cardamom – Batter Up With Sujata

Besan Or Chickpea Flour Cookies/Nankhatai

Besan or chickpea flour/garbanzo flour nankhatai or Indian shortbread cookies. Texture of these delectable cookies are light, flaky and crisp outside. And inside of the cookies are melt in mouth. You can feel the burst of flavour of ghee or clarified butter, baked chickpea flour or besan and cardamom.

What is nankhatai

Nankhatai are shortbread biscuits originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular in Northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. The word nankhatai is derived from the Persian word naan meaning bread and khatai from a Dari Persian word meaning biscuit. Source – Wikipedia

You can make these nankhatai with different flavour. Here are some different types of nankhatai from this blog.

1. Multigrain chocolate nankhatai

2. Whole wheat coffee jaggery nankhatai

3. Gluten free rose nankhatai

4. Orange nankhatai

5. Oats thandai nankhatai

6. Nankhatai

You don’t need any fancy ingredients to make these superbly delicious cookies. All the ingredients are easily available in your pantry. Main ingredient is besan or chickpea flour or garbanzo flour.

And flavoured with cardamom powder. Baked besan and cardamom will give a wonderful taste and flavour.

Also used semolina or suji with whole wheat flour or atta to give a crispy texture. You can use butter to make these cookies but better to use ghee or clarified butter. Aroma of ghee made these cookies heavenly. You can use shredded almond or cashew nuts in the dough. I didn’t but used some cashew nuts and pistachio for garnishing. But this step is optional. You can also make the cookies without nuts if you want. Do try and after tasting these cookies, I am sure you will never buy nankhatai from store. Homemade nankhatai are much better than store bought.

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Recipe

Besan or chickpea flour – 1 cup

Atta or whole wheat flour – 1/2 cup

Semolina or suji – 2 tablespoon

Powdered sugar – 3/4 cup

Ghee or clarified butter – 3/4 cup

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Baking soda – 1/4 teaspoon

Milk – 2 tablespoon or as required

Cashew nuts and pistachio as required

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 170°. Grease a baking tray or line with parchment paper.

2. In a bowl mix besan or chickpea flour, atta or whole wheat flour, semolina or suji, cardamom powder, baking powder and soda.

3. In a large bowl whisk melted ghee or clarified butter and powdered sugar. Whisk till mixture becomes creamy. If the weather is hot use room temperature ghee. No need to melt the ghee.

4. Now add all the dry ingredients. Combine everything to make a dough. In chilled weather ghee solidify quickly so if require add little milk to make a smooth dough. Or you can also add 2-3 tablespoon more ghee if you want. I used 2 tablespoon milk because my kids like crisp cookies. If you want mouth melting cookies skip milk and add 2-4 tablespoon more ghee to make a smooth dough.

5. Make small balls. I made 26 cookies with this dough. Press the balls gently with your palm and arrange on the greased or lined baking tray. Don’t forget to leave some space between the cookies.

6. Place half cashew nut on the middle of the every cookies. Press gently. You can also use pistachio or almond. I have used cashew nuts and pistachio. You can also use both on every cookies.

7. Bake in preheated oven for 12 minutes or till edges becomes light brown. Take out the cookies immediately after baking. I have made the cookies in two batches. And taken out the first batch after a few minutes. Colour of the cookies becomes brown. So don’t leave the cookies in hot oven after baking. Take out the baking tray from oven immediately after baking.

8. Enjoy the delicious cookies or nankhatai when completely cool down. Or store in airtight container for later use.

Happy baking!

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Saffron Rice With Pickled Jalapeno And Ginger Julienne

Saffron rice with pickled jalapeno and ginger julienne. A no onion garlic aromatic rice with fried paneer or cottage cheese cubes, saffron or kesar and all the aromatic whole spices. Easy to make and absolutely delicious one pot rice dish. You can enjoy it without any side dish. Add lots of dry fruits of your choice and enjoy.

I used pickled jalapeno because I love the taste but if you want you can use chopped green chilli instead. Or you can use little more pickled jalapeno pieces if you like. It will be a great party dish with spicy curries. You may like some more one pot rice recipes on this blog. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Mexican green rice

2. Tricolor rice

3. Carrot rice

4. Mexican rice

5. Beetroot rice

6. Mint rice

7. Spanish moulded rice

8. Aloo chutney pulao

9. Korean rice or Korean egg fried rice

10. Corn peas barista fried rice

11. Easy pulao or one pot rice

Sending this post to 266 #Foodiemonday bloghop. This week’s theme is Exotic Saffron suggested by Mayuri Patel who blog at Mayris Jikoni. Mayuri is a very talented blogger. She always amazed us with her different continental, traditional and baked dishes. You will definitely love her different types of bread recipes. I have to try her Onion olive bread, Semolina sesame seed bread and many more. Also check out her different mouthwatering cake recipes.

Long grain basmati rice is best for this recipe. But you can also use any aromatic rice like Gobindobhog rice, Indrayani rice etc. Long grain rice looks good. As I mentioned above if you don’t have pickled jalapeno, use chopped green chilli instead. You can use cauliflower, beans, carrot or any vegetable in this rice. Chop and fry the vegetables before adding to the rice. If you don’t like to use ginger julienne then you can use minced or grated ginger. Serve this delicious and flavorful rice with any spicy curry. I have served it with dim kosha or spicy egg curry. I will share the recipe soon.

