Choco Puffed Millet Chikki

Making puffed millet was an exciting idea. I had previously tried and was successful in popping Jowar( jonna) and Amaranthus seeds. I would say I am 50% successful. Still the overall dish turned out to be good.And for adding Choco kids were the inspiration. They will eat anything with choco flavour. But I have used honey instead of sugar in this recipe. And I want them to eat my healthy recipes ;)

Ingredients : 

Little millet      - 1/4 cup

Pearl millet       - 1/4 cup

Amaranthus seeds - 1/4 cup

Honey                - 1/2 cup

Butter                 - 1/2 cup 

Cocoa powder    - 3- 4 spoons

Peanuts ( slightly pound) - 2- 3 spoons

 Method : 

For Puffing millet : Clean the millet in water and dry. Take a thick bottomed vessel and heat it. When the heat almost reaches maximum, put one spoonful of dried millet at a time. Use a spatula to stir the millet to prevent from burning. with in few seconds they will start popping. This is little tricky until u get the hang of it.

For puffing Amaranthus seeds : On the heated thick vessel, put one teaspoonful of the seeds and cover it. They will pop completely in few seconds. Now repeat the procedure.

Making Chikki : 

Now heat a tava, add butter, cocoa powder and honey, Keep stirring while the butter melts. Once the mix thickens a bit ( not more than 2 minutes), take off from heat, pour over the puffed millets and mix well. Spread it in a plate evenly, pressing from the top with a spatula. Now keep it in refrigerator for two hours with out covering. On taking out cut it in to pieces. 

Variation : My kids wanted a more chocolaty twist to the dish. So they melted some chocolate and poured over the pieces. Needless to say, it was yummier. But with out extra chocolate also it was yummy :)

Oats & Dates cookies with Pearl Millet ( eggless)

We usually love oats cookies and frequently buy from the market. I wanted to add little more health to it and added up packing it up with wholesome goodness of Millets and Dates too, not to mention organic jaggery instead of sugar. It doesn't have egg and very high on nutritional values.

Preparation time : 10 min
Cooking time 12 min

Ingredients :
Pearl Millet flour  - 1/2 cup
Oats                      - 1.5 cups
Chopped dates     - 1/2 cup
Powdered organic jaggery - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp ( optional)
Butter                     - 1/2 cup
Milk                        - 1 to 2 tsp as reqd

Method : 
 Mix all ingredients in a bowl and add very little milk so it becomes a dough with roti consistency. Take small balls and press them in your palms. Preheat the oven at 180 ° C and bake it for 12 min apprx or till the edges become brown. Take out and place on a grill rack to cool.

These turned out to be delicious with soft chewy inside and crispy outside.
Please leave your comments so I can improve and improvise.

Little millet cookies with organic jaggery ( eggless)

Some thing quick and healthy for kids when they come home from school. They have come out well, crunchy and chewy at the same time.

Prep time : 10 min
Cooking time : 12 - 15 min for each batch

Ingredients :

Little Millet flour : 1/2 cup
Whole wheat flour : 1/2 cup
Little millet whole and roasted - 2 spoons
Organic jaggery : 1/2 cup ( grated )
Cold Butter : 1/2 cup (cut in to cubes)
Baking powder : 1/2 tsp
Baking soda : a pinch
Milk : 1 tsp

Method :

Mix all the ingredients slowly with hands. Add very little milk, may be a teaspoon only if necessary. Make it in to roti dough consistency. Make small balls of the size of a lemon and gently press it in your palm to flatten it. Place them on a baking tray giving 2 cms gap between two adjacent cookies. Pre heat oven to 180 ° C. Bake the cookies for about 12 to 15 min till the edges turn to brown. Take them out and place on a grill rack to cool down. 

 Variations : You can use any other millet and add nuts or/and chocochips too. Mine gave a bit of Horlicks flavour which the kids enjoyed wondering and asking each other "how it is so?", "is it really so?:)"

Healthy evening Millet snack - Tappalentu

             I learned this recipe from my friend from Kadapa. Its traditionally made with rice flour. As usual I have to add my twist to it :). I used Prosomillet flour in addition. And it turned out tasty too. These 'tappalentus' are loved by everyone in my family and one of my kid's favorite snacks. 


