Baker’s Dozen

BAKER’S DOZEN

Why Number “13” is called “Baker’s Dozen”

Origin of the Term

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Have you heard of the term “Baker’s Dozen”…?

The first time I heard the expression “Baker’s Dozen” was while playing Tambola – when the Number “13” was referred to as “Baker’s Dozen”.

It may be apocryphal – but the origin of the term goes way back to ancient times.

In ancient times – bakers were subject to severe penalties for short-weighting their customers.

In ancient Egypt – bakers were sometimes nailed by the ear to the doors of their shops if they were caught selling light loaves.

In 1266 – English Parliament passed a law subjecting Bakers to strict regulations regarding bread weight.

The bakers had to strictly comply with this law on ensuring proper bread weight.

Bakers who were found to be “cheating” their customers by selling underweight bread were subject to strict punishment, including fines or flogging.

At that time – it was difficult to make bread loaves of a precise uniform weight.

So – the bakers customarily added a 13^th loaf to each box of a dozen (12) loaves they sent to the shopkeepers who sold the bread to customers.

Since the price of bread was linked to the price of wheat – the law regulated the weight of bread – not the number of loaves in the box.

This thirteenth loaf would ensure that the box of dozen loaves was not below the prescribed weight.

Thus – customarily – in a “Dozen” Box of bread sent by the bakers – there would be 13 loaves (Baker’s Dozen).

Probably – this is the origin of the expression “Baker’s Dozen” for the number Thirteen (13).

Dear Reader: Do you know of any other reasons for the term “Baker’s Dozen”...?

Baking Made Simple – How to Bake a Cake

BAKING MADE SIMPLE

HOW TO BAKE A CAKE
Mathematical Formula Recipe

By 

VIKRAM KARVE 

Mathematical Formula Cake Recipe

 

“ ¾ : 1 : 1 ½ ” 

Hey – what’s that...?

No – it is not what you think – it’s not a secret code or some mathematical formula.

This mathematical ratio exemplifies the recipe for a simple cake – probably the first thing I learnt to cook.

 

It’s simple. 

Take ¾ [three-fourth] Cup of fresh Butter.

Cream the butter till fluffy with your hand.

[Instead of butter you can use Margarine or Dalda (Hydrogenated Oil) if you prefer]

Add 1 (one) cup of Sugar to the butter. 

Whisk vigorously till the sugar and butter blend smoothly.

Whip 3 Eggs till they fluff up into peaks.

Fold the three well beaten eggs into the butter-sugar batter mixture carefully.

Beat the mixture with your hand till the batter emulsifies nicely.

 

Sieve 1 ½ [one and a half] cups of Maida (flour) with a teaspoon of baking powder and keep ready in a plate.

 

In a glass – pour a generous “tot” of full-bodied Dark Rum (like Old Monk Rum)

The darker and mellower the Rum – the better it is – as it will have more caramel content – which will impart an inimitable heavenly bitter-sweet flavour – blended with the richly aromatic enveloping tang of molasses.

 

Now start adding – by the tablespoonful – the sieved Maida (flour) to the butter-sugar-egg emulsified batter.

Gently fold in and smooth the flour into the batter with your fingers.

At the same time – alternately – from time to time add a few “drops” by the teaspoonful of the full-bodied Dark Rum to the batter.

You must taste the batter by licking your fingers from time to time – rolling on your tongue – sampling and tasting at every step – till you get the right creamy consistency and taste.

I love to mix in a wee bit of powdered spices like cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg or cloves.

For Fruit Cake – get some raisins, orange rind, dried fruit pieces and petha – and soak these in a glass of Rum for a few hours – till the fruit soak in the Rum – and then – gently blend in the Rum Soaked Fruit to the batter. 

This will prevent the Fruit from sinking – and will also release aromatic flavorful Rum vapour into the cake while it bakes – and make the cake rise up well.

You must ensure a proper dropping consistency of the batter by appropriately balancing the liquid Rum and solid Maida (flour).

Innovate as per your mood and taste – and add a few drops of vanilla essence to remove what remains of that “eggy” taste.

Cream the batter with your hands till super smooth.

 

Now bake your cake in an oven at moderate temperature (180 Celsius) for around 30 to 40 minutes till done.

(Test with a clean dry knitting needle or small knife – poke the needle or knife into the cake and if the cake is done the needle or knife will come out dry).

The Rum will guarantee that the cake does not flop – and – the hot spicy alcohol vapour escaping from the cake will perambulate within the oven – and this will impart a tantalizing aroma and enticing fragrance to the cake.

 

This cake tastes best when eaten hot – as the blissful fresh spicy hot sensuous vapours overwhelm your olfactory and gustatory senses with their zesty fragrance and rich full-bodied flavour.

 

This is the first recipe I learnt from my mother – when I was a small boy.

The “Rum” innovation came a bit later – after I joined the Navy. 

I prefer to use stainless steel katories (vaties) – but you can use standard size cups if you want. 

Don’t be too finicky about precise proportions.

Sample the batter – taste at every step – and maintain dropping consistency of the mixture.