Recipe

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Saffron – 1/2 teaspoon

Green peas – 1/2 cup

Pickled Jalapeno – 8 – 10 pieces

Ginger – 1 inch piece, julienned

Paneer or cottage cheese – 1/2 cup, cubed

Cashew nuts – 2 tablespoon

Raisins – 2 tablespoon

Green cardamom – 4

Cloves – 4

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Mace or javitri – 2 strands

Star anise – 1

Bay leaf – 1

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Sugar – 1/2 to 1 teaspoon or to taste

Turmeric powder – 1/4 + 1/4 teaspoon

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tablespoon

Water – 2 & 1/2 cup

Method

1. Rinse the rice well. Soak in sufficient water for 15 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.

2. Mix saffron with 1/4 cup hot water.

3. Cut the paneer or cottage cheese into small cubes. Marinate with little salt and 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder.

4. Peel and chop the ginger into thin slices to make julienne.

5. Chop the pickled jalapeno into small pieces.

6. Crush green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a mortar pestle.

7. Heat oil in a wok. Fry the cashew nuts. When cashews becomes light brown remove from oil.

8. Now fry the marinated paneer or cottage cheese cubes till brown. Remove the paneer cubes from oil.

9. Add ghee or clarified butter. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, star anise, mace or javitri, crushed green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.

10. When cumin seeds starts to splutter add ginger julienne and fry for a minute. If you are using green chilli add it with ginger julienne.

11. Add turmeric powder, pickled jalapenos and green peas. Stir well.

12. Add drained rice, salt, sugar, fried paneer or cottage cheese cubes Stir and saute for 1 – 2 minutes or till the rice coated well with ghee.

13. Add saffron mixed water, fried cashew nuts, raisins and remaining water. Mix well. When water starts to rolling boil, cover and cook on high flame for 15 minutes.

14. Reduce the heat. Stir the rice. Cover and cook again on low heat for 10 minutes or till the rice becomes soft and water absorbed completely. Keep checking in between. If you want more soft rice then you can add 1/4 cup water more and cook for a few minutes more. Fluff the rice gently.

15. Garnish with fried paneer cubes, ginger julienne, saffron, jalapeno and fried cashew nuts. Serve hot with raita or any spicy curry. You can get some curry recipes here.

Notes

1. You can use more dry fruits if you want.

2. If you don’t have pickled jalapeno use 2-3 chopped green chilli.

3. Small pieces of cauliflower, beans or any vegetable can be used with rice. Fry the vegetable pieces before adding in the rice.

4. If you don’t have star anise omit it.

5. You can use minced or grated ginger instead of ginger julienne.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Doi Potol Or Pointed Gourd / Parwal In Yogurt Gravy

Doi potol or pointed guard/parwal in yogurt gravy. A no onion garlic delicious and flavorful parwal curry from Bengali cuisine made with a blend of aromatic spices and yogurt.

Soft whole parwal or pointed gourd in spices infused rich aromatic gravy is best accompany with steamed rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha, puri or any bread. All the spices, yogurt or curd, poppy seeds, melon seeds and cashew nuts will make your parwal curry rich and mouthwatering. You may like some more parwal or pointed gourd recipes on this blog. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Stuffed pointed gourd or potol dolma

2. Pointed gourd with poppy seeds and coconut

3. Paneer stuffed parwal mithai

4. Pointed gourd with poppy seeds

Sending this post to Facebook group Healthy Wealthy Cuisine for Satwik Treat theme suggested by Ruchi Shah who blog at Ruchis Veg kitchen. I love her vast collection of recipes. I recently bookmarked her Pinwheel samosa and Pressure cooker khandvi recipe to try. Do visit her space for many more wonderful recipes.

Check out the recipes of my fellow bloggers on this theme.

Bhindi kadhi by Preethi

Creamy pine nuts pasta by Shalu

Coconut rice by Jayashree

Satvik paneer butter masala by Poonam

Moong dal dosa by Ruchi

I have used cashew nuts in the recipe. But you can use almonds if you want. Any unsweetened thick yogurt can be used to make this parwal or pointed gourd curry. I have used homemade curd. To grind poppy seeds easily first dry grind the poppy seeds and then add other ingredients to grind. Or soak the poppy seeds in hot water for 15 minutes or microwave for 1 minutes to make smooth paste.

Recipe

Parwal or pointed gourd – 10 – 12

Ginger – 1/2 inch piece

Green chilli – 2 – 3 or to taste

Curd or yogurt – 4 tablespoon

Poppy seeds or khaskhas – 2 tablespoon

Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon

Melon seeds – 1 tablespoon

Cumin or jeera powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander or dhania powder – 1 tablespoon

Kashmiri red chilli powder – 2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon

Green cardamom – 3

Cloves – 3

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Bay leaf – 1

Salt to taste

Sugar – 1/2 to 1 teaspoon or to taste

Mustard oil – 3 tablespoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 teaspoon

Method

1. Wash the pointed gourd or parwal well. Cut off both the ends. Peel in strips. Make slits on both sides. Parwal should be intact.

2. Rinse again and drain the water. Marinate the parwal with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and little salt. Keep aside.

3. Soak the melon seeds and cashew nuts in hot water. Grind the poppy seeds to make powder or you can also soak the poppy seeds in hot water or microwave for 1 minute.

4. Now grind ginger, green chilli, soaked cashew nuts and melon seeds with poppy seeds. Add little water to make smooth paste. You can also grind ginger and 1 – 2 green chilli separately.

5. In a bowl mix cumin powder, coriander powder, 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder and Kashmiri red chilli powder with 3 tablespoon water.

