Black Chick Pea Snack(Kala Channa Chat)

Black chick peas are a good source of protein and Iron and of course complex carbohydrates.  They are nutritionally superior than the light colored garbanzo beans. As a quick snack I prepare sundal a traditional South Indian seasoned and stir fried snack with grated coconut. When I was half way making this dish, my elder one said asked me if, I can make something else instead of sundal.  After a little thinking I changed the supposed to be Sundal in to a much healthier snack by adding veggies and coconut and spiced it up with the sweet and spicy chutney.

If you are looking for a low carb snack you should definitely try this, the veggies like cucumber, tomato, onion are safe for people who count carbs in their diet. Coconut is good source of protein and apart from a good taste it gives a sense of fullness. So try this and let me know, how you liked it.

Preparation Time – 10 to 15 Minutes

Cooking Time – 10 – 15 Minutes (If you have pre cooked chick peas – nil)

Serves – 2

Ingredients

Cooked black chick peas – 1 Cup

Cucumber and Tomato – 1 1/2 Cups(Chopped)

Chopped or grated coconut pieces – 1/2 Cup

Onion – 1/2 medium sized onion finely chopped

Salt – 1/2 tsp or to taste

lime juice – 1 Tsp or taste

chat masala – 1/2 Tsp

chopped cilantro – handful

Green chutney – 1 Tsp

Roasted cumin powder – 1/2 Tsp(optional)

Sweet chutney – 1/2 Tsp(omit this if you are looking for a low carb version)

Sev – 1 Tbsp(this is once again optional)

Method

1) Combine the cooked chick peas, cucumber, tomato, onion, coconut, chopped cilantro, salt, lime juice, roasted cumin powder, green chutney and toss well.

2) Top it with sweet chutney and sev and serve, this is very much optional and you can even drizzle some yogurt on top and serve it.

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Dahi Bhalla/Bhalle (White Lentil dumplings in yogurt sauce – not deep fried)

Which do you think is the challenging meal of the day? I think it is snacks that too when you have to make a different snack every day for hungry kids back from school and at the same time not to indulge on sinful ones. In my quest to make not so sinful snacks, I modify some of the recipes and try to make it little guilt free and this is one such one. If you are familiar with Indian cuisine, this bhalla/bhalle is a slightly jazzed up version of the South Indian Thayir vadai. If you are not familiar with Indian cuisine Soaked and ground white lentil dumplings are deep fried and soaked in yogurt pepped up with red chili powder, tangy and sweet chutneys. Even though I seriously don’t have anything against fried snacks, I normally stay away from fried food because I either use coconut oil or organic clarified butter(for sweets) for deep frying. These are slightly calorie dense and are also pretty expensive, so I try to find alternate methods like pan frying or baking. I used the Aebleskiver pan/ appam pam/ appe pan the magic utensil I love the most to pan fry this instead of deep frying. Very easy to put together if you have the basic ingredients in hand and serves as a quick snack or even as a gluten free party appetizer. If you haven’t tried this out before do try it and let me know how you liked it.

Preparation Time – 20 to 30 Minutes

Cooking Time – 20 to 30 Minutes

Serves – Makes around 24

Ingredients

Urad Dal – 1 Cups

Salt – 1 Tsp or to taste

Raisins – 48

Cashews – 24(Toasted and split into half)

Oil – 2 Tbsp

Water – 3 to 4 Cups

For the yogurt sauce

Yogurt – Around 3 to 4 Cups

Black salt  - 1/2 Tsp or to taste

Mint chutney  - 2 Tbsp or to taste

Sweet date and tamarind chutney – 2 Tbsp or to taste

Kashmiri chili powder – 2 Tsp or to taste

Roasted cumin powder - 2 teaspoons

Chat masala powder – 1/2 Tsp

Fresh coriander leaves,chopped - 2 tablespoons

Ginger,cut into thin strips 1 inch piece – 1 Tbsp

Method

1) Rinse and drain urad dal and soak it in water just covering an inch over  the surface for 2-3 hours. Now drain the water and reserve the excess water. Add little by little of the reserved water and grind into a smooth paste adding salt and keep it aside.

2) Heat the appam pan and once it is hot add few drops of oil in each of the groove and pour batter till 3/4 of the groove and insert two raisins and  the half piece cashew and cover and cook on one side.

3) Now flip and cook the other side. Take this out of the pan and repeat the steps for the rest of the batter. Once all the vadas/appam/bhallas what ever you call is done. Heat another wide mouthed pan and boil the water. Once the water comes to rolling boil. Put the bhallas in hot water and leave it for 2 minutes.

4) Remove the bhallas and set it aside to cool as they will be little hot to touch. Once they are cool enough to handle, squeeze out the excess water and set the bhallas aside.

5) Now add the salt, chat masala to the yogurt and whisk it without any lumps. Place the bhallas in individual serving bowls or in a place and pour the yogurt mixture over it. Top it with red chili powder, roasted cumin powder, ginger pieces, chopped cilantro and the sweet & spicy chutney and serve.

Note – You can also substitute half of the urad dal with mung dal as mung is a superior lentil than urad as far as nutrition is concerned.

