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Baking | Indian Parathas Calzone Way – There is nothing better than being able to bring a smile on someones face

30 July 2014 7 Comments

Healthy calzones

There is nothing better than being able to bring a smile to someones face and make them happy. Yes, I did it again!
I have other commitments lined up for this week already and I may not be able to take up this project. Moreover I am not a professional photographer, I can only style the food to some extent. And doing 60 dishes in such a short span of time is practically impossible.” I replied showing my helplessness to accept the said project to my friend ‘P’ on phone.

You cannot say ‘no’ Sanjeeta, you are doing this project for me. This is a small family cook book for a friend of mine and we are not keen on perfect pictures, your photos will do well.” She replied.

Taking up a task which should sensibly take about 25-30  days and completing it in a few days time sounds daunting. And I will be doing every work from selecting props, placing food, arranging backdrops, styling food to clicking pictures all by myself “. I tried explaining my situation to her.

Well, these are times, when your heart wins out over the head. And I accepted her project with few more commitments in hand.

In a normal Ad photo shoot I style for about 6-7 dishes for the photographer while most of our time goes in co-coordinating and accepting the ideas of the client and the art directors.

But for this project I had no time to pre plan for shoots or organize any props or garnishes for the recipes. In fact I never had any clue as to what dishes are going to come that day, will it be curries, sweets, flat breads or something else.

Baking | Sweet Corn Calzones

13-14 dishes would arrive each day at 2 pm and I had just 4 hours in my hand to shoot the dishes.

Yes unlike any conventional studio photo shoots where lighting and every other things are pre set and you just need perfectly styled food to click.

In natural light photography you are at the mercy of Sun god. You need to change the angles and composition of food to be shot every few seconds depending upon the sun rays. And to my bad luck I had over cast skies and rains on all the 5 days of shoot.

I would set my table in my patio, grab whatever prop I could, garnish the dishes lightly when suddenly the skies will be overcast and I had to move inside to continue shooting in my small homemade studio.

Even with my article deadline for an Indian Daily “Deccan Chronicle” and a restaurant shoot planning coinciding with the shoot, I finished the Herculean task of styling and clicking all 60 dishes individually in the stipulated time.

Baking | Sweet Corn Calzones

Fortnightly article in an Indian Daily

I worked late in nights and was able to complete and submit my article on time.

Baking | Sweet Corn Calzones

Packing sweets and some gifts for blogger friends…

After effects of this strenuous 5 days non-stop, high-pressure photo shoot is taking a toll on my body. What with a severe backache, sore legs and running with temperature.

My body has given up but the spirits are still high…yes, I will be meeting many of my food blogger friends in a days time 🙂

I still have energy left to make some chocolates for my friends and pack a few gifts for them. And yes, a recipe to post for one another contest on IFBM.

A very humble Indian flat bread or stuffed Paratha which takes the fancy name of Calzone (folded Pizza) to please children at home. Thanks to the contest, this old recipe is finally kicked out from the folders.

Indian Paratha Calzone with Fresh Corn

Baking | Indian Parathas Calzone Way

Ingredients;

(serve 3)

  • 1/2 cup quick cooking Oats
  • 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
  • 1/4 cup yogurt
  • 1 tbsp. oil
  • 1 tsp. Baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • Water to knead hard dough

Vegetables stuffing;

  • Sweet corn
  • Capsicum
  • Spinach
  • Boiled potato
  • Onion
  • 2 tbsp. cottage cheese (Paneer)
  • 4 tbsp. chilli-tomato sauce
  • 2 tsp. oil

Baking | Sweet Corn Calzones

Method; Preheat oven to 200°C and grease a baking tray with oil

Grind Oats into fine powder and mix it with whole wheat flour in a large bowl. I kneaded both Oatmeal flour and plain white flour dough (in the pictures above) to make Calzones.

Add baking powder, salt, oil, half a cup of water and bring all ingredients together to form dough.

Add yogurt and a little water (if needed) to make a pliable dough.

Cover the dough with a damp cloth and let it rest for 10 minutes till the vegetables are prepared.

Finely chop onion, capsicum, spinach.

Heat oil in a pan, add chopped vegetables and sauté on high heat for 3-4 minutes. Take the pan off flame.

Baking | Sweet Corn Calzones

Divide dough into 4 large balls and roll out each into small rounds.

Spread a little chilli tomato sauce, place chopped and cooked vegetables and grated cottage cheese in one corner of the circle.

Flip the other end and close the Calzone. Press the corners with a fork to seal the Calzones.

Baking | Sweet Corn Calzones

Coat the Calzones with oil using a pastry brush or your hands. Cut a small slit on top of the Calzones to let the steam pass.

Place all the prepared Calzones on greased baking tray and bake for 15 minutes or till the crust is baron in colour.

Baking | Sweet Corn Calzones

This recipe is an entry to IFBM and Freedom Tree Baking contest

Notes;

  1. Do not over stuff Calzones.
  2. Add any sauce or Indian spice-mix to the vegetables stuffing for making Calzones or folded stuffed Parathas.

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7 Comments »

  • Nandita said:

    This calzone looks incredible Sanjeeta!! The photography and styling is just wonderful!! Lovely post as always 🙂

  • Deepa said:

    Excellent and mouthwatering to look at calzones.
    Deepa

  • Sandhya said:

    I love calzones !! such a lovely indian twist !!

  • easyfoodsmith said:

    These look absolutely brilliant. You are doing a fantastic job. Keep it up!!

  • mjskit said:

    13 – 14 dishes in 4 hours? That’s insane!! I don’t know how you do it all, but I am so happy for you! With dishes and photography like you serve up, you deserve every bit of recognition. I love these calzones. I’m surprised at the dough not having yeast – surprised in a good way. Looks like a very easy dough to make and I love you vegetable filling.

  • Priya said:

    This sounds healthy n tasty as well.
    What is the temperature to be set for baking

  • sanjeeta kk said:

    @Priya, it is already mentioned in the beginning. 200°C should be fine to bake the Calzones.

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