And – of course:

Do Your Best – and – Trust the Rum to do the rest...!!!

If you prefer – try using Brandy instead of Rum – for a different flavour.

 

I bake the cake in half an hour and it tastes heavenly.

Baking a cake is so simple – isn’t it..?  

To recap.

For a 3 Egg Cake:

Just remember the simple formula – “ ¾ : 1 : 1 ½ ”  

¾ cup Butter 

1 cup Sugar 

1 ½ cup Maida (Flour)

For larger cakes – just use multiples of this breathtakingly simple formula. 

Happy Baking.

Do remember to tell us how your cake turned out and how yummy it tasted.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

     

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

I developed this recipe for baking a cake 50 years ago in the 1960s and I have posted this recipe online in my blogs many times - this recipe also features in my foodie book APPETITE FOR A STROLL - here are some recent urls where I have posted this recipe : http://creative.sulekha.com/baking-mathematics-1-1_455611_blog  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/05/how-to-bake-cake-mathematical-formula.html  and  http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2015/12/how-to-bake-cake-recipe-for.html  andhttp://creative.sulekha.com/baking-a-cake-made-simple_488539_blog and http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2016/04/cooking-for-nerds-how-to-bake-cake.html etc

Dabba Gosht : Mutton Delicacy

One of the quintessential Mumbai Food Delicacies that I miss in Pune is DABBA GOSHT

Yesterday, I did have Dabba Gosht at probably the only Pune restaurant that serves this dish and I was most disappointed. 

So – I have decided to cook and eat DABBA GOSHT in my mind’s eye – in my imagination. 

Let me dig deep into my Foodie Writing Archives – and pull out for this Dabba Gosht recipe I had posted on my blogs long back, more than 12 years ago.

This recipe for Dabba Gosht also features in my Foodie Book APPETITE FOR A STROLL

DABBA GOSHT – “MELT IN THE MOUTH” BAKED MUTTON CURRY

Recipe for the Inimitable Baked Mutton Curry Delicacy

By 

VIKRAM KARVE 

From my Foodie Archives: One of my favourite dishes... 

I love Dabba Gosht.

If you have tasted Dabba Gosht – you will know that it is unmatched, unparalleled, unique, inimitable – the ultimate amongst mutton dishes in Indian Cuisine.

It’s a rare, exquisite, delicious, succulent, melt-in-the-mouth boneless mutton delicacy dish – and only very few select eateries feature it on their menu.

My Dear Reader – Fellow Foodie – let me tell you how I make it – and you will know how it tastes.

MY RECIPE FOR “DABBA GOSHT”

STEP 1 : Cook the Mutton

 

I take some good quality fresh boneless mutton, say half a kilo – cut into small pieces – wash it clean – rub it thoroughly with “ginger - garlic - green chilli - green papaya paste” – and keep aside to marinate for a while.

I believe that: “cooking is a qualitative art – not a quantitative science”

So – I will leave the choice of exact proportions to you as per your experience and taste – I like to use a wee bit of green papaya paste as tenderizer for meat – but if you do not want to use raw papaya – and if your meat is very tender – then it just does not matter.

 

In a pan – with a tight fitting lid – I take two cups of water

To the water – I add whole spices (cloves, cardamom – both badi and choti elaichi, cinnamon, peppercorns, jeera, tejpatta) and salt to taste.

Then I add the marinated boneless mutton pieces – fit the lid tightly – put on a slow fire – till the mutton is cooked.

Please note – I have not added any oil so far  – I have added only water, then the spices and then the marinated mutton).

 

I love to sample and taste from time to time and assure myself everything is fine – tasting always helps me “plus-minus” the ingredients as required. 

If required – you can add some water – if you notice the mutton sticking to the pan.

 

Once the mutton is nicely cooked and succulent – I separate the cooked boneless mutton pieces and keep them aside. 

I do not throw away the spicy mutton stock – but – I strain the stock to remove any solid spice pieces.

We will be use the stock to prepare the cashew-nut gravy. 

STEP 2 : Make the Gravy

 

Now – I prepare a dahi-based thick kaju gravy – starting off with a generous amount of pure ghee to nicely sauté the spices, herbs, masalas, liquidized onions, tomato-puree.

Then – I add the spicy mutton stock – and  I prepare the rich cashew-nut gravy letting my imagination run riot – whisked curds, whipped cream, roasted onion paste, rich cashew-nut paste (fortified with almond-dry fruit pastes), grated cheese, even grated boiled eggs.

Sometimes – if I do not have all the ingredients to make the gravy thick enough – I may boil very small pieces of macaroni or spaghetti in the spicy mutton stock to smoothen and thicken the gravy.

 

I always keep tasting the gravy – so you must do too – do not forget to taste the gravy.

The gravy should be so luxuriant – and so lip-smacking yummy – that you should want to chew your fingers.

Once the gravy is ready – I stir in the fragrant spiced cooked boneless mutton pieces – and – I thicken the gravy to baking consistency. 

Once the Mutton Gravy is ready we will take it off the fire and complete the final step in the preparation of Dabba Gosht. 

