Tag Archives: wheat flour

Dates Chocolate Brownie |Eggless, using wheat flour and Jaggery

November 15, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 24 Comments

Click on the image to save the recipe on Pinterest

As my readers know already, I love baking. It gives me some undefinable kind of joy and at times when I just want to hide myself, no longer wanting to talk to anyone (yes, there are days like that even for the talkative me 😬), I enter my baking world. It brings me peace of mind and the result of these delicious bakes too. The kids and their father (who is no less a kid too 😅) become happy at the sight of these goodies and that makes me happy as well. #bakingishappiness❤️

Coming to these brownies, they are so ultra moist as you can see from the pictures and also incredibly delicious. I wish I could share these with all of you. One of the bakes I am really proud of as it is eggless, uses wheat flour and jaggery instead of maida and sugar and also enriched with the goodness of dates. What’s not to love in these brownies? ❤️

I could not take many pictures as my kids were all set to attack them (😅) but when the brownies look so gorgeous, I am sure couple of pictures are more than enough to show how amazing they come out.

I also want to thank my reader Mamta Baliga Shenoy for requesting this recipe. I always make them but did not realize I had not uploaded in the blog. Thanks for the request, Mamta mai which made me add this one. Hope you and all my readers try this recipe. It really comes out amazing. Happy and healthy baking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes about 8 brownie squares} ( 1 Cup = 250 ml )

Dry ingredients:

1/2 Cup Wheat flour/ Atta (yes, only half cup is required)

1/2 tsp Baking powder

A pinch of salt

Wet ingredients:

1 Cup Water

1/2 Cup Jaggery powder or grated jaggery

1/3 Cup Cocoa powder

1/4 Cup Ghee (use fully and don’t reduce)

1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

4 Soft variety Dates, finely chopped

For the frosting:

About 35 grams of any chocolate

About 3 Tbsp of Milk

Step by step recipe:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 C for 10 mins. Meanwhile, Sieve half cup of wheat flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder and a pinch of salt into a bowl. Keep aside.

2. Heat 1 Cup water in a pan and melt 1/2 Cup Jaggery in it. Add 1/3 Cup Cocoa powder and whisk well to remove lumps. Now add 1/4 Cup Ghee (don’t reduce the quantity. It is needed for the moistness). Mix well. Let it be very hot and a lump free mixture.

Note: Don’t reduce the water quantity while heating. Just melt the jaggery in the water, add cocoa powder and ghee. Mix once to remove lumps and remove from the flame.

3. Pour into a bowl while it’s still hot. Add vanilla essence and mix well.

4. Now add the dry ingredients mix to the wet ingredients while the wet mixture is still hot. Mix gently till the dry flour specks are not seen. Do not over mix as it leads to dense brownies. Just mix gently till both ingredients blend in.

5. Add chopped dates and mix well. I just cut them with my hands as the dates are so soft (khudri variety). I make 6 pieces from one dates.

6. Mix well and add to a greased loaf pan. (Mine is of size 20 cm length and 4 cm width.) Grease the pan well with ghee. Level using spatula evenly.

7. Bake in the center rack of a preheated oven at 180 C for 30 to 35 mins or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clear. Do not over bake as the crust can turn crispy. Mine is an OTG and it gets done exactly at 30 mins.

8. For frosting, soften about 35 grams of chocolate in the microwave. I have used Lindt dark chocolate here as I had it. It took me about 2 mins of microwaving it at full power (I checked every half minute). Depends on your microwave. So keep checking.

9. When it becomes soft, add milk, 1 Tbsp at a time and mix well. It took me 3 Tbsp milk to get a creamy, thick frosting.

10. By then, the brownie would have cooled. Loosen the edges using a knife and invert it onto a plate.

11. Spread the frosting evenly over the brownie.

12. Cut into squares and serve.

Notes:

* Don’t be doubtful about the 1/2 Cup wheat flour required for this recipe. It really requires very less amount of flour. I use Pillsbury brand of wheat flour for all my bakes.

* Sieving or sifting of dry ingredients is very important as it leads to even mixing of ingredients. So don’t skip it.

* Make sure the wet ingredients mix is free of lumps and hot when dry ingredients are mixed in it.

* Do not over mix both the ingredients. Gently fold in and mix till dry flour specks are not seen.

* Always remember to Preheat the oven at 180 C for atleast 10 mins before placing the cake.

* Also, always place the bake in the center rack of the oven in OTG OR with both rods on in microwave with conventional mode oven. This leads to even baking.

* Do not open the oven door till atleast 25 mins into the baking time or else it won’t bake properly.

* Dates are optional and you can bake regular chocolate brownies too with this batter but Dates add an amazing moistness to this brownie.

* Do NOT over bake as the crust can turn crispy. At about 30 to 35 mins, when the toothpick comes out clear, it’s ready to be taken out of the oven.

* I highly recommend frosting this brownie as it tastes heavenly with it.