6. Crush the green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a mortar pestle.

7. Heat mustard oil in a pan or wok. Fry the marinated parwal from all the sides till light brown. Remove from oil.

8. In the same oil add bay leaf and crushed green cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.

9. Stir and add mixture of cumin, coriander, turmeric and Kashmiri red chilli powder. Fry the spices on low heat for 2 – 3 minutes or till oil leaves the sides.

10. Now add all the ground mixture and saute for 2 -3 minutes again. Add fried parwal, salt and sugar. Mix well. Saute till parwal coated with spices. Add 1 cup water and cover the pan. I have made thick gravy but you can add more water to make thin gravy. I sometime do so. You can add 2 – 3 slit green chilli if you want.

11. Cover and cook on low medium heat for 5 – 6 minutes or till the parwal becomes soft. But be careful parwal should be intact.

12. Whisk the curd well. Add well beaten curd in the curry. Remember to keep the flame low while adding curd. Mix well. Cook on low heat for 3 – 4 minutes. You can add little more water if required to make thick gravy. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

13. Add ghee or clarified butter and switch off the heat.

14. Serve with steamed rice, pulao, jeera rice, roti, paratha, puri or any bread.

Notes

1. Add green chilli according to your taste.

2. Almond can be used instead of cashews.

3. Ghee or clarified butter is optional. If you don’t like skip it.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Oats Date Dry Fruits Modak / Sugar Free Modak

Happy Ganesh Chaturthi. May God bless you all 🙏 Celebrating 5th year blog anniversary. Thanks to all my readers for your love support and encouragement. 5 years with 500 posts, its possible because of you. Thanks a lot to everyone.

Oats date dry fruits modak. Not authentic but a super healthy sweet for health conscious people. Sugar free and low calorie delicious modak made with reduced skimmed milk, oats, dates and dry fruits. Sweetened with natural sweetener dates and raisins only. A healthy treat for kids and adults both.

You can make modak by using modak mould or shape with your hand or make barfi or fudge. I have made modak using modak mould. You can easily shape them into modak with your hands. And used my sandesh mould to shape remaining mixture.

Earlier shared three more modak recipes.

Stuffed chocolate modak

Quick dry fruit coconut modak

Gulkand stuffed chocolate modak

I have used gluten free oats to make these modak. Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. Many studies have shown that the beta-glucan fiber in oats is effective at Oats are an incredibly nutritious food packed with important vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. In addition, they’re high in fiber and protein compared to other grains. Oats contain some unique components — in particular, the soluble fiber beta-glucan and antioxidants called avenanthramides. Benefits include lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, protection against skin irritation and reduced constipation. In addition, they are very filling and have many properties that should make them a weight loss friendly food. At the end of the day, oats are among the healthiest foods you can eat. To read more benefits of oats click here.

Earlier shared some oats recipes on this blog. Get the recipes here.

Modak sweetened with dates.

Dates boast an impressive nutrient profile but are quite sweet. Yet, they’re packed with fiber, which helps your body absorb its sugars more slowly. When eaten in moderation, they’re a safe and healthy choice for people with diabetes. Source

According to experts, diabetics can also benefit from the high fiber content of dates. It is okay to eat 2-3 dates a day for diabetics so long as they exercise caution and maintain healthy eating habits overall. Source

So diabetic people can also enjoy these modak but in moderation. You may like some more recipes with dates on this blog. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Sugar free carrot cake

2. Sugar free carrot bottle gourd fudge or barfi

3. Sugar free mawa nariyal peda

4. Sugar free sheer khurma or vermicelli pudding

5. Sugar free date sandesh

6. Sugar free mango coconut laddu

7. Date walnut fudge or barfi

8. Sugar free low calorie gajar halwa

9. Date walnut muffins

10. Vegan smoothie bowl

11. Date oats cookies

12. Watermelon date tulsi almond smoothie

Sending this post to 261 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Milky Way suggested by Swaty Malik who blog at Food Trails. Swaty suggested to share recipes with any form of milk. I am sharing a recipe with khoya/mawa or reduced milk. Swaty has a wonderful blog with many mouthwatering and healthy recipes. You will definitely love her Ganesh Chaturthi special recipes. And I also bookmarked her super healthy Oats jaggery laddu to try. Do visit her space for many more recipes.

I have used almond, cashew nuts and raisins but you can use any dry fruits of your choice. You can also stuff the modak with chopped dry fruits. If you want your modak more sweet add 5-6 dates and 2 tablespoon more raisins. We like mild sweetness so its perfectly sweet for me. Soak the dates and raisins in hot milk or boil with milk and you have to dry roast the oats and dry fruits only. Blend or grind everything and saute the mixture for few minutes. Let it cool down and shape them into modak, laddu or use any mould of your choice. Or you can spread the mixture on a greased plate when hot, level with a spatula, let it cool down and cut into your desired shape to make barfi or fudge. I have made some modak using modak mould and used my sandesh mould to shape remaining mixture.

Video recipe of this healthy and delicious modak 👇

Recipe

Rolled Oats – 1 cup

Almond – 1/4 cup

Cashew nuts – 2 tablespoon

Dates – 3/4 cup, pitted and chopped

Raisins – 2 tablespoon

Milk – 1/4 cup

Khoya/mawa or reduced milk – 3/4 cup

Desiccated coconut – 1/2 cup

Green cardamom – 3 – 4

Rose essence – 1/4 teaspoon

Method

1. In a pan heat 1/4 cup milk with pitted and chopped dates and raisins. When milk starts to boil switch off the heat and keep aside to cool down.