STEP 3 : Bake the Dish

 

I thoroughly beat Four Eggs

Then – I delicately blend in half of the the beaten egg mixture into the boneless mutton gravy – till the beaten fluffy eggs and gravy have merged well into a smooth mélange. 

Now – I grease a baking tin with a liberal quantity of pure ghee

Then – I pour the mélange into the greased baking tin. 

Then – I pour a generous dollop of ghee on top of the yummy thick ready to bake mixture .

Now – I put the baking tin in the pre-heated oven – and bake the dish on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes till almost done.

When the dish is almost done – I open the oven – pull out the dish – and – on top of the baked mélange – I pour the remaining whisked egg mixture – and – I add a dollop of pure ghee 

Then – I put the dish back into the oven – close the oven – and – I complete the baking process till the dish is glazed and crusty. 

When ready – I garnish with fresh green coriander, thin ginger slices and juicy red tomato slices 

The Dabba Gosht is ready to be devoured. 

HOW TO EAT DABBA GOSHT

Dabba Gosht tastes superb with freshly baked pav or soft rotis served hot.

 

Dear Reader – you must have your own culinary discovery – but let me tell you that I find Dabba Gosht a superb eating experience – generous boneless mutton pieces, soft, juicy, succulent, releasing scrumptious flavor as they melt in my mouth and the yummy, delectable luxuriously thick white gravy made rich, wholesome and nutritious by the sumptuous combination of ingredients like cashew (kaju) paste, fresh cream and eggs.

It is a rare and magnificent eating experience – which makes my mouth water even as I write this.

Dabba Gosht is a supreme feast fit for the kings...!

Next time you eat out – scan the menu for Dabba Gosht. 

It is a Mumbai speciality and you will surely find it at a few select places in Mumbai like Noorani, Delhi Darbar, George (Fort) et al. 

My personal favourite in the Dabba Gosht at Noorani near Haji Ali on Tardeo Road.

I have once savored an excellent Dabba Gosht at Jaffer Bhai’s Delhi Darbar near Metro where I think they don’t bake it – but they “dum” cook it – leaving the gravy a bit less thick – so you can enjoy it with roti – yes - the Dabba Gosht tasted delicious with Khameeri Roti.

I have also chanced upon a decent Dabba Gosht at Sadanand Restaurant in Pune – located opposite Balewadi – at the junction of Baner Road and Katraj Bypass – and I found the Dabba Gosht quite good.

 

Wherever you are – search for Dabba Gosht – or cook the exquisite dish yourself. 

It is best to bake Dabba Gosht as I have explained in the recipe – but if you prefer – you may dum cook it. 

Remember to enrich the dish – play around with the ingredients – improvising, experimenting, improving the recipe – and then relish it to your heart’s content.

And – don’t forget to tell us all about your Dabba Gosht cooking and eating experience ... ! 

FOOD “GYAN”

WHY THIS DISH IS CALLED DABBA GOSHT

Dear Fellow Foodie – have you wondered why this dish is called DABBA GOSHT...? 

Dabba means ‘TIN’ 

Gosht means ‘MEAT’

So – does this imply that Dabba Gosht is “mutton cooked in a tin” ...? 

Yes – we baked the dish in a baking tin – isn’t it...?

Wait a minute. 

There is another explanation too. 

Dabba – pronounced differently – also means ‘PRESS’.   

I have heard a theory – maybe apocryphal – that the dish is called Dabba Gosht because the boneless meat pieces are pressed against a special stone – to enable the marinade and masalas to permeate thoroughly – and make the boneless mutton pieces truly delicious, succulent and melt-in-the-mouth.

Well – whatever the version of the origins of its name – the fact is that Dabba Gosht is mouthwateringly lip-smackingly delicious. 

Do try out the recipe – and tell us how you liked it. 

And – if you find Dabba Gosht on the menu of any restaurant – do try it out – and let us know how you liked it.

Happy Cooking – and – Happy Eating.

VIKRAM KARVE

Copyright © Vikram Karve 
1. If you share this post, please give due credit to the author Vikram Karve
2. Please DO NOT PLAGIARIZE. Please DO NOT Cut/Copy/Paste this post
© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

Disclaimer:

1. This recipe is based on my improvisation. You are requested to do due diligence and use ingredients/cooking method as per your discretion/style.

2. All stories in this blog are a work of fiction. Events, Places, Settings and Incidents narrated in the stories are a figment of my imagination. The characters do not exist and are purely imaginary. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

Copyright Notice:

No part of this Blog may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopying or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the Blog Author Vikram Karve who holds the copyright.

Copyright © Vikram Karve (All Rights Reserved)

© vikram karve., all rights reserved.

I wrote this recipe long back around 12 years ago, and it features in my foodie book APPETITE FOR A STROLL,  and I have also posted the recipe online in his foodie blogs at urls: http://karvediat.blogspot.in/2012/01/baked-mutton-curry-dabba-gosht.html  and   http://creative.sulekha.com/dabba-gosht-exquisite-mutton-delicacy_400861_blog