PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD STUFFED BAKED SNACK

I am very pleased of what I got from what I was planning for the last few days, wanting to be shared today. Earlier, I had shared a recipe of CINNAMON FLAVOURED PEANUT BANANA SPREAD  in the BLOG. Thereafter, planning the next one PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD / FILLING was not so difficult. In fact, I have stopped buying PEANUT BUTTER, I so love! I prefer making it at home these days. Because, today is a Day, somewhere in this world; a country which has opened the door to our son to pursue his further studies; I feel I must share a world friendly recipe today; VEGETARIAN, so that more people can have it. I had to keep on mind this island too; what I share should have some connection with this island; and India? It's tradition is to have some similar kind of STUFFED & FRIED PUFF. Its few months now, the curry puff moulds have arrived; thanks to FANMART & WISH APP. 

There after shaping the puffs, stuffing with the HEALTHY PEANUT FILLING and preparing this PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD STUFFED BAKED SNACK was a cake walk. There are two great things about BAKING instead of FRYING. One is, we are relieved of consuming too much of oil. Secondly, we are relieved of the back pain caused from standing and continuously frying,  adjusting the heat.

The BAKED VEGETARIAN SNACK turned extremely yummy without carrying the guilt of using too much of oil whilst frying. We had it dipping into chilled yogurt with dry fruits! What I must mention is they can be stored for few days and still remain crisp from outside, a perfect snack for your evening time pleasure. The only disappointment I had after these PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD STUFFED BAKED SNACK is I did not get that golden brown colour post the bake as I would have got if deep fried. Is it because I use the CONVECTION MODE of a MICROWAVE to bake and not an oven?

Who helps you with answers these days? If you go to Dr. Devi Sethi and say, "Sir, Rujuta Diwekar has asked to have deep fried snacks instead of air frying"; he would give a burning look and show me the door. If I go to Rujuta Diwekar and say, "Madam; the doctors say; oil is the main villain". She would say, "doctors hardly know about nutrition & diet". They both discard noodles; this island eats it all day and work till 85-86 years of age; in India, people retire at 60 with diabetes, cholesterol, kidney stones, etc. For us, average public, it is confusing. I do not accept everything what Rujuta says, she has to keep in hand the vegetarian, non-Bengali speaking Indians; the fame she gets from women folks coming from there; a similar strategy like the famed Babas. But I strongly believe few of their points; like eating local & whats in season, do yoga extensively. My problem is, being a Bengali, I cannot totally follow their diet recommendations. If I serve them this BAKED DELIGHT; PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD STUFFED BAKED SNACK; neither she or the Babadevs would accept fearing to lose followers; if I deep fry the same and name it "mungphali ki chutney bhara hua bhajiya", they would pat my back. I may not like all these; so I go my way and do what, when I feel is right!

You can see, we enjoyed a snack at a late dinner the day before along with some chicken karage done also in oven. 

Do you think any doctor, any health expert would recommend it so late at night? But, we cannot be so particular with life. You should have them around 6 pm on a weekend or on such occasion as today's.

INGREDIENTS :

The PEPPERY PEANUT SPREAD / FILLING; I prepared the other day with honey, crushed black pepper, roasted peanuts. Click the title head for the recipe.

REFINED FLOUR : 2 COFFEE MUG

OIL : 2 TBSP + AS MUCH AS IS REQUIRED TO GREASE

SALT : 1/2 TSP

THE REQUIRED MOULDS & THE OVEN. YOU CAN DEEP FRY THEM TOO, WAY MORE OIL IS REQUIRED

PROCEDURE :

Take the flour in a big, wide mouthed bowl; add salt & 2 tbsp oil in it.

Rub the entire thing well for 2-3 minutes. Add water little by little; keep kneading for 10-12 minutes to get a smooth dough.

Keep covered for 15-20 minutes. Remove cover, knead again for 3-4 minutes. Tear off portions we may require for a standard prata and roll out dusting with the refined flour. They need not be perfect round.

Some round shapes I did with the moulds themselves, some with the cap of a container.

Then, I placed the roundels on the mould, added the filling with a spoon. I pressed to join both ends and took off the excess. 

Whilst I was rolling the dough, Cristine did the shaping part with the moulds.

I bake my stuffs in the convection mode of a microwave oven. I had placed the low height, wired stool inside the oven. I preheated the oven @ 180*C for 10 minutes.

I had greased the bake proof metal plate with little oil.

Cristine had nicely arranged them on the plate and brushed oil on both sides.

We had placed the plate atop the wired stool; closed the oven door and baked @ 180*C for 20 minutes.

Once done, they were very crisp but I wanted them little brownish, evenly.

I placed the high stool inside the oven and the plate on top of it.

I cooked them in grill mode for 3 minutes one side & 2 minutes the other; turning over.

They tasted very well, though I did not get the desired colour. I still have one to have with my tea now; yes, still crisp after two days!