* I have used Lindt dark chocolate for the frosting as I had it. You could use dairy milk or any other regular chocolate available.

* Refrigerate if it lasts more than a day (mine never does 😅)

* For those who are new to baking, you can check my Baking basics guide for beginners.

* Find all my healthy cake and cookies recipes – Healthy Cakes and Cookies compilation.

I have tried to note down as much points as possible so that it’s easy for you all to follow but if you still have any doubts, either comment here or message me on my Facebook page Healthy cooking with mitha or on my Instagram handle and I would be happy to help.

Desserts, Recipe collections

Easy to make, healthy and delicious sweet recipes |Ready in 15 mins sweets

November 11, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 16 Comments

I am in many Facebook food groups and it is now filled with people posting many varieties of sweets along with savories as they are all set to welcome the most favorite festival, Diwali. It makes my heart warm to see the enthusiasm and happiness of everyone in the groups. Many of the members have become so close to me that I feel like they are my own family. Their encouragement for a beginner like me is truly very overwhelming. Thank you to all my readers from food groups. ❤️

This is just a compilation of my easy sweet recipes for people who have not yet made any sweets and want to make atleast one to celebrate the occasion. These get ready in about 15 mins and are healthy along with being kid friendly too. So good for busy mommies like me. Hope you all try and like them.

Wishing all of you a very happy Diwali. May the festival of lights bring happiness in your lives. ❤️

Please click on the name or the picture for the recipe.

1. Easy Coconut Burfi: These are really easy to make which I learned from “The Konkani Saraswat Cookbook” by my dearest Asha Satish Philar mai. It was one of the first sweets that I learnt and even my 5 year old daughter knows to make it.

Recipe here: Easy Coconut Burfi

2. Microwave Mango Coconut ladoos: This is yet another easy recipe which I learned in my initial days of cooking. Hardly takes few minutes to make but tastes really amazing. Do try if you have mango pulp with you and you love coconut.

Recipe here: Microwave Mango Coconut ladoos

3. Jaggery Sheera: One of the most made sweet in my house as it is my family’s favorite. I used to make Sheera with sugar initially but switched to jaggery many years back and have never looked back. Tastes really delicious!

Recipe here: Jaggery Sheera

4. Dry fruit bites: These are sugar free and very tasty along with being very healthy too. My way to feed dry fruits to my kids which are very beneficial to their growing body if consumed regularly in limited quantity.

Recipe here: Dry fruit bites

5. Nendran Banana halwa with Jaggery: This is the easiest version of the halwa which gets ready within 15 mins. Many of my readers have tried and loved this. It is another way to feed this healthy banana to my kids who love this halwa.

Recipe here: Nendran Banana halwa with Jaggery

6. Mango Kesar pedas: The tastiest pedas you can ever make. Very easy too and gets ready within 15 mins. If you have mango pulp, do try this and you won’t regret it. I love how beautiful they look too.

Recipe here: Mango Kesar pedas

7. Dried Apricot Halwa: Something which I tried to finish off my apricots but came so delicious that this has become our favorite. Too easy to be true kind of recipe. Doesn’t it look royal too? 😀

Recipe here: Dried Apricot Halwa

8. Churmundo | Easy wheat flour jaggery ladoos: These are Konkani people’s all time favorite ladoos. I use jaggery instead of sugar though. Tastes so heavenly that we feel at loss of words when devouring them. So quick to make too.

Recipe here: Churmundo | Easy wheat flour jaggery ladoos

9. Peanut Jaggery ladoos: Needs only two ingredients and hardly takes about 10 mins to make. Very tasty and healthy ladoos too.

10. Til Jaggery Burfi : A very tasty, easy to make sweet made from sesame seeds and jaggery.

11. Ragi Jaggery ladoos: Soft, melt in the mouth delicious ladoos made with Ragi or finger millet and jaggery.

12. Poha Sheera – An easy to make unique sweet from rice flakes or beaten rice that I learnt to make recently which we all loved a lot. Tried and loved by my readers too.

13. Dry fruit Coconut Ladoos: These are a great way to add dry fruits in ladoo form in both your kids’ and your diet. Also free from sugar or jaggery as dates sweetens these ladoos perfectly.

14. Mango Coconut Ladoos : These have to be the tastiest ladoos that I have ever made. Looks so pretty too 😍

15. Godu Phovu / Jaggery sweetened rice flakes – This is the most made sweet in every Konkani household for almost all festivities. So quick to make with very simple ingredients like Poha or thin rice flakes, coconut, jaggery and flavoured with cardamom powder.

In this recipe, I have made Chane usli or seasoned chickpeas with Godu Phovu as it is a very delicious combination.

Recipe here – Godu Phovu

16. Gluten Free Jowar flour ladoos: An easy to make, healthy and tasty ladoos which you can never say are made from Jowar flour.

