Miriyala Chekkalu / Pepper Nippattu

My family decided that they would love to have some chekkalu and Mysorepak as this year's Diwali treats and I obliged. Chekkalu is a rice flour based savory, crispy snack and also go by the names nippattu or thattai depending upon where one is geographically located in south India. I have already published two versions that are regular in our family here and here. Recently I watched an interesting version on a cook show using peppercorns and Diwali seemed like the right time to try this delicious treat.


Ingredients: (Yield: 12 -14)
1 cup rice flour
1.5 tsp. coarsely crushed black pepper
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. curry leaves, roughly chopped
2 tbsp. cilantro, roughly chopped
1/ 4 cup soaked chana dal / split chickpeas
3 tbsp. hot oil
Oil to fry (I used canola oil.)

Method:
* Add all the ingredients to a mixing bowl except the oil used for frying and rub with your fingers to mix. Then add lukewarm water as needed to form a firm dough. (I added a little less than 3/4 cup water.)
 

* Meanwhile, heat oil in a deep frying pan / kadai.

* Roll a small lemon sized portion of the dough into a ball and place it on a thick, greased plastic sheet (such as a ziploc bag) or a wax paper. Flatten the ball with your fingers and press it to a thin disc of about 3 inches in diameter. 
 
* Take the plastic sheet with the disc on and reverse it on to your dominant hand. Gently peel away the sheet from the disc so that the disc is in your hand. Gently drop the flattened dough disc into the hot oil. 
 
* Repeat the steps with the remaining dough to make discs. Without overcrowding the pan, fit as many discs as you can to fry. Deep fry on low flame till it turns light golden in color both sides. Remove them with a slotted spoon onto absorbent towels.
* Repeat the procedure until all the dough is finished.  
* Cool and store the fried chekkalu in an airtight container. They stay fresh for weeks and are good accompaniment for coffee / tea.
 
Notes:
1. Don't rely on the color to check for doneness as the regular nippattu. They turn crispy even when they are not golden brown as the regular nippattu / thattais because chili powder is not added here.
2. Remember to grease the plastic sheet every time with 1- 2 drops of oil, before each usage.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Bookmarked Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Mysore Saaru

Saaru is an equivalent term to sambhar in Karnataka and there are several prominent regional variations of this day-to-day dish in the state. Today's version is from the Mysore region that I had bookmarked from Asha's blog many years ago. One of my close friend's mother happens to be from the region and so I had the opportunity to taste Mysore saaru plenty of times in her kitchen even though I didn't know what it was at that time and realized it only after trying today's version. Unfortunately it was a period when I was neither interested in the cooking process nor favorable towards the sambhar dish itself considering my affinity towards Andhra pulusu, growing up. Now since I could appreciate the flavors of sambhar, I keep on rotating sambhar powder recipes for variety sake. If you are like me, here is a variety for you.

The sambhar powder prepared from the following measurements yield more than you require for one time preparation of the sambhar and so it can be prepared ahead and used as and when required. The original recipe uses only a couple of dried red chillies and so if you exactly follow the original recipe, the sambhar would be very mild for those who are used to the spice levels of any regular sambhar. My friend's mother sambhar never used to be bland and so I increased the red chillies' quantity. Or red chili powder powder can be added while preparing the sambhar. I used mixed vegetables instead of the onions alone used in the recipe.

Ingredients:
1 cup toor dal / lentils
1 tomato finely chopped
1 cup mixed vegetables of your choice
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1 tbsp. thick tamarind puree (Adjust as needed.)
Cilantro to garnish
Ingredients for tempering:
 2 tsp. oil
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. mustard seeds
Few curry leaves
Pinch of asafoetida powder
1 dried red chilli
Ingredients to toast and grind:
2 tbsp. toor dal / lentils
2 tbsp. dhaniya / coriander seeds
2 tbsp. grated dry coconut
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. poppy seeds
1 tsp. rice
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. peppercorns
1/2 tsp. fenugreek seeds
1 inch cinnamon piece
2 dried red chillies*
* I increased the quantity.

