Then Thinai Cookies using Electric Rice Cooker / / Foxtail Millet Honey Cookies

     

       Then  Thinai Millet Cookie is a tasty cookie which even kids love to have a lot. It does not contain sugar and hence a great cookie for diabetics patients who do not want to compromise on taste as well. It has only 3 ingredients and hence very easy and quick to make. What better recipe can we hope for? No wonder it is a very popular millet cookie recipe.

Click here to view 20 + cookies recipes.

Recipe Cuisine : Indian | Recipe Category: Cookies

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 10 mins | Yields: 20 nos.

Ingredients:

Foxtail Millet Flour / Thinai Maavu	1 cup
Butter	¼ cup
Honey	¼ cup
Chopped Nuts (cashew or badam )	2 tbsp (optional)

Procedure:

1. Add butter in a wide bowl. Beat the butter with electric beater or wire whisk till it become soft.

2. Then add honey and again beat well till they mix them well.

3. Now add the foxtail millet flour and mix with your finger or spoon.

4. Slowly knead it into a soft and pliable dough. Leave it for just one minute.

5. Chop the nuts into thin and small pieces. (if used)

6. Roll the dough into 1/4 inch thickness circle (like chapathi) on the dry rolling surface using the rolling pin. Before rolling, sprinkle the wheat flour over the rolling surface to avoid the flour getting sticky.

7. Sprinkle the chopped nuts over the circle and press them gently using the rolling pin.

8. Now cut the rolled circle using the cutter of any shape or bottle cap.

Using Oven:

9. Take out the cookies using the flat spatula and keep it on the ungreased baking tray. Leave ½ inch space between the cookies.

10. Preheat the oven for 200 degree Celsius.

11. Bake the cookies for 7 mins at 180 degree Celsius.

12. Allow it to cool down completely and then take them out from the tray. Again cool them on wire rack.

Using Electric Rice Cooker:

13. Close the lid of the cooker and switch it ON. After a few seconds it will come to WARM mode. (This is preheating method)

14. Now open the lid and arrange the cookies and leave ½ inch space between the cookies.

15. Again close the lid of the cooker and press ON (suppose it doesn’t come to ON mode, wait for 1 -2 mins).

16. After 1-2 mins it will again come to WARM mode. Leave it for 1 min. Repeat the above steps 15 and 16 for one more time.

17. Now turn over the cookies carefully and repeat the steps 15 and 16 again for  one more time.

18. Allow it to cool down completely and then take the cookies out from the cooker and store it in a air tight container for later use.

Easy to understand chart:

MODE of Cooker	Activity
	Empty cooker
ON – WARM	Preheat
	Place the cookies
ON – WARM	Baking
ON – WARM	Baking
	Turn over the cookies
ON – WARM	Baking
	Take out the cookies

Note:

1. I grounded the Foxtail millet flour from the foxtail millet rice without soaking in water with our neighborhood flour mill.

2. Use store bought flour too.

3. Nuts are optional.

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Carrot Paratha | Kids Lunch Box Series

     Carrot paratha is a easy kids lunch box recipe. As it has only few readily available ingredients. Carrot adds a sweetish tinge to the chapathi which the kids will love. It is healthy is a bonus.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Chutney

Preparation Time: 5 mins  | Cooking Time: 15 mins | Yields: 5 nos.

Ingredients:

For Dough:
Wheat Flour	1 cup
Salt	As required
Oil	2 tsp
Water	As required
Oil	For making paratha
For Stuffing:
Grated Carrot	1 cup
Finely Chopped Onion	¼ cup
Red Chilli Powder	½ tsp
Salt	Required
To Temper the Stuffing:
Oil	1 tsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
To Garnish:
Finely Chopped Coriander Leaves (optional)	1 tbsp

Procedure:

Making dough:

1. In a bowl, add wheat flour, salt and oil. Mix them well.

2. Then add water little by little and knead it into a soft dough. Keep it aside for 10 mins.

Making Stuffing:

3. Heat the oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and wait for splutter.

4. Then add the chopped onion and sauté till they become translucent.

5. Now add the grated carrot, red chilli powder and salt. Sauté till the raw smell of the carrot goes off and it becomes tender.