17. Vegan Coconut Badam Ladoos: Yet another quick and delicious ladoos which combine coconut and almonds beautifully. ❤️

These are the easiest sweet recipes that I have shared. You can check the rest of my healthy desserts like Jaggery Shrikhand, Peanut Ubbattis, Mango mousse, Chocolate Cheesecake, Desi Tiramisu, Bottlegourd jaggery halwa, etc on my Desserts page.

My other compilations:

Oats Recipes Compilation

Healthy Cakes and Cookies recipes Compilation

“No rice” dosa recipes compilation

Variety Idlis Compilation

Happy and healthy cooking! ❤️

Desserts, Konkani Recipes

Peanut Ubbatti | whole wheat jaggery holige

November 10, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 4 Comments

Being homebound since many months now, I truly realize the value of our home town visits which were atleast twice a year. Along with that, I really miss the fun meeting my loved ones, the non stop chatter, going to temples, shopping with my cousin and also (importantly) indulging in sweets without a care in the world. 😅😍

I have been an ardent devotee of sweets since a child and my dad knowing that, spoils me to the core when I visit them. My favourite sweets are brought and stored before I come, all awaiting me to devour them 😬. One among them are Kayi holiges or coconut filled sweet Ubbattis which are a speciality of Udupi Shree Venkateshwara sweets near the famous and our dearest Shri Krishna’s temple.

So, when I miss those holiges, I make chapati dough, fill it with coconut and jaggery to make my own “jugad” kind of holiges 😀 which tastes yummy too. As I started making them, I realized I could make different varieties of it and these peanut Ubbattis came into being. It tasted so good that we make it regularly.

So glad to share this recipe. Hope you all try it for Diwali. It’s as easy as making parathas and hope my step by step recipe along with notes will help you all. Happy and healthy cooking.

Also, wishing my readers a very happy Diwali. May the festival of lights brighten your lives and fill it with happiness. ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: { Makes 5 Ubbattis }

For the outer dough:

2 Cups Wheat flour/ Atta { I use Pillsbury brand }

About 3/4 Cup Water {to knead the dough}

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder or Haldi

Salt to taste

For the inner filling:

1 Cup Peanuts { skin removed }

1/2 Cup Jaggery

2 Tbsp Water

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

To roll the Ubbatti: Dry wheat flour as needed

Ghee to cook the Ubbatti

Step by step recipe:

1. Add wheat flour, turmeric powder and salt in a bowl. Add water and knead to a soft dough. It took me about 3/4 Cup of water for 2 Cups of flour. Might vary as per your brand. The dough should be soft and smooth. Keep aside.

2. Now take the skinned peanuts in a mixer.

3. Powder it by pulsing it every two rounds. Don’t run the mixer continually as peanuts can leave oil. Just pulse for 4 to 5 times and it will turn into fine powder. If tiny bits of peanuts remain, it’s okay as it gives nice bite to the Ubbatti.

4. Now add jaggery along with water in a pan. Allow jaggery to melt and come to a boil. No need to make it into syrup.

5. Now add the peanut powder and mix once. Switch off the flame after mixing once or the mixture will harden.

6. Transfer it into a plate immediately. Allow it to cool slightly. Don’t cool it completely as it will turn hard. When it is warm, make small balls of it as shown. Also make balls of same size as filling from the wheat dough.

Note: It is important to make both inner and outer balls of equal size so that the Ubbatti turns perfect.

7. Now keep a chapati tawa to heat on the flame. Take a wheat ball and dip in dry wheat flour. Roll to a small Puri (small circle as shown). Keep the inner ball of filling inside.

8. Now take the sides of the wheat dough and cover it over the filling sealing it completely.

9. Roll it using little dry wheat flour to as thin and evenly as possible.

10. Place this over the heated tawa and cook till bubbles appear over the surface. Add ghee over it.

11. Flip and cook for about half a minute adding ghee over that side too.

12. Remove and repeat the same with the rest of the dough.

Notes:

* The water quantity while making the wheat dough can vary with your brand. Just make into a soft and smooth dough. Keep for rest for about 30 mins if you have time. Else it’s fine.

* We get readymade skinned peanuts here and I use that. If you have regular ones, you might need to roast it on low flame, cool it and remove the skin.

* While powdering the peanuts, be careful to not grind continually as it may leave oil. Just pulse and powder it. Even if little bits of peanuts remain, it’s fine. Adds a good crunch to the Ubbattis.

* Don’t make jaggery syrup. Just melt it and bring to a boil.

* Switch off the flame immediately after adding and mixing the peanuts. Else it may turn hard. Also, don’t keep the mixture to cool for long. Make balls when the mixture is still warm.

* Make both the inner and outer dough balls of equal size. Else the Ubbattis may not taste as good or might become like parathas. Making both balls of equal size ensures the outer layer is thin and we get good flavour of the filling.

* As these Ubbattis are kept at room temperature, they turn crisp on the outside but soft on the inside. That’s exactly how we love it. If you love soft Ubbattis, consume them immediately after making it.

