Creamy cannellini bean hummus

Both hubby and I love trying out new cuisines and we have our favourites for a period of time ... and then once we are bored we try out another cuisine.Our current favourite is middle eastern...so we are trying all kinds of dips with pita bread and pair it with salad and chicken wings which makes a complete meal.For the last month our friday dinners have been like this and we are just loving it !!

Hummus is one of the most popular dishes of middle eastern cuisine...the best thing is that it can be prepared in a jiffy and goes well with pitas,oatcakes,crackers,chips..!!

I used to make hummus using garbanzo /chickpeas but somehow could'nt get the same taste I enjoy at restaurants ...so when I tried it with cannellini beans to finish off a can lying in my store cupboard,I was really pleased with the result.

This is perfect for picnic,parties and even your mid-evening snacking !!!(and its low cal too)

Here's the recipe 

Ingredients

1 can cannellini beans
2 garlic cloves chopped
3 tbsp tahini paste
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon(juice from 1 lemon)
Red chilli powder to sprinkle
Salt to taste
Coriander for garnish (optional)

Method

Put the beans into a mixer.Add lemon juice,garlic,tahini paste and salt..slowly pour in the olive oil and process until smooth and thick.Sprinkle red chilli powder and garnish with coriander.Refrigerate it and serve with pitas.

You can even use it as a sandwich spread ..I'll be sharing that sandwich recipe very soon ...so stay tuned :)

Soft and scrumptious coconut buns!!

Well you know how much I love coconut... even my first recipe on the blog was of coconut laddu. I like it in all forms-fresh coconut,dry coconut,coconut water,coconut sweets,coconut in curries almost everything!!

But I had no idea that adding coconut to buns would give such an amazing flavour until I tried these.Fresh baked breads have their own charm...the heavenly smell..the soft dough..all this just lifts up your spirits !!

We had these yummy buns for breakfast and they just got finished in minutes...soft,fluffy with a little sweetness and a touch of coconut.This is a perfect treat to welcome winters :)

This also goes to my entry for Bloggers Buzz Photography Club Assignment 1.

Ingredients

4 cup white bread flour
1 egg
2/3 cup coconut milk
2/3 cup warm water
1/3 cup sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp milk powder
2 tbsp dessicated coconut
3 tsp yeast
1 tsp salt

Method

• Add yeast in a bowl of warm water and let it rest for 5-8 minutes till it activates.In a large bowl add milk powder,sugar,dessicated coconut,flour,beaten egg,salt,melted butter,coconut milk and yeast mixture.
• Mix well to form a dough and knead for 7-8 minutes till it forms an elastic ball.
• Cover it with cling film and rest it for about two hours until the dough has doubled in size.
• Gently press down knead a few minutes and rest for 10 minutes.Divide into small portions and shape into buns.
• Arrange in a baking pan and brush it with egg wash.Bake it in a preheated oven at 180 for about 20-25 minutes.

I promise your home will smell like heaven !!