Category: EXPERIMENTAL

Wheat & Oats Cookies.

Lockdown has led to cravings for sweets and savouries.

Tried these delish looking cookies and they tasted heavenly!!!

The aroma that filled the kitchen was so refreshing and tempting that within minutes of baking the cookies disappeared.

My family loved them so very much.

Would bake more of such cookies with some variations…….

Ingredients:

Wheat flour – 3/4 cup

Oats flour -1/4 cup

Butter – 1/4 cup

Almonds bits – 2 table spoons.

Vanilla essence – 1 small spoon.

Jaggery powder – 1/2 cup.

Baking powder – 1/2 t spoon.

Salt – less than a quarter spoon.

Milk – 1.5 spoon.(Room temperature)

Method:

In a deep bowl pass the wheat flour, oats flour and baking soda through a sieve and sift them twice.

This step is important to get a good texture.

You may use the normal oats and powder them.

Keep the sifted dry ingredients aside.

Now in another deep bowl, beat the melted butter slowly using the manual beater.

Add the jaggery and beat until it gets fluffy.

This will take less than five minutes.

Now add the vanilla essence and salt.

Now slowly add the sifted flour to the butter and sugar mixture and make a dough using the milk.

Divide the dough into 12 to 13 small balls.

Flatten the balls with the help of your palms.

Now grease the baking tray and keep a parchment paper on it.

Place the slightly flattened cookie balls on the parchment paper leaving an inch of space as they rise a bit while baking.

Preheat the oven to 170 degrees for 10 minutes.

Now bake the cookies at 170 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes.

Allow to cool and then store them in airtight jars .

Enjoy them with family , with tea coffee or milk.

Note:

You may use plain or brown sugar in place of jaggery.

namithaskitchen2 Comments

Pointed Gourd Rolls

Pointed Gourd also known a Parwal is mostly grown in india and some of the Asian countries.

It aids digestion, detoxifies the body and also purifies the blood.

It has many health benefits and is easy to cook. It’s rich in vitamin C sand B. Helps aid digestion.

Today I tried making some pointed gourd rolls which I was glad I tried. It turned out perfect and yummy. My family enjoyed them.

Ingredients:

Milk Powder – 1 cup

Powdere sugar – 2 table spoons.

Ghee – 2 table spoons

Cardamom powder – 1/2 spoon

Pista flakes – 2 table spoons

Pointed gourd – 4

Soda bi carbonate -1/4 spoon

Water – 1 cup

Cashew nut powdered – 2 spoons

Milk – 1/2 cup( cold )

Method:

Peel the pointed gourd and slice them into tiny bits.

Add them to boiling water to which soda bicarbonate is added.

Blanch them for 2-3 minutes and drain the water.

This step is essential to retain the green colour of the pointed gourd.

Now put them in cold water for a minute and strain them. Pat them dry on a dry cloth or tissue.

In a bowl add the cup of milk powder and ghee.

With the help of your fingers lightly rub the mixture to get a grainy texture.

Once it turns grainy in texture add in the powdered sugar, cardamom powder, cashew powder and the blanched pointed gourd bits.

Now add in the milk spoon by spoon to get a soft dough.

Heat a pan and sauté the mixture for 5-6 mins on low heat until the mixture turns into a ball and leaves the pan

You may grease your hand with some ghee so that it does not get sticky.

Wrap the dough in a foil or cling film and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for about 45 minutes.

Roll each piece over the slivered pista or pista flakes.

Refrigerate for another half and hour or so.

Please note the amount of milk to knead may be less than what is mentioned.

Also you may increase the sugar as per your preference.

namithaskitchen

Coconut and rose flavoured milk rolls.

This year during Deepavali , a Festival of Lights, I tried this new recipe which turned out delicious. The roasted desiccated coconut gave a lovely flavour to the roll.The rose syrup and the glazed cherry bits gave the love polish hue to the roll.

Ingredients:

Desiccated Coconut roasted – 1 cup

Milk powder – 1.5 cups

Glazed cherries -5-6 pieces.

Cashew powder – 2 table spoons.

Milk – 1/2 cup

Ghee – 3 table spoons

Rose syrup – 1 spoon.

Method:

I’m a bowl add the milk powder and a spoon of melted ghee and rub the mixture lightly with your finger tips. Add about 2 to 3 table spoons of milk and rub them all together with light finger movements.

Now add the rest of the milk, roasted desiccated coconut and cashew powder and prepare the dough kneading lightly.

Heat a non stick pan and add a spoon of ghee and the dough. Keep moving your hands quickly for 5-6 minutes until the dough begins to form a ball.