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Chickpea Sundal

Sundal is a boiled and sauteed bean dish with spices, coconut or onion. You can customize it to your taste, by adding chopped onions, carrot, cucumber or grated mango. Jazz it up little bit with a dash of lemon juice.

Very simple and easy to make but surely tastes great. You can have it as a snack or light dinner with a cup of yogurt or include this as part of your lunch, breakfast or dinner. Options are endless, but do try out and you will be glad you did.

Preparation Time - 0

Cooking Time - 20 Minutes

Serves - 4

Ingredients

Dry Chick Peas - 1 Cup ( Rinse, soak the dry chick peas with enough water overnight)

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Curry powder - 1 Tbsp

Grated Coconut - 2 Tbsp

Curry leaves - few

Coconut Oil -1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 Tsp

Method

1) Pressure cook the soaked chick peas with enough water covering the surface and adding the salt and half of the asafoetida powder for three whistles.

2) Drain the excess water and you can add this water to soup, stock, sambar etc.

3) Heat a pan, add a tsp of coconut oil. Once the oil is hot, then add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering add the asafoetida powder, curry leaves and drained chick peas.

4) At this stage if you want more salt add and saute for 3-4 minutes, now add curry powder and grated coconut and saute for 2-3 minutes and switch off.

5) Enjoy.

Event Participation

This dish goes to Complete my Thali event hosted by Taste of Mysore an event started by Jagruti.

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Payathamparuppu Sundal

Looking for a quick, healthy, low carb, gluten free, high protein snack. Then surely try this one and you will be happy you did. This legume is very easy to digest, high in protein and low in carb. Best for growing children, people who are on a low carb, low sugar diet, weight watchers. Make this simple sundal and have it along with your breakfast, lunch, dinner or even as a healthy evening snack.



Preparation Time - 0

Cooking Time - 25 Minutes

Serves - 2





Ingredients



Yellow Mung Bean(Split Mung Dal) - 1 Cup

Salt - 3/4 Tsp or to taste

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Green Chili - 2 to 3 or to taste

Curry leaves - few

Grated Coconut - 1/2 Cup

Coconut Oil - 1 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Water



Method



1) Boil 2 cups of water and then add payathamparuppu (yellow mung bean) and cook till tender, add more water if you need. Make sure the dal is tender, well cooked and not mushed up. The excess water can be drained and added to sambar or any other dish while cooking.



2) Heat a heavy bottomed wide mouthed pan and to it add a tsp of oil.



3) Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and after they stop spluttering add asafoetida, green chili, curry leaves and saute for a second.



4) Now add the drained dal and salt and stir lightly for 2-3 minutes.



5) To this add the grated coconut, saute for a minute and switch off.



6) Enjoy.

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Black Eyed Beans Sundal (snack)

Good to Know – Beans supply high quality protein which provides a healthy alternative to meat or other animal protein. Beans also contain protease inhibitors which frustrate the development of cancerous cells.

Ingredients



Black eyed bean - 2 cups (Soaked and Cooked)

Coconut Oil - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves few

Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tsp

Curry powder - 1 tsp

Fresh grated Coconut - 2 table spoons

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 1/4 tsp (optional)



Method



1) Heat oil and add the mustard seeds, once it stops spluttering add the asafetida powder, curry leaves and black eyed bean.

2) Add salt and curry powder and stir and switch off in a minute.

3) Once it slightly cools down add the lemon juice and the freshly grated coconut.

4) Enjoy this protein rich guilt free sundal .Cooking Time: 20 mins

Preparation Time: 5-10 mins

Serves: 4

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Almond Cashew Brittle(Vegan)

Know what you Eat – Deepavali the festival of light is synonymous to sweets and celebration. But not all sweets are sinful this brittle made with toasted Almonds and cashews and made with Jaggery(Panela) not only tastes great, easy to make and very easy on your waist line.

Almonds which is high in monounsaturated fats, that is good for the body and is associated with reduced risk of heart disease. In addition to healthy fats and vitamin E, Magnesium and Potassium. Not only do cashews have a lower fat content than most other nuts, approximately 75% of their fat is unsaturated fatty acids, plus about 75% of this unsaturated fatty acid content is oleic acid, the same heart-healthy monounsaturated fat found in olive oil.  This nut is also rich in magnesium. Magnesium plays a very important role in controlling blood pressure and heart health. Jaggery (Panela) is a "natural" sweetener made by the concentration of sugarcane juice WITHOUT the use of any chemicals / synthetic additives or preservatives. It contains an enormous wealth of minerals / protein / vitamins and iron.



Ingredients



Almonds – 2 cups

Cashew – 1 cup

Jaggery(Panela) – 1 1/2 cup

Cardamom powder – pinch

Ghee or Coconut oil for greasing the tray

Water just enough to cover the surface of the jaggery



Method



1) In a toaster oven toast the almonds for 5-8 minutes stirring in between till they are crisp. Pay attention or they will brown or black quickly.

2) Toast the Cashews for 3-5 minutes stirring in between.

3) Once the Almond is cool enough to handle, chop them into small pieces and mix them with the cashew and keep it aside.