Method:
* Dry toast, cool and grind all the ingredients mentioned under 'to toast and grind'. Store the sambhar powder in a dry container. This powder can be prepared in advance and can be stored for about a couple of months.
* Pressure cook the lentils, vegetables and turmeric adding 2 cups of water.
* Heat oil in a sauce pan and add mustard seeds, red chili and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds start to crackle, add curry leaves and asafoetida. Next add cooked lentils along with the vegetables, tamarind juice, 2 tbsp. sambhar powder, salt and red chili powder if using. Add water to bring the sambhar to desired consistency. Taste and adjust the seasonings if needed. Bring the sambhar to a boil and then let it simmer for a couple of minutes on low flame.
* Garnish with cilantro and a tsp. of butter if preferred.
* Serve piping hot with some hot, steamed rice.

This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Bookmarked Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Thapala Chekkalu / Sarva Pindi

Andhra's thapala chekklau are equivalent to Karnataka's version rice flour rottis and also go by the name sarva pindi in Telangana region. Thapala refers to 'thappela', the round bottomed vessels, mostly the brass ones once associated to traditional Indian kitchens. A thappela and not a griddle was the original choice to make these rice flour based flat breads and hence the name. We grew up eating rottis for breakfast on a regular basis and so I am quite familiar with the dish but what caught my attention when I saw this recipe on a cook show was the interesting add-ons to the basic version besides adding a healthy dose of chickpea flour. This version did not use onions or coconut but still was very delicious with peanuts adding a nice texture and flavor.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flour
1/2 cup chickpea flour / besan
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp. green chilli paste / 2 chopped green chillies or chili powder as needed
Salt to taste
2 tbsp. finely minced curry leaves
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tbsp. sesame seeds
1/4 cup toasted and skinned peanuts, slightly crushed
1/4 cup soaked chana dal / split chickpeas *
2 tbsp. hot oil
Luke warm water as needed. (I added about 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp. water.)
Oil to make thapala chekkalu (I used canola oil.)
* Soak chana dal in enough water for 1 -2 hours or until they soften.

Method:
* Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl except water and the oil mentioned at the end, using your fingers. Add luke warm water as needed to form a firm dough.
* Divide the dough into four portions and roll each one into a ball. Work with one dough portion at a time and keep the rest covered.
* Pour a tsp. of oil in the center of a griddle / skillet and place the dough ball at the center of the griddle. Pat it using fingers till a thin, flat circle is formed. (It doesn't need to be super thin like tortillas.)  Thapala chekkalu can me made as big as the griddle size or smaller ones. Poke some holes randomly using index finger if you wish or just leave it out.
 
* Pour a tsp oil around the edges of the dough circle and over it. Cover with a lid and turn on the stove. Let it cook on a low - medium flame and flip it using a wide spatula when golden brown spots develop on the bottom side and the upper side doesn't look raw. It may take around 5 to 6 minutes. 
* Add half a tsp of oil around the edges again if needed. Cover it again and cook for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the other side turns light brown too. Turn off the stove and remove the cooked chekka
* Repeat the above steps with the remaining dough portions, making sure that the griddle is cool each time before it is used. Wash the griddle with cold water after each use to quicken the cooling process or use 2 griddles to cook simultaneously.

This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Bookmarked Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Masala Kobbari Annam ~ Spicy Coconut Rice

I watch a Telugu TV cook show religiously because of the chef who presents two interesting segments in each episode. I can vouch by my personal experience that the recipes presented by him are mostly fool proof. He makes it appear even the tedious traditional Indian recipes' preparation a breeze and no cook show has ever held so much appeal to me as this one and that too it has held my interest for years now. This easy breezy, yummy rice dish is courtesy of that show. I watched this a couple of weeks ago and immediately tried it and as usual the chef did not disappoint me. The rice doesn't even need any vegetables, tastes absolutely delicious and provides an interesting variation to the mundane cooking. It can be prepared in a short time, making it an appealing lunch box item or a quick fix meal.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked Basmati rice
3 tbsp. oil
1 tbsp. cumin seeds
6 cardamom pods
3 one inch cinnamon pieces 
3 cloves
1 bay leaf 
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tsp. ginger & garlic paste (I used ginger alone.)
1 tsp. garam masala
Salt to taste
Ingredients to grind:
1/2 cup fresh coconut pieces
3 tbsp. mint leaves
3 tbsp. cilantro leaves
2 to 3 green chillies
1/4 cup yogurt

