste, add more oil if required.
4. Transfer the tahini into an air tight container and store in refrigerator.
5. Use tahini to make hummus and baba ganoush.

Cashew Macaroons for Anna

Cashew macaroons from Mangalore bakeries have always been my brothers favorite for a very long time....When I was a kid I could never pronounce 'macaroon'......I used to call them 'McEnroe'(yup the famous angry tennis player).

I will be seeing my brother after a year today.....and these are for him.....Welcome Anna......I hope you enjoy these McEnroe's.

Ingredients

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• 60 grams Egg white (2 eggs), room temperature 
• 130 grams fine Powdered sugar or super fine Caster sugar 
• 1 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 60 grams Cashew-nuts , chopped

Method

1. Take a super clean dry bowl (I mean it...super clean,not even a drop of  water), add in the egg white...just the white(I mean it...not a drop of yolk). Keep an electric beater ready,the blades/whips have to be super clean and dry (you know I mean it) .
2. Preheat oven at 100 degree C, line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
3. Beat the egg whites on high speed for 2 minutes, gradually add in the super fine sugar 1 tbsp at a time till all the sugar  are incorporated .Beat for 10 more minutes or till smooth and glossy and stiff peaks are formed.Add vanilla essence and beat.
4. Slowly add the chopped cashewnuts(reserve little to sprinkle on top) and fold slowly and carefully with a spatula.
5. Using a spoon or in my case a cookie scoop ,drop the batter on the prepared baking sheet.Sprinkle cashew on top and bake.Believe me it took 1hr and 30 minutes to bake these macaroons,maybe because they were big,just keep and eye on them.You will see liquid oozing out while baking,but thats fine,it will crystallize and few may ever crack....but they will still taste great.
6. Remove from oven and let it cool completely ,store in air tight container.

Teatime Cake Rusk

Only thing missing in this picture is a hot cup of tea to dip the rusks in, perfect tea time snack.

Recipe Source :Ambus

Ingredients

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• 1 cup All purpose flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• pinch Salt
• 3 Eggs
• 1/2 cup Castor Sugar
• 113 grams unsalted softened Butter (1/2 cup)
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract

Method

1. Grease and line a 9 inch square baking pan with butter paper and set aside. Preheat oven at 180 degree C.
2. In a bowl beat sugar and butter till light and fluffy, add in the eggs one at a time beating after each addition.Scrape the down sides. Add vanilla essence and beat till well combined.
3. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and beat on slow speed till you have a smooth batter.
4. Pour the batter into the prepared greased pan ,smooth out the surface and bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or till the cake is completely baked and when toothpick inserted it comes out clean.
5. Let the cake cool down for 15 minutes. Remove from the pan and cut into long pieces or desired shape.
6. Place the cut cake pieces on a cooling rack and bake again at 180 degrees C in a preheated oven in the center rack till you get the desired brown color.Keep checking on the rusk every 10 minutes and turn around so that its baked evenly on all four sides.
7. Remove from oven and let it cool down completely before transferring into an air tight container.