4) Now heat a pan add the jaggery and just enough water to cover it. Once the jaggery is completely dissolved, start stirring and heat it till the jaggery becomes thick and if you pour the dissolved jaggery with your spoon you will see threads coming out of it.

4) At this point switch of the stove and add the cardamom powder, the mixed nuts and  stir fast so that the nuts are evenly coated with the jaggery.

5) Immediately transfer the contents to a big greased tray and using a spatula even the surface out. Keep it aside for 5 minutes, once it is slightly cool, cut them into pieces and enjoy. Enjoy these guilt free snacks.







Event Participation:





Diwali Dhamaka 09 going on in Purva's Daawat

Sweet- Series in Mom's recipes hosted by Sireesha

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No bake Healthy Granola Bars

Know what you Eat - Oats, via their high fiber content, are already known to help remove cholesterol from the digestive system that would otherwise end up in the bloodstream. Now, the latest research suggests they may have another cardio-protective mechanism. Antioxidant compounds unique to oats, called avenanthramides, help prevent free radicals from damaging LDL cholesterol thus reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Almonds the health nuts - 90 percent of the fats in almonds are unsaturated, and the nuts are high in protein, fiber, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin E, and other antioxidants. Almonds help prevent osteoporosis and they regulate blood pressure. Chia(The Magic Seeds) - The chia seeds may have great benefits for diabetics so they are considered as magic seeds. Eating the seeds helps dieters by making them feel fuller faster so they will be less hungry.

I just love granola bars, but the store bought ones are too sugary and lot of additives like partially hydrogenated oils, high fructose corn syrup etc. I have made several attempts to bake one very unsuccessfully. The sides will be burned and the inside will be fine and i will end up eating the burned sides, because there will be no takers and i won't feel like throwing so much hand baked in the trash. This recipe does work and make sure the peanut butter is creamy and not solid and lumpy.

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - 5 mins

Serves - Around 20 bars





Ingredients



Oats (Old fashioned or Rolled Oats with extra thickness) - 1 cup

Oats Quick Cooking(Not instant) - 1 cup

Peanut Butter - 1 1/2 cups(Unsalted & new with a creamy texture)

Whole Almonds(not silvered) - 1 cup

Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup

Chia seeds - 1/2 cup

Honey - 1/2 cup

Dates - 1/4 cup(Chop them finely)

Raisins - 1/4 cup

Oil(Sunflower or Canola) - 1/4 cup

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon powder - 1/2 tsp



Method



1) Dry roast Oats both old fashioned and quick cooking separately (do not mix them) in stove top till the raw smell is gone.

2) Dry roast grated coconut, chia seeds and almonds till it slightly browns(make sure they don't become black and slightly brown) or in a preheated oven bake combine the old fashioned oats, chia seeds, coconut, almond for, 350 degrees 7-10 minutes stirring in between till they are roasted and the quick cooking oats 3 minutes till the raw smell is gone.

3) Grind the quick cooking oats to a coarse powder.

4) Crush the almonds into small pieces. (Wrap them in paper towel and use a pounder or put them in plastic zip loc and use a thick bottomed pan to crush it).

5) Combine Oats, Oats powder, Almonds, Chia, Coconut, Dates and Raisins and keep it ready.

6) Combine honey, oil and peanut butter in a pan, add salt and cinnamon powder and heatit till the peanut butter melts and everything is well combined.

7) Now transfer the Oats mixture to the above and switch off the stove.

8) Mix everything thoroughly and transfer the contents to a greased pan and use a spatula to even it out.

9) Now put it in the refrigerator and leave it for 2-3 hours, once the bars are well set, take it out and make bars with a knife and store in a airtight container in the refrigerator. Enjoy these bars as a quick breakfast on any busy day or as a guilt free snack anytime of the day.



Event Participation

This dish goes to Show me your Breakfast event hosted by Divya Vikram.

This dish goes to Original Recipes - Monthly Round up Event hosted by Lorie.







Sending this to Food for 7 Stages of Life - Healthy Fast Food hosted by Radhika and Sudeshna.

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Split Chick Pea Snack(Kadalai Paruppu Sundal)

Craving for some healthy, protein rich and tasty snack. Sundal is a South Indian bean/legume based snack which is made out of steamed cooked legumes by adding very little oil and seasoned with spices, vegetables and coconut. Channa Dal, Kadalai Paruppu is a very good source of protein and has a very low glycemic index. It makes a perfect snack for both adults and kids who are looking for high protein, gluten free, tasty and diabetic friendly snack. Normally sundal is sauted with spices and garnished with grated coconut, but you can saute onion and add the cooked legume or add freshly chopped vegetables, grated mangoes, a cup of yougurt or add a dash of lime. The options are endless.



Preparation Time - Nil

Cooking Time - 30 Minutes

Serves - 2



Ingredients



Kadali Paruppu/Channa dal - 1 cup

Water

Salt - 1 Tsp or to taste

Asafoetida powder - a pinch

Curry powder - 1 Tbsp or more to taste

Grated Coconut - 3 Tbsp



Tempering



Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/2 Tsp

Green Chili - 1 optional

Curry leaves - few



Method



1) Pressure cook Channa Dal by covering the surface with enough water, salt and asafoetida for 2 whistles and switch off. (You can also presoak channa dal if desired, if presoaked directly cook in a vessel till tender).



