WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR CUSTARD BANANA CAKE

Hello everyone

Who don't like cakes..... It a very silly question for sweet lovers as the answer is well known, of course die for cake. But when question comes for health then we come on our backfoot with sad expression like no I can't have cakes. If you are also a die for cake person then weight ... Why are you getting sad, I have a better option for you like a healthy cum yummy cake. Today I have whole wheat flour custard banana cake, full of goodness of whole wheat and banana with minimum sugar and oil, what else you want 😊. Recipe is given below, hope you will like and definitely give it a try.

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR CUSTARD BANANA CAKE

Serves: 4-5

Time: 45 mins

Ingredients 

1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup custard powder or corn flour

2 bananas, over ripe

1 tbsp sugar

1/4 cup oil

1 tbsp curd( yogurt) (optional)

1/3 cup milk, at room temp

1/3 cup milk powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 1/4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder ( optional)

1/8 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla essence 

2 tbsp dates syrup or dates puree( optional)

10-12 walnuts, roughly chopped ( optional)

Method:

First of all grease a baking pan and dust it with some flour, keep it aside.

Mix well whole wheat flour, custard powder, milk powder, baking soda, baking powder, cinnamon powder, walnuts and salt together, keep it aside for later use.

Now mash bananas with a fork till they become a lump less puree. Add sugar,vanilla essence , curd and dates syrup in it and mix well till sugar gets dissolve. Now add oil , again mix well. 

Add flour mixture and fold it to make a lump less smooth batter. Pour in greased baking pan.

 Bake in a preheated oven at 180degree C for 30 mins, or till tooth pick inserted in it comes out clean. Mine took exact 30 mins, so keep an eye on it after 25mins as different oven take different time. Time also depends on baking pans, size and shape.

Let it cool for 5 mins then invert on a wire rack.

 Let it cool completely before slicing, to get neat slices.

Your super yummy and healthy cake slices are ready to go with your cup of tea.

Enjoy these guilt free scrumptious sweet treat any time. It's good for kids tiffin and mid meal hunger sprang.

You can use any spices and any dry fruits of your choice. 

You can increase or decrease the quantity of sugar as per your taste and sweetness of bananas, but this one is for perfect sweetness😊.

You can also use any shape of baking pan, but then baking time may change, so be cautious while baking and keep checking in between.

Hope you all will definitely try this guilt free yummy cake and please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot.

Happy cooking....

HEALTHY PASTA IN CREAMY OATS AND VEGGIE SAUCE

Hello everyone 

Pasta... I think most of us including kids and elders, love to have pasta ,But at the same time try to avoid it some time due to sauce and creams used to make it delicious. My kids love to have these in their tiffin too,So I thought why not to give it a healthy twist that make people comfortable to have it without any guilt. I just added puréed veggies and oats to the regular pasta and it turned out super delicious, guilt free healthy breakfast for us. This is best for kids who don't like chunks of veggies and keep removing from their plate. Now they can have it without knowing that they are gobbling all those veggies , they used to hate😉.

Recipe of the same is given below, just give it a try.

HEALTHY PASTA IN CREAMY OATS AND VEGGIE SAUCE

Ingredients 

2 cup pasta , boiled and drained

1/3 cup oats

1 carrot, grated

1 spring onion, finely chopped 

1 big onion, finely chopped 

2 green chillies,finely chopped 

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste 

2 medium tomatoes,finely chopped 

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

1/4 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder ( optional)

1/4 tsp black pepper powder 

1/4 tsp chaat masala 

1/4 cup green coriander leaves,finely chopped ( optional)

1/2 cup water

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat oil in a wok, add chopped onions and chilies. Fry till golden,then add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins. Then add grated carrots and spring onions, saute for 4 mins . Now add oats and saute for a min. 

Add tomatoes , turmeric , Kashmiri red chili powder, black pepper powder and little salt. Saute till tomatoes become mushy and nicely cooked. Add water and let it cook till done. 

Now let it cool a little and make its smooth paste. 

