Tag Archives: Millets

Little millet dosa | No rice dosa

February 1, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 7 Comments

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Just finished sending off my little girl to school (she has classes every alternate week) and before my son wakes up in a while, I thought of finishing off this blog. As soon as he wakes up, all he would want is to cuddle me and sit like that for an hour (Wish I could share a picture of that scene 😍) until he gets hungry, asking me to go make “bobbo” (dosa) for him. 😄 This tiny man of mine is such a loving one that I call him my “lover boy”. 😍 Seriously, the way he hugs me, holds me and kisses me, I feel so so loved. I realize how these moments matter in our lives and how kids can brighten our day by their sweet gestures. ❤️

Talking about gestures, as you can see from the picture of the dosa, my daughter is holding the plate. It was supposed to be my usual (boring 😁) kind of click until this girl saw her Amma clicking in the regular way and being the typical Aquarian (An unique sign ❤️) that she is, said, ” Amma, let me hold this and see, how many likes you will get for your blog!” 🤣🤣

She is a huge fan of vlogs and loves making videos herself. Looking at her interest at making videos, I wonder from where she has got this. I can’t imagine facing camera and dread taking even my pictures, let alone videos. 😂 But the confidence in which she presents herself, talking with so much enthusiasm, makes me feel proud of her. Atleast she is not camera shy like me and loves herself. Hope she can be a YouTuber like she wishes to be in future. ❤️

So here’s the little millet dosa presented by my soon to be 6 year old daughter. You can never say it is made of millets and tastes just really delicious. A great way to add the healthy millet in your diet. Hope you all try this. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { About 10 to 12 dosas }

1 1/2 Cups Little millet (Kutki/ Saamai)

1/2 Cup Urad dal (I use split ones)

1 tsp Fenugreek seeds (Methi)

Salt to taste

Ghee or oil to cook the dosas

Step by step recipe:

1. Soak Urad dal with Methi in a large bowl for about 4 hours. Also soak little millet in another bowl for 4 hours.

2. Now drain water from both completely. Grind Urad dal- Methi with about 3/4 Cup water to a smooth paste. Pour in a large vessel. Now add the soaked millet with about 1/4 Cup water in the mixer.

3. Grind the millet to a smooth paste too. Add this to the Urad dal dal paste. Add salt and mix well with hands.

4. Keep covered at room temperature for about 8 hours. Might take longer during winters. Always love to look at the well fermented batter in the morning. 😍

5. Now heat a dosa tawa and pour a ladle of dosa batter. Spread using behind the ladle like regular dosas. Add ghee or oil and cook till the dosas turn crisp.

6. Remove and serve with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* As can be seen from the picture, I have used Manna brand of Little millet which is readily available here, in Qatar. For readers’ from Qatar who ask me the source, I got them from Lulu hypermarket, Barwa City. Also available in Grand hypermarket, Wakra and all Lulu outlets.

* This dosa comes out crispy when cooked one side till the underside turns brown.

* Making this dosa with ghee adds such a wonderful flavour to this dosa.

* You can check all my Millet recipes in this Millet recipes Collection.

* You can also check my No rice Dosa recipes collection.

Desserts, Millet recipes

Ragi Jaggery Ladoos | Easy to make healthy ladoos

January 25, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 11 Comments

I can’t believe till some time back, I thought making ladoos were the most difficult among sweets. Now, if you give me 15 mins, I can make ladoos for you. 😄 That’s the change which practice has brought in me. Now I can understand the real meaning of “Practice makes a man perfect”. Though not perfect by looks (I am reaching there 😬), these ladoos come out looking like ladoos 😂 and tastes so delicious that my kids love it a lot. So I thought it was worth sharing with all of you.

Hope you all try these healthy and delicious ladoos. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: {Makes about 12 ladoos}

1 Cup Ragi or finger millet powder

3/4 Cup Jaggery powder

1/4 Cup + 2 Tbsp Ghee

2 Tbsp Raisins

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat 2 Tbsp Ghee in a pan and add 2 Tbsp Raisins. Fry till the raisins puff up. Remove to a bowl.

