Chitrakoot

This is a very famous sweet from Bengal. Chitrakoot is made from cottage cheese,  flour, semolina, khoya, sugar and baking powder. It is first deep fried in ghee or oil and then submerged in the sugar syrup and after that rolled with milk powder and caster sugar. 

Ingredients

For Chitrakoot.....

100 grams Home made Cottage cheese (water completely squeezed out )

25 grams Khoya 

10 grams All Purpose Flour 

OR

5 grams of each All Purpose Flour and Semolina 

5 grams Sugar 

2 Pinches of Baking powder 

Ghee or Oil for frying 

For the Sugar Syrup....

100 grams Sugar 

100 ml Water 

1/4 tsp Milk Powder to sprinkle

Little Caster Sugar  to sprinkle 

Method 

Take the cottage cheese, khoya, 5 grams sugar, all purpose flour and baking powder in a plate. Knead all the ingredients together until a soft dough is form. Divide the dough into 6 lemon size equal balls. Flatten the balls and shape it into square or diamond shape. Heat the oil in a pan. Fry the chitrakoots until brown in colour. Mean while take a pot and add sugar and water to make a one string sugar syrup. After the chitrakoots are fried dip it into the sugar syrup for an hour. Remove it from the syrup, arrange the Chitrakoots in a plate. Sprinkle milk powder and caster sugar on top. 

Rosogollar Payesh

Today I have prepared Rosogollar Payesh, which is a sweet delicacy from Bengal. The Rosogollas are boiled in the flavoured milk. 

The syrup is squeezed out from the rosogolla and it is re boiled  in water again so that it swells up and when the water is squeezed out again and then added to the milk, it will soak the milk well in the rosogollas. 

Ingredients 

12 Mini Rosogollas 

750 Ml full fat Milk 

3 to 4 tbsp Sugar

1/4 tsp Cardomom powder

2 tbsp Almond Flakes 

2 tbsp Pistachio Coarsley ground 

Some Almond flakes and ground Pistachios for garnishing 

Method 

Take a deep bottom pot. Add the milk. On a low flame let the milk simmer for 10 minutes. Add the sugar, cardamom powder, almond flakes and ground pistachio. Stir and let it simmer till the milk has reduced 1/2 it's quantity.  Meanwhile take the Rosogollas, squeeze out the syrup, take a small pan and add 1 cup of water. Boil the water and add the squeezed Rosogullars in the water. Boil it for a minute. Squeeze the excess water out from the Rosogollas. Add the Rosogollas into the milk, continue to cook the milk till the milk has thickened up. Remove it from the flame, garnish it with remaining almond and pistacho. Serve it chilled.

Green Herbs and Chia Seed Bread Roll...

Green Herbs and Chia Seed Bread Roll...

  I love the nutty flavor and the crunchiness of the Chia. I have made these bread rolls with mint, coriander and green chillies chopped with a tbsp of Chia in it. You can add any fresh herbs of your choice. 

Ingredients

300 grams Whole Wheat Flour

200 grams All Purpose Flour

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Sugar

1 tbsp Chia seeds

11 grams Dry Yeast

150 ml Lukewarm Water

250 ml Water

2 1/2 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tbsp Coriander leaves chopped

1 tbsp Mint leaves chopped

2 Green Chillies finely chopped

Method

Take lukewarm water, sugar and yeast in a  cup. Whisk is well till the sugar dissolves. Keep it aside for it to rise. Take both the flour in a mixing bowl. Mix it together. Add coriander leaves, mint leaves, salt and chia seeds. Mix it once more. Make a well in the centre of the flour, pour in 1 tbsp oil, yeast water and 250 ml of water. With  a wooden spoon combine the flour together. Remove the wooden spoon and start kneading the dough. Knead for 2 minutes. Add 1/2 tbsp oil. Knead for 5 minutes. Keep the dough on a flat surface. Stretch the dough and knead it. If the dough is sticking to your skin, just spray oil on your palms. Knead for 5 minutes more. Apply oil on the dough, cover the dough and let it rise. 

Once the dough has risen, punch it down and knead it for a minute. Divide the dough into 6 equal portions (approximately 152 grams). Grease a baking tray. Take a portion.  You can either sprinkle little dough or apply little oil on your palms so that the dough does not stick. Flatten the dough on a flat surface, fold in 1/2 inch of the dough vertically from each sides. Press the folded edge properly. Now roll in the dough from the top till the centre and similarly roll in the rest of the dough from the bottom to the centre. The 2 edges of the dough will come together. Press and seal the edges. Give a light roll to the dough to get the shape of the bread roll bun. Gently pick the roll up and place it on a greased baking tray. Place the seal edges downwards. Repeat the process with other remaining dough. Cover and let it rise. Once risen, spray water on the bread rolls. Sprinkle chia seeds on top. Bake it for 25 minutes at 190 degrees celcius in a preheated oven. To get uniform colour, after 15 minutes, rotate the tray). Once baked, remove the tray and cool the bread roll down before using it. Best is to bake it in the night for the morning breakfast.    