Now transfer paste to the same wok let it boil  Then add boiled pasta, chaat masala and salt. let it cook till every thing get nicely coated with saucy consistency. If needed add some water drained from pasta to make sauce of right consistency. Finally add chopped coriander leaves and mix well. 

You can also add some butter for taste while adding sauce to wok. And your guilt free yummy pasta is ready to be served.

You can use any pasta of your choice, I added tricolor spiral pasta.

You can also add any veggies of your choice.

This pasta can be served as breakfast or can be a good option for lunch box too. You can have it any time without guilt. Hope you all will like this simple healthy touch to regular pasta. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR PANEER ROLLS

Hello everyone

Why kids don't like any thing we used to prepare in our daily routine is really a big question for every mother. But if the same thing is served in some different and interesting way then not only kids but elders too gobble even more. So today I am having a very simple yet healthy and tempting snacks made of whole wheat flour and paneer, which is a kids friendly ingredient and healthy too. You can prepare these a day before to give in kids tiffin or pack for traveling time as it will remain fresh for minimum two days on room temperature. Recipe is given below, hope you all will like it.

whole wheat flour paneer rolls

Serves: 4-5

Time: 1:30 hrs ( leaving proofing and resting time)

Ingredients

2 cup whole wheat flour/ chapatti flour
1 tsp active yeast ( I used less and increased the resting time)
2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup warm water
1/2 cup milk
2 tbsp milk powder( optional)

1/2 tsp oregano 

1/4tsp thyme leaves(optional)
1/2 tsp rosemary leaves ( optional)
2 tbsp oil 
Water to knead( if needed)

For filling
1 cup crumbled cottage cheese
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp chat masala
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp chilli flakes
1/4 cup finely chopped colored capsicum
2 spring onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp chopped green coriander
Salt to taste

Method: 

Add sugar in warm water and then mix yeast in it and let it rest for 10-15 mins or till it become frothy.

Add salt, milk powder, thyme , rosemary leaves and oil in flour and knead with yeast , milk and warm water till it become soft, shiny and nonsticky dough. It will take 8 to 10 mins. apply some oil on it and cover with damp cloth, let it rest for 2 hrs in a warm place like in closed microwave/oven or till it doubles it volume. 

Till then mix all the filling ingredients together .

Now punch the dough, again knead for 4-5 mins and cut in two halves.

 Make a thick rectangular roti (1/2 cm) of it and spread the filling on it and roll it in a  log. then cut in desired thickness rolls ( mine is 1 1/2 inch thick) .

 Press each rolls in spreaded sesame seeds or sprinkle some sesame seeds on it, press a little to stick seeds firmly ). 

Arrange in a baking tray lined with butter paper . Keep some distance between two rolls as it will increase in size while second proof and while baking too. Now let it rest for another 30 mins to 1 hr on warm place for second rise. 

Now  bake in a preheated oven at 190°C for 20 mins and if you don't get desired colour then increase the oven temperature to 230°C and bake for another 4-5 mins or till it become golden brown. 

Similarly do the other half of dough. 

Now enjoy these super yum golden beauties with any sauce or chutney or as it is, in every form it will leave you drooling for another piece.

Bake these tempting healthy cum delicious rolls and leave your guests drooling for more and more.

* You can add any filling of your choice to make is more personalized to your taste buds.Do try this easy recipe and share your experience with me.

Hope you all will like these yummy cum healthy snacks and give it a try. Please pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot

    Happy cooking....

CARROT PANEER PULAO

Hello everyone 

Some times we don't feel like to prepare a huge dinner/lunch spread but also don't want to serve khichadi or Dalia then this one is a perfect fuss free one pot healthy meal for everyone in your family, as kids too love this tempting combo of paneer carrots and rice. 

It is so healthy and easy recipe that anyone can try without fail, at the same time super yummy too. You should must give it a try if you too have fussy eaters like mine, believe me you will never regret.

Stepwise recipe is given below, hope you will like it and definitely give it a try.

