Just Baking

When we think about comfort foods, we tend to give in a bit more towards chocolate or desserts, but for some of us, savoury dishes go more towards comforting our palates than sweet ones. I am one of those with a huge sweet tooth, and almost always give in to my dessert temptations, but lately, I’m trying to extend my skills by experimenting a lot more with new spices and herbs, and combining classic ingredients in a contemporary style to create a savoury tantalizing dish.

This weekend, I decided to realize one of my whims - I’m a huge fan of muffins, and so I thought why not make a Savoury Muffin?  When Indians think of comfort food, 9 people out of 10 zero in on “Paneer,” or Cottage-cheese (Ricotta Cheese). So I, too, chose paneer as my main ingredient, then started adding other stuff, some inspired by my sense of taste and smell, some purely by instinct, and some simply because they are favorites!

So what things finally made it into my muffins?? Well, it was mainly sun-dried tomatoes, cottage-cheese, garlic, spring onions, herbs and some more Italian cheese. Does that sound inviting enough? Just wait until you actually bite into one of these; there’s no going back!! Perfect for your mornings, or as appetizers or mid-day snacks, these savoury muffins are sure to make a mark of their own.

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cup whole milk
1 cup cottage cheese - crumbled or shredded (same as paneer or ricotta cheese)
1/2 cup mozzarella and parmesan - shredded (optional)
1 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (oiled ones, finely chopped)
1/2 cup spring onions - chopped (white and greens separate)
8-10 cloves of garlic - minced
2 tbsp olive oil
2 eggs - beaten
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
salt and black pepper - to taste
4 tbsp basil flakes (adjust amount to suit your taste)
2 tbsp crushed red pepper flakes

Method
Sift the flour, baking powder and baking soda through a sieve. Add the salt, black pepper, herbs, and red pepper flakes. In a pan, add the olive oil, then saute the white prt of the onions and garlic till it starts giving out an aroma. Allow to cool a bit.

In another bowl, beat the eggs to make them fluffy, then add to the sauteed onions/garlic mixture. Combine this with the flour mixture. Slowly add the cottage cheese, mozarella and parmesan, then keep mixing/folding gently as you add milk little by little. Do not overbeat, just mix to combine the ingredients.

Grease 12-muffin pans with non-stick spray. Preheat oven to 350 °F, then fill the mixture in the muffin pans up to the brim. Bake for 20-25 mins, and not more. Insert a toothpick in the center to make sure they are cooked. If the muffin tops look white, tun to broil setting and bake for 15 seconds, not more, or the muffins will get browned (the mistake I did!!)

Once done, allow them to cool on the wire rack. Gently remove from the pan and serve immediately with ketchup or a dipping sauce. Just add a dollop of fresh butter and you can enjoy these cute savoury muffins with your coffee or tea too!!

This recipe is originally published here.