Straight from Oven Repost

 Nothing fancy but healthy and preservative free Cake 

Sorghum is an old World cereal grain that belongs to the grass family Poaceae. It’s also native to warm regions of the world and is a major source grains. Sorghum or jowar is the “new quinoa” for its gluten free and whole grain goodness. In English it is named as Sorghum and in India it is Jowar which is a staple food item. 

Gluten is a protein component found in wheat and barley based foods which causes digestive problems like bloating pain or stomach aches. Jowar is a gluten-free grain for people who suffer from gluten intolerance. 

Compared to other cereals Jowar grains contains much higher concentration of fibre. It even controls blood sugar levels hence it is a great choice for diabetics. Lastly Jowar is high, in antioxidants and eating a diet rich antioxidants may help and lower stress and inflammation in our body. This grain is a good source of protein like quinoa. I am sharing a very easy healthy jowar cake which can be easily baked at home. So let’s start 

Ingredients 

2 eggs 

1/4th cup oil

1 cup flour ( 1/2 cup wholewheat flour and 1/2 cup Jowar flour) Use 1 cup jowar flour if gluten intolerance. 

1/2 cup jaggery sugar 

1tsp baking powder 

1/2 tsp baking soda 

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder 

Some chopped dry fruits 

Directions 

Pre heat the oven at 180C

Separate the eggs .

In the bowl of egg yolks add the sugar. Mix until well combined. Add oil and mix well. In the separate bowl add the egg whites . First mix on low speed then mix on high speed until you see smooth short tail when lift up the mixer paddle. 

Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda and the cinnamon powder. Add the dry ingredients into the yolk mixture. Combine well. Then add the egg whites into the mixture and mix gently ( cut and fold method). Never over mix. Add the chopped dry fruits.Put the mixture in a greased pan. Tap thrice. Bake in a pre heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes at 180C. Let it cool and Enjoy. 

 Know Your Grains

Grains commonly referred to as 'cereals' or 'cereal grains' are the edible seeds of specific grasses belonging to the Poaceae family. Wheat, oats, rice, corn, millets, and sorghum are the different types of common grains used in our daily life. Wheat, oats, rice are mostly used in every Indian house nowadays. But there are other grains too which are healthy easily available in the market specially Millets.

Millet is also a cereal grain that belongs to the Poaceae family. Millet has recently gained popularity because it's Gluten-Free and boasts high protein, fiber, and antioxidant contents. The next few articles will review almost everything you need to know about millet. Although all millet belongs to the same Poaceae family, they differ in texture, color, and species too. Normally this crop is divided into two groups , major millets which are Pearl, Foxtail, Proso, and Finger whereas the minor includes Kodo, barnyard, little.  Foxtail, finger, pearl, and Kodo are easily available in India. Let's start with Foxtail millet.

FOXTAIL MILLET Its benefits and an easy recipe 

Foxtail millet second most widely planted species in India. This amazing grain is rich in dietary fiber, healthy micros, protein-rich, and low in fat. Studies even show that people consuming this millet have lower chances of getting diabetes  It even helps to regulate blood pressure, helps in the reduction of LDL levels in the body. Thus reducing the blockage in the heart that results in cardiac arrest. As it has a low glycemic index it is an excellent substitute for rice especially white rice. The abundance of antioxidants in this millet helps in fighting diseases and building immunity which is very much necessary especially now. It is also rich in calcium content hence helping maintain your bone health. This millet is very easy to cook, can be consumed as porridge, upma or khichdi, and even muffins. 

Foxtail millet is known as 'thinai' in Tamil and 'kangni' in Hindi.

Let's start with A Very Simple Easy Recipe.

Foxtail Millet Khichdi

Heat a pan and dry roast the millet over low flame for just 1 to 2 minutes.

Keep aside and let it cool. Dry roast the moong dal for a few minutes. Now in a pressure cooker temper some mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Add onions and cook till it is translucent in color. Add  chopped tomato and grated ginger saute for a few minutes. Now add vegetables of your choice chopped carrots, beans,  fresh cauliflower (since it's winter now). I added 3 baby potatoes and peas too. 

Add a few masalas, turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilly powder (optional) and mix them with the vegetables, cook for few minutes. Add the roasted millet and dal, give a quick mix. Add water and salt (according to your taste), close the cooker and give 3 to 4 whistles. 

Serve hot with ghee drizzled and raita or pickle. 

Let me know if you like the recipe in the comment section below.

I have baked Foxtail millet muffins , kodo millet cakes and pearl millet muffins. Will share the recipes soon. 

