Coconut and Mix Berries Cookies

Cookies are the best mate for teatime, specially the evening tea. For me cookies are anytime friend, even when I'm not in mood for breakfast or dinner. Adding some berries and coconut makes them more delish. I always keep some berry mix in my pantry to make such little goodies to pamper my family.

This berry mix has cranberries, golden raisin, black raisin, inca berries, cherries, blueberries, and bing cherries. Mix of sweet and sour taste of berries gave the cookies different taste. The subtle earthy taste of coconut is liked by almost everyone.

My family enjoys these cookies with their tea and coffee. Kids love them as a snack with their flavoured milk. Easy and quick recipe for them makes it hassle free. You can use any berries you have at home. I used wheat flour to make these cookies but it can be replaced with APF/Maida.

Try the recipe and leave your feedback in comments below. I'm sure they will trun out to be a hit for you as well like for me. Until Next Time......................Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour                              - 1 cup
Mix Berries                               - 1/2 cup
Desiccated Coconut                  - 1/4 cup (Fine)
Granulated Sugar                      - 1/2 cup
Butter                                        - 3 tblspoon (Semi Soft)
Baking Powder                         - 1/2 tspoon
Baking Soda                             - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                                           - a pinch
Milk                                          - 1/4 cup to as required
Vanilla Extract                         - 1 tspoon (This can be any extract of your choice)


Method:

Line a baking tray with non-stick paper/mat.
In a stand mixer / mixing bowl, Sift flour, baking powder, Baking Soda and Salt.
Add in the Sugar, Fine desiccated Coconut and Butter.

Start mixing on low speed / rub it with hands.
Once the flour starts to look like crumble add in the berries, mix well.
Now add the milk and gently for the shape of dough. Do not knead it like Chapati dough.

Make small balls out of dough and flatten them a little.
Place them all on baking tray and chill for 30 minutes.

Pre heat the oven on 180c and bake the cookies for 12-15 minutes or until the sides starts to get a little golden.
You can keep them a little more (only 2 more minutes) , if you want a bit crunchy cookies.
Once baked to your choice of crunch take them out on cooling rack to cool them completely.
These cookies go very well with evening tea , coffee and milkshake.
These are my favourite cookies for reading time tea.
Kids will also love the sourness of berries and sweetness of coconut.

Wholewheat Banana Orange Almond Loaf

Cake, Cupcakes, Pastries, Muffins, Cookies!!!!! Thats whats in my mind nowadays. How strange is that ? When you want to stay away from Carb you just think about Carb but Carb. I'm on to mission of baking cookies and cakes with wholewheat. I just want to finish everything in my pantry and want to shop again. It's like spring cleaning of my pantry. Whatever I see as a leftover packs, I feel like making/baking something with that, Specially nuts and berries.

Once I read somewhere that women who eat whole wheat weigh less and that stuck in my mind. Whole grains, if used intelligently in the diet, helps in lot many everyday problems in women's health. Improvement in Metabolism, Prevention from Type-2 diabetes, Prevents gallstones, Relief Chronic Inflammation, Helps in prevention in breast cancer and what not. Women should thankful to Wheat/Wheat Flour/Whole Wheat grains, as they are really helpful for their well-being.

Nuts, specially Almonds have always been known for their goodness of good fat and brain development. They help in lowering your cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease, Prevents your body from cardiovascular diseases and what not. If eaten with it's skin, you increase the benefits of Almonds for rejuvenating your skin health. Some research says, Almonds help you maintain your weight loss as well, as Almonds good fat helps release the energy from body and keeps you going for long time.

I, as you all know, am a big fan of whole grains, nuts and berries. So to finish my left over almonds and mix berries, I chose to make some whole wheat almond loaf for teatime. I was left with ripe bananas, Almonds, and 1 orange on the worksurface. So here goes my hands and brain to start the recipe and bake a delicious eggless loaf to with evening tea. Recipe of this loaf is very easy and can be made with everyday ingredients in your kitchen. Try your hands on this recipe and enjoy a wholesome delicious and healthy Cake with your choice of drinks.......................... Until next time, Happy Cooking friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour                                           - 1-1/2 cups
Ripe Bananas                                         - 3 medium
Orange Juice                                          - 1/4 cup
Brown Sugar                                         - 1/4 cup
Oil                                                         - 1/4 cup
Baking Powder                                     - 1 tspoon
Baking Soda                                         - 1/2 tspoon
Orange Essence                                    - 1 tspoon
Salt                                                       - a pinch
Chopped Almonds                               - 1 cup
Mixed Berries                                      - 1/4 cup (optional)


Method:

Preheat your oven to 180. Grease a loaf pan with butter and keep aside.
Peel and mash the bananas with a fork or you can use a blender.  Blend in the orange juice with bananas.
Mix in the Essence, Oil and Sugar in the banana and orange puree.
Add in the dried mix berries. This is an optional step, I just saw them and added them.
Sieve the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in big mixing bowl, keep aside.
Coat 3/4 cup of Almonds in the flour mixture.
This ensures that the Almonds do not sink to the bottom of the pan while baking.
We will use the remaining almonds for garnish.
Fold in the coated Almonds with flour mixture.
Now gently mix the dry ingredients with the wet ingredients with the help of a spatula, making sure not to over mix.
Pour the batter in the greased pan and give it a gentle shake/ tap on work surface to take out any air bubbles.
Garnish with the remaining almonds on top of the Loaf.
Bake the loaf for about 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted at the center on the bread comes out clean.
The cooking time depends on the oven temperature.
Let the loaf cool at the kitchen counter for 5 minutes in the pan and then place it on the cooling rack to cool completely before slicing.
This Loaf can be stored upto 3-4 days in an airtight container.

Mango, Pineapple and Cranberry Muffins

I prefer making muffins and cupcakes, over loaf and big round cakes.  I've noticed that eggless cakes/muffins taste better if consumed atleast 10 hours later. Not sure about the reason but it's my personal observation. I normally bake the cakes /muffins/loafs/cupcakes in the morning and they taste amazing by evening. The texture changes and sweetness enhances.

I often wondered about the difference in Cupcakes and Muffins. If you are a foodie, you might know that English Muffins and American Muffins are different. In America Muffins are made just like cupcakes. In UK, there is a flat bread type, made on griddle, is called Muffin. American Muffins are good in a way everyone gets their own individual size of cake. Muffins can be made sweet or savory. We usually make savory muffins for breakfast.

As it is a season of exotic fruits, I thought to make muffins with those exotic fruits. I found 2 packs of Mango and Pineapple bites, leftover in Kids Snack Pantry, Some dried cranberries left from cereal drawer. You all must be knowing by now that I'm a big fan of baking with whole-wheat flour.

So assembling all the ingredients and heating the oven helped me make these deliciously sounding Muffins. We were planning a short getaway from home, so made few more for holiday. Easy peasy recipe as always, try them and you will pat yourself on the back for good job. Drop your feedback in the comments below.............Until next time, Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Whole Wheat Flour                 - 1 cup
Corn Flour                               - 1 tblspoon
Baking Powder                        - 1 tspoon
Baking Soda                            - 1/2 tspoon
Muscovado Sugar                    - 1/4 cup
Oil                                            - 1/4 cup
Yogurt                                      - 2/4 cup
Lemon Juice                             - 1 tspoon
Orange Extract                         - 1 tspoon
Dried Mango bites                   - 2 tblspoon
Dried Pineapple cubes             - 2 tblspoon
Dried Cranberries                    - 4 tblspoon
Water                                       - 2-4 tblspoon (depending on flour/thickness of batter)


Method:

Preheat the oven to 180c and line the tray with 10 muffin liners.
In a deep mixing bowl, Mix Sugar, Yogurt, Oil and Orange extract, until the sugar is totally dissolve.

Sift Flour, Baking Soda and Baking powder into yogurt & sugar mixture.

Add in the cornflour, mix dry and wet ingredients well to avoid any lumps.

Now add int the dried fruits, if you find them very big in size, chop them before adding in.

At this time I added 2 tblspoon of water and 1 tspoon of lemon juice into the batter.
Adding water loosened the batter a bit and lemon juice made air bubbles into it.
Do not keep the batter for later baking.
Pour in the batter into muffin liners and bake them for about 15 minutes or until they are golden on top and skewer comes out clean.
Leave them to cool for 5 minutes in the tray and then take them out on cooling rack to cool completely.

Muffins are ready to be served with choice of drinks. These are excellent treats for kids as their after school snack.

Chana Daal Paratha - Bengal Gram Lentil Stuffed Paratha

Chana Dal is very nutritious and easy to digest. These little beans are a powerhouse of lean protein, fiber and iron. They're packed with nutrients, such as folic acid, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and zinc.

Chana Dal also known as "chholar dal" comes from India , where it's appreciated a lot unlike the western countries. "Bengal Gram Lentil"  is the British English term for what we call "chana dal" in Hindi. It's glycemia index is also very good for blood sugar levels.

Chana Dal is very closely related to garbanzo beans, or chickpeas. The differences are that chana dal is younger, smaller, split, sweeter, and has a much lower glycemic index. But you can substitute chana dal for garbanzo beans in just about any recipe.