* Since it is easy to make, I make it fresh each time. The measurements I have mentioned above yields 5 Ubbattis which are sufficient for us to last a day.

* Also, with the above measurements, I get two balls of wheat dough leftover ie it makes 7 wheat balls. I make chapati with it.

Desserts, Konkani Recipes

Churmundo with jaggery | easy wheat flour jaggery ladoos

November 6, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 6 Comments

Even though I am good at making pedas, ladoos are one sweet I had never attempted much. When I did attempt few months back, it had got such weird shapes 😆 that I thought my hands were not meant to make those perfect, droolworthy round round ladoos.

And guess which ladoos proved me wrong? Our own amchi Churmundos.❤️ Churmundos are usually made with wheat flour and sugar powder but I have used jaggery here. My fondest memory with these ladoos are both my grandmothers making lovingly for me during childhood.

My paternal grandmother or Annama and my aunt Chandriakka still make big boxes of these ladoos and give it to me when I return back to Qatar after vacation. Those ladoos are loaded with love and I eat each bite remembering them.

So this time since we could not visit them, I decided to make them myself (“no matter what shape they turn out!!” was my thought). And imagine my happiness when it turned out so perfect. My husband said it was the best Churmundo he had ever eaten. The kids too loved it very much and it got finished off quickly.

So I thought why not share this easy recipe of Churmundos. I make with jaggery as my family prefers jaggery sweets to sugary ones. Even though I am not very creative, I decorated them like a lamp as Diwali is less than a week away and I am all set for the festival. How do they look? 😬😍

As an after note, how many of you remember the small colourful liquid bindis that we used to decorate as kids during festivals? Don’t these ladoo designs resemble it? It was very unintentional but I was reminded of those bindis after I saw these designs. Such good memories they were. Childhood was definitely special. Happy festive season to all of you! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients: {Makes about 10 to 12 small ladoos}

1 Cup Whole wheat flour/ Atta (I use Pillsbury brand of wheat flour)

3/4 Cup powdered Jaggery

1/4 Cup Ghee (plus 1 Tbsp to fry raisins)

2 Tbsp Raisins or as per your taste

1/4 tsp Cardamom powder

Step by step recipe:

1. Heat 1 Tbsp Ghee in a pan and add raisins. When they plump up, remove into a bowl. Keep aside.

2. In the same pan, melt ghee (don’t make it very hot. Just melt it on low flame.) Add wheat flour and start sauteing on low flame.

3. Initially it will be in small lumps but as you continue sauteing on low flame while patting the lumps using the spatula (as shown in the below picture), it will be a smooth mixture. (This is after about 5 mins of sauteing)

4. Continue sauteing and you will get a wonderful aroma, there will be no raw smell of the flour and the whole mixture will come together as shown below. It takes me exactly 8 mins from start to get the mixture to this stage but might vary depends on your pan and the flame.

5. Remove immediately to the bowl that you added raisins. Also add jaggery powder and Cardamom powder.

6. Mix well using the spatula when still the mixture is hot.

7. Now make ladoos using your hands when the mixture is still warm. If you are finding difficulty in forming the ladoos and they are breaking apart, add little ghee to the mixture and you can easily make ladoos. But the amount of ghee is perfect to make these ladoos and I don’t think more will be required.

8. Serve warm or store in an airtight container.

Notes:

* As it is very quick to make, I make only with 1 Cup of wheat flour at a time which yields me about 11 ladoos. They get finished off by my family within two days. I store it in an airtight container at room temperature.

* Be careful to saute the wheat flour in very low flame. I use electric cooking range and I keep in the flame between medium and low. It took me 8 mins of sauteing on this flame. (tip: keep your favorite songs while sauteing and you won’t even realize that you have sauteed that much 😃)

* Raisins are to taste or can be skipped but gives a good flavour to the ladoos.

* Jaggery powder can be substituted with sugar powder if your family does not like jaggery flavour.

* While binding ladoos if you are unable to form them, add ghee if needed to the mixture and also your palms to get neat ladoos.

* These ladoos are initially very soft but turn firm on keeping at room temperature for little while.

* This is how I make cardamom powder. I remove the seeds of cardamom from the skin. Crush the seeds using mortar pestle into fine powder. Use as needed. I used seeds from 2 cardamoms to get 1/4 tsp powder. (The skin can be added to tea for great flavour.)

Breakfast time, Dosa corner, Konkani Recipes, Snacks

Rava Bhakri /Rullanva Doddaka/ Instant Semolina savory pancakes

October 30, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 2 Comments

I am a huge fan of our age old amchi (Konkani) dishes. They are not only easy to make but very healthy and super delicious too. Also, I am a firm believer that breakfast should be the most filling meal as it gives us energy for the day and keeps us away from snacking often.

This Rava Bhakri is exactly that. Very filling and super tasty too. It’s my go to breakfast when I have forgotten to soak for dosas or idlis. My kids call it “Rullanva bobbo” and demand it whenever they feel hungry. So this “bobbo” becomes their snack too when they come tired after playing. And the best part is, it hardly takes 10 mins from start to finish to make this.

