KAMBU / PEARL MILLET DRY FRUITS BREAD

Ingredients:

Kambu / pearl millet flour - 1 3/4 cup

Non-bleached all purpose flour - 1 3/4 cup

Sugar - 1/4 cup

Butter - 1/4 cup

Milk - 1 cup and more if needed

A pinch of salt

Active dry yeast - 7 grams

Raisins, candied orange peel, candied lemon peel, tutti fruity - each 1/4 cup

Preparation:

Take both flours, yeast and salt in a large bowl.

Warm together milk, butter and sugar until sugar dissolves and the mixture is warm enough to raise the flour but not hot.

Now mix this to the flour mixture and make a stiff dough. If necessary add more flour or warm milk. 

Finally add the mixed peel and raisins.

When mixed well cover and allow to raise it double.

Again mix well and shape it to a bread and allow to raise again. This can be placed in a sandwich tin too. In this mean time pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

When the dough is raised to double, brush milk over and bake for about 20 to 30 minutes. It takes about 30 minutes in a tin. This one is done in 25 minutes.

Cool in a cooling rack and serve.

PAZHAM PORI / PLANTAIN FRY

Ingredients:
Plantain - 2 large or 3 medium
Non bleached all purpose flour or whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Rice flour or fine semolina - 1 tbsp
Sugar - 1 tbsp
Sugar to taste
Turmeric powder (optional) - a pinch
Oil to deep fry


Preparation:
Select ripe plantain. The skin must be black. Only then it tastes good.


Mix all the ingredients except oil and plantain in a mixing bowl. Add water to make batter of dosa or pancake consistency.


Peel the plantains and half them.


Now slice each piece to 4 to 6 pieces.


Heat oil in a heavy bottomed deep pan. When oil is hot enough to fry, dip plantain slits in the batter and fry until golden. When one side is golden turn and fry until the other side too is golden.

Serve hot with tea or coffee. It hoes best with black tea or black coffee.

THINAI / FOXTAIL MILLET PALM CANDY PONGAL

Ingredients:
Thinai / Foxtail millet - 1/2 cup
Dehusked green gram splits / siru payiru paruppu / moing dal - 1/2 cup
palm candy / panankarkandu - 1/2 cup
Water 3 cups + 3/4 cup
Clarified butter / ghee - 1/4 cup
Salt a pinch
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Cashews and raisins - as needed


Preparation:
Boil palm candy in 3/4 cup water until it dissolves. Filter and keep aside.


In 3 cups water cook washed rice and dal. After water comes to boil reduce flame to medium.  It will be done in 20 minutes.


Roast cashews and raisins in a table spoon of ghee. Now add cardamom powder, palm candy water, and salt.


Heat in medium flame by continuously mixing. Add ghee, roasted cashews and raisins. Continuously mix for about 5 minutes or until pongal gets thicker. Serve hot. 

MILLETS CHEESE CAKE

Ingredients:
Jowar / great millet flour - 125 grams
Kambu / pearl millet flour - 50 grams
Butter (at romtemperature)- 125 gram
Cottage cheese / soft paneer - 125 grams
Yoghurt - 2 tbsp
Eggs - 2
Sugar - 100 gram
Salt - a pinch
Baking powder - 1 tbsp
Vanilla sugar / vanilla extract - 1 tsp


Preparation:
Pre-heat oven at 180 degrees Celsius.
Cream together butter, cheese / paneer, salt and sugar.


Add eggs one by one and beat well.


Mix jowar flour, kambu flour and baking powder together.


Add little by little to the batter and beat well. Finally add 2 tbsp yoghurt and beat again.


Grease and dust a 18 cm cake pan and bake for 40 - 45 minutes.



Soft millets cheese cake isready to serve plainly with tea or with fresh cream.

CARROT PUTTU BALLS

Ingredients:
Already prepared puttu - 1 cup
Grated carrot - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tsp
Sugar -2 tbsp
Chopped cashews - 1 tbsp

Preparation:
Mix sugar with puttu and set aside.


Grate carrot and set aside.


Heat ghee in a pan and roast cashew nuts. Add carrot and allow to cook in ghee itself.


When carrot is cooked add puttu and cardamom powder. Mix well.


Prepare balls and serve.

RAGI / FINGER MILLET CARROT CHOCOLATE CAKE

Ingredients:
Ragi / finger millet flour - 3/4 cup
Corn flour - 1/3 cup
Cocoa powder - 1/3 cup
Eggs - 3
Jaggery powder - 1/2 cup or Sugar - 1/3 cup (I prepared it less sweet because my son eats for his food. If you are preparing for a dessert doublw the amount)
Milk , vegetable oil - 3 tbsp each
Carrot - 2 medium sized (1 cup when diced)
Bitter almond extract - 1/4 tsp
Baking powder - 2 tsp


Preparation:
pre-heat oven at 180 degrees.
Beat 3 eggs well.


Add sugar / jaggery powder, oil and beat well again.


Mix ragi flour, corn flour, cocoa powder and baking powder in a bowl.


Add to the egg mixture and mix well.


Grind carrot with milk to a smooth paste.


Mix with the batter and add bitter almond extract.


Grease and dust 20 cm loaf pan. Bake for 40 minutes. Check after 35 minutes whether its done.
When I checked after 37 minutes its already done.


My son enjoying a piece. He finished half of the whole loaf for his lunch.


Note:
I prepared it less sweet. If you need more sweet add more sugar / jaggery.

VARAGU/KODO MILLET THATTAI

Ingredients:
Kodo millet/varagu - 1 cup
Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Roasted gram - 1/4 cup
De-husked black gram, red chili powder, butter, chick pea split/channa dal - each 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Asafoetida powder - 1 good pinch
Water to make dough
Oil to deep fry

Prepration:
Take rice and millet in a vessel and soak together for 1 hour.


In this mean time soak chick peas split.


Dry roast roasted gram and de-husked black gram. Powder them seperately.


After 1 hour drain water and spread over a clean cloth to dry excess water.


After 15 minutes powder in a mixer and roast in a kadai until the flour releases moisture. Do not over-roast to change colour. Just the flour need to heat completely. That is enough.


Now mix all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and knead to make a smooth stiff dough by adding water.




Now take a ball of a big gooseberry size or 3 cm diameter.


Take a plantain leaf or a plastic sheet to flatten this ball. I used a cling film piece.
Flatten it by your palm and then using fingers.


Deep fry in hot oil and drain oil in a paper towel.


Crispy thattais are now ready.


Note:

• If you like more spicier, add more red chili powder. I added just 1 tbsp as my kids don't like spicy.
• Sesame seeds can also be added.
• To find the consistency of the dough take a ball and flatten it. If the sides are smooth then it is right. Or if you see cracks on the sides, then add little more water and knead again.
• You can see cracks at the edges in this picture. You can prick the dough to avoid puffing.
• If oilis too hot reduce the flame or else thattais will burn at edges.