 2) Drain the excess water and let this sit for few minutes in a colander till all the water is gone.



3) Heat a pan and add a tsp of oil. Once the oil is hot add mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add green chili and curry leaves.



4) To this add the cooked channa dal and curry powder and saute for few minutes gently without mashing them and the channa dal becomes totally dry.



5) Now add the grated coconut and saute for 2 minutes and switch off and serve immediately.

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Home Made Cashew Butter

Do you buy pricey nut butters in the store, try this recipe and you will not only enjoy the fresh home made taste, but will find out how easy it is to make these nut butters at home. You can make cashew, almond, peanut butter, of course any kind of nut butter of your choice. Very few ingredients and few quick and easy steps and you have a bottle of protein packed power butter in few minutes, good to use for breakfast or for a high energy snack. I tried almond, cashew and peanut butter using this recipe and cashew butter is the winner of the three. While making nut butters, try to go for unflavored oil to for a better taste and flavor. You can add little bit of salt to make salted butter, add some honey and dark chocolate for sweeter version or just enjoy unsalted, unsweetened version. The choice is all yours.



Preparation Time - 5 Minutes

Cooking Time - 10 Minutes

Serves - 4 Ingredients



Unsalted Toasted Cashew(Peanuts, Almonds, Macadamia) - 1 Cup

Sunflower Oil - 2 Tbsp

 Salt - 1/4 tsp or to taste or  Honey - 1 Tsp or to taste.



Method



1) In a food processor run the cashew for a minute or two, until it is coarse and grainy.

 2) At this stage add the oil and salt or honey etc and run the blender for 1 to 2 minutes to get a smooth butter.

 3) Store in a dry glass jar and enjoy. When making peanut butter, add a Tsp of oil and try running the blender if required add more oil.

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Vegan Carrot Shake

This is another filling and nutritious shake, tastes absolutely divine and packed with the power of protein rich almond milk, almond meal and carrots. Very easy to make and you can make this even more filling by adding chia gel and hemp protein. The thicker you make, it fills you up for hours and will be a perfect breakfast, lunch or dinner replacement. One important thing in making all these smoothies and shakes is to have a good quality blender. Which will make a perfect puree of the fruits and vegetables and there is no need to strain and discard the fiber from the veggies and fruits. Try this out and let me know, how you liked it.



 Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - Nil

 Serves - 4



Ingredients



Carrots - 4

Almond Milk - 3 Cups

Water - 1/2 Cup

Strained Almond Meal - 4 Tbsp

Raw sugar - Optional and to taste

Ice cubes - few Method



 1) Wash, peel and cut carrots into small pieces.



2) Place this in a blender and add almond milk, water, almond meal and ice cubes and blend thoroughly.



3) At this point you can add hemp protein or your choice of protein powder and blend.



4) Serve immediately and enjoy. Note - I have a vitamix so all the veggies and fruits are made into a fine puree and there is no need to filter or strain the fiber. If your blender doesn't make smooth purees, add small quantity of water to finely chopped carrots and try to make a paste and then add the rest of the almond milk. You can soak 4 Tbsp of Chia in 8 Tbsp Water and leave this for an hour. Spoon out the chia gel in tall glasses and on top pour the carrot shake, enjoy!!

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Almond Milk

Are you looking for vegan alternate for Cow's milk and stack up on cartons of Almond Milk from the food store. Try this ultra easy home made Almond Milk recipe once at home and i am sure you will not buy those card board boxes any more. The best part in making almond milk is trying to come up with creative recipes to use up the ground almond meal residue. Look for more recipes in this website to make use of this ground almond meal, instead of discarding this healthy meal.



Preparation Time - 10 Minutes

Cooking Time - 0

Serves - 4



Ingredients



Almonds - 1 cup

Water - 3 Cups(You use 4 cups to too, but i prefer a thicker version)



Method



1) Soak the almonds over night.



2) Rinse, drain and transfer the soaked almonds along with 3 cups of water to your blender and grind till the almond becomes a fine meal.



3) I use a vitamix, so i add all the water along with the almonds. If you don't have a vitamix and have a regular blender then add little bit of water to cover the surface of the almonds and make this into a fine paste. Now add the rest of the water and blend thoroughly.



4) Once done transfer the contents through a fine filter or a thin cloth in a colander into a bowl so that the liquid almond milk collects at the bottom and the ground residue alone is filtered and stays on the top.



5) Chill and serve or add this almond milk to milk shakes or substitute this for milk in baking. Enjoy!!

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Kollu Sundal (Horse Gram Snack)

Sundal is a typical South Indian Snack which is made of legumes. The legumes are soaked, cooked and sauteed with spices and onions or spices and coconut. They not only taste great but are a guilt free, protein rich and very satisfying snack or meal i would say. This is good for people with diabetes, for growing children, people with celiac and for all who are looking for a high protein snack. Very simple and easy to make. Include a pressure cooker in your cooking gadgets and these kind of meals are very easy to make without any hassles
Try to include this in your daily meal to get a sense of fullness and this will also bring down your carb intake.

