Ragi (Finger Millet) Laddu

With all your feedback and encouragement, I have reached my 100th post.

Wishing you all a Happy New Year 2012.

Ingredients - Yields - 15 nos

• Ragi / Finger millet flour - 1cup
• Powdered sugar - 3/4 cup (or grated jaggery)
• Raisins - 2 tbsp
• Roasted peanut powder - 2 tbsp
• Chopped nuts - 2 tbsp (optional)
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Warm milk - 2 tbsp

Method

• Heat the pan with 1 tbsp of ghee to fry raisins and nuts until golden brown and keep it aside
• Heat remaining ghee and fry ragi flour for 5 minutes or till slight change in colour
• Remove the flour from the pan to a wide bowl, mix sugar, cardamom powder, roasted nuts, raisins and peanut powder
• Shape them into round balls by adding warm milk
• Store them in an airtight container

Nutritional Information

• Ragi is rich in Calcium, Iron, Protein, Fiber and other minerals. 
• Ragi has low fat content and contains mainly unsaturated fat.
• It is also easy to digest and does not contain gluten
• Each Ragi laddu = 75 calories approximately

Mixture

Variety of Indian snacks mixed together with fried gram, fried poha, roasted peanuts and dry fruits

Ingredients - Serves 6

• Aval / poha mixture
• Ribbon pakoda
• Omapodi
• Butter muruku

Method

• Mix one cup of each snack together in big bowl
• Add some fried cashew nuts and raisins
• Store in air tight container

Nutritional Information

• Per serving = 200 calories approximately

Aval / poha mixture

Quick, healthy and tasty snack

Ingredients - Serves 4

• Thick aval / poha - 1cup
• Roasted peanuts - 1/4 cup
• Split roasted gram - 1/2 cup
• Raisins - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt to taste

Method

• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying and add aval when it pops remove it (do it in batches)
• In the same oil when it is hot enough to fry, add split roasted gram and fry lightly
• In the remining oil fry curry leaves and then raisins
• When the mixture is little warm add required salt, turmeric powder and chilli powder
• Mix well along with roasted peanuts
• Store in a air tight container

Nutritional Information

• Poha is very easily digestable
• Peanuts are good source of folate, naicin, fibre, magnesium and vitamin E
• Per serving = 200 calories approximately

Omapodi / Sev

Flavourful crunchy snack

Ingredients - Serves 6

• Besan flour - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Omam / ajwain - 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt to taste

Method

• Grind omam in a spice grinder or mixer into smooth powder(or soak omam for 1 hour in hot water and grind it into smooth paste and strain it)
• Mix besan flour, rice flour, omam, red chilli powder, asafoetida and salt together
• Sprinkle water little by little  to make a soft pliable dough
• Heat the pan with oil for deep frying
• Fill the murukku press with small portion of dough (use omapodi plate)
• Squeeze the dough in circular motion in hot oil
• Fry till nice golden yellow
• Store it in air tight container

Nutritional information

• Gram flour is rich in protein and has low glycemic index, which helps control diabetes
• Gram flour does not contain gluten and is a great substitute for wheat or all-purpose flour
• Omam helps digestive function and is rich in fiber, minerals, vitamins and anti-oxidants.
• Per serving = 150 calories approximately

Butter murukku

Buttery & spicy Indian savoury

Ingredients - Serves 6

• Rice flour - 1 1/2 cups
• Besan flour - 1/2 cup
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
• Butter - 2 tbsp
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Oil for deep frying
• Salt to taste

Method

• In a big bowl mix rice flour, besan flour, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, asafoetida and salt
• Melt the butter, pour it over and mix well
• Sprinkle water little by little and make a soft dough
• Heat the pan with oil for deep frying
• Fill the murukku press with small portion of dough (use star plate)

• Squeeze the dough in circular motion in hot oil
• Fry till nice golden yellow
• Store it in air tight container

Nutritional information

• Per serving = 175 calories approximately

Badhusha

Badhusha is an Indian sweet made of flour and coated with a layer of sugar

Ingredients - Yields 15

• All purpose flour / maida - 1 1/2 cups
• Butter - 1/4 cup
• Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
• Curd / yogurt - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 cup (for syrup)
• Lemon juice - 2 tbsp
• Chopped nuts for garnishing
• Oil for deep frying

Method

• Heat the pan with sugar and 1/4 cup water to one string consistency (a thin string will be formed when you test between your thumb and forefinger)
• Squeeze lemon juice to the sugar syrup to avoid from crystallizing
• Mix butter, baking soda, yogurt and sugar

• Add it to the flour, the dough will be crumbly

• Carefully sprinkle little water to make a smooth dough(I used 1/8 cup water)

• Divide the dough into 15 lemon sized balls
• Now take a ball, press the edges and turn inwards to make the edges twisted as shown in the video

• Another simple method is just flatten each balls and press lightly in the centre

• Heat the pan with oil, deep fry 4 to 5 badhushas in medium flame to nice golden brown (biscuit brown)

• Dip the badhushas in sugar syrup for 5 minutes and remove it
• Garnish with chopped nuts on top

Nutritional information

• Per piece = 175 calories approximately

Chocolate Burfi

Chocolaty cake is a Diwali treat

Ingredients - Yields 15

• All purpose flour / maida - 1 cup
• Milk powder - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 2 cups
• Cashew nuts - 5 nos (or any nuts)
• Coco powder - 1 tbsp (mixed in 1/4 cup of warm water)
• Ghee - 5 tbsp

Method

• Heat the pan with ghee and fry cashew nuts to golden brown
• Slowly add maida and fry evenly
• Now remove it and mix with milk powder
• In a separate pan add sugar and 1/4 cup water and heat it to one string consistency
• Now reduce the flame to low add coco powder mixed in water and stir well
• Switch off the stove and add maida little by little, keep stirring
• The mixture will be thick (like a ball ) but loose enough to spread over the greased plate

• Allow it cool, when it is slightly warm grease the knife and cut into desired shape

• After it cools completely invert the burfi plate to another plate and gently tap it
• store the burfis in an air tight container

Tips - Sugar syrup consistency is very important, if you miss one string consistency the sweet will get little hard. You can also make burfi by adding food colours

Nutritional Information

• Per piece = 150 calories approximately

Ribbon Pakoda

Ribbon pakoda is a mildly spiced evening snack. This ribbon shaped snack is made of gram flour, which is very healthier compared to other commercially available snacks.

Ingredients - Serves 4

• Bengal gram flour - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1 cup
• Dry chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
• Butter - 2 tsp
• Oil for deep frying
• Water to mix
• Salt to taste

Method

• In a big bowl mix bengal gram flour, rice flour, chilli powder, asafoetida and salt
• Add melted butter and mix well
• Add water little by little to get a nice dough (not to be made very hard or very soft)

• Place ribbon pakoda mold inside the snack maker and stuff with the prepared dough 
• Pour oil in a deep frying pan and allow it to heat
• Squeeze the dough in a circular motion over the hot oil, let it cook until the bubbles stop
• Turn over and allow it to cook until it is golden yellow (not dark brown)
• Cool it and store in an air tight container

Nutritional Information

• Gram flour is rich in protein and has low glycemic index, which helps control diabetes
• Gram flour does not contain gluten and is a great substitute for wheat or all-purpose flour
• 1 Serving = 400 calories approximately