2. Now melt 1/4 Cup Ghee in the pan and add 1 Cup ragi flour. On medium flame, saute the flour in the ghee. Saute till the ghee and ragi flour combines well.

3. Now, keep sauteing on medium flame till the mixture comes together as shown below. It will take about 6 to 8 mins. The mixture turns aromatic and raw smell of the flour goes away.

4. Remove it in the bowl where we had put the raisins. Also add 3/4 Cup jaggery powder.

5. Mix well and allow it to cool slightly. When it still warm, bind to make ladoos. I am attaching some pictures that I took when making these ladoos. Hope it helps all of you.

**Keep it in your palm and open close your fingers. Keep doing it till it forms round shape.**

6. Repeat the same with the rest of the mixture. Enjoy the ladoos!

Notes:

* Store in a moisture free container at room temperature. Stays well for atleast 2 to 3 days. Mine gets finished off before that.

* Don’t reduce the amount of ghee or you won’t be able to bind the ladoos well.

* Add little ghee to the mixture and on your palms if you find it difficult to form ladoos.

* Do remember to saute the ragi flour well in the ghee so that there is no raw taste in the ladoos.

* You can add cardamom powder too if you like.

* Substitute ragi flour with wheat flour to make Churmundos or wheat flour ladoos. They come out delicious too.

* These ladoos are very soft when freshly made but turns hard as they cool down and tastes much better when kept for little while.

You can check all recipes with Ragi that I make regularly like Ragi idlis, Ragi dosas, Ragi cake, Ragi cookies, Ragi Malpua in this Ragi recipes collection.

Ragi Set Dosas

Instant Ragi Rava Dosas

Instant Ragi Idlis

Ragi Urad Idlis

Ragi Ela Ada

Ragi Butter cookies

Eggless Ragi Chocolate Cake

Ragi Malpua

All Millet Recipes

You can also check my 15 mins healthy sweets recipes collection.

Dosa corner, Konkani Recipes, Millet recipes, Recipe collections

Collection of “no rice” dosa recipes

January 6, 2021 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 23 Comments

**Click on the image to Pin the post on Pinterest**

My regular readers know how much my kids love dosas. So much that anyday you come to my home, you will find dosa batter ready, either fermenting or in the fridge (and if you don’t find it, don’t worry, I can magically make some instant dosas for you too 😍). It is also very handy for those sudden hunger demands by the kids, especially my son who feels very hungry after his evening nap and says, “Amma, bobbo jayi.” (I want dosa in baby Konkani 🤩)

We have a little game after he wakes up where he being held in my arms, shows me the way to the kitchen and points to what he wants to eat. I purposely do a little wiggly kind of walk (the never growing child in me 😅) to make him laugh and that brightens him up. Then it finally ends in him pointing to dosa batter bowl. So I always have any one variety of dosa batter ready for him (my little “bobbo” lover boy ❤️).

My readers also love the dosa recipes that I post and always request for more “no rice” dosa recipes. So I decided to finally compile all my dosas which don’t contain rice and I was surprised to find that I had so many of them. This is one compilation I enjoyed making as it was like playing treasure hunt with my blog. 😂 Hunting dosa recipes without rice which is indeed no less a treasure for my readers requesting for it (sorry for the poor joke 😬).

Anyhow, hope this is useful to all of you. Happy and healthy cooking! Enjoy dosa making! (That rhymed!) 😄

Instant “no rice” Dosas/ Bhakris:

1. Rava Bhakri/ Instant Semolina dosas: These are one of the oldest variety of Konkani breakfasts and my family favorite too. If I forget to soak for regular dosas, Rava Bhakri it is for breakfast the next day. Also makes for a quick snack option. Tastes oh so heavenly with butter. ❤️

Recipe here: Rava Bhakri/ Instant Semolina dosas

2. Instant Cucumber dosas: This is a variation to rava bhakri with the addition of grated cucumbers which makes it even aromatic and healthy along with being super delicious. When I have to finish off those leftover cucumbers, I make these dosas.