2. Dry roast the almond and cashew nuts for 2 – 3 minutes. Nuts shouldn’t be burned.

3. In a pan dry roast the oats till light brown. Transfer the roasted oats on a plate and let it cool down.

4. Take out the seeds of the cardamom. I have small sized cardamom so used 4. Add the seeds in boiled milk date raisin mixture. Don’t discard the peel. You can add these in tea for lovely flavour.

5. Grind roasted almonds and cashew nuts into a fine powder.

6. Grind roasted oats and keep aside.

7. Now blend milk soaked dates and raisins with cardamom seeds in your mixer grinder or food processor. Add khoya/mawa or reduced milk. I have used homemade khoya or mawa. Get the recipe here. Add 2-3 tablespoon milk for easy blending. Blend everything well till smooth.

8. Heat a heavy bottom or nonstick pan. Add blended milk mixed date, raisins, cardamom seeds and desiccated coconut. Saute for 2 minutes. You can also grind or blend the desiccated coconut with dates, I didn’t.

9. Add ground oats, almonds and cashew nuts. Mix well. Keep stirring. Cook till mixture comes together and becomes like a dough. Remove from heat and let it cool down.

10. Mash the mixture well to make smooth. Make balls and shape them using modak moulds or shape with your hands. Or you can make laddu or use any moulds. Or spread the mixture on a greased plate when hot. Level with a spatula or spoon and cut into your desired shape when cool to make barfi or fudge. I have made some modak and shaped remaining dough with my sandesh mould.

11. Sprinkle desiccated coconut over the modak. This step is optional. Your delicious nutritious and aromatic modak is ready to serve.

Stay happy stay healthy stay safe!

Notes

1. If you want your modak more sweet use 5-6 dates and 2 tablespoon more raisins.

2. You can stuff the modak with chopped dry fruits.

3. Pistachio or any dry fruits can be used with almond, raisins and cashew nuts.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Bengali Sabur Khichuri Or Sabudana Khichdi With Moong Dal

Sabur khichuri or Bengali style sabudana khichdi with moong dal. A simple yet delicious flavorful no onion garlic fasting recipe. You can make it with potato, cauliflower, carrot or any vegetable of your choice.

This khichuri is not like North Indian sabudana khichdi but a khichdi with sabudana and moong dal or split yellow lentil. On fasting day we usually take one time meal. And it should be vegetarian and without onion garlic and rice. It may be Luchi, Kachodi or Radhabollobhi with Dum aloo or any no onion garlic curry. But this sabudana khichuri is easy and quick to make and better than deep fried foods. I love it simple but sometimes use cubed and fried potato.

I got this recipe from my loving masimaa Utpala Mallick. Usually I spent all my summer vacation with my masimaa, meshomoshai or uncle and my cousins at Ranchi. Masimaa was an excellent cook. I already shared her Orange steamed sandesh. I was a school going girl at that time and never cooked anything. Once she cooked this khichdi on one of her fasting day. I just loved the taste. When she made it in the second time I noticed the method and ingredients. And I made it first time when my maa and masimaa both were not at home. Still remember their surprised face after tasting the khichuri. Both said its too good and perfect. That was a fasting day so I was feeling very happy to see their happy faces. Both my masimaa and mother are left for heavenly abode. But they are always with me in my heart. Learned a lot from maa and her sisters. Do you remember Misti doi recipe? I got it from my sejomashi Gargi Gupta. I will share some more age old recipes soon. Stay tuned.

Its my contribution to 254 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Farali Farmaish suggested by Kalyani Sri who blog at Sizzlingtastebuds. Do visit her blog and YouTube channel for different types of healthy and delicious recipes. I have bookmarked her Coriander garlic walnut pesto and Baked broccoli casserole recipe to try.

Yes we can make luchi puri kachodi anything but this sabudana khichdi is a healthy option for one time meal. After the whole day fasting its better to take something quick and simple food in evening. If you like you can add cubed and fried one potato, fried cauliflower florets, carrot or small pieces of fresh coconut. Add the vegetables before adding water. Vegetables will become soft with dal. Add some more water if using vegetables. You can make the khichdi thick or thin consistency as you like. You can use less ghee or make it with oil and add a dollop of ghee at the end. You can also make it in a pressure cooker. I sometimes do so to save time. You can dry roast the dal before rinsing.

Recipe

Moong dal or yellow split lentil – 1/3 cup

Sabudana or tapioca – 1/4 cup

Grated ginger – 1 teaspoon

Green chilli – 2 – 3

Green cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1/2 inch piece

Cloves – 2

Bay leaf – 1

Water – 5 cup

Ghee or clarified butter – 1 – 2 tablespoon

Cumin seeds – 1/2 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Salt to taste

Sugar to taste

Fried cashew nuts and raisins to garnish, optional

Method

1. Rinse the moong dal and sabudana separately. Drain the water and keep aside. I don’t like sabudana much so used less than moong dal. You can use equal quantity or more sabudana and less moong dal. Choice is yours. I have made it one serving so used little less than 1/3 cup moong dal and 1 tablespoon less sabudana.

2. Crush the cardamom, cloves and cinnamon in a mortar pestle.

3. Heat ghee in a wok or pan. You can use half oil and half ghee. 1 tablespoon ghee is sufficient but I have used 2 tablespoon to enhance the flavour. If you don’t want to use ghee, you can make it with only oil. But add at least 1 teaspoon ghee at the end.

4. Fry the cashew nuts if using. Fry till golden brown and transfer on a plate. Now fry the raisins. When raisins puffed up immediately remove from ghee.

5. In the same ghee add cumin seeds, bay leaf, crushed cardamom, cloves and cinnamon. When cumin seeds start to splutter add grated ginger and 1 chopped green chilli.

