Homemade Granola

A wonderful snack/breakfast. Have it with milk or yogurt. Add fresh fruits of your choice. You can try variations with flavours. Can also add lemon or orange zest or vanilla to oil and honey mix after it has been warmed. Pecans can be used instead of walnuts.
For kids you can even add chocolate chips after granola has cooled down completely.
Its very easy to make it at home. So why pay a bomb. Homemade granola is not overloaded with sugar. You can add nuts and fruits of your choice.
Chop apricots and peaches (if using).

Ingredients:
Oats                       2 cups
Almonds                 1/2 cup coarsely chopped
Walnuts.                 1/2 cup coarsely chopped
Pumpkin seeds        1/4 cup
Dried fruits             3/4 cup ( a mix of cranberries, raisins, apricots, peaches)
Olive oil                 2 tbsp
Honey                    1/2 cup ( 120ml)
Cinnamon pd          1 tsp
Sea salt                  1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 165  degrees C.
2. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, nuts and cinnamon.
3. In a saucepan, warm the oil and honey. Stir in salt.
4.  Pour the liquid over oats and nuts mixture.
5. Mix it well.
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or silicon mat and spread the mix evenly.
7. Bake for 40-45 minutes until golden brown.
8. After baking for 20 minutes, remove from oven, mix in the seeds.
9. Bake for another 20-25 minutes, stirring once in between.
10. When golden brown remove it on a wire rack.
11. If there are any lumps, break them down. 
12. Let it cool completely.
13. Now mix in the dried fruits.
14. Now store in an air tight container, to retain its freshness & crunchiness.

Atta biscuits

Do you remember your grandparents or parents taking Atta, sugar and ghee to the nearby bakery and coming back with a big tin full of crispy biscuits. We as kids would happily dunk these in milk or tea and eat them up.
I often remember these biscuits but never got down to try them out. On and off bakers  post  about Atta biscuits would remind me that I have to try them out.
Well yesterday I did take the plunge. One bite of these golden beauties took me down the memory lane, reminding me of my grandmother.
So here is my version of Atta biscuits with a hint of Elaichi. They are pretty close to the ones my grandmother 's.

I have tried these biscuits with both : baking soda and baking powder. The result is same. So feel free to use either. The trick to make them crispy and  melt in your mouth is to beat the ghee and sugar really well for 3-4 minutes.

Ingredients

Atta                     120 gms
Suji                      40 gms
Sugar                  75 gms powderd
Ghee                   75 gms
Baking powder   1/4 tsp
Elaichi pd           1/2 tsp
Milk                    3 tbsp

Method

1. Sieve Atta, baking soda and Elaichi pd.
2. Mix in Suji.
3. Beat sugar and ghee for good 3 minutes.
4. Now add in the dry ingredients and mix.
5. Add milk a tbsp at a time and bring the dough together.
6. Let it rest covered for atleast 30 minutes.
7. Preheat the oven to 160 degrees.
8. Take small balls of the dough. Press lightly and then press them with a fork to create a pattern.
9. Place them 2" apart on a baking tray lined with parchment paper.
10. Bake for 12-15 minutes till lightly golden.
11. Leave them in the hot oven for 2 minutes.
12. Remove them on a wire rack and let them cool completely.
13. Store in an airtight container.

Note:
Mine were ready in 17 minutes.

Jowar (Sorghum) Salad

Jowar (Sorghum) Thai Salad with peanut butter coconut milk dressing.

With the temperature soaring you want to eat very light food. Salads are really a boon at such times.
I generally look for salads that serve as complete meal. So I try to incorporate either Paneer or whole lentils in my salads.
Today I am sharing a very tasty Thai salad which is made with Jasmin rice but I have used jowar ie sorghum instead of jasmine rice. The peanut butter and coconut milk dressing takes it to another level. There is just a whiff of coconut flavor at the end of each bite.
I have used homemade peanut butter but of course you can use a store bought one.
Ideally you should use Sesame oil but I have used light olive oil.
Since I didn't rice vinegar I used red wine vinegar. Use extra vinegar or lemon juice to make it tangier.

In case you dont find coconut milk powder, use 1/4 cup to 1/2 cup of coconut milk depending on how much coconut flavor you want in the salad.

One cup of raw jowar gives almost three cups of cooked jowar. You can freeze the remaining in portion sizes for future use. Trust me it freezes very well.
To use it, thaw  completely and then pass it through boiling water.