Recipe here: Instant Cucumber dosas

3. Eggless Tomato Omelette: Being from a vegetarian family, the only Omelette we knew as a kid was this eggless Tomato Omelette which Amma made with loads of love. She always made sure I got the omelette with the maximum number of tomato pieces in it. 😍

Recipe here: Eggless Tomato Omelette

4. Instant Oats Vegetable Bhakri: This is our favorite evening snack and is super filling too. Best way to get oats and veggies in our diet. Add loads of green chillies and coriander leaves. Tastes super yummy with butter and simple coconut chutney. ❤️

Recipe here: Instant Oats Vegetable Bhakri

5. Instant Oats Poha dosas: A soft yet delicious dosa which can be made instantly yet tastes like regular dosas. Awesome combination with sambar making it a complete meal in itself.

Recipe here: Instant Oats Poha dosas

6. Instant Jowar Vegetable Bhakri: These Bhakris contain a mix of radish, carrots, cucumbers along with Jowar flour but still comes out so tasty. A very healthy and filling evening snack that I make always. You can make them as thalipeet too.

Recipe here: Instant Jowar Vegetable Bhakri

Dosas which don’t need fermentation:

1. Moong sprouts and Oats dosas: My kids don’t eat sprouts as it is, so this is my way to include sprouts in their diet in their favorite way, the dosa way! 😄 The way our brain works overtime in motherhood. 😂😂 Turns out so delicious too! No fermentation required makes it very easy too.

Recipe here: Moong sprouts and Oats dosas

2. Masoor dal dosas: One of the most tried and loved recipe by my readers. Try masala dosa with this and it tastes amazing. ❤️

Recipe here: Masoor dal dosas

“No rice” Dosas with millet flours:

1. Ragi Set Dosas: A dosa that I make atleast weekly once to include the wonder millet, Ragi in our diet. Turns out so soft and delicious. My daughter calls it “chocolate” dosas since she was a baby and even now at almost 6 years. 😍

Recipe here: Ragi Set Dosas

2. Urad – Jowar flour dosas: I feel this is the best way to include Jowar flour in our diet. Yet another weekly once breakfast in my house as kids love it. Kids food preferences rule in my house. 😀

Recipe here: Urad – Jowar flour dosas

“No rice” dosas with Whole Millets

1. Bajra Moong dal dosa: This is the crispiest dosa that I have ever made and you can never say it does not have rice in it. Also combines the goodness of Bajra with moong dal.

Recipe here: Bajra Moong dal dosa

2. Little Millet dosa: A very healthy yet tasty dosa with Little millet. Great idea to include this variety of millet in your diet.

Recipe here: Little Millet dosa

Other “no rice” dosa recipes:

1. Oats mixed dal dosas: A dosa for which I have got many compliments from readers for making them so evenly and also for the gorgeous colour. One of my readers have even commented that it looks machine made and there’s magic in my hands that it has been crafted to perfection. 😀 So these dosas are indeed very special for me. ❤️

Recipe here: Oats mixed dal dosas

2. Broken wheat Mixed dal dosas: These are one of my recent additions on the blog but tried and loved by so many of my readers. They loved how healthy yet tasty it turns out without missing rice in the dosa at all.

Recipe: Broken wheat Mixed dal dosas

3. Urad whole moong dosas: These are my favorite because I can make both idlis and dosas with this batter. Also a great way to include whole moong in my kids’ diet as they don’t eat moong as it is.

Recipe here: Urad whole moong dosas

4. Urad wheat flour dosas: This was my last recipe that I posted on the blog. Learnt it from my friend Vinanti and have turned out to be my kids’ favorite. They eat more dosas (touchwood!) when I make them. I absolutely love the gorgeous colour that it turns out. ❤️

Recipe here: Urad wheat flour dosas

5. Barley Urad dosas: These dosas are so soft and delicious, you could never say it has the healthy Barley grain in it. One of the most regularly made dosas in my house lately.