6. Stir and add drained moong dal. Fry the moong dal. See notes for more options.

7. When dal starts to change colour add water, salt, turmeric powder and 1 – 2 slit green chilli. Mix well. Cover and cook for 15 minutes or till dal becomes soft.

8. Now add drained sabudana and sugar. Mix and cook again for 5 minutes or until sabudana becomes transparent.

9. You can add more water if you want your khichdi little thin consistency. Taste and adjust the seasoning if required. You can add a dollop of ghee at the end.

10. Garnish with coconut slices, fried cashews and raisins. You can also use chopped cilantro or coriander leaves to garnish. Serve hot with Date raisin jaggery chutney with mango bar, Mango raisin chutney, Instant sweet mango pickle , curd or any no onion garlic vegetable curry.

Notes

1. You can add cubed and fried potatoes, fried cauliflower florets, carrot and small pieces of fresh coconut in the khichdi. Add a little more water if using vegetables.

2. You can also use 1 chopped tomato with grated ginger and green chilli.

3. Add green chilli according to your taste.

4. To make it quickly you can cook it in a pressure cooker if you want. Dry roast the dal before rinsing and add everything when cumin seeds start to splutter.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Oats Tutti Frutti Cookies / Gluten Free Cookies / Jaggery Cookies

Oats tutti frutti cookies with jaggery. Completely gluten free, eggless and sugar free cookies. Crispy crunchy cookies with the flavour of rose and cardamom. You don’t like rose flavour? No problem use vanilla essence, pineapple essence or any other flavour of your choice and enjoy the delicious healthy crispy crunchy cookies.

I have used little protein rich soybean flour with super food oats but if you don’t have soybean flour you can use any flour or use 1/4 cup more ground oats instead of soybean flour. Or you can also use 1/4 cup almond powder to make the cookies more nutritious. A delicious and healthy cookies for kids and adults both. Kids will love these tutti frutti cookies. You can also use any chopped dry fruits of your choice if you don’t like tutti frutti.

Oats are among the healthiest grains on earth. They’re a gluten-free whole grain and a great source of important vitamins, minerals, fiber and antioxidants. Studies show that oats and oatmeal have many health benefits. These include weight loss, lower blood sugar levels and a reduced risk of heart disease. Oats contain some unique components — in particular, the soluble fiber beta-glucan and antioxidants called avenanthramides. Benefits include lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, protection against skin irritation and reduced constipation. In addition, they are very filling and have many properties that should make them a weight loss friendly food. Source – Healthline

You may like some more cookies with oats on this blog. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Oats whole wheat lemon cookies with olive oil

2. Oats whole wheat coffee jaggery cookies

3. Oats cornmeal lemon crinkle cookies

4. Oats almond cranberry cookies

5. Fennel oats millet cookies

6. Ragi oats chocolate cookies

7. Oats whole wheat caraway cookies

8. Oats almond jaggery cookies

9. Pearl millet sesame oats cookies

10. Date palm jaggery oats dry fruits cookies

11. Dates oats cookies

12. Cocoa almond cookies

13. Red velvet choco chips cookies

14. Orange crinkle cookies

15. Oats thandai nankhatai

Monday again and this week’s 253 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is #MunchkinMeals suggested by Narmadha who blog at Nams Corner. A talented blogger Narmadha has a wonderful blog. And she has a vast collection of delicious recipes. You will definitely love her healthy Ragi jaggery cookies, Biscuit cake without oven, Easy chicken fry and many more.

Narmadha suggested to share some kids recipe using any ingredient which kids normally don’t want to eat. So my contribution is this oats cookies with tutti frutti and jaggery. I have used organic jaggery powder. And used tutti frutti because kids love colorful tutti frutti. And used only 5 tablespoon tutti frutti but you can use more if you want. Or use any chopped dry fruits instead of tutti frutti. But tutti frutti will give an extra sweetness.

Recipe

Oats – 1&1/2 cup

Soybean flour – 1/4 cup

Baking powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Baking soda – 1/4 teaspoon

Jaggery powder – 3/4 cup

Melted ghee/clarified butter or butter – 1/3 cup

Rose essence – 1/2 teaspoon

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Tutti frutti – 5 tablespoon + to sprinkle

Milk – 2 tablespoon

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 180°. Grease or line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

2. Grind 1 cup oats into fine powder.

3. In a bowl mix oats powder, remaining 1/2 cup oats, soybean flour, cardamom powder, baking powder and soda.

4. In a large bowl whisk ghee or clarified butter and jaggery powder. Whisk well. Add rose essence and mix well.

5. Now add all the dry ingredients, tutti frutti and milk. Combine everything well. Don’t knead much. You can add more tutti frutti if you want. 1/3 to 1/2 cup tutti frutti can be used. See notes for more options.

6. Just combine and make balls with 1 tablespoon dough. I have made 19 cookies with this dough. Press the balls with your palms gently to make flat.

7. Arrange the cookies on a greased or lined baking sheet 1 inch apart. Sprinkle little tutti frutti over all the cookies. Press gently to stick tutti frutti on the cookies. This step is optional but it will give an attractive look. And kids will love it.

8. Bake in preheated oven at 180° for 10 to 15 minutes or until cookies becomes light golden brown. Don’t overbake.

9. Let the cookies cool down completely on a cooling rack. Serve these crispy crunchy cookies with a glass of milk or store in airtight container for later use.

Notes

1. Any chopped dry fruits can be used instead of tutti frutti.

2. You can use any other flour instead of soybean flour. Or use 1/4 cup more ground oats. Or you can also use almond powder to make the cookies more nutritious.