Chana dal is the split kernel of a variety of chickpea known as desi or bengal gram. It has a sweet and earthy flavor, and the cooked bean is about the size and shape of a corn kernel. Chana Dal is one of the many lentils used to make dal, the family of Indian lentil dishes that form the foundation of Indian cuisine.

Chana Dal makes a quick-cooking, exotic addition to dals, soups, curries, dips, pilafs, fritters, salads, casseroles, and rice or whole grain dishes. Toss them in a little olive oil and your favorite spices and roast them in the oven for a wonderfully tasty, healthy snack.

In Short:
Chana dal is high in fiber and helps to lower cholesterol.
It also has a very low glycemic index, which is important for those with diabetes.
Chana dal is a helpful source of zinc, folate, calcium and protein.
It is low in fat and most of it is polyunsaturated.
Chana dal is extremely delicious in taste, full of nutritious and can be digested easily.

So friends, why not make this lentil a must have food in our diet, when we know it's gonna make a difference. So this time I made Stuffed Paratha with Chana Dal. We had them with Raita, Salad and also some potato curry. Very filling and very healthy Lunch for us. It will be for you as well once you try your hands on these Parathas. let me know by dropping comment to the post, how they turn out for you and family. Until next time.......Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:

Chana Daal / Split Bengal Gram         - 1 cup soaked overnight and boiled in 1 cup water
Carom Seeds/Ajwain                           - 1 tspoon
Asafetida                                              - 1 pinch
Garam Masala                                      - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                                                       - to taste
Red Chili powder                                 - 1/4 tspoon
Amchoor                                               - 1/2 tspoon
Fresh Coriander                                    - 1 tblspoon
Oil                                                         - 1 tspoon

For Crust/Outer Layer:

Whole-Wheat Flour                              - 2 cups
Garam Masala                                       - 1/4 tspoon
Salt                                                        - to taste
Red Chili powder                                  - 1/4 tspoon
Amchoor                                               - 1/2 tspoon
Oil                                                         - 1 tspoon + 3 tblspoon
Water                                                    - to knead the dough

Method:

First prepare the dough. Mix Flour, Powdered spices, and 1 tspoon oil in a big mixing bowl.
Knead it with the help of water and make a smooth pliable dough.

Keep the dough aside covered with a damp cloth.
Now on to the stuffing. In a small bowl, mix together the Chana Daal, Carom Seeds, Asafetida, Garam Masala, Salt, Amchoor and red chili powder.
In a heavy bottom Pan, add tspoon of oil and warm it.
Add the Daal mixture into the pan and mix well.
Mash it while mixing and stirring continuously.

Cook it until the moisture is gone and the lentil mixture starts to leave the pan and stick around your spatula.

Take the mixture out on a plate and let it cool down.
Now knead the dough again. Divide the dough into 6-8 pieces. Depending on the size of Paratha you like.
Roll and pat all of the dough pieces to 3 cm round by hand.
Place 1 tablespoon of filling on each dough piece and pinch them from all sides and seal them to form a ball again.

Roll the stuffed balls by hand and gently with the rolling pin roll that balls into a 6 in round circle to make stuffed parantha.

Heat a Griddle on medium heat.
Shallow fry the paratha on the griddle from both sides until golden brown and crunchy.

Repeat this process with all the Rolled Parathas.

Serve the Parathas with Raita/Yogurt Dip, Pickle, Curry and Salad.

Eggless Whole Wheat Blueberry & Nuts Muffin

Sometimes, you want to make something delicious, sweet yet healthy for your kids. You also do not want to waste a lot of time making it. So was my thinking this morning, I wanted to treat my kids with something sweet but wanted to save my time as well. Mornings are busy, super busy with pampered kids in my house.

Gathered few basic ingredients and made these awesome tasting muffins. I ate 3 myself, God it was a pure sin during my exercise challenges. But I ate and I do not regret for that. I can do some more running but can not leave my treats for weight.

So the case was making muffins, Made blueberries muffin with some coarse mixed nuts and used wholewheat flour instead of plain flour. Recently heard a lot about Plain flour and it's dis-advantages, making me use more and more wholewheat flour.