CARROT PANEER PULAO

Serves: 4-5

Time: 45 mins

Ingredients 

2 medium carrots, grated 

2 cup rice (preferably basmati or aged rice)

1 cup paneer (cottage cheese), cut in small pieces

2 medium onion, finely chopped  

1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste 

2-3 green chillies, slitted 

8-10 cashews, broken in half ( lengthwise), optional (I skipped)

1 tsp ghee or butter

1 1/2 tsp oil

1/2 lemon

Salt to taste

For tempering:

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

4 cloves

4 green cardamom 

1 inch piece cinnamon stick

3-4 whole dry red chillies 

Method:

First of all wash rice and soak it in 2 cup water for 20 mins. 

Now Heat ghee and oil in a thick bottomed vessel, add cashews and fry till little golden , remove on a tissue paper then fry paneer till golden,sprinkle some salt and toss so that it will not taste bland in rice and keep them aside for later use.

 Now add all spices of tempering section in the same oil and saute till everything crackled and become aromatic. Be careful while sautéing so not to burn spices. Now add green chillies and chopped onions, saute till nice golden then add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins. 

Add grated carrots  and cook stirring occasionally till its water gets evaporated and it gets cooked. Now add rice and fry for 2-3 mins .

Then add remaining water of rice and 2 cups of more water i.e. Double the amount of rice. Add salt and squeeze juice of 1/2 lemon in it. Let it cook at high flame, when it starts looking little dry on top then lower the flame and cover with lid. Let it simmer for 5 mins. Then switch off the flame.

 Let it sit for 5- 10 mins covered, then open the lid and add fried cashews and paneer to it and mix with light hand gently. Again rest it for 10 mins then serve.

 Your easy, yummy and super healthy rice is ready to be served with gravy dish or with simple raita. It taste best even if taken as it is, it doesn't need any thing else to go with. A simple one pot meal loved by everyone.

I soaked rice in exact 2 cup of water to spare me with any indecision of how much water to be added for cooking rice. As we know 2:1 water rice ratio is needed to cook nice fluffy rice, but when we soak it then it already absorb some water and then our ratio gets disturb. So avoid this situation I soaked in exact amount of water and then used the same in cooking too. This will ensure you to get nicely cooked fluffy rice. 

You can use any other veggies also as per your choice and availability. But then taste may change.

Hope you all will like this super healthy and yummy rice dish, so please drop down your valuable comments and suggestions, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....

VEG DUM BIRYANI

Hello everyone 

Veg dum biryani is a tempting treat for vegetarians who love biryani. Even my family prefer this over non vegetarian options. It's a simple yet flavourful combination of rice, veggies and spices.Though my way of cooking don't call for too much oil or butter hence this one is also one of the low calorie biryani compared to regular ones. This is also simple to cook and don't need any special utensil or technique, even then you can get quiet authentic taste. Step wise recipe is given below hope you all will definitely give it a try.

VEG DUM BIRYANI 

Serves: 4-5

Time: 1 hr

Ingredients 

For veggies:

3-4 cup chopped veggies ( carrots, beans, cauliflower, cabbage, peas, corn etc , as per availability)

1 cup soya chunks, soaked and squeezed 

1 1/2 cup paneer cubes( cottage cheese)

3 medium onions, thinly sliced 

3 green chillies, broken in halves 

2 tbsp ginger garlic paste or minced ginger garlic 

1 tsp garam masala

2 tsp curry powder 

1 tsp biryani powder masala or chicken masala

1 tsp chicken masala

1/3 tsp turmeric powder 

1 tsp Kashmiri red chilli powder 

2 big tomatoes, finely chopped 

Salt to taste

For veggies Tempering:

3/4 tsp cumin seeds 

3/4 tsp fennel seeds 

4 green cardamom 

4 cloves 

8-10 black peppers

2 inches piece cinnamon 

1 piece mace ( optional)

For rice:

2 1/2 cup basmati or biryani rice, soaked for at least 30 mins

2 tsp ghee

3 1/2 cup water

1 tsp lemon juice

1/3 tsp salt

For rice tempering:

1 star anise

4 green cardamom 

4 cloves

2 inches piece cinnamon 

1 tbsp cashews ( optional)

For layering:

1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup mint leaves, chopped roughly 

1 tsp Kewda or rose water

Handful of cashews, fried till golden

Few strands of saffron or red , green and yellow edible colors 

1 big onion, thinly sliced and deep fried till golden brown 

2-3 tomatoes ,thin round sliced

Method:

Now heat 2 tbsp oil in a thick bottom wok and deep fry onions given under layering section, till golden brown and drain it on a kitchen towel or paper to get rid of excess oil. I grilled these onions in microwave till golden brown to avoid this excess calorie in my dish. You can use any way you prefer.

Now add some more oil in the wok and heat it. Add all the veggies tempering spices and saute till aromatic, nearly 2 mins, avoid burning. Now add sliced onions and green chillies, fry till golden then add ginger garlic mince or paste. Saute till raw smell of it goes off.

 Now add all powder spices and saute for 4-5 mins till spices get fried well. Now add all veggies and fry for 5 mins,stirring constantly. Now lower the flame , add some salt and cover it with lid. Cook for 10 mins or till veggies get cooked and tender, stirring occasionally.

In the mean while start preparing rice too. Heat ghee in a wide wok and add rice tempering spices,saute for 2 mins and add drained rice again saute for 2 mins ,add salt , lemon juice and water . Let it cook till 90% done but not completely soft. Sift rice in a sieve , may be some liquid will drain. You can use this in your veggies. 

Don't overcook otherwise you will end up with veggie khichadi. Use water as per requirement, as different rice needs different quantity of water. If you like to boil rice in enough water and drain, then you can do as per your comfort. But I don't drain as I think all the flavour of spices will goes off with it, so I use only required amount of water.

When veggie is tender, add chopped tomatoes and fry on high flame till they get mushy and cooked now add squeezed soya chunks and 1/4 cup water, cook covered so that soya chunks absorb all the flavours.

 Cook it on high flame to get nice semi dry veggie . Now add paneer cubes and cook for another 5 mins.Adjust salt and it's done.

Now for layering, divide veggies and rice in two to three equal parts. First of all arrange tomato slices at the bottom to avoid burning of veggies.Spread one layer of veggies then spread some of mint leaves all over it then sprinkle, red color or saffron strands soaked in milk. Now spread next part of rice on it evenly so that it cover whole veggies.Sprinkle 2 tbsp of milk on it, then sprinkle 1/2 tsp of Kewda or rose water, few drops of green colour ,spread half of fried or grilled brown onions , cashews and some of mint leaves on it. Similarly make another layer of veggies on it and rice layer. You can make 2-3 layers of each veggies and rice, as per your convenience and quantity.

Finally cover it well with an aluminum foil so that it can be put on dum. You can also seal it with dough.

Now keep a tawa on low flame and put this biryani pot on it and dum it for 20-25 mins. Switch of the flame and let it rest for at least 10-15 mins so that all the flavours and aroma of spices and essences get infused in whole dish. 

Your aromatic,easy, yummy and flavour full biryani is ready to be served with tomato onion raita.

Always try to cook rice and veggies simultaneously so that you will get nice fluffy biryani. Never cook rice too early otherwise it may stick. If it's not possible to cook both at a time then first cook veggies then go to rice.

You can use any veggies as per your choice or even boiled chickpeas, mushrooms etc can also be added.

Never mix biryani with spatula, always use a fork or best to flip it by tossing.

If you ran out of fresh mint leaves then can use crushed dry mint also.

It's a one pot meal that none of the biryani lover can refuse. Its aroma is sufficient to bring you to the dinning room. This can be a hit dish for any get together or family party. You need not to serve too many dishes with it only simple raita is enough to accompany it.

Hope you will definitely give it a try, it might be looking a long recipe but believe me it will not take your much effort and time . At last you will never regret for trying it, it's a must try recipe for all biryani lovers.

Please stop by and pour your valuable comments and suggestions here, they meant a lot to me.

Happy cooking....