Homemade Granola using Jaggery

When it comes to toddler snacks, we always want to go in for a healthy option that are delectable for kids as well. Granola- is one such ideal healthy snacking option not just for kids, but adults as well.
Though not an Indian snack, it is off late gaining lot of popularity here for its healthy and nutritious contents.

This is a no bake recipe that can be so easily made on a stove top. This makes a great travel friendly snacking option for kids. My son loves this as he finds it crispy, crunchy and sweet :):)

You can make N number of combinations and varieties of Granola using the below key ingredients.

Preparation of Granola involves 5 Key ingredients

1. Whole grains - Rice crisps, Whole Wheat grains, Rolled Oats, Corn Flakes
2. Nuts - Walnut, Almonds, Pecan, Hazelnuts,Cashew Nuts
3. Seeds - Sesame, Pumpkin, Melon, Flaxseeds, Chia Seeds
4. Dry Fruits - Dried Cranberries, Blueberries, Raisins, chopped dates, dried apricots, dried strawberries
5. Natural Sweeteners - Dates Syrup, Raw Honey, Maple Syrup,Cane Sugar, Brown unrefined sugar, unsweetened chocolate syrup

You can make this as a Trail mix or as bars. I have chose to make them as a crispy crunch mix. Let's jump to the preparation. :)

Serves: 2 Cups

Ingredients

Whole Grains

• Rolled Oats - 1 cup

Seeds

• Melon Seeds - 2 tbsp
• Pumpkin Seeds - 2 tbsp

Seeds - Melon and Pumpkin Seeds

Nuts

• Cashew Nuts - 2 tbsp
• Walnuts - 2 tbsp

Nuts - Walnuts and Cashew Nuts

Dry Fruits

• Raisins - 2 tbsp
• Cranberries - 2 tbsp

Dry Fruits - Raisins and Cranberries

 

Sweeteners

• Honey - 2 tbsp
• Powdered Jaggery - 1/4 cup

Flavoring Ingredients

• Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
• Cinnamon Powder - 1/2 tsp

Nuts,Seeds and Dry Fruits

Method

1. Dry Roast the seeds and nuts separately in a thick bottomed pan until they emit nice flavour. Keep it aside after roasting.

2. Dry Roast the oats in a thick bottomed pan on a low-medium flame until you start getting nice aroma of oats and keep it aside separately.

3. In the pan, add powdered jaggery, cinnamon powder and 2 tbsp of water to melt the jaggery. Ensure you melt it on full low flame.

4. Once the jaggery has melted, add all the dry roasted ingredients along with dry fruits and give it a nice mix.

5. To above, add Honey and vanilla essence and give it a nice stirring on low-medium flame so that all the ingredients are crunchy and crispy.

6. Remove the contents from the pan and transfer it to a large bowl.

7. Use both your hands to separate the contents from sticking to each other. Initially, it would be sticking to each other due to jaggery. However, as you keep repeating this process of separating them using your hands by breaking the lumps, it is easier for you to make crispy crunch Trail Mix.


Please note : Do it as soon as you remove the contents from pan. If you delay, it would be a little hard to break the lumps without breaking it.


8. Store it in an airtight container and it stays fresh for long :) Enjoy this delicious snacking.

Green Moong Dal and Oats Adai

Never knew a dish which is too good for health can even be tasty until I had this. This is an amazing low carb recipe which satiates your hunger and keeps you full for long hours. Highly rich in proteins and fiber, this aids in weight loss amazingly.There are innumerable benefits of green moong which you can check here. I generally make this for dinner as soon as I come from office. I soak them in the morning and grind them to make a tasty adai batter for dinner. Traditionally, they add some rice while grinding the batter make it more crispier. I have skipped it as this is completely low carb making it a guilt free indulgence. Let's look into the preparation of this healthy adai. This tastes best with coconut chutney,avial or even just plain butter.

Serves: 4 adai/pancakes

Ingredients

1. Green Moong Dhal - 3/4 cup
2. Oats - 2 tbsp (I used normal Quaker oats available at supermarket)
3. Green chili - 1 big
4. coriander leaves - 1/4 cup (chopped)
5. Ginger - 1 inch
6. Jeera - 2 tsp
7. Onion - 1 big (chopped)
8. Needed salt

Ingredients

Soaked green moong and oats

Method

1. Soak green moong and oats together with 1.25 cups of water for minimum of 4 hours.

2. Strain them after it has absorbed all water. Grind them with chili and ginger to a fine batter. Do not add any water while grinding. Let the batter be thick.

3. Add chopped onions,coriander leaves and cumin seeds and needed salt to the batter. Mix well.

4. Heat a iron girdle, once hot, take a ladle of the batter and pour it on the girdle. Spread them gently into small thick round shapes. Allow them to cook on a low flame for 5 mins. Drizzle some Olive or Coconut oil on the sides.

5. After 5 mins, flip the adai gently on to next side and cook again until the batter is cooked well.

6. Hot tasty adai is ready to served with your favorite accompaniment.

Batter ready!!!!!

Notes,Tips & Add-On's

1. You can also grind the coriander leaves along with batter if you do not want to add it separately.
2. Cooking of adai takes a long time than dosa as it is a thick batter. For better results, cover them with a lid to speeden up the cooking process.
3. I have paired it with oats, but trust me, you can add any accompaniment of your choice like kollu(horsegram), quinoa,chickpea,millet etc. Soak whatever you like along with green moong and grind them together.