Preparation Time - 2 Minutes
Cooking Time - 30 Minutes
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Kollu(Horse Gram) - 1 Cup
Onion - 1
Coconut Oil - 2 Tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Curry powder - 1 Tsp
Salt - 1 Tsp + 1/4 tsp for onion or as per your taste
Curry leaves - 1 Tsp chopped
Asafoetida pinch(avoid this if you are sensitive to gluten)

Garnishing

Cilantro - 1 Tbsp for garnishing
Lemon juice - 1/4 Tsp or as per taste

Method

1) Soak the horse gram over night.

2) Rinse, drain add salt and enough water to cover just the surface and pressure cook for three whistles.

3) Drain the excess water, heat a pan add coconut oil, asafoetida, mustard seeds.

4) Once the mustard seeds stop spluttering, add the curry leaves, onions, salt and saute till the onions become translucent.

5) Now add the cooked kollu(horse gram) and saute for 5 minutes till the kollu becomes little dry and now add the curry powder saute for a minute and switch off.

6) Garnish with lemon juice and cilantro and enjoy.

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Sweet Almond Balls

Craving for sweets, but looking for a high protein and low carb, low sugar snack? Then try this out and i am sure you will include this in your list of favorite snacks. After reading about all the health benefits of xylitol, bought this and i am trying to come up with recipes using this as sugar substitute. One drawback about xylitol is it gives a cool effect to the tongue when consumed. Apart from that it pretty much tastes like sugar, looks like sugar and no bitter after taste. Do try out this recipe and let me know, how you liked it.

Preparation Time - 15 Minutes

Cooking Time - 2 Minutes

Serves - Makes around 10 to 12 balls

Ingredients

Organic Raw Almonds - 1 cup

Xylitol - 1/4 cup (more if you have sugary tongue, you can also use raw sugar instead of xylitol)

Clarified Butter(Ghee) - 1 Tbsp

Cashews - 1 Tbsp chopped

Cardamom - 2

Saffron - few strands

Method

1) Add cardamom and almonds in a blender and grind to a coarse meal.

2) Now add xylitol and blend for a second, and empty out the contents in a bowl.

3) Heat the ghee and fry the cashews till golden and now add the saffron strands and switch

off the stove.

4) Add the ghee, cashew and saffron strands to the almond powder bowl and with a spatula mix

thoroughly and using your hands make small balls and store in a air tight container.

5) Since the almonds have oil in them naturally, with just a Tbsp of ghee you can make out nice round balls.

6) Pop them in your mouth and enjoy.

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Ragi Sweet Appam

Finger millet is actually a seed which is much more superior to rice or wheat in
nutritional terms, providing highest levels of calcium,antioxidants, phytochemicals and high
levels of dietary fiber which makes it easy and slowly digestible. This slow digestion is very useful for
people with diabetes as it does not cause any sugar highs. The bulkiness of the fiber and the slower
digestion rate makes us feel fuller for a longer time. Black Chick Pea & Green Mung bean are very
good source of protein, iron and dietary fiber. This is very ideal for carb watchers, kids and people
on gluten free diet.

Preparation Time – 10 minutes

Cooking Time – 10 to 15 Minutes

Serves - 2

Ingredients

Finger Millet(Ragi Flour) – 6 oz

Whole Green Mung Bean Flour – 2 oz

Whole Black Chick Pea Flour – 2 oz

Jaggery powder - 1/3 cup or to taste

Banana – 1

Elaichi powder – pinch

Coconut(Small Chopped pieces not grated) - 1 heaped Table spoon

Salt – pinch

Water

Oil/Ghee(Clarified butter) - 2 tsps

Powdered Chia/Rice Flour – 1 Tbsp (This addition is to prevent the batter from sticking to

your cook ware, Chia and rice flour both will do its job perfectly)

Method

1) Add little bit of water to the jaggery and heat it till all the jaggery dissolves. Switch off and let this

cool for few minutes.

2) Meanwhile slice the banana and make a puree and add it to the jaggery.

3) Add elaichi powder, salt and the coconut pieces to the dissolved jaggery.

4) Now combine all the three flours and add the jaggery mixture to this and add enough water to make

Idli batter consistency and add the powdered chia.

5) Heat the appam pan and add drops of oil in each of them and then pour the batter. Cover it and

let it cook till one side is completely cooked.

6) Now turn it and leave till the other side is cooked.

7) Serve it hot and enjoy.

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No Bake Almond Date Energy Bar

Know what you Eat - Are you the kind of person who loves to snack on Energy, Granola or Cereal bar. Then try this easy to make energy bar and i doubt if you will go for the pricey bars at the store anymore. Filled with the goodness of Almonds, Dates, Coconut and Omega-3 rich Chia seeds and calcium rich Sesame seeds they are very easy to make, super nutritions and taste awesome without any additives.



Almonds are low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - protein, calcium and magnesium - for strong bones, vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Dates are very good source of iron and one of the best natural sugar substitute anyone with a sweet tooth can go for. Chia seeds are very good source of Omega-3 fatty acids and sesame seeds are good source of calcium. The darker the seeds higher their nutrition profile is. Coconut is a good source of Iron, Vitamic C,  Protein and Calcium.