Recipe here: Barley Urad dosas

You can check all my dosa recipes here: DOSA CORNER

You can check all my idli recipes here: IDLI STAND

I have made two other recipe collections. You can check them out.

Oats recipes Collection:

Healthy Cakes and Bakes:

Healthy sweets that can be made under 15 mins:

Desserts, Millet recipes, Snacks

Ragi Malpua | Quick sweet idea | Healthy snack for kids

December 26, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 6 Comments

I have already shared a chocolate cake, cookies, idlis and a dosa with Ragi flour. You can check all the recipes here. This recipe of Ragi Malpua was my first post on my old blog and one of my first trials with Ragi flour back in 2013. Now when my kids love it, it makes me very happy (one of my successful experiments 😄).

These little rolls of yumminess comes handy during their “Amma, we are hungry. Give us something right now!” kind of hunger 😂. Yes, as a mother, we always have to be ready as such hunger pangs can strike anytime (proportional to their naughtiness 😬). I quickly make these Ragi malpuas and they enjoy it while playing. Seeing them eat happily is one of the best moments in the day for me. ❤️

I never realized how someone else’s happiness can be more important than mine before becoming a mother. But now, all I think is how to make them happy (even though I do scold them if they get extra naughty 😁) and all my wishes have got replaced by theirs too. My daughter asked me yesterday what wish do I have in life (she was talking about her wish to be a princess 😆😍). I said I no longer wish for anything as nothing is in our hands and all depends on God’s will, but I do wish and pray that all your wishes get fulfilled. She was so happy with that answer that she gave me a tight hug saying thank you. It made my day! 🥰

Both of them fill my heart with their talks, smiles, naughtiness and love. Can’t imagine my life without them. ❤️❤️

Here’s sharing their favorite snack, these Ragi malpuas. Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes 3 Malpuas }

4 Tbsp Ragi / Finger millet flour

2 Tbsp Atta/ Wheat flour

1 Tbsp Jaggery

Salt to taste

5 Tbsp Milk

For the filling:

1/4 Cup Desiccated or Fresh Coconut

1 Tbsp Honey or as needed

1 Tbsp finely chopped Dry fruits ( I use a mix of cashews, almonds and pistachios)

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Ghee to cook the malpua

Honey and Pistachios for garnish

Step by step recipe:

1. Take ragi flour, wheat flour, jaggery and salt in a bowl.

2. Mix it once using a spoon. Now add milk, one spoon at a time and make a thick batter free from lumps. Keep it aside.

3. Now for the filling, take coconut in another bowl. Add honey, finely chopped dry fruits and cardamom powder. Mix well.

4. Now heat a dosa pan well. Then reduce flame to medium. Add about two spoons of the malpua batter in the center of the pan. Spread in round shape. Add ghee and cook till the surface cooks.

5. Flip and cook for a minute.

6. Remove into a plate and fill with the filling. Roll and serve. Drizzle with honey on top and garnish with chopped pistachios.

Notes:

* I have not skipped wheat flour in this recipe as it needs little wheat flour for that soft yet firm texture.

* You can increase the amount of honey on the filling or jaggery in the batter for more sweet malpuas. I prefer it in this quantity.

* Skip jaggery in the batter if you don’t have much sweet tooth.

* They are best enjoyed as soon as made. Keeping them for little while can make it dry.

* Don’t make the batter very thin. The batter is free flowing yet thick. It took me 5 Tbsp milk for 4 Tbsp Ragi flour and 2 Tbsp wheat flour to get the perfect consistency.

* This snack is really handy as it is healthy as well as tastes delicious. Hardly takes 10 mins to make too.

* You can check all my Ragi recipes here.

