Baker's Corner: Turkish Pide with Cheese and Egg

I know it isn't even December yet but who else is excited for the holiday season? 🙋

You know, I went ahead and planned an elaborate agenda for the year end holidays. But recently, all my plans have been turned topsy-turvy. I'm still going to enjoy the holidays, no question about that, but it is just going to be different than how I thought it was going to be. I don't want to talk about it lest I jinx it or something. Fingers crossed that everything works out. More updates on that in the next few weeks 😊

Let's get back to today's recipe shall we? I love Turkish food. Aside from the fact that the cuisine is vibrant and delicious, I think another reason could be the similarity with Indian food. They have pita, pide & bazlama while we have naan, roti and paratha; they have pilav while we have pulao; they have cacık while we have raita; they have ayran while we have lassi; their sütlaç is a reminder of our kheer; they have kebabs and koftas just like we do; they love cumin, coriander, nuts, onions, tomatoes, fresh herbs and dairy products much like we do. And not to mention, a common love of sweets, coffee and tea, despite the differences in method of preparation. Home cooking and hospitality is an integral component Turkish culture as it is to ours. Their cuisine is much more mellow and heavy with meat usage (lamb especially) but still immensely appeals to the modern Indian palate, vegetarian and non-vegetarian alike. Gözleme, pide, börek, abagannuc, dolmas, hummus, muhammara, labneh, cacık, kunefe and baklava are some of my absolute favourite dishes from this Ottoman cuisine. 

I recently had the opportunity to attend a Turkish cooking class and I grabbed it. The well-known Turkish pastry chef based in Gold Coast, Australia, taught us how to make a variety of Turkish favourites. One among them was this Turkish Pide with cheese and egg. The class was wonderful and I was inspired to try everything ASAP.

I made a few minor modifications to the recipe to suit my preferences. Although slightly time consuming, the process was fairly easy and the pide that came out of the oven looked and smelled so good that everyone dived into it right away. I loved the flavours and texture of the bread, egg & cheese in every bite. Those nigella seeds were a genius addition. I also sprinkled a bit of sumac which brightened up the flavour. 

This recipe yields 8 fairly large pide. If you want a variation, you can make the same quantity of dough as mentioned in the recipe but make only half the amount of cheese filling. You can then make 4 pide and use the rest of the dough to make 4 gözleme (flatbreads filled with spinach, feta & onion). That is what I did and we enjoyed both the pide and gözleme equally. 

I hope you like and try this recipe. You can consider making it for your upcoming Christmas or New Year party spread.

Restaurant review: Lagnaa Barefoot Dining at Little India, Singapore

Last month, I met up with two of my dental school friends for dinner. One of them was leaving Singapore so it was a mini farewell of sorts. For the venue, we picked Lagnaa Barefoot Dining restaurant located in Little India.

The reason we picked this venue was because they offered the concept of barefoot dining and have the Michelin Bib Gourmand nod. 

At Lagnaa, you are invited to slip off your footwear, get comfy on the floor and partake in mouth-watering Indian fare. The barefoot dining concept is not new to those of us who grew up in an Indian household, especially a South Indian household where sitting on the floor cross legged and eating from a plantain leaf used to be a common if not everyday occurrence. But after moving away from the homeland, you tend to leave parts of your cultural habits behind. And so, we welcomed the idea of sitting barefoot on the floor and enjoying a meal together.

Due to the Covid-19 restrictions, I hadn't been to Little India in an exceptionally long time. In fact, I was finding it hard to remember the last time I had been there. I happened to reach early so spent some time walking around and taking in all the familiar sights, sounds and smells. 

This a one-of-a-kind bistro is located at 6 Upper Dickson Road, an offshoot of Serangoon road. Look out for the chef statue out front and you will not miss it.

Lagnaa is housed in a white shop house building which has a rustic dated look to it. There is invited graffiti on the white arch at the entrance done by satisfied customers. You will notice several hanging alcohol bottles flanking the entrance. 