Now add in the cherry bits and the rose syrup and mix well.

Take an aluminium foil and apply some ghee to it.

Put the mixture on rhe aluminium foil and try to make a thin roll along with the foil. Tuck the edges and refrigerate it for 40 minutes.

Open the foil and slice the roll into thin slices. The knife may get sticky so wife it every time you slice it in order to get perfect slices. Now lightly press the pistachio slivers over each slice lightly and enjoy them.

Since both the dessicated coconut, milk powder and rose flavour are sweet in nature., I have not used any sugar or sweetener .

If you wish it to be sweeter then you may add in a table spoon of icing sugar.

namithaskitchen

Taro Chilli Roast

A no onion garlic recipe which was tasty and full of flavour.

Ingredients:

Taro – 1 cup sliced into 1 cm roundels.

Oil or ghee – 1.5 table spoons

Tamarind paste – 1 t spoon

Water – 2 cups

Tomato – 1 diced

Mustard-1/4 spoon

Curry leaves – 1 sprig.

Chilli powder – 1 t spoon

Asafoetida – 2-3 pinches

Turmeric – less than 1/4 spoon

Cumin Powder – 1 t spoon.

Coriander leaves – 1 table spoon fine chopped.

Salt as per taste.

Method:

In a small vessel heat some water and add in the peeled and sliced taro slices and simmer for 4 minutes.

Put off the flame and in a colander strain it and hold it under a open tap for 30 seconds.

This step is done to remove the slimy texture.

Now heat another cup of water and boil the taro for two more minutes.

Add salt and the tamarind paste and keep aside.

In a pan heat the ghee and add in mustard and curry leaves and as it sputters toss in the diced tomatoes and sauté for a minute.

Now add salt, turmeric, asafoetida, cumin powder and chilli powder and sauté for about two minutes.

Finally add the cooked taro slices and lightly mix them.

Sauté on low flame for another two minutes and garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.

namithaskitchen

Cassava Root/Tapioca Cutlets.

Ingredients:

Cassava root – 4 to 5 Inch piece

(Peel them and then steam them)

Fresh green peas – 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

Onion sliced – 1 big one

Roasted rava -1 table spoon

Corn flour – 1 table spoon

Green chilli- 2 sliced finely

Amchur powder – less than 1/4 spoon

Red chilli powder – 1/2 spoon

Saunf powder -1/2 spoon.

Bread crumbs or suji rava – 1 cup (to roll the cutlets before you tawa fry the cutlets.)

Method:

In a pan heat 2 table spoons of oil and then add the onions, green chilli and amchur powder.

Mix well and then add the fresh peas and salt and sauté for about 3 to 4 minutes until the peas are cooked. mash them slightly and mix well.

Now add the mashed Casava root,corn flour, Suji rawa, sauf powder and mix well so that they form a lump.

If it’s sticky add a little oil and a table spoon of bread crumbs.

Now make small balls and flatten them between you palms and roll them on the plate of bread crumbs.

(You may use suji, bread crumbs or even toast crumbs to roll the cutlets.)

Now smear a little oil on a pan and roast the cutlets on both the side turning them gently.

Enjoy with sauce or chutney of your choice.

namithaskitchen

Cassava Root/Tapioca Root Parathas

Cassava root or Tapioca root has low nutritional value and is full of carbohydrates. It’s mostly used as a thickening agent in curries, puddings and soups.

Those who are allergic or intolerant to wheat or gluten can consume it.

I normally steam the peeled root and enjoy it with fresh butter or cream with a little salt and coarsely ground pepper. At times make some dry stir fry after partially steaming them.

Today I tried my hand at preparing some parathas out of the steamed root.Cassava in itself is a binding agent and can be kneaded into a soft dough once the steamed cassava root comes to room temperature.

In order to increase nutrition I have added a tablespoon of ghee and some wheat flour while kneading the root.

The result was super soft parathas. Sure to include this in our diet.

Ingredients:

Cassava / Tapioca Root – 1 cup

Wheat flour – 1/2 cup

Ghee – 1 tablespoon

Warm Water – 1/2 cup

Salt as per taste

Method:

In a deep bowl mash the steamed Tapioca root.

Add salt, wheat flour and by sprinkling a little water knead it lightly into a soft dough.

Add ghee and knead again till it becomes a soft dough.

Keep it covered and allow it to rest.

After about 15 to 20 minutes divide the dough into uniform sized balls.

Roll them with a rolling pin into parathas

Heat the iron roti tawa/pan and roast them on both sides until done.

You may smear some ghee if you wish.

Enjoy these soft parathas with accomplishment of your choice.

namithaskitchen