Now that’s how I love my dishes. Less time in the kitchen, yet healthy, kid friendly and delicious. Most Konkanis know this recipe but sharing for those who don’t know. Hope you all try it too. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2 and 1/2 Cups Semolina (wheat rava, upma rava, sooji)

Approx 3 Cups Water

1/4 Cup Wheat flour (Atta)

1/4 Cup freshly grated Coconut

1/4 Cup Yogurt/ Buttermilk (optional)

2 to 3 Green chillies

1 inch Ginger piece, grated

1 Tbsp Sugar

Salt to taste

Ghee or coconut oil to cook the dosa

Step by step recipe:

1. Take Semolina, wheat flour, sugar, salt and coconut in a mixing bowl.

2. Add yogurt, water, Ginger and green chillies. Mix well and make a lump free batter of thick consistency. (It took me 3 Cups water for 21/2 cups rava. Might vary depending on the brand of rava.)

3. Now heat a dosa pan and add a ladle of dosa batter. Spread it into a thick dosa.

4. Cover and cook till the surface cooks. Add ghee or oil on top.

5. Flip and cook for a minute.

6. Serve hot with butter and pickle.

Notes:

* Rava absorbs a lot of water very quickly. But it varies with the brand of rava. So best is to add water one cup at a time in the beginning and then add little by little to make a batter thicker than dosa batter consistency.

* This batter can be made before hand and refrigerated. I make it at night and refrigerate for breakfast the next day as it saves a lot of time in the morning. Just that the rava absorbs all the water. So it needs and addition of about a cup of water to bring it back to pourable consistency.

* The addition of yogurt or buttermilk is optional but gives a nice tangy flavour to it.

* You can also grind the coconut along with Ginger and green chillies. Then add to the batter but I love the bite of green chillies. So I don’t do that way.

* I don’t even need pickle with this. Butter is an excellent accompaniment to this bhakri.

* You can also add an mashed overripe banana to this batter. Tastes really delicious!

* You can also add grated cucumbers to this to make Instant Cucumber dosas or Thoushe Bhakris.

Cakes and Bakes, Snacks

Whole wheat cheesy garlic bread

October 27, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 19 Comments

We have still not started eating from outside much to the surprise of our friends here. But honestly, after learning to cook clean and delicious food at home, we don’t actually feel like ordering from outside. For me, the main turn off is the oil. I am so used to either coconut oil or ghee in my cooking that when I am reminded of the oily restaurant foods (mostly sunflower or some mix of refined oils), I don’t feel like eating out at all. I can’t believe I used to find it tasty. Life has changed so much in every way.

Not only curries, even pizza and garlic bread are homemade now. This Whole wheat Pizza is not only easy to make but tastes so yummilicious apart from being healthier too. I also happened to try cheesy garlic bread sometime back and we all loved it. So it had to be on the blog as well. I made it many times to recheck the recipe (also to devour it 😁) but could not get good clicks as the kids are always in urgency to gobble it up. 😀

I finally gave up and decided to share these somewhat okay pictures itself on the blog. Don’t go by the picture, it’s really very tasty and much better than outside ones. We absolutely love it. It’s not very difficult to make too if you follow the step by step pictures well.

Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy baking! ❤️

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 Cups Whole wheat flour or gehun ka Atta (I use Pillsbury brand)

About 1/2 Cup Water to knead the dough (depends on the flour brand)

1 tsp Instant yeast (or 1 and 1/2 tsp dry active yeast)

1/2 tsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Salt

About 1/2 Cup grated Mozzarella cheese

For the garlic dressing:

2 Tbsp salted Butter (if using unsalted, add salt to this dressing)

5 Garlic pods

2 Tbsp finely chopped Coriander leaves

1 tsp Dried mixed herbs seasoning

Step by step recipe:

1. Take wheat flour, instant yeast, salt and sugar in a mixing bowl.

Note: If using dry active yeast, it needs proofing ie put the yeast along with sugar in lukewarm water and then add to the flour and salt once the yeast has risen (takes about 5 mins).

2. Now add water little by little and form the dough like regular chapati dough – Soft and smooth. No need to knead.

3. Keep for rest covered in a warm place for an hour.

Note: It might not rise much but that’s fine, it will have a yeasty smell to it which shows it has acted in the dough. In cold places, keep for 2 hours since it will take longer for the yeast to act.

4. While it’s kept for rest, prepare the dressing. Melt the butter in a microwave or in a pan. Add finely chopped garlic, coriander leaves and herb seasoning. Also add chilli flakes if you like (I avoid for my kids)

5. Once the dough has finished resting, preheat the oven at 200 C for 10 mins. Take a oven proof plate. Grease with oil and sprinkle dry wheat flour over it. Spread the dough in circle shape over it as shown.