Method:

* Heat the oil in a saute pan and add cumin seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Fry them until cumin seeds starts turning to a darker shade. Add onion, ginger-garlic paste and fry until the onion turns translucent.
* Meanwhile grind together all the ingredients mentioned under 'to grind' into a fine paste. And let the cooked rice cool a bit.
* When onion is done, add the coconut paste and salt and fry for a couple of minutes more.
* Add the rice and garam masala and mix well so that the paste is coated uniformly to rice grains.
* Serve immediately. This rice doesn't need any side dish to serve with but some yogurt may be served.

This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Rice Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Arroz con Leche Colombiano

This recipe was on my mind ever since I bookmarked it while searching for recipes during "Around the world in 30 days", the month long marathon we did last year, based on the food from global table. Arroz is rice and leche is milk in Spanish. This Colombian version of rice pudding was appealing to my south Indian palate because of it's close resemblance to our own sweet pongal. The addition of condensed milk lends a thick, creamy consistency to the pudding. The all familiar aromatic cardamom and camphor from the Indian version are replaced by cinnamon and vanilla and provide the flavor factor to this thick, creamy and yummy pudding. 

Recipe source: Here
Ingredients: (2 servings)
1/4 cup long grain rice
1/2 cup water
1 cup milk
2 tsp. butter
1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
1 cinnamon stick
1 tsp. vanilla
2 tbsp. sugar

Method:
* Add cinnamon stick and water to a medium sized sauce pan. Bring it to a boil, continue to cook for about 10 minutes and then discard the cinnamon stick.
* Next add rinsed rice, milk and butter to the cinnamon water and cook uncovered stirring intermittently, until the rice is done and thickens to a desired consistency.
(I used a pressure cook to cut down the cooking time. All the other ingredients too were added at this step but I chose to add after the rice is done.)
* Then add condensed milk, sugar and vanilla and cook again until the condensed milk is almost absorbed and the pudding is thick and creamy. The pudding thickens further when cool and so cook accordingly.
* Remove from heat and let cool. Chill before serving.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Rice Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Karivepaku Annam / Curry Leaves Rice

This is a spicy rice dish that I had tried a few years back after seeing on a food blog and has been a regular in my home since, though I cannot recall the source now. The recipe is based on curry leaves and so, the rice is obviously a flavor filled one. It doesn't taste like curry leaves powder mixed with rice though both recipes use almost the same ingredients. The spice powder can be prepared ahead for a quick and yummy lunch box idea or for a lazy meal. And don't be fooled by the long list of the ingredients in the recipe. This is indeed a simple and quick dish and most of the ingredients are either ground or go into tadka /seasoning.

Ingredients:
2 cups cooked rice (I used sona masuri rice.)
Salt to taste

Ingredients to toast:  
2 tbsp. urad dal / black gram
1 tbsp. chanadal / split chickpeas
4 to 5 dried red chillies
1 tsp. tamarind
1 cup tightly packed curry leaves  
A pinch of methi seeds / fenugreek seeds
1/2 tsp. black peppercorns

Ingredients for seasoning:
2 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. urad dal / black gram
1 tsp. chanadal / split chickpeas
A generous pinch of asafoetida
2 tbsp. cashews
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

 
Method:
* Wash the curry leaves and pat them dry.
* Heat a pan and dry toast chana dal, urad dal, red chillies and tamarind. When the dals start to turn reddish, add peppercorns, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves. Toast them for another minute.
* Transfer them onto a plate and let cool. Grind the toasted ingredients into a coarse powder.
* Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, chana dal and urad dal. When the dals almost start to turn reddish add the cashews and toast them as well to golden brown. Add asafoetida and turmeric to the pan and turn off the stove. 
* Now add the rice, spice powder and salt and mix well. Serve warm.
(If less spice level is preferred, start with adding half of the spice powder. Taste and adjust the quantity of spice powder as needed.)
  