Preparation time : 40 min
Serves : 4- 5 people

Ingredients : 
Proso millet flour -  1 cup
Rice flour -              1 cup
onion( finely cut ) - 1 medium
Chilli curry leaf paste - 2- 3 spoons
Jeera -                      1/2 tea sp
Coriander leaves (finely chopped) - 2- 3 spoons
Salt -                        to taste
Oil -                         3 - 4 spoons

You can make a simple curd dip for added taste. Just add salt and pinch of chilli powder to a cup of curd.

Method :
Mix all ingredients except oil in a bowl using little water till it forms a ball.

Now take a thin wet cloth. Make small balls out of the atta, and press them gently till they become 2 mm thick. Gently over turn the cloth taking the tappalentu in to palm. Put it on the heated tava. Add few drops of oil. Cover it with a lid for two minutes. Now flip them( you should see a golden colour) and let cook for two more minutes.

Broccoli corn mix with bread

This is something I came up with today, the sauce mix is basically like pasta mix, but served while spread over a bread. This is full of goodness of milk and fresh vegetables rich in vitamins. Corn is one of kids' favourite veggie too.

Ingredients( to make 4- 6 servings) :
Broccoli - 1.5 to 2 cups
Corn - 1.5 cups
Paneer - 2" cube
Milk - 1.5 cup
Curd - 3 table spoons
Wheat flour - 1 tea spoon,
Butter - 1 tsp
Oregano for seasoning
Garlic- 2 pods finely cut
Pepper - a pinch
Bread - 4- 6 slices
Method :

Heat tava, add butter, saute garlic, fresh corn and broccoli for a minute, add wheat flour, saute for half a minute. Now add milk and paneer, cook till the mixture becomes thick. Add curd cook for one more minute. Finally add oregano seasoning and take the tava off fire.

While it is hot, spread over fresh slices of bread and serve.
My kids loved it. Am sure yours will do too. Have fun, keep experimenting.

Paalak Paneer Paratha ( Spinach Farm cheese Indian Stuffed Bread)

Now you must have made Palak Paneer recipe a 100 times till now. What more can you do with that combination! Here's an answer to that. Paalak Paneer Paratha.

Makes up to 6 parathas
Ingedients:
Paalak - 1 small bunch
Paneer - 200g
Onion - 1 small
garam masala
chat masala
Jeera powder
Chilli powder 
Kasuri methi
salt
oil - few spoons
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Preparation time - 30 min

Method :
1. Clean Paalak leaves thoroughly and blend in a mixie with little water
2. Make dough by mixing this paalak mixture and jeera in the flour. No additional water would be required.
3. Filling : Crumble paneer, add all the masala powders, salt and kasuri methi, mix well and keep.
4. Making the Paratha : Take an atta ball and flatten it to 2mm to 3mm thickness. Place 2 spoonfulls of paneer mix on this. Fold the outer portions of the atta on to this mixture making it in circular shape. Flatten it now, using a little dry flour if needed.
5. Fry it on a flat Tawa using a teaspoon of oil on both sides.

 This tastes well with Raita or simple curd. My kids love it. Its fast, easy, tasty yet different. Enjoy...

Healthy Paneer Broccoli Rolls

For making 8 - 10 small rolls.

Ingredients :

Broccoli – ( slightly boiled)- 1 1/2 cup

Olives - 2 teaspoon fuls, sliced

Paneer - 50g/ 2 tablespoons of small cubes

Omlette with egg white - 1

Whole wheat flour ( for making Chapathi/Indian Bread) - 2 cups

Oil - few spoons 

Water, salt and pepper

Preparation time : 30 min

Method of Preparation :
1. Knead the dough for roti consistency( I usually keep it ready the previous night and refrigerate to save time in the morning) and keep.
2. Slighlty boil Broccoli florets and keep aside. Cut Paneer in to small cubes and saute for few seconds. Make  Omlette with very little oil. (I used only egg white in this case as my daughter is not in favour of Yolk.) 
3. Mix sliced Olives, Broccoli, Paneer cubes and shredded Omlette in a bowl, add a little salt and pepper to taste.

4. Make Chapathi on a heated tava using little oil and spread the mix in the middle. Roll the chapathi tightly and cut in to half. 

Tasty and healthy Breakfast is ready

Variations : Apply any sauce of your choice for additional flavour. You can add 1 portion to 4 portions of any Millet flours to Wheat flour.