6. Now apply half of the dressing evenly over it.

7. Spread mozzarella cheese evenly over it.

8. Fold and seal the edges as shown.

9. Apply the rest of the dressing over it and make evenly spaced cuts over it till three fourth of the semicircle. (reminds me of maths lessons 😁😁)

10. Bake in the preheated oven at 200 C for 15 mins in the center rack or till the surface turns golden brown in colour.

11. Allow it to cool slightly. Enjoy served with ketchup.

Notes:

* I use Pillsbury wheat flour for all my bakes. Love the flour as it makes the baked goodies perfect.

* There is no need to knead the dough. Just bring them together like chapati dough. That’s enough. But make sure the instant yeast is of good quality. If using dry active yeast, make sure to proof it as mentioned above in the step by step recipe.

* You can grate the garlic if you don’t like garlic bites in your garlic bread. Also add chilli flakes if you like it.

* Don’t keep opening the oven door while baking. Open only after 10 to 12 mins into the baking time. Else it can hinder the baking process.

* Preheating the oven is a very important step. Don’t forget it.

* This tastes best when eaten hot and consumed immediately after baking.

* The dough can be made beforehand and refrigerated to be used within two days.

* This is the same dough that I use for my Whole wheat Pizza which is a regular fare at my house and my kids’ favourite.

Breakfast time, Snacks

Wheat Banana pancakes | Snack idea for kids

October 13, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 8 Comments

My daughter gets attracted by fancy names and few months back, she came to me saying “Amma, I want pancakes!”. She had seen it in some video. I told her pancakes are nothing but our dosas, just sweet version of it like our amchi Surnalis. She just would not accept it and wanted me to make the original pancakes for her.

So, I had to look up for pancake recipe (since I had never made nor eaten it before) but found it rather unhealthy with maida (which we never buy) and sugar. So I substituted it with wheat flour and jaggery. It came out very well and she was very happy to see it. ❤️

From that day onwards, when she’s hungry, she asks me to make these pancakes. I have improvised it by adding bananas to it too as it helps me finish off the over ripe bananas (who stare at me to use them up 😁) and also makes the pancakes more nutritious.

My 2 year old son too loves it a lot and it fills my heart with happiness when I see them eating together dipping the little pancakes in honey and eating with their tiny hands. Beautiful memories which will be in me forever. ❤️

Hope you all try and love these pancakes too. Happy and healthy cooking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients: {Makes about 18 to 20 small pancakes}

2 Cups Whole wheat flour/ Atta

1 Cup mashed overipe Bananas

1/4 Cup Milk

1 Tbsp Jaggery powder (optional)

1/4 tsp Baking soda (skip if making for kids aged less than one year) * check notes

Salt to taste

Step by step recipe:

1. Add the mashed bananas and jaggery powder in a bowl. Mix well.

2. Sieve wheat flour, baking soda and salt in the same bowl.

3. Add milk and water to form a smooth, thick, lump free batter of slightly thick consistency.

4. Heat a flat pan and when it gets hot, pour the batter using a spoon onto the pan making small pancakes as shown.

5. Cover and cook on medium flame till the surface cooks. Add ghee over it.

Note: Be careful to cook on medium flame as high flame can cause the pancake to turn black underneath due to bananas.

6. Flip gently and cook for couple of minutes.

7. Remove and serve with bananas, butter and honey.

Notes:

* I make these pancakes without baking soda too and my kids love it that way as well. They don’t turn fluffy but turn out very soft like dosas.

* You can skip bananas if you don’t have. It comes out like regular pancakes.

* You can skip jaggery if the bananas are very sweet. Use overripe bananas for best results.

* I make sweet dosas similar to this. Just mix together wheat flour, jaggery and salt with water and make a slightly thick batter. Good for quick to make evening snacks for kids.

* For kids, cook the pancakes in ghee and serve with butter and honey with bananas on the side. It’s very filling and they are sure to love it too.

* Do cook these pancakes in medium flame and not high flame as it can cause it to turn black underneath.

Cakes and Bakes, Cookies

Chocolate chip cookies | Soft and melt in the mouth cookies using wheat flour and Jaggery

September 25, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 6 Comments

I am lucky and blessed to have few of my readers who are very encouraging and comment very lovingly. One among them is Rajee D Kurup aunty who is part of the food groups that I am in. She thanks me for the recipes that I post and always asks me to take care and stay safe. It might be a small thing but it means a lot to me. ❤️

So when she requested for a cookie recipe and that too to make for her pregnant daughter in law, I just had to post one soon, just for her. 😍

This recipe belongs to Bake with Shivesh whom I admire a lot for his healthy recipes and mouth watering bakes. Do check his Instagram handle and you are sure to drool.

So here’s presenting a soft cookie which you are sure to fall in love with. Happy and healthy baking!