This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Rice Dishes'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Cauliflower - Cabbage Curry

My father in law always used to say that only the tongue looks for the taste and not the stomach, when anyone around the table refused to taste a particular dish or a vegetable. He used to advise to finish that dish on the plate first that was least liked so that the rest of the food could be enjoyed leisurely. My husband who has been brought up in such environment naturally respects and finishes the food on his plate without any complaints. Coming to me, I was not a picky eater growing up and almost ate everything that my mother used to prepare without any complaints. However, there were some vegetables that were not my favorites and refused to touch those. Unfortunately they used to appear regularly in my mother in law's kitchen and needless to say that I used to hear my father in law saying the above things to me on a regular basis, though in a jovial manner. And somehow the way he spoke, I never was offended and rather it became a joke during lunch time to see what I was not going to eat that particular day. No teacher is better than life and years later, I had to change my ways to be a role model to my own kids.

One of the vegetables that I never ate while growing up was cauliflower since that was not used in my mother's kitchen owing to it's smell but guess what, that turned out to be one of my husband's favorites. My husband's companionship over the years has transformed me from "I can't stand that awful smell" to "I don't mind cauliflower" stage. It seems so ridiculous when I reflect back and see why cauliflower was not likable in those days when all the other smelly vegetables like cabbage, radish, turnips, kohlrabis have always been my favorites. The first time I really enjoyed cauliflower was when one of my SIL's prepared it in this South Indian style combining with cabbage and here is the recipe for it.

Ingredients:
2 cups finely chopped cabbage

2 cups cauliflower florets

1/2 cup grated fresh coconut

For tadka: 
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. chana dal / split chickpeas
1 tsp. urad dal / black gram 
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds 
2 - 3 finely chopped green chillies (Adjust the quantity as needed.)
Few curry leaves
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder

Salt to taste

Method:
* Heat oil in a pan and add chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the dals start to turn reddish, add the chopped chillies and curry leaves. Saute for about 30 seconds. Next add the vegetables, turmeric and stir to combine.
* Cover and cook on low flame until the vegetables are done, stirring intermittently. 
* Finally add coconut and mix well to combine. Cook for a couple of minutes more and turn off the stove.
* Serve warm with rice / rotis.
  
This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Dry Sautees'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Palakoora Podi Koora ~ Sauteed Spinach with Lentils

 
A typical south Indian meal even in it's simplest form and without any prior planing would be a well balanced one if one sticks to the basics. Rice served along with a lentil preparation, a vegetable dish and yogurt. Today's meal is such one - rice served with radish & lentil preparation aka mullangi sambhar and a spinach based side dish along with yogurt. I am sticking with the spinach dish for today's post as part of the blogging marathon. 

Dry sautes based on greens is a traditional and common preparation in the southern states of India. And the version I am posting today is a typical one from Andhra brahmin households and hence the absence of onion or garlic in the recipe. Or for that matter, there is no coconut either since coconut is not used that extensively in Andhra cooking as the rest of it's neighboring states do. This healthy saute is kept on a drier side and the addition of cooked lentils up the nutrition value. I have used spinach but thotakoora / amaranth greens is the most commonly used greens while preparing the dish or a combination of spinach, amaranth greens and methi / fenugreek greens can be used as well. And the word 'podi' in the title doesn't represent any spice powder used in the recipe but is a reference to the 'dry' version of the preparation.

Ingredients: (Yield 3 servings)
2 bunches of spinach / 8 cups of chopped spinach (palakoora)
1 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. chana dal / split chickpeas
4 dried red chillies, each broken into 3 - 4 bits
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/4 cup cooked toor dal / lentils 

Method:
* Cook about 2 tbsp. toor dal until done but still holding the shape.
* Wash the spinach leaves and tender stalks thoroughly to get rid off the dirt if any present and spread them on a kitchen towel to air dry. Or pat them dry with a towel and then chop the leaves and stalks fine.
* Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, chana dal and chillies. When the dal starts to turn reddish, add turmeric powder and the chopped greens. Cook until the raw smell of the greens leave and any water released during the cooking evaporates. 
* Add cooked lentils and salt. Mix well and cook for about a  minute before turning off the stove.
* Serve warm with some hot, steamed rice.  
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Dry Sautees'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Aratikaaya Vepudu / Plantain Fry

I wish everyone who are celebrating Diwali, a happy, safe and fun filled one. 