Well, it's very easy and simple recipe. Ingredients will all be available in your kitchen and it takes hardly 30 minutes of your time. I'm sure now this will temp you to try your hands on this recipe. Don't forget to comment below. Until next time.......Happy Cooking Friends, Saumya

Ingredients:

Blueberries                           - 1 cup
Coarse Nuts                          - 1/4 cup (Almond, Cashewnuts, Pistachio)
Raisins                                  - 10-15
Plain flour                             - 2 tblspoon
Wholewheat Flour                - 1 heaped cup
Baking Soda                          - 1/2 tspoon
Baking Powder                      - 1/2 tspoon
Brown Sugar                          - 1/2 cup
Oil                                          - 2 tblspoon
Yogurt                                    - 1/2 cup
Water                                      - 1/2 cup

Method:

Coat the blueberries in the plain flour, keep aside.
Preheat the oven to 180c. Line a muffin tray with 10 muffin liners.
Mix Flour, Baking soda and baking powder well in a deep mixing bowl.
In another bowl, mix sugar, oil and yogurt until sugar is dissolved.
Now combine the dry and wet ingredients together.
Mix it well to avoid any lumps with the help of water. I added exactly 1/2 cup of water.
Once mix well fold the nuts, raisins and blueberries in the batter.
The batter will be on the thicker side, do not add any more liquid to make it thinner.
Blueberries leave their juices while cooking so we need the batter a bit thicker.
Distribute the batter equally in the muffin liners.
Bake the muffins on 180c for 15-20 minutes or until the inserted toothpick comes out clean.
Once baked take them out of the oven and keep them on the cooling rack until they are cool enough to handle with bare hands.
I bake these for morning breakfast, so served them warm.
You can cool them completely and store them in the fridge for use as dessert or sweet treat.
Simple, easy and quick recipe of lovely soft and spongy muffins. My family loved them on breakfast, I'm sure yours will too.

Methi Wala Daal ka Dulha

Daal ka Dulha is a traditional UP and Bhojpuriya delicacy. As the name sounds it's made with Lentils/Daal. Some people use Moong Daal, some use Toor/Arhar Daal to make it. Its an all-in-one recipe like Daal and Roti made together. Tangy and spicy daal contains spiced wheat flour dumplings in it, which makes it a wholesome food.

I love to experiment in my kitchen. When I was little my mum use to make this dish with just flour dumplings with any major changes in the recipe (Which is carried over since decades). Today when I thought to make it, I did add my twist to it.I made wheat flour dumplings with some Fenugreek leaves in them. So that it's not just Daal Roti, Instead it's Daal Roti and Sabzi.

My mum use to add some whole raw mangoes (Peeled) called "Kairi/Amiya" into it in place of tomatoes. In the olden days people never used tomatoes in any daal. Instead the Daal always have had raw / dried mangoes in them to give them the sourness. Me and my siblings use to fight over those cooked sour mangoes in our plates.

Making this dish in my kitchen took me to those golden days of childhood, which we always treasure. I know I do, do you treasure your childhood days?????? I'm sure everyone does.

Here comes another authentic dish from Saumya Ki Rasoi. "Methi Wala Daal ka Dulha / Methi Daal Pithora/ Dal Dhokli / Dal Tikiya" . No matter what you call it at your place, it tastes amazing. I'm sure you will try this and let me know what you think about this. Don't forget to comment below :) Until next time.......Happy Cooking Friends!!!!

Ingredients:

Daal:
Split Yellow Lentil/Tuar Daal       - 1 cup
Tomato                                           - 1 cup chopped
Turmeric powder                         - 1 teaspoon
Amchoor powder                         - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafetida                                        - 1 pinch
Salt                                                - to taste

Dough Dumplings:
Wheat flour                                - 1 cup
Methi Leaves                                 - 1/2 cup chopped
Carom Seeds/Ajwain                     - 1/2 tspoon
Salt                                                 - to taste
Red Chili Powder                           - 1/4 tspoon

Tempering :
Oil / Ghee                                       - 1 tblspoon
Garlic                                         - 5 cloves
Cumin seeds                                 - 1 teaspoon
Whole red Chilli                             - 2
Coriander leaves                         - 2 tblspoon chopped for garnish


Method:

Wash and soak the Toor Daal for about 10 minutes.

Pour Daal into a pressure cooker and add chopped tomato, turmeric powder, asafetida, and salt.

Pressure cook it for about 4 whistles or till the lentils cooked properly and tomatoes are mixed thoroughly.

In a mixing bowl, take flour, carom seeds, salt, red chili powder and Methi leaves.

Add little amount of water to knead the dough. Dough should be stiff but smooth.

Take an tennis size ball from the dough and roll it like a thick chapatti then cut out the desired shapes out of it.

I used my cookie cutters to cut out fun shapes for kids.

Boil 2 glass of water along with 1 teaspoon salt in big pan.

Add the dough shapes in the water and boil them until they float on the water.

Take the shapes out from the water and add it into Daal. Give it another boil.

Heat the tadka pan with oil/ghee and add the chopped garlic, whole red chili and  cumin seeds.

Once garlic starts to turn golden switch off the flame and pour the tadka over Daal ka Dulha.

Garnish with copped coriander.
Serve with some Boondi raita, Pickle and Salad. I'm sure your family will enjoy this Methi Wala Daal ka Dulha.