Whole Wheat and Oat Muffins

Let me begin by telling you this blog is dedicated to children.  With the summer holidays setting in, it’s great fun to see children (otherwise engrossed with studies and project work) play and have a great time. I remember as a kid we would wait for the exams to end and the day they were over, I would have my cousins come over or rush off to a cousins place for holidays. Those were days when there were no mobiles, or facebook; time was spent watching Giant Robot and playing cricket in the street. I bet you,  life couldn’t be any more fun. How I wish those days would never end!

Now lets speak about the dish today. What better than a yummy muffin that doesn’t give you the guilt of having consumed calories. Muffin and no caIories? Seems a distant dream? Well  personally like muffins, easy to make and more forgiving to the novice baker even if you get a few ingredient measurements wrong. Since it was for the kiddies I thought I should make it a little more healthier  and so I replaced the all purpose flour with whole wheat flour and added some oats.

It’s a great recipe for kids who are fussy and yes, mommies can enjoy it without worrying of the calories.

Whole Wheat and Oat Muffins

Ingredients:

•  100 grams whole wheat flour
•  80 grams oat bran
•  65 grams brown sugar
• 15-20 raisins for garnishing
•  1 tablespoon baking powder
•  2 large eggs
•  1/2 teaspoon ground cinnammon
•  80 ml Honey
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• 4 tablespoon olive oil
• 250 ml full cream milk

Procedure:

• Grease a muffin tray with oil and flour. Dust and keep aside. Pre-heat oven at 100 C for about 10 mins
• First, sift all the dry ingredients together in a bowl (flour, oats, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon)
• In another bowl, add the eggs and beat lightly, add the remaining ingredients (oil, milk, honey and vanilla essence)
• Now add the wet mixture to the bowl with the dry ingredients. Give it a light mix only to incorporate all the ingredients together. Its fine of there are specks of flour around the bowl.
• Pour spoonfuls of this mixture into the muffin tray. Garnish the top with the raisins.
• Bake at 180 C for 35 mins or till a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Chatpati Subzee Paneer (Tangy Cottage Cheese with Vegetables)

After celebrating Easter festivities, we were to attend three wedding in a span of four days. So then, with all those celebrations and festivities done, it was time to give the tummy a well-deserved break.  I thought it would be nice prepare a vegetarian dish  this week.

This is one such recipe that ticks all the check boxes when you are looking for a quick, high on taste, nutritious recipe and more importantly doesn’t give you that feeling of guilt even after you’ve had your fill. The ingredient that that holds everything together is the chaat masala. This tangy spice mix is perhaps the Amitabh Bachchan of the culinary world. Put in two tablespoons in a bland dish and presto, you have a taste blockbuster.

Paneer (cottage cheese), is something we prepare regularly for either lunch or dinner.  Once a North Indian staple, it is now readily available in stores and supermarkets; my mum though makes awesome paneer at home. The gentle texture and the ability to adapt itself to any ingredient or cooking technique like grilling, barbeque or even stir fry make it a chefs favorite. Pair it with the ever reliable bell peppers and you have a combination that’s finger licking good…

We had it with chappatis, but it makes a good combo with rice or naan. 

Chatpati Subzee Paneer

Ingredients:

• 250 grams Paneer (Cottage Cheese)
• 1 large Capsicum, cubed
• 2-3 baby corns, sliced
• 1 large onion, cubed
• 1 large tomato, cubed
• 1 tablespoon red chilli flakes
• 4-5 flakes garlic, minced
• 1 inch ginger, minced
• 4 large tablespoons Chaat Masala (and some for garnishing)
• Few sprigs of corriander for garnishing
• 2 tablespoons oil
• Salt to taste

Procedure:

•  Heat oil in a pan and saute the garlic and ginger till the garlic is just about turns brown.
• Next, add the onions and saute till they caramelise. Once the onions caramelise, add the tomatoes and stir till the tomatoes are limp.
• Now, add the red chilli flakes, sliced baby corn and bell peppers and give it a good stir. Do not cook them  for long as the veggies would go soft.
• Add the paneer and stir well. Mix well. 
• Sprinkle the chaat masala well across the pan. Sprinkle some water in the pan and give it a good mix. The water will help the chaat masala to stick well on the veggies.
• Lastly, add the salt. Garnish with corriander leaves and serve hot.