Who Should avoid Dates - Even though dates are very nutritious, large portion of its calories come from sugar. One pitted date contains 16gms of sugar, so if you are on a weight loss goal, portion this energy bar accordingly.



Cooking Time - 5 Mins

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Makes - 12-15 bars(depending on the thickness of the bar)



Ingredients



Toasted Almonds - 1 Cup

Dates - 3/4 cup Chopped and Packed

Grated and toasted Coconut - 1/4 cup

Chia Seeds - 3 Tbsp

Toasted Sesame Seeds - 2 Tbsp

Honey - 2 Tbsp



Method



1) Grind Chia Seeds into a fine powder.

2) Toast the Almonds for 5 mins in a toaster.

3) Now add Almonds, Coconut, Sesame seeds, dates (except for the honey) to the powdered chia.

4) In a food processor blend all the ingredients into fairly fine but still having some texture.

5) Add honey and process just long enough for it to blend in.

6) Press into a square about 3/4-inch thick on a plate or square pan and refrigerate for about an hour or more.

7) Cut into 2-inch squares and enjoy this guilt free snack.



Variations - You can use any combination of nuts also check out 10 Minute Peanut Raisin bars and No Bake Healthy Granola bars for other ideas.



Note - Since there is no baking involved, these bars will lose their shape when kept outside in very hot weather for a long time. When refrigerated they are good for atleast 2 weeks, they might be good even after that but it never lasts, no matter how much i make.



Event Participation



This goes straight to EC's WYF Time Snack.



Sending this to Food for 7 Stages of Life - Healthy Fast Food hosted by Radhika and Sudeshna.

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Glutenfree Eggless Oats & Almond Candied Fruit Cookie

Know what you Eat - Gluten is a special type of protein that is commonly found in wheat, barley, rye, kamut, spelt and triticale, but unfortunately most oat stock has been found to be contaminated with wheat because of processing methods. But you can find gluten free Oats in your health food store or online. These contain oat gluten but not the type of gluten that can harm people with Celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

Now coming to the nutrition in these cookies Almonds are low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - protein, calcium and magnesium - for strong bones, vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Oats are an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber and thiamin. They also contain antioxidants that are believed to protect the circulatory system from diseases such as arteriosclerosis, which affects the arterial blood vessel. Preparation Time - 20 mins





I stick on to Oats because of their high fiber content and Almonds because of its high nutritional content. The cookies being a part of my kids daily snack , i no longer need to feel too guilty to give something with empty calories and they taste great too.





Cooking Time - 20 mins

Makes - Around 30 Cookies



Ingredients



Oats  Flour - 3 Cup

Almond Flour/Meal - 1 1/2 cup

Butter - 3/4 cup(room temperature)

Raw Sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp (if you want a more sweeter version otherwise keep it to 1/2 cup)

Tutti Fruity(Candied Fruit) - 1 cup

Almond Extract - 1 tsp

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp



Method



1) To get Oats flour in a food processor grind the Oats to fine flour consistency.

2) Add 1tsp of sugar to the Almond and grind to a fine powder, adding the sugar will prevent the almond flour from becoming sticky.

3) Combine the Oats flour, Almond flour, Salt, baking soda and the candied fruit pieces.

4) Cream the butter and sugar together and add the almond extract to it.

5) Slowly add the Oats and Almond flour to the butter, sugar mixture and make a dough.

6) Preheat an oven to 350degrees Fahrenheit.

7) Line a cookie tray with parchment paper.

8) Take a small amount of the dough, roll it and flatten it with hand.

9) Place them in the cookie sheet leaving enough space for the cookies to expand.

10) Bake for around 10-15 minutes till they are slightly brown and completely baked.

11) Cool them completely(this is must as they will be very crumbly even to touch) and transfer them to an airtight container.









Event Participation



1) This goes to the Oats Feast & Cakes-n-Cookies events both hosted by Sara's Corner.



2) This also goes to Eat Christmas Cookies event hosted by Susan.



3) This goes to It's time to Jingle hosted by Asankhana.

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Banana-Oat Bar

 



I had few ripe bananas at home and my first thought was to make banana nut muffins. But i am trying to cut down on wheat consumption and the next option was to make granola bars. But i just had half cup of extra thick Oats and i didn’t feel like driving a mile to buy them. Well i love to experiment with food and that made to come up with this recipe and it did taste good, to top it all was “Kid Approved”.



Know what you Eat – A single serving of whole oats rich in soluble fiber can reduce hypertension, or high blood pressure, and so reduce the need for anti-hypertensive medication.  Bananas are an exceptionally rich source of fructooligosaccharide, a compound called a prebiotic because it nourishes probiotic (friendly) bacteria in the colon. These beneficial bacteria produce vitamins and digestive enzymes that improve our ability to absorb nutrients, plus compounds that protect us against unfriendly microorganisms.



Ingredients



Oat flour – 1 1/4 cup

Extra thick Oats – 1/2 cup

Grated Carrot – 1/4 cup

Grated Coconut – 1/4 cup

Agave Nectar – 1/4 cup

Sunflower or Canola oil – 1/4 cup

Milk – 1/4 cup

Extra ripe bananas – 3

Alum free Baking Soda – 1/2 tsp

Chia or Flax Powder – 1 tbsp

Salt – 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon powder – 1/4 tsp

Sliced Almonds – 1/4 cup



Method



1) Mash the ripe banana into puree.