Millet recipes

Urad – Jowar dosa | No rice dosa

November 29, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 18 Comments

I have already posted some of the “no rice” dosas that I make and Broken wheat – mixed dal dosa has been a favorite among my readers. Many have tried and sent me pictures. Makes me so happy when readers try and love my healthy recipes. ❤️

I have also been getting messages to post more of such dosa recipes which don’t contain rice since they have a diabetic in the family and would like to avoid rice in their diet. So here is a crispy dosa with Urad dal and Jowar flour. I brought Jowar flour only recently but we all loved it in these dosas. The kids hardly knew the difference and enjoyed it like regular dosas (much to my surprise and happiness too ❤️).

Ragi Urad idli and dosas are a commonly made breakfast in my house after reading about the health benefits of millets many years back. My kids having eaten it as their first food (yes, I gave them dosas and idlis instead of ragi porridge) love it very much. So I would like to tell all of you (specially to new parents) to include millets in your kids’ diet as early as possible so that they don’t reject later. They are very beneficial to thier growing bodies, also keeps us full for long time which avoids mid meal hunger pangs.

Health benefits of Millets: Gluten free, Rich in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, Rich in Iron and folic acid.

Hope you all try this healthy and delicious dosa too. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { makes about 14 dosas }

2 Cups Jowar flour / Sorghum flour

1 Cup Urad dal ( I use split ones )

1 tsp Methi / Fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash well and soak Urad dal along with Methi in enough water for atleast 4 hours. Drain water from it and add to a mixer. Also add about 3/4 Cup water.

2. Grind to a smooth paste. Pour in a large bowl.

3. Take Jowar flour into another bowl. Add water to make a smooth, lump free slightly thick batter. It took me 2 Cups water for 2 Cups Jowar flour.

4. Mix both batters well also adding salt.

5. Keep it covered at room temperature for atleast 8 hours. Might take upto 12 hours for batter to ferment during winters.

***Love it when well fermented batter welcomes me in the morning*** 😍

6. Heat a dosa pan and add a ladle of dosa in the pan. Spread into a thin dosa using the back of the ladle. Cover and cook. Add ghee or oil when the dosa cooks. Cook till the dosa is batter free on the surface and the underside turns brown.

7. Remove and serve with a chutney of your choice.

Notes:

* I serve these dosas with Mint Coriander chutney. Just grind coconut with ginger, green chillies, mint leaves, coriander leaves, curry leaves, tamarind and salt to a smooth paste. You can season with mustard seeds and curry leaves in oil over it. I don’t season as my daughter does not like it.

* Be careful while adding water to Jowar flour. Add 1 Cup water first and mix well. Then add 1/2 Cup at a time to bring it to thick consistency. Took me about 2 Cups water for 2 Cups Jowar flour.

* For making dosas crisp, add ghee or oil and cook till the dosas turn really brown in the underside.

* Leftover batter can be refrigerated and used the next day.

* Be mindful of the climate and grind early during winters as it will take time to ferment during cold weathers.

* Our favorite dosas without rice: Broken wheat – mixed dal dosa and Masoor dal dosa.

* Our favorite idlis without rice: Urad Moong dal Idli and Ragi Urad idli. (you can make dosas too with both these batters)

* Other recipes with Jowar flour: Instant Jowar Vegetable Bhakri, Jowar Idlis

* All my Millet recipes: Millet recipes collection

* All my “no rice” dosas – “No rice” Dosa recipes collection

Idli Stand, Millet recipes

Ragi Urad Idli | No rice idli

June 23, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 20 Comments

I have already posted Instant Ragi idlis that I make always. Even though it comes out soft, it has Eno fruit salt as an ingredient and I like to use it as less as possible. So those Idlis are kept for days when I forget to soak for idlis and dosas but still need to make a healthy breakfast for the family.

Ragi Urad Idlis are the ones I make always and it turns out soft and fluffy naturally without the need of Eno or soda. In fact the batter ferments so well that I am always scared if it will overflow and take great care to keep it in a very wide bowl with a plate underneath.