3. Powdered sugar, unrefined sugar or brown sugar can be used instead of jaggery powder.

4. To make vegan use coconut oil or vegan butter. Instead of dairy milk use coconut milk, almond milk or any plant based milk.

5. You can use vanilla, pineapple or any other essence instead of rose and cardamom.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

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Easy Pulao Or One Pot Rice

Easy to make spicy aromatic and delicious pulao. You need only onion, garlic, tomato and some spices to make this one pot meal.

You can use tomato ginger garlic paste if you want. Or use everything finely chopped, grated or minced. Do as per your convenience. This pulao is enough spicy and delicious but you can serve it with raita or any curry. You can also add green peas, sweet corn, cashews or raisins. I kept it simple to serve with mirchi ka salan. But you can add cashew nuts, raisins, green peas or sweet corn if you want. You can get some more rice recipes on this blog. Click on the name below for recipe.

1. Mexican green rice

2. Tricolor rice

3. Carrot rice

4. Mexican rice

5. Beetroot rice and raita

6. Mint rice

7. Spanish moulded rice

8. Aloo chutney pulao

9. Korean rice

10. Corn peas barista fried rice

Sending this post to Facebook group Healthy Wealthy Cuisine.
This time theme is one pot meal suggested by Shalu Jain who blog at Sunny Family Kitchen. Do visit her blog for different types of mouthwatering recipes.
Check out what my fellow bloggers shared on this theme.

Pressure cooker pulao with croutons and cauliflower by Vanitha

Matar paneer by Shalu

Vegetable masala khichdi by Preethi

Mint pulao by Jayashree

Mushroom tikka biryani by Narmadha

Creamy spinach pasta by Swaty

Baby potato pulao by Sasmita

To make this aromatic rice fry the onion, ginger, garlic, tomato and all the spices in a pressure cooker. Add rice gently mix and add water. Pressure cook for 1 whistle and let pressure settle down on it’s own. Your pulao is ready. Simple isn’t it? You can also add some cashew nuts and raisins if you like. I didn’t. I have served it with Mirchi ka salan .

Recipe

Basmati rice – 1 cup

Onion – 1 large, finely chopped

Garlic – 5 – 6 cloves, minced

Ginger – 1 inch piece, grated

Tomato – 2 large, chopped

Green chilli – 2-3 or to taste, chopped

Green cardamom – 3-4

Black cardamom – 1

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cloves – 4

Mace or javitri – 2 strands

Star anise – 1, optional

Bay leaf – 2 medium

Cumin seeds or jeera – 1 teaspoon

Cumin or jeera powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander or dhania powder – 1 teaspoon

Black pepper powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Red chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Cilantro or coriander leaves – 2 tablespoon, chopped

Salt to taste

Oil or ghee – 2 – 3 tablespoon

Water – 1&1/2 cup

Method

1. Rinse and soak the rice in water for 15 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.

2. Take out the seeds of black cardamom. Discard the outer layer.

3. In a mortal pastel crush green cardamom, seeds of black cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and mace or javitri.

4. Heat oil or ghee in a pressure cooker. You can use only ghee or oil. I have used half ghee and half oil.

5. Add cumin seeds, crushed cardamom, cloves, cinnamon mace, bay leaves and 1 star anise.

6. Now add onion, garlic and green chilli. Fry till onion becomes light brown.

7. Add grated ginger and tomatoes. Stir well. You can also use tomato ginger garlic paste. Add all the spices and salt. Saute till tomato becomes mushy.

8. Add rice and chopped cilantro or coriander leaves. You can also add few mint leaves if you want. Fluff the rice gently.

9. Add water and close the lid. Pressure cook for 1 whistle. After 1 whistle wait for 1 minute and then remove from heat. Remember to switch off the heat before second whistle.

10. Let the pressure settle down on it’s own. Remove the lid and fluff the rice gently. Serve hot with raita or any curry.

Notes

1. Green peas, sweet corn, cashew nuts or raisins can be added in the pulao.

2. You can add more green chilli, black paper or red chilli if you want your pulao more spicy.

3. If you want to cook in open pan add 2 cup of water.

4. You can also make this pulao in rice cooker, instant pot or microwave.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Corn Peas Barista Fried Rice Or Pulao

Corn peas barista fried rice or pulao. If you have rice and barista or fried onions ready then you can make it in a jiffy. A perfect rice dish for your party. Just prepare the rice and barista earlier. You can keep both in refrigerator. Fry and combine everything before serving. Easy isn’t it?

You may like some more rice recipes on this blog.

1. Korean rice or egg fried rice

2. Aloo chutney pulao

3. Spanish moulded rice

4. Mint rice or pulao

5. Beetroot rice

6. Mexican rice

7. Carrot rice

8. Tricolour rice

9. Mexican green rice

This week 240 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Cooking With Rice suggested by Narmadha who blog at Nams Corner. Narmadha has a wonderful blog with many mouthwatering recipes. I recently bookmarked her Chicken fry and Gluten free brownie recipe to try. Do visit her space for different types of delicious recipes.

Usually we store some frozen peas and corn in freezer. And I also keep some fried onions and barista in refrigerator. So if you don’t have much vegetables in your pantry then these stored ingredients comes handy. Make delicious rice with whole spices, barista, frozen sweet corn and green peas and enjoy. Serve it with any non veg curry or any spicy curry or simple raita. I have served it with Dum aloo.