2) Mix Oat flour, Oats, grated carrots, coconut, baking soda, chia powder, salt, cinnamon powder and combine thoroughly.

3) Add Agave Nectar, Canola Oil, Milk and banana puree  to the oats mixture and mix without any lumps.

4) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

5) Line the baking pan with parchment paper or grease and transfer the batter to the baking pan.

6) Spread the sliced almonds on the top and bake till a tester inserted in center comes out clean. Enjoy these guilt free snacks.



Event Participation



1. This goes to Madhuram's Whole Grain Baking Event- Oats for October 09.



2. This also goes to Guilt Free Snacks, event hosted by Yasmeen.

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Almond Oats Chocolate Chip Cookie(Eggless)

Know what you Eat - Almonds are low in saturated fat and contain many other protective nutrients - protein, calcium and magnesium - for strong bones, vitamin E and compounds called phytochemicals, which may help protect against cardiovascular disease and even cancer. Oats are an excellent source of iron, dietary fiber and thiamin. They also contain antioxidants that are believed to protect the circulatory system from diseases such as arteriosclerosis, which affects the arterial blood vessel.





Our doctor is firmly believes in a grain free diet,  he advises us to stay away from Rice and Wheat(even whole wheat) as they are fattening. He sketched out a diet plan for us which consist of Finger Millet(Reinventing the wheel), black chick pea, green mung bean and Quinoa. Our staple brown rice and whole wheat(even though i love them i use it occassionally now) has been taken over by other grain & beans in the past few years. Being the staples replaced, now i am slowly working on replacing wheat with other grains in my baking too. This is one such cookie and it gave me lot of satisfaction as it contains the goodness of Oats and protein rich Almonds. Almonds are concentrated in protein. A quarter-cup contains 7.62 grams-more protein than is provided by the typical egg, which contains 5.54 grams. I tried using Almond flour(my ultimate target) alone and the taste was unmatched, but they were lot crumbly.



Preparation Time - 10 mins

Cooking Time - 10-15 mins

Makes - 18 to 20 Cookies

Ingredients



Oats Flour - 2 Cups

Almond Powder - 1 Cup

Semi sweet Chocolate chips - 4 oz (1/2 cup)

Butter - 4 oz(room temperature)

Agave Nectar - 2 oz

Baking Soda - 1/4 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp



Method



1) Preheat Oven to 350 degrees Fahrenhiet.

2) Sift Oats, Almond flour, Baking soda, salt and chocolate chips and set them aside.

3) Combine Butter and Agave nectar and then add the vanilla extract.

4) Now add the Oats-Almond mixture slowly to the butter and combine without any lumps.

4) Line a baking tray with parchment paper.

5) Take small amount  of dough, make a ball and flatten them using your hand and place it in the parchment paper.

6) Leave enough space as the cookies will expand while baking and bake for around 10-15 minutes till they are slightly brown and completely baked.

7) Cool them completely(this is must as they will be very crumbly even to touch) and transfer them to an airtight container. Great for kids as a guilt free snack along with some fresh fruits.



Note - I have tried these cookies couple of times, it comes out very well. The consistency of the dough depends on the room temperature. Once i baked them on a very hot day and had to spoon the dough instead of flattening them, still it comes out well. I have tried the vegan version also with 1/2 cup of Canola oil and replacing agave nectar with 1/2 cup Maple syrup. With Maple syrup they are little bit on the crispy side.

Event Participation

1)This dish goes to Just not any other dish hosted by Dew drop in the Kitchen.



2)This dish a sure kid pleaser goes to Kids Delight hosted by Srivalli.



3)This dish goes to Eggless Baking Event Using Oats hosted by Madhu.



4)This also goes to CFK-Chocolate hosted by Hema started by Sharmi.

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Khaman Dhokla (Spicy Steamed Bengal Gram Flour Cake) & Green Chutney for ICC

Know what you Eat - Besan (Bengal gram flour) is very high in protein and very low in glycemic index. This bean from which this flour is made looks just like yellow split peas, but is quite different because it doesn't readily boil down to mush. It's more closely related to garbanzo beans, or chickpeas. The differences are that Bengal gram is younger, smaller, split, sweeter, and has a much lower glycemic index, in fact much lower than the Garbanzo(not the dark colored chick pea but the light one). This dish can be made with Black Chick Pea flour also which is even low on the GI and far superior protein, but will not be soft and spongy and will be darker in color. But tastes good.

This is our first participation in the ICC hosted by Srivalli. Dhokla can be made in different ways and we had earlier posted our version of Nylon Instant Khaman Dhokla some time back.
This recipe passed on by Srivalli requires the batter to be made and kept for an hour so you can take care of the chutney and other things during that time. I exactly followed her recipe except for using lime juice instead of citric acid, used regular eno packet and had to omit the cooking soda as i didn't have any and it came out very well. One more tip for making a good dhokla, if you are using a container to steam instead of pressure cooker or pan is to tie a cloth on the inside of the lid. So whatever water accumulates on the top doesn't drip into the dhokla and make it soggy.