Coming to this week's recipes for BM, it is going to be dry sautes that can be served with rice and/or rotis. I did not have to go looking for recipes elsewhere for this theme as I prepare vegetable dishes on a daily basis, just like the rest of the Indians do. All I had to do was pick those dishes that I haven't posted on my blog yet. The first one is going to be this crispy and yummy fry made with plantain, an absolute favorite of my family. Generally I stay away from frying vegetables but as usual there is one exception for which I keep gladly breaking the rule. And that happens to be this plantain fry, that everyone at home loves to indulge in. This is a regular fare in my mother's kitchen and in fact a commonly served dish for new mothers in our families since plantain is believed to generate heat in the body.

Ingredients: (Yield 4 servings)
2 large sized plantains
2 tbsp. oil
Salt to taste
Red chili powder to taste 

Method:
* Trim the edges and peel the plantains. Quarter each plantain lengthwise and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch thick pieces.
 
* Heat oil in a kadai or a wide non-stick pan and add the plantain pieces. Fry on medium flame, intermittently stirring / tossing the pan until they turn crisp and golden brown uniformly. 
If the plantain pieces are scorching or sticking to the bottom of the pan, then gently scrape with the spatula and lower the heat. Add extra oil if needed. The fried plantain should have an inviting crunchiness and not the rock hard texture.
* Turn off the stove and then add salt and chili powder to the fried plantain. Toss the pan to coat the plantain pieces with the spices uniformly. (One is going to end up with a coughing fit if the stove is not turned off before adding the chili powder.)
* Serve immediately with hot, steamed rice. They taste good and crisp off the pan. They go soft after a while and doesn't taste that good.
 
This goes to Blogging marathon #58 under the theme 'Dry Sautees'. Check the link to see what other marathoners are cooking.

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Brown Rice Sweet Pongal ~ South Indian Sweet Rice Pudding

 
Majority of us at home love the sweet version pongal and it is therefore a regular feature in my kitchen apart from being a Sankranti dish. I keep substituting the white rice with other healthy alternatives like I did with brown rice for today's version or this quinoa one here. For a more creamier and yummier version, the water used to cook the rice can be replaced by milk in half or full portion.

Ingredients: (Yield 2 servings)
1/4 cup brown rice
2 tbsp. moong dal (Split, yellow one)
1/4 cup full fat milk
2.5 tbsp. powdered jaggery / sugar
2 tbsp. shredded, fresh coconut
Ground seeds from 2 cardamom pods
A tiny pinch of edible camphor (optional)
1to 2 tbsp. ghee
1 tbsp. cashews & raisins

Method:
* Wash rice and moong dal in two exchanges of water and drain. Add a cup of water to rice and dal and pressure cook until rice is almost cooked mushy. Brown rice takes longer to cook and so it will take more than three whistles to cook if Indian style cooker is used. 
If cooking in a sauce pan, try to go with a non stick one if you have one. Add rice, dal and a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Turn down the heat to lowest setting and cook. Keep an eye while the rice is cooking and keep adding water intermittently as needed and keep stirring. Soaking the rice in water for at least a couple of hours prior to cooking will cut down the cooking time. More than a cup of water is needed if cooking in a sauce pan.
* Heat ghee in a pan and toast the cashews and raisins until they turn golden and plump respectively. Transfer them to a small bowl. Add the pressure cooked rice - dal mixture, milk, coconut and sugar to the same pan and cook until almost the milk is absorbed. Add the ground cardamom, edible camphor if using and the toasted cashews - raisins to the cooked pongal and stir to combine. Turn off the stove and serve the pongal warm.  

This is my entry to
1. Blogging marathon #58
 
2. Srivalli's Kids' Delight event, hosted by Kalyani this month under the theme 'Cooking with Whole Grains'.

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Microwave Dates - Nuts Bread Pudding

This is a simple and easy bread pudding that I saw on one of the cook shows I used to watch earlier. The pudding takes altogether about 10 minutes from start to finish in a microwave and is a yummy way to use up any leftover bread one might have. I usually like to prepare this in small bowls for individual servings and so have given measurements for that as well.