Recipe

Sweet corn – 1 cup, boiled

Frozen peas – 1/2 cup

Onion – 3, thinly sliced

Basmati rice – 1 & 1/2 cup

Bay leaf – 2

Green cardamom – 3

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cloves – 3

Star anise – 1, optional

Mace or javitri – 2 strand

Lemon juice – 1 teaspoon

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tablespoons

Water – 2 cup

Salt to taste

Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon

Oil – 1 tablespoons + to fry the onions

Method

1. Wash the rice well. Soak in water for 15 minutes.

2. Drain and add salt, bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, star anise, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter and 2 cup water. Pressure cook for 1 whistle or microwave for 10 – 12 minute. Fluff the rice gently and discard the bay leaf. Rice shouldn’t be over cooked.

3. Fry the sliced onions till brown to make barista and keep aside.

4. In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and 1 tablespoon ghee. You can skip oil and use 2 tablespoon ghee if you like. Add cumin seeds.

5. When seeds starts to splutter add frozen peas and boiled sweet corn. Add little salt and fry for 2 minutes.

6. Add the rice and fried onion slices. Reserve little barista to garnish. Mix well. Taste and adjust salt if require. Mix gently, rice shouldn’t be break.

7. When everything combines well remove from heat. Garnish with barista or fried onion slices. Serve hot with any mutton or chicken curry or any spicy gravy. Or you can enjoy this aromatic rice with raita only.

Notes

1.You can use green chilli if you want. Add chopped green chilli after adding cumin seeds.

2. Be careful while making rice. Rice shouldn’t be mushy.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.

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Gobhi Palak Paneer Or Cauliflower With Spinach And Cottage Cheese

Gobhi palak paneer or cauliflower with spinach and cottage cheese.
A spicy, rich and delicious curry to serve with any type of bread or rice.
Paneer, cashew nuts, melon seeds and spices made this cauliflower curry rich spicy and mouthwatering.

You may like some more cauliflower recipes on this blog.

1. Cauliflower with ginger julienne

2. Cauliflower with coconut and poppy seeds

3. Fulkopir paturi

4. Spicy cauliflower stir fry

Monday again and our this week’s 228 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is winter delight suggested by Priya Iyer who blog at The World Through My Eyes. Priya is a very talented blogger and a very dear friend. Do visit her space for lots of healthy and yummy recipes. I love her healthy and delicious recipes. Recently loved her Thai pineapple salad. I am going to try it soon.

I have used two winter special vegetables cauliflower and spinach in this curry. We can get all the vegetables round the year these days. But seasonal vegetables taste best. This curry is also perfect for a party side dish. Its goes well with any type of Indian bread or rice dishes. Sauteed and ground onion, tomatoes, garlic, ginger, chili, cashews, melon seeds, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves made this curry thick, creamy and delicious.

Recipe

Cauliflower – 1, medium

Spinach – 100 grams

Paneer or cottage cheese – 1 cup, crumbled

Cashew nuts – 7 – 8

Melon seeds – 2 tablespoon

Onion – 1 large, sliced

Garlic cloves – 5 – 6

Ginger – 1 inch piece

Tomato – 2 medium, chopped

Green chilli – 3 – 4 or to taste, chopped

Green cardamom – 2

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cloves – 3

Oil – 4 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Cumin powder – 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon

Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Garam masala powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Method

1. Cut the cauliflower in small florets. Rinse well and keep aside.

2. Clean wash and chop the spinach.

3. Peel and chop the ginger and garlic roughly.

4. Heat 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add green cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
Add sliced onion, chopped green chilli, ginger and garlic. Fry until onion becomes brown.

5. Add chopped tomatoes and saute till tomatoes becomes mushy.

6. Add cashew nuts, melon seeds and chopped spinach. You can use almond instead of cashew nuts if you want. Use soaked and peeled almonds if using.
Saute till spinach cooked well.

7. Add crumbled paneer or cottage cheese. I have used homemade paneer or cottage cheese. Mix well and saute for 2 minutes. Let the mixture cool down.

8. Now grind into a smooth paste with the help of little water.

9. Heat remaining 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add cauliflower florets and salt. Fry till the florets becomes golden brown.

10. Add ground mixture, cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Mix well.
Saute for 2 minutes or till dried up.

11. Add 2 cup water and mix. When it starts to rolling boil reduce the heat. Cover and cook on simmer for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower becomes tender. Stir in between.

12. Taste and adjust salt if require. You can add little more water if you want more gravy. Or if you want thick gravy or dry curry cook for some more time.
When you get your desired consistency remove from heat.

13. Garnish with onion rings and cilantro or coriander leaves. Serve with steamed rice, pulao, fried rice, jeera rice, roti, paratha, naan, puri or any bread.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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Buckwheat Waterchestnut And Banana Halwa

Buckwheat or kuttu atta,Waterchestnut or singhara atta/flour and banana halwa.
Gluten free, delicious and healthy dessert. This hot halwa is perfect for this cold weather. And its also a tasty and filling fasting recipe.
Nutritious buckwheat flour, low calorie Waterchestnut flour, banana, jaggery and little ghee or clarified butter made this halwa super yummy. You can add 1-2 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter more if you wish. I have used 1 ripe banana but you can use 2 bananas if you want.

Buckwheat is gluten-free, a good source of fiber, and rich in minerals and various plant compounds, especially rutin.
As a result, buckwheat consumption is linked to several health benefits, including improved blood sugar control and heart health.

Water chestnuts are aquatic vegetables that are nutritious and delicious.
They are a great source of antioxidants and other compounds that may help prevent diseases linked with age, such as heart disease and cancer.
Water chestnuts are also highly versatile and can be added to a variety of dishes.
Try adding water chestnuts to your diet today to reap their health benefits.