Ingredients

For Batter

Bengal Gram flour / Besan - 1 1/2 cups
Yogurt- 1/2 cup (not very sour)
Water - 1/2 cup
Cooking Soda - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning to be mixed to the batter (to be added just before cooking)

Oil - 1 tbsp
Turmeric a pinch
G. Chili paste - 1 - 2 long (as per taste)S
ugar - 1 tsp
Citric acid - quarter tsp
Eno - 1 packet (green colour fruit lime) + sprinkle or dust few bits on the plate

For tempering

Sesame seeds
Mustard Seeds
Curry leaves
Grated coconut
Coriander leaves
Little water + Oil to be topped on dhoklas

Method

1) Mix first 1/2 cup yogurt with 1/2 cup water.
2) To this add the besan and mix well to get a lump less batter, the consistency should be of idli batter, more of dropping not pouring consistency.
3) Slowly add more water if needed else, add the soda.
4) Keep it aside to rise for 1 hour.
5) To the batter mix in the citric acid, oil, salt, sugar, green chili paste and turmeric powder.
6) Mix well. This has to be done just before pouring to the plate.
7) Meanwhile have the pan on stove, and let the water start boiling.
8) When the water reaches the rolling stage, you can mix the eno to the batter (Save little of eno for dusting on the plate), mix gently, you will see bubbles coming out.
9) Dust or sprinkle the plate with eno.
10) Then immediately pour the batter to the plate. Place the plate carefully inside the pressure pan and cover with lid.
11) After covering you will find steam coming out of the outlet, simmer and don't disturb for almost 5 -7 minutes.After 5 -7 minutes, remove the lid and proof it using toothpick or knife. If the knife comes out clean and does not have any batter sticking, then its done.
12) Cover back and let it remain on flame for 1 min and switch off the gas and allow it for 5 minutes.
13) In a bowl, mix 3 tsp of water along with a tsp of oil
14) Remove the plate from the pan, pour the water and oil mix over the top.
15) For seasoning, heat a pan with oil, add curry leaves, sesame seeds, mustard seeds and finely chopped green chilies.
16) When mustard starts popping, remove and pour over the dhokla.

Notes - The batter should be filled to only 1/2 as it will rise up.
After adding eno the batter should not rest.
If you want perfect shaped ones and not the crumbling, cut and handle gently
Dhokla can also be steamed in kadai filled with water and a plated titled over it.

Green chutney

G. chili - 4-5 no
Coconut - 4- 5 pieces
Coriander - bunch
Few mint leaves
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Lime -1 big
Salt to taste

Method

1) Take all the ingredients except coriander in a food processor.
2) Grind to a smooth paste.Then add the coriander and again grind.
3) Remove to a bowl, add the remaining lime and serve with Dhoklas.
4) Have this dhokla as a breakfast or as  a protein rich guilt free snack.

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Baked Pakoda(Healthy Bengal Gram Flour Snack)

Know what you Eat - Besan (Bengal gram flour) is very high in protein and very low in glycemic index. This bean from which this flour is made looks just like yellow split peas, but is quite different because it doesn't readily boil down to mush. It's more closely related to garbanzo beans, or chickpeas. The differences are that Bengal gram is younger, smaller, split, sweeter, and has a much lower glycemic index, in fact much lower than the Garbanzo(not the dark colored chick pea but the light one). Onions are a very good source of chromium, a molecule that helps cells respond appropriately to insulin. Clinical studies of diabetics have shown that chromium can decrease fasting blood glucose levels,improve glucose tolerance, lower insulin levels, and decrease total cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Chromium levels are depleted by the consumption of refined sugars and white flour products. High fructose corn syrup decreases this trace mineral too, so check for your labels when you buy food products in the store next time.

Bengal Gram Flour(Besan) is available in Asian Indian grocery store, or you can find it in the International Food Isle. Ever since i saw this recipe in Uma's blog i have tried it out several times. I atleast bake this once a week and it is awesome. Comes very handy for a after school snack for the kids as well as for moms to recharge.

Cooking Time - 20 mins
Preparation Time - 5 mins
Serves - 4

Ingredients

Chickpea Flour (Besan) - 1 cup
Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
Red onion (medium sized) - 1
Cayenne pepper - 1/2 tsp or to taste
¾ tsp Baking Powder
2 tbsp Butter, melted
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt as required
Little bit of water

Method

1) Preheat baking oven to 400 degrees.
2) Mix besan, chopped onions, cayenne pepper, rice flour, butter and salt. Add little bit of water and make a thick dough, you should be able to spoon it in a baking pan.
3) Grease a baking sheet and spoon the batter into small portions, leaving enough room for them to expand while baking.
4) Bake till the pakodas turn golden(not brown for around 15-20 minutes).
5) Serve it hot with ketchup of your choice and enjoy these protein rich guilt free snack.

Event Participation

This dish goes to Spill the beans- Sunday snack event hosted by Priya.

This dish goes to Low fat eggless baking event hosted by Madhu.

This dish goes to My legume love affair twelfth helping event hosted by Annarasa created by Susan.

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