Ingredients:
1/2 liter boiled and cooled milk
1/4 cup sugar
3 tbsp. custard powder
6 whole wheat bread slices
1/2 cup chopped dates
10 gm. each - raisins, cashews & almonds

Method:
* Add sugar to milk and stir until it dissolves. Then add the custard powder to the milk and whisk/ blend until there are no lumps. Keep it aside.
* Chop off the edges of bread slices. Cut each bread slice diagonally into 2 triangles.
* Arrange the 3 cut bread slices in a microwave safe pan in a single layer next to each other and sprinkle dates on top. Next sprinkle raisins, cashews and almonds uniformly. Place the remaining 3 triangular slices of bread over them and sprinkle dates and the other nuts as in the previous step.
* Pour the custard powder - milk mixture over the bread slices and let it sit for 2 minutes to soak up the milk.
* Microwave for 5 minutes and serve immediately. Garnish with honey if desired.

Ingredients for 2 individual servings:
2 & 1/2 whole wheat bread slices
3/4 cup boiled and cooled milk
3 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. custard powder
1/2 cup nuts and dry fruits (I used chopped dates, walnuts, cashews, dried cranberries and raisins.)

Method:
* Trim off the edges of the bread slices and tear them into small pieces.
* Take one cup sized microwave bowl and arrange the bread pieces in a single layer. Try to fit as many pieces as you can at the bottom of the bowl so that there are no gaps and no overlapping.
* Sprinkle about 2 tbsp. of dates and other nuts used, uniformly over the bread slices.
* Repeat the bread and nut layers one more time.
* Add sugar to milk and stir to dissolve. Next add custard powder and whisk until lump free. Pour half of the milk mixture over the bread and nut layers and let it sit for 2 minutes.
* Take another one cup sized microwave safe bowl and repeat the above steps with the remaining ingredients.
* Microwave each bowl for 5 minutes and serve immediately.

This is my entry to
1. Blogging marathon #58
 
2. Srivalli's Kids' Delight event, hosted by Kalyani this month under the theme 'Cooking with Whole Grains'.

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Double Chocolate - Finger Millet Muffins / Eggless Ragi Muffins

 

Though ragi aka finger millet is regularly used in my home, it ends up being consumed only by the adults. My daughter who prefers her visual sense than palate to choose her food had long ago decided that ragi is not one of her favorites and my other non picky kid too has not shown any affinity to this earthy, iron rich grain. However I realized recently that ragi could be sneaked into baking and my kids have no problem finishing any of that stuff. They haven't yet figured out that they have been eating ragi and I could fool even the younger one with the chocolaty additions.

The inspiration for today's muffins came from the over ripe bananas that I had to finish off sooner, my daughter's love for chocolate and the 'whole grains' event, hosted by Kalyani. I used a banana muffin recipe that I have been using for years now as the base recipe. I substituted half of the flour with ragi based one and made suitable changes to come up with these yummy muffins. As I mentioned above, it is hard to notice the ragi flavor in these muffins and is an easy way to sneak in ragi in your kids' diet, if you are planning so.


Ingredients : (yield 6 / 7)
6 tbsp. finger millet flour / ragi flour
6 tbsp. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/8 tsp. salt
1/2 cup mashed banana
2 tbsp. brown sugar
2 tbsp. Nutella
3 tbsp. yogurt
2 tbsp. oil
6 tbsp. semi sweet chocolate chips

Method:
* Preheat the oven to 375 deg. F. Grease or line the muffin tin.
* Sieve together flours, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl and keep it aside.
* Combine the rest of the ingredients except the chocolate chips in another bowl and whisk well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients' bowl and stir gently to just combine. Fold in the chocolate chips.
* Fill the muffin cups with batter up to 2/3rds. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 350 deg. F and bake for another 10 - 15 minutes or until  a toothpick inserted at the center comes out clean.

This is my entry to
1. Blogging marathon #58
 
2. Srivalli's Kids' Delight event, hosted by Kalyani this month under the theme 'Cooking with Whole Grains'.

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