My kids love these Idlis very much and call it “chocolate” Idlis. The day I make them, they ask for it and eat it the whole day. So I steam and keep the whole batch for their idli demands. It remains soft even after 12 hours of steaming them. Such is the magic of naturally fermented foods.

Sharing the recipe which I have been following for years. Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 26 Idlis }

4 Cups Ragi flour/ finger millet flour/ nachni ka atta

1 Cup Urad dal

1/2 Cup thick or thin Poha/ flattened rice

1 tsp Methi / Fenugreek seeds

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Wash well and soak urad dal with methi for 3 to 4 hours.

2. Drain the water and add the soaked urad dal and methi along with Poha and grind to a smooth batter. Pour into a large bowl.

3. Add Ragi flour and salt. Whisk well or mix with hands to remove lumps.

4. Keep this batter to ferment overnight or for atleast 8 hours.

**Love how much this batter rises. More than thrice. So do keep it in a large bowl. Else batter might overflow outside the vessel.**

5. Add in idli moulds. Steam for 20 mins or till done.

Notes:

* When you add the ragi flour, make sure to whisk really well and the batter consistency should be slightly thicker than dosa batter consistency. So don’t add much water.

* Please remember that this batter rises very well. Atleast thrice its size. So keep it to ferment in a large bowl. Also keep a plate underneath to catch any overflow just in case.

* These Idlis taste the best with Peanut Onion Chutney.

* Dishes with Ragi that I make always:

Instant Ragi Idlis

Instant Ragi Rava Dosa

Ragi Set Dosas

Ragi Jaggery ladoos

Ragi Ela Ada

Ragi Butter cookies

Eggless Ragi Chocolate Cake

Ragi Malpua

* All my idli varieties: Variety Idli Collection

Idli Stand, Millet recipes

Instant Ragi Idlis

May 25, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 8 Comments

I have already posted two varieties of instant Idlis, Instant Oats Idlis and Instant Rava idlis. This is the third variety, Instant Ragi Idlis. Since these Idlis use Eno fruit salt (which is equivalent to baking soda), I make any one of these variation only once a week as it is considered not as healthy compared to naturally fermented idlis.

My kids love these Ragi Idlis as I have called them chocolate Idlis since they were babies. Used to make their idli without Eno and still they loved it. So now whenever the idli steamer is up on the stove top, my daughter comes running to ask if it’s chocolate idli. 😁

So glad they both love Ragi. It is full of calcium and very good for bone health. Though not people’s favourite because of its colour and distinct flavour, we love this millet as we have been using it is our regular cooking since many years now. Ragi Chocolate cake is our favourite and also a hit among my readers. So many have tried and posted feedbacks that their kids too loved it.

Anyhow, hope you all love these Idlis too. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 12 to 14 Idlis}

1 Cup = 240 ml

1 Cup Ragi flour/ Finger millet flour

1 Cup Semolina/ Rava/ Sooji

1 Cup Curd

Salt to taste

1 tsp Eno fruit salt

Step by step recipe:

1. Take Sooji, ragi flour, curd and salt in a bowl. Add water little by little to make a thick batter whisking constantly to avoid lumps.

2. Add eno fruit salt to the batter and mix once.

3. Steam for 20 mins or till done.

*Poke a knife to see if it is done.* *If the knife comes out clear, the Idlis are done.*

4. We love these Idlis with Tomato chutney but you can make any chutney of your choice.

In the picture is shown Sambarpalli or ajwain leaves chutney. The colour of the chutney is not bright green as I have added only couple of leaves.

Notes:

* These Idlis are made exactly like I make Instant Oats Idlis. I just substitute oats with ragi powder.

* Don’t make the idli batter very thick nor very thin. It should be thicker than regular dosa batter consistency. Else the Idlis won’t come out well.

* 1 tsp Eno fruit salt can be substituted with 1/2 tsp baking soda plus 1/2 tsp lemon juice.