Since I was one of the first patrons to arrive, the friendly manager Santhi joined me at an outdoor table for some light-hearted banter. I also spoke to the charming chef Kaesavan (K7), the founder and mastermind of Lagnaa who champions Indian cuisine and dares to be different. Lagnaa means "your essence" in Tamil. Chef Kaesavan is no stranger to the F&B industry. He spent years perfecting his recipes and techniques to create a dining experience around the six ayurvedic flavours of Indian cuisine: Sweet, spicy, bitter, salty, sour, astringent and chilli. He was a bit disappointed to learn that we would be ordering only vegetarian food but we nonetheless had an illuminating chat about food 😊 I learnt more about the restaurant, the cuisine and the philosophy behind it. 

Once my friends arrived, we did the Safe Entry Check-In and showed our completed vaccination status. After that the three of us made our way upstairs. 

The ground floor is open (non-AC) and has a long and narrow configuration, a bright yellow accent wall and wooden tables and chairs providing a regular dining experience. 

The top floor is where the barefoot dining experience is and this space is fully air-conditioned. You are to leave your footwear at the bottom of the stairs. My advice is that if you have bad knees or are unable to sit on the floor for a prolonged duration then it is better you avoid this option. Also, remember to wear pants or a long dress or skirt for a more comfortable experience 😊

This level typically looks like the inside of a shophouse. With wooden floor and accents, white walls, mood lighting, warm tones, low tables and patterned cushions, the space has a more homely and inviting look. 

The menu has a good selection of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes, both North-Indian and South-Indian. Know that you can choose your spice level —​ from 1 (for those who prefer it mild) to a​ 10 (for the hardcore chilli fans). Even if you are a self-confessed spice lover, you can’t just jump straight to the highest level. To get there, you have to start from level 1 and work your way up. Only those who pass level 6 get to proceed to the finale. Those who complete level 7 get food on the house. Those who complete level 3 and above will get a clothes peg with your name on it, pinned on the restaurant’s “Wall Of Fame”.  

And the chef runs a Chilli Challenge for those who dare to put their money where their mouth is. Finish a full portion of Level 10 Curry without the assistance of any yoghurt or milk based product and you could go home $10,000 richer! 

Are you tempted to try?? Not to deter you but I think it is my duty to mention that no one has done it before 😆

None of us were up for any kind of chilli challenge (living overseas can gradually diminish one's tolerance to spice) so we ordered a few items to share with moderate spice levels. My husband would be a much better sport at attempting a chilli challenge so I made a mental note to bring him here. Keep in mind that they don't serve water at the table. You would need to go and get it yourself. Not a big deal for me but I obviously can't speak for everybody. 

Deepavali Special: Kalakand

Okay folks. I know this is super last minute. I really wanted to publish this blog post last weekend but I just wasn't able to. Well, better late than never is what I'm going to say in manner of consolation.

Kalakand is also called Indian Milk Cake. This is a rich melt-in-the mouth, sweet and creamy Indian dessert with nutty and floral hints and a pleasant grainy texture. 

This delectable sweet dish can be traced to Uttar Pradesh in India but has gained popularity in other states as well. The traditional way of making Kalakand is elaborate and time-consuming. The milk is curdled to get Indian cottage cheese (paneer) and mixed with sugar. This mixture is then cooked on medium heat till all the moisture evaporates and it attains a moist and grainy-crumbly consistency. In today's time, culinary short cuts are welcomed with open arms. The millennial generation has come up with an ingenious way to make this sweet dish in 30 minutes flat while still retaining the authentic taste and texture. 

I made Kalakand yesterday and it came out so well. My kids absolutely loved it. And I was surprised by how easy it was to make. It was the day before the eve of Deepavali and I had henna applied on one palm which hadn't dried completely so I literally made this Kalakand with one hand! 

I will definitely be making this addictive sweet dish more often so if not for anyone else, I need to document this recipe for myself.

I hope I have inspired you to make this this traditional sweet if you haven't attempted it yet. It just has 3 main ingredients and takes only 30 minutes of your time. Trust me you will love it.

Happy Deepavali. Wishing You Love & Light 💖💥