RECIPE: {Credits : Bake with Shivesh}

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Ghee

1/2 Cup Jaggery powder/ Cane sugar

1 tsp Vanilla Essence

1 Cup Wheat flour or Atta (I use Pillsbury brand)

1/2 tsp Baking soda

A pinch of Salt

1/4 Cup unsweetened Cocoa powder

1 tbsp Corn flour

1/4 cup Milk

Chocolate chips as required to top the cookies

Step by step recipe:

1. Take sieved jaggery powder, vanilla essence and ghee in a large mixing bowl and mix together using a spatula till it combines well and turns fluffy. (Takes about a minute. Important step to get perfect cookies)

2. Now sieve and add wheat flour, corn flour, baking soda, salt and cocoa powder in the same bowl.

3. Combine well till they mix.

4. Now add milk and mix well till it forms a wet mixture. Refrigerate it for 15 mins.

5. Meanwhile preheat the oven at 180 C for 15 mins. After 15 mins of the mixture resting in the fridge, remove it and placed equal sized balls on a ghee greased oven proof plate at little distance from each other as shown.

Note: It is important to keep distance between the cookies as they expand while baking. Also, use ice cream scoop for scooping the dough for equal sized cookies.

6. Pat each cookie slightly with your fingers and place some chocolate chips on top as desired.

7. Bake in the center rack of the oven at 180 C for 12 to 15 mins. Mine took exactly 15 mins.

Note: Don’t open the oven door before 12 mins into the baking time or uneven temperatures can lead to the cookies not coming out right.

**Look at the perfectly baked cookies** 😍😍

8. Allow them to cool slightly. Remove and enjoy these soft cookies. Look at the inside. I absolutely loved the texture! ❤️

Notes:

* These cookies don’t turn out crispy but soft and melt in the mouth.

* For slightly crispy cookies, skip corn flour in the recipe.

* Remember to sieve all the dry ingredients to avoid lumps of any flour in the cookie.

* Also grease the oven proof plate very well with ghee so that the cookies don’t stick to the plate. You can use silicon mat or parchment paper instead but I prefer the good old method of greasing.

* Do remember to keep the cookies at a distance before baking as they expand well while baking.

* Use ice cream scoop for even sized cookies.

* You can skip chocolate chips if not available and make plain chocolate cookies.

Cakes and Bakes

Whole wheat Tutti frutti Bread | Eggless recipe

September 20, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

Baking is slowly turning from a hobby to a passion for me. In the world of baking, the number of goodies you can make are so many that I don’t think I can ever complete all of them even if I bake all my life. 😅

But once you fall in love with it, it becomes your best friend ❤️. As I have said before, the immense happiness of baking can only be understood by bakers, be it a home baker like me or a pro baker like many chefs.

I always loved tutti frutti bread as a kid and my dad used to bring it along with regular bread. If people from Cochin remember, this used to come in a small packet from Modern Breads and was so soft and delicious (A precious food memory for me ❤️).

And with few attempts, I got this perfect loaf of tutti frutti bread and that too with wheat flour. The texture is super soft and the taste is so yummy that it definitely took me back to my childhood days. Never had I thought I would bake the same as an adult. Life surprises! 😍

This bread is perfect for kids as snacks and if your kids are like mine who demand for food whole day, this bread will be your lifesaver. Also much healthier than store bought bread since it uses wheat flour and no preservatives.

Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy baking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

2 Cups whole wheat flour/ Atta { I use Pillsbury brand }

1 Cup Milk (may require a little more depending on the brand of wheat flour)( can also use milk powder+water)

1/4 Cup Tutti frutti

20 grams Butter (keep at room temperature for sometime till it turns soft)

2 Tbsp Custard powder

2 Tbsp Milk powder

2 Tbsp Sugar

2 tsp Instant yeast OR 2 1/2 tsp dry active yeast

1 tsp Salt

Little milk and butter for brushing over the pav

Oil to brush the pan and dough

Step by step recipe:

1. Warm milk in a pan or microwave. It should NOT be very hot or cold. Just lukewarm. Add in sugar and yeast. Mix once and allow to proof (ie keep aside for about 5 mins).

Note: See how well it has proved. If it does not rise like this, it means the yeast is no longer active. Discard and use good quality yeast. Else the bread will turn hard.

2. Now take wheat flour in a large mixing bowl. Add custard powder, milk powder, salt and tutti fruti. Mix once with a spatula.

3. Add the proved yeast to it and form a dough using hands just like you form regular chapati doughs. Now add softened butter.

4. Start kneading till the butter blends well into the dough and keep kneading for about 8 to 10 mins till it forms a soft and smooth dough.

Note: If the dough is hard and dry at this point, add little milk while kneading so that it turns into a soft dough.

5. Apply oil on the surface of the dough and keep covered in a warm place for 1 to 1 1/2 hours till it doubles in size.

*Mine almost tripled due to the hot weather here* 😀

6. Now punch lightly and keep this dough in a greased loaf pan. No need to knead the dough before placing.

7. Allow it to rise above the rim of the pan. It took mine 1 hour of resting in a warm place to rise well. Brush the surface with milk and add some tutti fruti on top.

