Banana Oats Raisin Muffins

I am pretty sure that every once in a while, you have overripe bananas on your kitchen counter. Hats off to you if you don't, but clearly that's not the case with me. Whenever that happens to me, I think of a few options that I can use the bananas for - banana bread, banana smoothie, sometimes I also cut and freeze the bananas for making a smoothie later. 

Last weekend when this happened, I thought of preparing banana muffins. This was to make sure we can use these masterpieces for snacking during the school holidays. My daughter is not a fan of raisins as such but does not mind having them. To make it healthy, I have added steel cut oats to the recipe. You can replace it with all-purpose flour instead if you wish to. 

Ingredients:

- Overripe Bananas - 2

- Sugar - 1/2 cup

- Cinnamon powder - 1 tsp

- Self Raising whole wheat flour - 1/2 cup

- Steel cut oats - 1 and 1/2 cups

- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

- Milk - 1/2 cup

- Olive oil - 1/4 cup

- Eggs - 2

- Baking powder - 1 tsp

- Raisins - 1/2 cup

Method:

- Mash the bananas with a fork in a bowl.

- In another bowl, beat all the wet ingredients (oil, milk, eggs, sugar, vanilla essence) together.

- To this mixture, the add mashed bananas and mix well.

- Add the flour, baking powder, raisins and oats and mix well.

- Line a muffin tray with muffin cases and preheat oven to 170 degrees celcius.

- Once the oven is preheated, bake muffins for 20 mins.

- Let it cool before serving.

 

Protein Ladoos / Date and Coconut Bliss balls

It is our family ritual to go to the library and borrow books every alternate Saturday. I recently realized that it has been an amazingly long time since I have bought any books for myself. The library in my suburb is also very well stocked. You get each and every book you need and can also place a request for ones you can't find. In case you are wondering why I am writing about a library in this post. The recipe I am going to share today is from one such book that I borrowed. This now is a regular feature in my kitchen. We use it not just for school lunch but also to satiate the mid-morning sugar craving when it kicks in. 

 Ingredients:

- Pitted Mejdool Dates - 1 cup

- Desiccated coconut - 1 cup

- Chia seeds - 1/2 cup

- Sunflower seeds - 1/2 cup

- Sesame seeds - 1/2 cup

- Pumpkin seeds - 1/2 cup

- Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp

- Honey (Optional) - 1/4 cup

- Cinnamon - 1/2 tsp

Method:

- Place all ingredients in the food processor bowl.

- Whisk until smooth and dates are very finely chopped.

- Divide into equal portions.

- Roll each portion into a ball.

- Roll over extra coconut (optional).

- Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pancake Balls

What is better than pancakes on a Sunday morning? Pancake balls 😇. This is easy to make and a hit amongst kids. Daughter used to love it as a kid and still does so it's basically approved for all ages. You do need a Paniyaram Pan to make this though. If you don't know what a Paniyaram pan is, then please check it here.

 Ingredients:

- All Purpose Self Raising Flour - 2 tbsp

- Sugar - 1 tbsp

- Salt - a pinch

- Jam - 1 tbsp

- Egg - 1

- Milk - 1 tbsp

- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

- Oil - 1 tsp

Method:

- Beat the egg in a bowl.

- Add milk, sugar, salt, vanilla essence into the eggs and make a wet batter.

- To this add flour and mix well.

- When the consistency is like cake batter, put the paniyaram pan on stove for heating.

- Brush the pan with oil.

- Add a spoonful of batter onto each hole in the pan. 

- To this add a tsp of jam and cover with batter again.

- Let it cook on low flame for 2-3 mins.

- When the pancake balls brown slightly, flip it and let the other side cook too on low flame.

- Serve hot with honey or maple syrup and your choice of fruits. Sunday breakfast is sorted!!

Oats Bar (Nut Free)

We always pick up oat bars during our weekly shop at the market. It is an easy grab as a snack and seems to be healthy. It is not as healthy as you think it is, you would know if you took a peek at the ingredients. It's pretty easy to make at home though. This way its way healthier and cheaper. Give it a try and you will never go back to buying them.

Ingredients:

- Oats - 2 cups

- Pepitas - 1/2 cup

- Sunflower seeds - 1/2 cup

- Dried Cranberry - 1/2 cup

- Raisins - 1/2 cup

- Dried Figs chopped - 1/2 cup

- Honey - 1/2 cup

- Brown sugar - 1/3 cup

- Coconut Oil - 1/3 cup

- Egg lightly beaten - 1

- Plain Flour - 1/2 cup

- Shredded Coconut - 1 cup

Method:

- In a mixing bowl, add oats, pepitas, sunflower seeds, coconut, flour, cranberry, figs, and raisins. Mix this really well with a spoon.