Cakes and Bakes, Millet recipes

Eggless Ragi Chocolate cake

November 20, 2019 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 29 Comments

Baking is therapy for me. I love how the ingredients mix in together to create something so delicious and the aroma which fills the house is magical. I have been baking different varieties of cakes now using wheat flour and jaggery. My daughter loves it more than the refined flour based cakes. There is a richness in wheat flour cakes which makes it more tastier and of course healthier.

Ragi Chocolate cake was an amazing find of a recipe as it uses another healthy ingredient but is quite hidden in the cake. You could never say it has ragi in it. Even when I made it the first time, my little girl had loved it so much.

The simple frosting of chocolate sauce takes this cake to another level. We are a huge fan of this cake and it’s my pleasure to share it with all of you. Happy and healthy cooking.

RECIPE:

Adapted from here.

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:

3/4 Cup Ragi flour/ finger millet powder/ Nachni atta

3/4 Cup Whole wheat flour/ Atta

2 Tbsps Cocoa powder

1 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Baking soda

Wet Ingredients:

150 grams (2/3 Cup) Butter (salted or unsalted can be used)

80 ml (1/3 Cup) Yogurt/ thick curd/ Dahi

3/4 Cup Milk

1 Cup powdered Jaggery/ cane sugar

1 Tbsp Vanilla extract

For the frosting:

1 Cup Milk

1/4 Cup Sugar

2 Tbsp Cocoa powder

1 tsp Vanilla extract

Step by Step recipe:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 C for 15 mins. Keep the heating rack as the center one if using a conventional oven like me.

2. Keep the baking tin ready by lining with parchment paper or applying butter inside so that the cake does not stick to the pan.

3. Sift all the dry ingredients using a sieve to ensure all the powders are lump free and mix uniformly.

4. Melt butter by microwaving it for two to three mins on high. Allow it to cool down. Add in the milk, Yogurt (which has been whisked well), jaggery and vanilla. Mix well using a whisk.

5. Now add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and mix using a spatula such that everything is mixed uniformly and there are no specks of flour visible. Do NOT over mix the batter.

6. Pour the batter into the baking pan and spread uniformly.

7. Bake at 180 C for 30 to 35 mins. It took 35 mins for my cake to bake in my conventional oven. In microwave with conventional mode ovens, it gets done even quickly. So keep an eye after 25 mins into the baking time. Read NOTES.

8. Check with toothpick inserted in the center of the cake. Is comes out clear, then the cake is done. If comes out sticky or wet, it needs few more mins of baking. After done, allow it to cool for few minutes.

9. For frosting, combine together milk, cocoa powder, sugar and vanilla in a bowl. Whisk well first and then keep on flame.

10. On medium flame, keep whisking continually while allowing it to get thicker (usually takes about 5 mins). Once it gets thick, remove from flame and pour over the cake and spread evenly.

Check how thick it has got. Sticks well to the spoon.

11. Wait for a while for the frosting to set before you slice and serve. Refrigerate the cake after a day at room temperature.

Notes:

* Use a pinch of salt while sifting the dry ingredients if using unsalted butter. I used salted butter.

* This cake tastes heavenly with the frosting. So don’t skip it. But for those who prefer their cakes plain, without frosting tastes good too. And no, there is no ragi flavour at all as cocoa, vanilla and jaggery do an amazing job at masking the ragi flavour.

* While baking, always ensure your oven is preheated well (180 C for 10 to 15 mins is the norm).

* Don’t keep opening the oven door between bake times. Check only after 25 mins if the bake time says 30 mins of baking. Else opening the door too often leads to uneven baking.

* This cake tastes good even after getting refrigerated. The frosting sets well and enhances the flavor. Just microwave for a minute before serving. I have kept the cake a maximum of three days in the fridge before it got finished off by my family.

* I have used organic powdered jaggery. You could also use cane sugar. Both work well for this recipe.

If any doubts, do message me on my Facebook page Healthy cooking with mitha or on my Instagram handle and I would be happy to help. Happy cooking!