8. Preheat the oven at 200 C for 15 mins and bake the bread at 200 C for 15 to 20 mins or till done in the center rack of the oven. (Insert a toothpick in the center to see if it comes clear.)

9. Brush with butter and allow it to cool completely. I usually keep it to rest overnight and it turns soft by next day morning.

10. Slice and serve.

Notes:

* This tutti frutti bread lasts well for a day at room temperature. After that, you can refrigerate and either microwave or fry in a pan with ghee and enjoy.

* You can skip tutti frutti to make plain whole wheat milk bread.

* Custard powder gives a very good colour and flavour to the bread. But if you don’t have, you can skip it. Same is the case with milk powder. You can skip if not available. It is for flavour too.

* If the dough turns hard even after adding butter, do add more milk and knead into a soft and smooth dough.

* Do proof the yeast even if it is instant yeast. It is to be on the safe side to find if the yeast is still active and so as to not waste the other ingredients.

* Be sure to rise both times well. First time atleast till it doubles in size and second till it doubles again and rises above the rim of the loaf pan (mine is 20 cm * 4 cm).

* Grease the loaf pan with oil or ghee before placing the dough.

* Preheat the oven well and bake till the surface turns golden brown or till a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

* Don’t open the over door before atleast 15 mins into the baking time or else it will lead to uneven temperatures and uneven baking.

* At 15 mins baking time, if the surface is turning black but inside still has to cook (ie if toothpick inserted in the center shows sticky), cover the surface with aluminium foil paper and bake for 5 more mins. This ensures the surface does not turn any more black.

* Don’t forget to brush with milk before baking and brush with butter after baking. This gives a very soft crust.

* Keep it to rest overnight if possible. Else one hour is enough to get good slices. Use serrated knife if you have. It gives perfect slices.

* This recipe is just a modification of my whole wheat Pav recipe which many readers have tried and loved. You can find the recipe here.

Cakes and Bakes

Wheat Jaggery Cherry Muffins | Eggless, easy, healthy cupcakes

August 31, 2020 Healthy Cooking with Mitha 3 Comments

We are getting fresh cherries here and after eating them as it is and making this Cherry Jaggery compote, it was time to use them in my favourite way – the baking way. The muffins came out beautiful and tasted so delicious that I have already made them thrice this month.

The best part about these muffins is its healthy and uses ingredients like wheat flour, jaggery and cherries. You can enjoy them guilt free. My kids love them as a mid meal snack.

Also, this recipe is great for basic wheat jaggery cupcakes for which I get lots of requests. So just skip cherries and you get plain cupcakes as shown below.

You can give them to babies above 6 months old. I started these healthy muffins for both my kids since 6 months and they love it now, much more than store bought maida ones. Wheat muffins might be denser but definitely flavourful and so tasty.

Hope you all try and love it too. Happy and healthy baking!

RECIPE:

Ingredients:

Dry ingredients:

1 and 1/2 Cups Wheat flour or Atta (I use Pillsbury brand)

1 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp Salt

Wet ingredients:

1 Cup Milk, at room temperature

1 Cup powdered Jaggery

1/4 Cup Ghee

1/4 Cup chopped Cherries (fresh or candied)

1 tsp Vanilla essence

A few quartered cherries for garnish (optional)

Step by step recipe:

1. Preheat the oven at 180 C for 10 mins.

2. Sift the dry ingredients together using a sieve in a mixing bowl. Keep aside.

3. Add milk and jaggery in a large mixing bowl. Whisk well to melt jaggery in the milk.

4. Now add ghee, vanilla essence and chopped cherries. Mix well.

5. Now add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients.

6. Now mix both using a spatula just so that the wheat flour specks are not seen. Do NOT overmix the batter as it will lead to dense cake.

7. Now pour the batter into greased muffin tray till three fourth of the level. Garnish with quartered cherries (optional).

8. Bake in a preheated oven at 180 C for 15 to 20 mins in the center rack of the oven till a toothpick inserted in the center most muffin comes out clear and not wet.

9. Allow it cool. Remove and serve.

Notes:

* This lasts well at room temperature in an air tight container for a day. Then refrigerate and microwave before serving.

* I always use Pillsbury wheat flour for my bakes and they come out perfect and delicious.

* If jaggery is not fine powder, then sieve and add into the milk. Jaggery can be substituted with brown sugar or cane sugar or regular sugar.

* Cherries can be substituted with any berries or you can skip it completely for plain muffins. This is how perfect plain wheat jaggery muffins comes out too.

* Do NOT overmix the batter. Else it will lead to dense muffins. Just mix together so that wheat flour specks are not seen and that is enough.

* Don’t forget to preheat the oven for 10 mins atleast before placing the muffin tray.

* It took my muffins exactly 15 mins to bake perfectly. But it might vary according to your oven. So keep an eye after 12 mins but do NOT open oven door before that.