6. Add finely chopped coriander leaves (if used). Mix them well. Allow it  to cool down completely.

Making Parathas:

7. Now divide the dough (from 2) into a lemon size balls.

8. Now dust the dough ball and roll it into a small circle. Keep 2 tbsp or required amount of stuffing in its center. Then bring the edges to the center.

9. Again dust the stuffed balls and roll it carefully.

 10. Heat the tawa and transfer the paratha, sprinkle the oil and cook both sides till the black spots starts.

       Really easy and tasty paratha ready to serve. Serve it with raitha.

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Nutrichoice Essentials Diabetic Masterclass - Some takeaways

     We went to Nutrichoice Essentials Diabetics Master Class, which is part of a 3-week long Diabetics Food Trail event conducted by Semora Entertainment works

and sponsored by Britannia Nutrichoice, BioCon etc. at Hotel Park Hyatt, Chennai.

     The main aim of the Britannia Essentials Diabetics Master Class is to spread the following message:

“ For a person with diabetes, eating nutritious and well-balanced meals with a regular fitness routine is vital in managing diabetes. This applies to pre-diabetics and the health conscious too”.

     We attended talk sessions by Mrs. Seema Pinto, Co-Founder of Diabetics Food Trail and Director of Semora Entertainment works, 

Dr. Wasim (  http://www.yourwellnessdoc.com/about-wasim.html  ), Chef Teuku and Chef Vamsi of Hotel ParkHyatt, Chennai.

Here are some of the key takeaways from those talk sessions:

From Mrs. Seema Pinto:

1. Diabetics FoodTrail is mainly for making restaurants to add healthy food as part of their regular menu. Diabetics should also have to have food fun and enjoy eating outside.

2. Healthy Food should not cost more and should be equally tasty.

3. Do not skip breakfast. This is one habit which will lead to diabetics if not followed. Eat like King at Breakfast, like Queen at Lunch, and like Beggar at dinner.

4. All Foods with single word names are mostly healthy. Tomato is healthy; tomato sauce is not healthy; apple is healthy apple juice is not.

5. What you eat now, is what your kids will eat tomorrow.

6. Honey is the best alternative for sugar.

7. Diabetics patients can take one egg with yolk also daily for breakfast.

From Dr. Wasim:

1. Any Meal which has Fiber and Sugar in equal proportions is health. eg. Fruits are healthy, juices are unhealthy because it has only sugar and no fiber.

2. The Most famous food trend you will hear about very shortly is 5-times a day  meal (breakfast,brunch,lunch,snack,dinner).

3. B12 and Vitamin D is the most important nutrients which we should be having in adequate quantity.

4. What kills you is not what you eat outside, but what you eat inside.

From Chef Vamsi: 

1. Ghee in small portions added to food items makes food healthy and tasty

2. South Indian Thaali with small quantity of rice and large quantity of vegetables and side dish is the best balanced meal.

3. 4 times a week  of Millets is more than enough.

4. You should not be biased against north indian or south indian dals. For example, south indians do not use Rajma frequently etc.

5. Use Black Salt as much as possible

The Recipes showcased at the Britannia Diabetics Masterclass by Chef Teuku and Chef Vamsi include:

a. Asian Lettuce Cup

b. Tuna Salad Wraps

c. Baked Assorted Lentil Stew Casserole

d. Pan Seared Sea Bass

e. Red Banana and Britannia Nutrichoice Essentials Oats Biscuits Pudding

What I liked most from this recipe list is Diabetic Healthy Dessert Trail which used honey to create desserts which is forbidden food for diabetics patients.

I also received a recipe book from Mrs. Seema containing diabetic recipes. I will prepare some of those recipes and post them in my blog in coming days.