Ingredients

Jowar                 1 cup
Cucumber         1 cup cubed
Bell pepper       1/2 cup cubed
Carrots               1/2 cup shredded
Onion                 1 /2 cup coarsely chopped
Mango                1 cup cubed
Red cabbage      1/2 cup shredded
Cilantro              1/4 cup

To toast

Cashew              1/4 cup
Sesame seeds   1 tbsp


Dressing
Peanut butter,                 50 gms
Coconut milk powder    1/4 cup
Water                                1/4 cup
Redwine vinegar             1 tbsp
Lemon juice                     2 tsp
Ginger                               2 tsp grated
Garlic                                 1 tsp crushed
Salt                                     to taste
Pepper pd                          to taste
Light olive oil                   1 tbsp
Water                                 to thin the dressing

Method

• Wash and soak jowar for two hours.
• Bring 2 cups of water to a boil, add 1/2 tsp of salt and soaked jowar.
• Let it simmer. When almost all the water has evaporated check for doneness.
• If you feel it needs further cooking add more cup of water and cook till done.
• Once done, let it cool completely. Fluff it with a fork and you will get beautiful grains of jowar.
• Mix these grains with rest of the vegetables and Cilantro. 
• Cover it with cling film and keep in the fridge.
• Gently roast cashew nuts and Sesame seeds in a pan till aromatic.
• Chop the cashew nuts.
• 
  
• To prepare the dressing :
• Mix coconut milk powder in warm water.
• Blend well so that there are no lumps.
• Now add peanut butter, red wine vinegar, oil, ginger, garlic, salt and pepper.
• Blend well.
• Add little water if you find the dressing too thick

To serve

• Pour the dressing over the salad.
• Toss well. 
• Check for seasoning.
• Garnish with roasted nuts and seeds.
• Serve immediately.

Mango Ice-Cream

Before the mangoes disappear from the market let's make mango ice cream. I have been meaning to post this recipe for a long time but some how could never click pictures .It used to get over so fast. Today morning I clicked a pic before announcing to the family that I have made ice-cream. You need just three ingredients. It's eggless yet very creamy. Homemade Mango  Ice-cream  has a very tantalizing flavor . One bite and you know the difference between homemade and store bought. Oh boy!! That strong essence spoils all the fun. 

I have used Amul cream. Please don't use whipping cream if you want real taste of ice-cream. Keep the cream in the fridge overnight. Chill the bowl and the whisks also before you start beating the cream.

Use the best quality mangoes. While pureeing them don't use water at all.

Whip it a couple of times when it's half set to avoid  icicles in the ice cream. 

Ingredients

Fresh cream          200 gms

Condensed milk   100 gms

Mango puree        200  gms.

Vanilla extract      1 tsp

Method

Beat cream till its really thick.

Add in condensed milk and beat again.

Fold in  mango puree into the cream mixture.

Taste and add more condensed milk if you find it less sweet. 

Now freeze it for four to five hours. 

Beat it well. 

Repeat the process again after four to five hours. 

Now freeze it overnight. 

Serve it next morning with a sprig of mint. 

Amaranth, Oats, Almond Meal Cookies

In my endeavor to create healthy yet delicious cookies so that you  and I can indulge in guilt free snacking, this is another gem from my kitchen. These are crispy on the edges but soft and chewy in the centre. If you want crispy all the way then then let them sit in the hot oven for some time but keep an eye on them so that they don't burn.
These cookies are  made with alternate flours, contain no baking powder, no baking soda and no sugar.
These are made with Jaggery powder or Shakker and are overloaded with Almonds, pumpkin seeds and raisins.
I have used half butter and half virgin coconut oil, you can use either by itself also.
If you find it tough to beat the fats then keep it in the fridge for an hour and then beat it into a light and airy mass.

Ingredients 

Butter                        40  gms
Coconut oil               40 gms
Amaranth flour        125 gms
Oats flour                  50 gms
Almond meal            50 gms
Jaggery pd                100 gms
Almonds                     25 gms
Pumpkin seeds           20 gms
Raisins                        1/3 cup
Water                          1/4 cup
Ginger pd                       1 tsp

Method

1. Boil raisins and Jaggery in 1/4 cup water till the mixture thickens. It should be little short of one string consistency.
2. Keep it aside to cool.
3. Whip butter and coconut oil using a hand beater.
4. Beat for 3 minutes or  till its light and fluffy.
5. Now add in the Jaggery and raisin mixture.
6. Beat well to mix.
7. Now tip in the dry ingredients and mix well.
8. Add Almond pieces and seeds and mix well.
9. Keep it in the fridge for atleast an hour.
10. Take small pieces of the dough, flatten between your palms.
11. Place them 2" apart on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
12. Bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees celsius for 12-15 minutes.
13. Keep a close watch after 12 minutes as Amaranth tends to burn very fast.
14. Let them sit on the baking sheet for atleast 10 minutes before you remove them to a cooling rack.
15. Store in an airtight container once completely cool.