Chia Besan aur Sattu Ki Barfi...

Chia Besan aur Sattu Ki Barfi....

When festivals are around and sweets are in demand let's make some home made sweets with Lyva Organic Chia seeds..
Chia is an edible seed that comes from the desert plant Salvia hispanica, which is grown in Mexico. "Chia" means strength, and it used used as energy boosters. It contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids, carbohydrates, protein, fiber, antioxidants, and calcium. Chia seeds are an unprocessed, whole-grain food that can be absorbed by the body as seeds. About 2 tablespoons of Chia contains 139 calories, 4 grams of protein, 9 grams fat, 12 grams carbohydrates and 11 grams of fiber, plus vitamins and minerals.The mild, nutty flavor of chia seeds makes them easy to add to foods and beverages. They are most often sprinkled on cereal, sauces, vegetables, rice dishes, or yogurt or mixed into drinks and baked goods. They can also be mixed with water and made into a gel.
I have roasted the chia seeds.. hence it gives crunchiness to the barfi along with almond flakes.
This is a recipe and review for Plattershare and Go Organic India for Belly Nirvana Program....

Ingredients
1/3 cup Sattu
1/3 cup Besan/Gram flour
1/2 cup Organic Coconut Sugar or Organic Jaggary powder
Pinch of Salt
1/4 tsp Cardomom powder
2 tbsp Almond flakes
1 tbsp Pistachio coarsely ground
2 tbsp Organic Chia Seeds roasted

3/4 cup Milk 

1/4 cup Ghee

Method
Grease a square tray and keep it aside.
Take a wok and add ghee. Let it melt. Add the besan and sattu. Stir it continuously and saute it on low heat till light golden brown in colour. Add the coconut sugar or jaggary, stirring it continuously, cook it for a minute. Gradually pour the milk and keep stirring till continuously till all the ingredients combines together. Add the chia seeds, salt and cardomom powder. Stir and cook till it starts to leave the sides of the wok. Spread the mixture on the square tray. Sprinkle with pistachios and almond on top and gently press the mixture. Let it cool completely before cutting and serving.   

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins With Organic Coconut Sugar

Whole Wheat - Banana Muffins With Organic Coconut Sugar...

Coconut sugar (also known as coco sugar, coconut palm sugar or coco sap sugar) is a sugar produced from the sap of cut flower buds of the coconut palm. It is very popular in the south and south east Asian Countries. Coconut sugar is different both in taste, texture and manufacture methods from palm sugar. Coconut sugar comes in crystal or granule form, block or liquid. Coconut sugar is subtly sweet almost like brown sugar but with a slight hint of caramel. Since coconut sugar is not highly processed, the color, sweetness and flavor can vary depending on the coconut species used, season when it was harvested, where it was harvested and/or the way the "sap" or "toddy" was reduced.

Coconut sugar provides 16 calories per teaspoon and contains relatively low content of essential nutrients, with the exception of potassium at about 25% of the Daily Value per serving of 100 grams.

I have used Lyva Organic Coconut Sugar for the muffins... It taste less sweeter than the normal sugar and is more healthier than the sugar. The product is good for people suffering with diabetes. It taste good too.
 Here is my review and recipe for Plattershare and Go India Organic Belly Nirvana Program

Ingredients

1 cup Whole wheat flour

1/2 cup Semolina

3/4 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp Soda bicarbonate

3/4 cup Organic Coconut sugar

2 tbsp Desiccated Coconut

2 Pinch of Nutmeg powder

1 tbsp Walnut chopped

1 Banana chopped

200 ml Coconut Milk

1/4 cup Water

2 tbsp Curd

1/4 cup Oil

Method

In a blender, add sugar, oil and coconut milk. Blend it well. Add the desiccated coconut, nutmeg and semolina. Blend it once more. Add the flour, baking powder and soda bicarbonate little at a time and blend it. Add water and curd. Blend it. Remove the batter from the blender into a bowl. Add the chopped banana and walnuts. Mix it. Take a muffin tray. Place the muffin liners. Fill in 3/4 of the liners with the batter. Bake it at 180 degrees celcius for 25 to 30 minutes or until the toothpick comes out clean. Cool it before eating...