Bananas are a popular fruit that happens to provide numerous health benefits.
Among other things, they may boost digestive and heart health due to their fiber and antioxidant content.
They may even aid weight loss, as they’re relatively low-calorie and nutrient-dense.
Ripe bananas are a great way to satisfy your sweet tooth. What’s more, both yellow and green bananas can keep you healthy and feeling full.
Source

Jaggery or gur has immense health benefits.
Here are 15 jaggery benefits everyone should know –

1. Prevents constipation: Jaggery activates the digestive enzymes in the body, stimulates bowel movements and thus helps prevent and relieve constipation.

2. Detoxes the liver: Jaggery is a natural body cleanser, further reducing the workload of the liver.

3. Treats flu-like symptoms: Fight symptoms of a cold and cough with the help of gur. All you need to do is mix it with warm water and drink up, or even add it in your tea instead of sugar to reap the benefits.

4. Blood purifier: One of the most well-known benefits of jaggery is its ability to purify the blood.

5. Boosts immunity: Jaggery is loaded with antioxidants and minerals such as zinc and selenium, which in turn help prevent free-radical damage and also boost resistance against infections. Jaggery also helps increase the total count of haemoglobin in the blood.

6. Cleanses the body: Jaggery is one of the best natural cleansing agents for the body, hence it is advised to eat jaggery to remove unwanted particles from the body.

7. Eases menstrual pain: Jaggery, due to its richness in many essential nutrients, is an effective natural treatment for menstrual problems, especially providing relief from cramps.

8. Prevents anaemia: Jaggery is rich in iron and folate which help prevent anaemia by ensuring that a normal level of red blood cells is maintained.

9. Boosts intestinal health: Jaggery also boosts intestinal strength due to its high magnesium content.

10. Cools the stomach: Jaggery helps in maintaining normal body temperature which helps in keeping your stomach cool.

11. Controls blood pressure: Jaggery contains potassium and sodium, which play an important role in the maintenance of acid levels in the body.

13. Relieves joint pain: “If you suffer from aches and pains in your joints, eating jaggery can provide you with much-needed relief”, says Dr. Manoj K. Ahuja, Sukhda Hospital.

14. Weight loss: “Jaggery is surprisingly effective as an aid for weight loss. This is because jaggery is a rich source of potassium, which is a mineral that helps in the balance of electrolytes as well as building muscles and boosting metabolism.

15. Good source of energy: While sugar is a simple carbohydrate that gets absorbed in the bloodstream instantly and gives instant energy, jaggery is a complex carbohydrate that gives energy to the body gradually and for a longer time.
To read more about health benefits of jaggery click here.

Ghee contains good amount of healthy fats, vitamin A, E and D. Although, many of us think that the high content of fat in ghee is bad for health but, if you don’t know this, fat is something which is one of the major nutrients that is required by our body to function properly. Ghee is full of omega-3 fatty acids, which are good fats and are essential for improving the brain and heart health. It also provides a lot of energy to the body. So, overall, we can say that ghee is quite nutritious and healthy.
Source

Monday again and this week’s 226 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is Grandma’s remedies suggested by Narmadha who blog at Nams Corner.
Do visit her space for many wonderful recipes. I have already bookmarked her No bake biscuit nuts cake recipe. I will try it soon.

As a remedy earlier I have shared Turmeric shot with tulsi or holy basil
And Golden smoothie with turmeric and aloe vera.
There are so many other remedies like tulsi and honey. My mom used to make it daily for my daughter. Juice of tulsi or holy basil and honey protect the kids from cold.

Eating a small piece of raw turmeric with jaggery in the morning boost immune system and prevent from seasonal diseases.

Half teaspoon juice of small leaves of harsingar or night jasmine mixed with honey is a very good remedy for kid’s stomach worms. Honey will reduce the bitterness of leaves.
Harsingar leaves also have anti-arthritic properties. Boil the leaves of harsingar or night jasmine in water and strain. This water will reduce the pain and inflammation.

List is so long. This time not like remedy but sharing a nutritious dessert. Weather is too cold and this hot halwa will give some comfort and also soothe a sore throat.

Recipe

Buckwheat flour or kuttu atta – 1/4 cup

Waterchestnut flour or singhara atta – 1/4 cup

Jaggery – 1/3 cup, grated or powdered

Ripe banana – 1

Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tablespoon

Water – 1 cup

Cashew nuts – 1 tablespoon, sliced

Almond – 1 tablespoon sliced

Raisins – 1 tablespoon

Cardamom powder – 1/2 teaspoon

Pistachios to sprinkle

Method

1. Peel and mash the banana and keep aside. You can use 1 more banana if you like.

2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottomed pan or nonstick pan.

3. Add buckwheat and Waterchestnut flour. Fry on low heat until flour starts to change it’s colour. It becomes light brown and you will get a lovely aroma.

4. Add sliced cashews, almonds and raisins. Fry for a minute.

5. Add mashed banana and mixed well. Saute for a minute. Keep the heat low. Flour shouldn’t be burn.

6. Now add jaggery and water. Mix well. Break the lumps with spatula. Increase the heat and keep stirring. Cook until the mixture dried up and comes together.

7. Add cardamom powder, mix and remove from heat. You can drizzle little ghee at the end. I didn’t.

8. If you want to keep it little runny add 1/4 cup water and little more jaggery powder.

9. Garnish with sliced cashews, almonds and pistachios.
Serve hot.

If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata
I would love to see your creations.

I would love to hear from you. Please share your thoughts and suggestions in comment.
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