Christmas cake Repost

 CHRISTMAS CAKE 

Not all Christmas Cakes are loaded with sugar if try and make it at home. Here’s a Simple Easy Christmas Cake recipe with little healthier version.

Pre heat the oven at 180C.

Ingredients and Procedure

Mix dry fruits( I used mixed dried berries, chopped dates, chopped almonds, black raisins and cherries)soak them  overnight in grape juice

Ingredients 

2 cups of all purpose flour/ cake flour

1 &1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1& 1/2 tsp mixed spice

1/2 cup oil/ unsalted butter (melted)

1/2 cup coconut sugar / jaggery sugar

1 tsp mixed fruit jam( optional) or 1tsp molasses 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1 tbsp grape juice

3 eggs ( if without eggs substitute with 1/2 cup curd)  

Pre heat the oven at 180 C 

Sieve the dry ingredients first and keep them aside

In a stand mixer or using a hand mixer mix the sugar and oil/butter till well mixed

Gradually add the eggs one at a time at medium speed for 1 min and increase the speed.

Mix till it looks light and fluffy

Add the dry ingredients in batches adding gradually the grape juice.

Stop the mixer when all are well incorporated. Do not over mix the batter. 

Using a spatula combine everything well and add the soaked fruits. 

Bake in a pre heated oven for 50 to 60 minutes at 180C or check with a skewer till it comes out clean. Let it cool and enjoy. Will share a gluten free Christmas cake recipe soon.

Marble Cake

 Marble cake is the most easiest, moist , tender yet a classic cake. It’s exciting cake b’cause both vanilla and chocolate flavour can be enjoyed. The cake can be frosted too for special occasions simply with milk and choco chips. So let’s get started 

Ingredients and process This recipe is eggless. 

Pre heat the oven at 180C

Sugar 1 cup 

Yogurt 1 cup ( if using eggs substitute with 3 eggs) 

3/4 cup oil 

Blend the wet ingredients in a mixer. Keep aside. 

All purpose flour or baking flour 2cups 

Baking powder 1tsp

Baking soda 1/2 tsp 

Sieve the dry ingredients atleast 3 times 

Take a large bowl put the blended wet ingredients. Add the flour mixture and mix well using cut and fold method. Never over mix. 

Add 2 tbsp milk and mix gently. 

Divide the batter. Add 1 tsp vanilla extract to the white batter.

Add 3 tbsp cocoa powder and 2tbsp milk to the other batter. Mix well until well combined. Now in a greased mould put 1 spoon white batter and add 1 spoon chocolate batter. Continue the process. Zigzag with a fork or chopsticks . Bake in a pre heated oven for 35 to 40 minutes or check with a skewer. Cool the cake completely and Enjoy. 

Cumin

                                                     Cumin  

                                          

Cumin (mostly known as Jeera) is a spice made from the seeds of the cuminum cyminum plant. It is native to Asia, Europe and Africa but used widely in cooking in India from ancient ages. Mostly it is available as wholeseeds but ground form is also available in the market easily. I have seen from my childhood, my mom roasting the cumin seeds and then grinding the dry seeds. I do the same thing and while roasting my house is filled with beautiful aroma. Normally in India people use both whole or grounded cumin in almost every dish. It has some amazing medicinal properties too. It promotes digestion, contains beneficial plant compounds, is a rich source of iron, may improve blood cholesterol and even promotes weight loss and fat reduction. It even works as a great acid neutralizer and relieves stomach pain. I will share a very easy drink which you can make everyday and a very common Indian dish. You will need 1teaspoon of cumin seeds, 2glasses of water and 1teaspoon of honey(optional). In a sauce pan, add water and cumin seeds and bring it to boil. Put the flame on medium or low and allow the seeds to be absorbed into the water. Let it boil for 5minutes. Switch off the flame, strain it in a glass. Add honey and stir well. Consume the drink on an empty stomach or after meals both are fine.

Jeera Aloo

Jeera aloo, one of the simplest, easy and quick recipe, yet delicious can be easily made at home. You can have it with  plain roti or even the combination of dal, chawal(boiled rice) and jeera aloo is a perfect comfort food.
 Ingredients for jeera aloo
5 medium size boiled potatoes(cubed)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 green chilies chopped
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt as required
1/4 cup of chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon lemon juice(optional)
Procedure- In a sauce pan , heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil, let the oil become hot.Add cumin seeds and wait till they crackle in the hot oil. Then add green chilies and stir well. Add the potato cubes followed by turmeric powder, salt and mix well. Saute the potatoes for 3 minutes. Now add chopped coriander. Switch off the flame, add lemon juice and serve hot.
This is all about another amazing Indian spice, for more information about Indian spices keep reading, I will be back with another wonderful Indian spice with its medicinal properties and some easy recipes.