For more info check out the following links:  

www.diabeticfoodtrail.comwww.twitter.com/dfoodtrailwww.facebook.com/diabeticfoodtrailwww.instagram.com/diabeticfoodtrail

Last but not the least we should appreciate Mrs. Seema Pinto's social initiative which is the need of the hour.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/chandigarh/Type-2-diabetes-46-of-patients-in-India-are-under-40/articleshow/55403707.cms

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Media Sightings in dtNEXT

Happy that two of my Recipes ( Chocolate French Toast and Apple Cookie)published in dtNEXT today's edition along with my friend Madraasi Deepa's recipes.

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Banana Dosai | Easy Dosai Recipes

Banana dosai makes banana slices very attractive to kids. Its also adds a sweetish flavor to the dosa. The ghee also creates a tempting aroma which makes the kids devour them. Same applies for adults also.

Click here to view 30+ Dosai Recipes.

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Breakfast

Preparation Time: 1 mins  | Cooking Time: 2 mins | Yields: 1 dosai

Video for how to make banana dosai:

Ingredients:

Idly / Dosa Batter	For one dosai
Banana	1 or required
Ghee	1 tsp
Powdered Sugar (optional)	1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Remove the skin of the banana and cut it into thin circles.

2. Heat the dosa tawa, pour ladle full of batter into a little bit thick circle.

3. Immediately place the banana circles over the dosai.

4. Then pour the ghee over the dosai. Turn over the dosai once it reaches golden color.

5. Then turn over the dosai and cook for 1 mins. Then remove from the tawa and keep it on the plate.

6. Now sprinkle the powdered sugar over the dosai using the tea filter. Serve it immediately.

    Wow yummy and aromatic dosai is ready!!!

Note:

1. I have used nendram banana. You can use any variety. But nendram banana gives very nice aroma and superb taste.

2. Use cooking oil instead of ghee.

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Agathi Keerai Kuzhambu / Humming Bird Tree Leaves Kuzhambu

     

      Agathi Keerai Kuzhambu is a Kongu traditional and multipurpose keerai kuzhambu. It can be used as side dish for chapathi, cur rice, dosai etc., It can be also used as kuzhambu when mixed with rice.

Related Posts:

1. Agathi Keerai Poriyal

2. Agathi Poo Poriyal

Recipe Cuisine : South Indian | Recipe Category: Kuzhambu

Preparation Time: 10 mins  | Cooking Time: 10 mins | Yields: 2 cups

Ingredients:

Chopped Agathi Keerai Leaves	2 cups
Salt	To Taste
To Roast and Paste:
Oil	1 tsp
Cumin Seeds	1 tsp
Coriander Seeds	2 tsp
Thur Dal	1 tsp
Red Chilli	2
Chopped Onion	¼ cup
Grated Coconut	2 tbsp
To Temper:
Oil	1 tsp
Mustard Seeds	¼ tsp
Red Chilli	1

Procedure:

1. Remove the leaves from the stem. Wash them twice and drain the water completely. Then chop them into small pieces.

2. Pressure cook the chopped leaves with ¼ cup of water for 2 whistles in a medium flame.

3. Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and coriander seeds. Sauté for 2 mins.

4. Then add thur dal and sauté till the dal turns into golden color.

5. Now add red chillies and sauté till they become crisp.

6. Add chopped onion and fry till the onion becomes translucent. Switch off the flame and add grated coconut. Allow it to cool down completely.

7. Grind them into a little bit coarse paste using little water.

8. After pressure had gone open the lid of the cooker (from 2), then pour this ground mixture (from 7) and mix them well.

9. Add enough water and salt. Mix well and cook for 2 mins.

10. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and red chilli. Fry till the mustard seeds splutter.

11. Mix this temper with the kuzhambu (from 9) and mix well. Cook them for one more min and switch off the flame.

       Really yummy and mouthwatering kuzhambu is ready to serve.

Note:

1.  Use small onion or big onion.

2. Adjust the red chilli level according to your taste.

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