- In a saucepan, add sugar, coconut oil and honey and heat while mixing till the sugar melts. Then let it cool slightly.

- Make a well in the middle of the dry mixture, add the egg and the melted sugar, honey and oil.

- Mix well so that the mixture is coated very nicely with the liquid. 

- Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius.

- Line a rectangle tin with butter paper.

- Pour the mixture onto the tin and press very well so that it all sticks together. You can use a spoon to press it down.

- Bake it at 180 degrees Celsius for 20-25 mins.

- Let it cool and cut into rectangle pieces. You can store it outside for 4 days. In case you want to freeze it, pack each with butter paper before doing so.

This is a nut free school friendly version. Feel free to chop and add nuts if you want.

 

Wheat Rava Upma

Wheat Rava is wheat semolina and upma is a south Indian breakfast dish. It is a humble, healthy but filling dish that keeps you full for long.

 Ingredients:

- Vegetables of your choice cubed (1 cup). I have used, carrots, onion and cauliflower. 

- Oil - 1 tbsp

- Ghee - 1 tsp

- Curry Leaves - 6-7

- Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

- Jeera/Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

- Peanuts - 1 tbsp

- Wheat Rava / Bulgur - 1 cup

- Water - 3 cups

- Salt/Sugar - As per taste

- Green Chili split - 1 (optional)

 Method:

- Heat oil in a wok.

- When hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, peanuts, chili and curry leaves.

- When they splutter, add the veggies and fry till half cooked.

- Add this point add the wheat rava, salt and sugar and mix well for 2 mins.

- Add water, cover with a lid and let it cook on low flame. 

- Will be cooked in 15-20 mins. Keep mixing at 2 min intervals so that it does not burn/stick to the bottom of the wok.

- Add Ghee when cooked and serve hot with Sambar.

Shahi Paneer

Shahi is a Hindi word and translates to royal and Paneer is basically cottage cheese. So literal translation of this Indian curry is Cottage Cheese in a Royal Gravy. With Indian curries, there are some tricks and tips e.g., if you want the curry to have a white/royal base (Shahi), boil the onions before making a paste; if you want it red, fry the onions before making the paste; if you want the curry to be deep brown or darker in colour, cook it in an iron wok/vessel. As is evident from the pictures, this curry has a white base, hence the onions have been boiled before being made into a paste.

Ingredients:

- Onions Peeled cut into halves and boiled - 2

- Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tbsp

- Paneer - 200 gms

- Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

- Cumin powder - 1 tsp

- Salt - Acc to taste

- Sugar - 1 tsp / acc to taste

- Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

- Bay leaves - 1

- Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp

- Cashews - 4-5

- Poppy seeds - 2 tsp

- Cream - 2 tbsp

- Any White Oil - 2 tbsp

- Yogurt - 1/2 cup

- Garam Masala - 1 tsp

Method:

- In a wok, add white oil and let it heat on medium flame for a min.

- Add the paneer and fry until golden and then set it aside..

- In the same oil add the cinnamon, bay leaves, cumin seeds.

- Make a paste from the boiled onions, make a separate paste with cashews and poppy seeds.

- Let the cumin seeds splutter and then add the onion paste.

- Fry the onion paste for 2 mins and then add ginger and garlic paste and fry until raw smell goes away.

- Then add all the powdered masalas (apart from garam masala) and a little bit of water and let all the masalas cook. 

- To this add yogurt and fry till this leaves oil on the sides.

- Add the cashew and poppy seed paste and mix well. 

- Again, fry till it leaves oil from the sides.

- At this stage add the cream and let it come to a boil. Your gravy base is ready. 

- Now add the paneer, cover and cook on low flame for 2-3 mins.

- Before switching off the flame, add garam masala powder and mix well.

- Serve hot with Roti or Naan with a side of vegetable salad.

Tip - If you want it spicy, add chopped green chili when frying the masala. 

 

Orange Cake

 

Sticking to the ritual of baking cakes every weekend for snacking over the week ahead. This time there were loads of oranges in the fruit tray and hence Orange Cake it was!

Ingredients:

- Sugar - 1/4 cup

- Olive oil - 1/2 cup

- Whole meal Self Raising Flour - 1 cup

- Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

- Eggs - 2

- Juice of 1 orange

- Grated orange rind - 2 medium sized oranges

Method:

- In a bowl add the oil, sugar and eggs and mix well.

- To this add the flour and fold it all in together.

- When mixed well, add vanilla essence, orange rind and orange juice. Mix everything together.

- Preheat oven to 165 degrees celcius (temperature may vary based on your oven).

- Line a baking tray and add the batter.

- When oven is preheated, put the tray in (middle shelf) and bake for 30 mins.

- Let it cool and snack for the week is ready.