Indian Spices

Indian Spices

India is a vast country which is famous for its food and its taste all over the world. Great taste, delicious aroma, unique color of the food which comes from different spices are the reason which makes it so popular. These spices are used for thousands of years in every Indian house. Indian spices are known as the world’s best and the most popular spices because of its taste, appealing aroma and above all its medicinal value. Indian spices are used to cure ailments from ancient age. Due to such a huge range of spices like turmeric, cumin, coriander, black pepper, red chili, fenugreek etc., the taste of Indian food is so great.

People make powder, paste or even whole to use these spices in various forms in their food.

Roast, raw or paste whatever way you add, it always gives a unique flavor and aroma. In this blog I will mention about Indian spices used for their medicinal properties and how to use them. Let’s start with Turmeric which we use it in almost every dish.

Turmeric- Turmeric is the spice which gives our food it’s yellow color and contains compounds with medicinal properties. These compounds are called curcuminoids, the most important of which is curcumin. It has anti-inflammatory effects and is a very strong antioxidant. Curcumin has become the 21^stcentury wonder botanical because of its potential to treat and heal several ailments. Ayurvedic medicine, a traditional Indian system of treatment, recommends turmeric for a variety of health conditions.  It helps to prevent various inflammatory diseases, cardiovascular disease, metabolic diseases and even arthritis. It modulates pain, regulates immune system, suppresses inflammation.

Mainly the root of turmeric is used  widely to make medicine. It is also used to treat headaches, cold, lung infections, bronchitis, fever and depression. Warm turmeric water on an empty stomach helps the body to burn excess flab, improves digestion and metabolism.

Today I will share a very easy and healthy beverage for cough, cold and congestion. We call it Haldi Doodh or turmeric milk.

You will need- 1 fresh turmeric root or ¼ teaspoon of ground turmeric or 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder.

1/8 teaspoon of ground black pepper

¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom(optional)

¼ teaspoon of ground ginger

1 cup milk

¼ teaspoon of honey or to taste.

First mix turmeric, black pepper, cardamom and ginger in a bowl. Boil milk in a separate vessel. When the milk is boiled whisk 1 teaspoon of the above mixture and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Add honey and your healthy turmeric milk is ready.

I generally serve this medicinal ayurvedic drink to my son when the seasons are about to change. This helps to build the immune system and fights cold or cough.

Turmeric is also used as a face mask for glowing skin. It’s a natural beauty product for your skin which exfoliates and improves skin texture. It helps to reduce pigmentation and even out the skin tone. Take 2 tablespoons of all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric paste, few drops of honey and 3 tablespoons of milk. Make a paste of all these ingredients, apply it on your face and leave it for 20 minutes. Rinse off with cold water and apply moisturizer after that.

So that’s all about this amazing product Turmeric. In my next blog I will share another Indian spice with its medicinal properties and an easy healthy recipe with it. Keep reading.

                                 
                                                               DIGESTIVE TEA

Hi I know I am posting after a long time.But this time I am posting something different. When I tried various medicines for my indigestion, I found that these medicines gives only temporary relief. So when medicines failed to provide solutions I became an avid researcher and tried few ayurvedic and home remedies which I learnt from my Mom. Regular Yoga also helped me a lot. A healthy body and a healthy mind requires not only nutrition but non-toxic personal care. So the easiest way to get rid of indigestion is very easy with the help of this recipe THE DIGESTION TEA.  You require only three ingredients which are available in every Indian kitchen. CORIANDER SEEDS- Coriander seeds support digestion and helps to reduce allergies and bloating, CUMIN- Cumin provides digestive enzymes, helps to balance blood sugar and respiratory issues, FENNEL SEEDS- Fennel seeds again helps to stimulate digestive juices, prevents gas and also helps to cure constipation. Make a powder of all these three ingredients and keep in an air tight container. Lets get started now


 Ingredients
Coriander Seeds - 1/2 cup
Cumin Seeds-1/2 cup
Fennel Seeds-1/2 cup
You can roast the seeds slightly if you want I use raw.
 Instructions
1. Put coriander,cumin and fennel seeds in a blender. Blend it into a fine powder and store it in an airtight glass container.
2. Now while preparing tea (1cup) take 1/4 teaspoon of this powder in a small saucepan with water(2 cups) and bring it to boil. Simmer for 1 minute. Let it cool to warm( you can add 1/2 teaspoon of honey because it tastes little bitter).
3.Strain and serve immediately.