Easy Eggless Ragi Biscuits

Getting Ragi in my daily routine had been on my wish list for quite sometime, especially after moving to Maharashtra and getting to know about the benefits of this superfood. 

My chai is incomplete without biscuits, be it any time of the day. In my quest to adopt healthy lifestyle, I recently realised that I was eating about 5-6 Marie biscuits per cup of tea! 

Even though packaged Marie biscuits look innocent and the labels try to further convince you they are healthy, the fact is that they are loaded with hidden calories. I realised it more when I began my attempts to bake my own biscuits. I could never get the perfect texture or finish and I would wonder how the packaged biscuits get it right in every single piece! Well, the secret lies in the various chemicals masked under the head raising agents mentioned in the ingredients. Don't believe me, read one yourself! Except for Amul biscuits, I have hardly seen biscuits that use even pure good butter. Mr. Hubby once ordered online some nice homemade biscuits made with wholewheat flour, jaggery and ghee. However, after reading the price label, I couldn't even eat one!

Necessity is the mother of invention. So, after various failed attempts and learning from my mistakes, I finally got them right. 

Here's the recipe

Ingredients

Ragi/Finger Millet Flour - 1/2 Cup

Wholewheat Flour - 1/2 Cup

Butter (Cold solid) - 1/3 Cup, cut into cubes

Powdered Sugar - 1/2 Cup (U may even use powdered brown sugar/jaggery powder)

Baking Powder - 3/4 tsp

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Cold Milk - 1-2 tbsp

Oil - for greasing the baking tray

Method

1. Roast the Ragi flour on low-medium flame till you can notice the aroma. We do not need to roast till the colour change. Just enough to let go of the rawness. Once done, remove and set aside to cool.

2. Sift together the Ragi Flour, Wholewheat Flour and baking powder and mix well.

3. Sift in the powdered sugar into the flour mixture and mix well.

4. Add the cold butter cubes and rub with the flour using fingers until the mixture gets a crumble like texture.

5.  Make a bay in the centre and add the vanilla essence.

6. Slowly, add little by little milk and bind the mixture. Do not knead. Just enough milk to bind the mixture will do.

7. Refrigerate the mixture for 20-30 minutes or till it gets firm.

8. Dust a working table. I have used my granite Chakla on which we prepare Chapatis. Gently roll the dough into a 1" thick sheet. Honestly, I used my hands to do most of the flattening. However, it depends on one's comfort.

9. Using a cookie cutter, cut the biscuits in desired shapes. I used the lid of the baking powder bottle.

10. Arrange the biscuits on a greased baking dish and bake in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for about 15-20 minutes.

11. Remove and keep on a wire rack for cooling. The biscuits will appear soft when hot however, please dont be tempted to overbake or you will end up with jaw breaking biscuits (been there, done that!). They will automatically get firm once they cool.

12. One cool, store in an airtight container and enjoy guilt free!

Easy Eggless Mawa Suji Cake

I discovered Mawa Cake after moving to Mumbai. Once you eat Mawa Cake, you will realize you never had anything like this before. Soft, crumbly and aromatic, a Mawa cake is the perfect accompaniment for teatime. While initially I pampered myself to the Mawa Cake from the local Bangalore Iyenger Bakery nearby, once I discovered this recipe on Gayathri's blog, I decided to give it a try albeit tweaking the measurements a bit. The cake came out great and was happily finished the same day by my family.

This is how I made Eggless Mawa Suji Cake

Ingredients

Fine Rawa - 2 Cups

Mawa - 3/4 Cup

Curd - 1/4 Cup

Milk - 1/3 Cup or to taste

Baking Powder - 1 tsp

Cardamom Powder - 1.5 tsp

Butter - 1/2 Cup

Powdered Sugar - 1 Cup, or to taste

Chopped Nuts - 1/3 Cup

Method 

1. Cream melted butter and sugar until light and frothy.

2. Add the mawa and mix well. 

3. Add curd and cardamom powder and mix well.

3. Add the Rawa and baking powder and mix well. The mixture should neither be too tight nor runny. Slightly dense is how I would describe it.

5. Transfer to a baked cake tin and bake in a preheated oven at 160 degrees for about 45-50 minutes.

I cannot describe the heavenly aroma in my kitchen when the Cake came out of the oven. The cake was yummy and soft.

Easy Eggless Bournvita Cake

Mr. Hubby has a habit of picking up stuff on impulse which, if he doesn't like is left to my mercy to be either thrown out or remixed. Few months ago, while shopping at D Mart, he picked up two packets of Amul Pro (Amul's counterpart of Bournvita. I will refer to it as Bournvita still as people are more familiar with that brand). As expected, the Bournvita fever lasted for few days and one day he said "I realise this has too much sugar and calories. I would rather have plain milk." While a part of me was happy for his health consciousness, the other part went in the thinking mode. Now what to do with a packet and half of Bournvita left with me? I am not fond of it in my milk either. 

The baker in me then put on her thinking cap and came to the leftover Bournvita's rescue and prepared a cake!

Ironically, Mr. Hubby called the next afternoon from office, telling me that the cake was a hit with his friends and you had to see his face in the evening when I told him about the Bournvita secret! 

So, presenting my version of easy, eggless and healthy Bournvita cake!

Ingredients

Whole Wheat flour/atta - 1 1/2 Cup

Bournvita/Amul Pro - 7 heaped tablespoons

Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Baking Powder - 1/4 tsp

Melted Butter (i used salted) - 1/2 Cup

Condensed Milk - 1/2 Cup

Jaggery Powder - 3/4 Cup or to taste

Bananas - 3 no. overripe, mashed

Cinnamon Powder - 1/4 tsp

Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp

Lukewarm milk - 1/4 cup or as required

Chopped Walnuts - 1/2 Cup

Method - 

1. Blend together the bananas, Bournvita and Jaggery Powder into a smooth puree.

2. In a mixing bowl, take the melted butter. Add the condensed milk, vanilla essence and mix well.

3. Add the banana-Bournvita-Jaggery Powder mix and mix well to form a uniform mixture. Wet mixture is ready.

4. Grease and dust the cake tin. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees Celcius.

5. Sieve together the wheat flour, baking soda and baking powder.

6. Add in the cinnamon powder and mix well. Dry mixture are ready.

7. Add the dry mixture (step 6) to the wet mixture (step 3) and gently fold in using cut and fold method till the mixture achieves a batter consistency. You may add in lukewarm milk only if the batter feels very stiff. I didn't require.

8. Add the chopped walnuts and fold into the batter.

9. Transfer the batter to the greased cake tin. Level the batter and tap the tin slightly to evenly spread the batter across and remove any air. Bake at 180 degree Celcius for about 45 minutes.

10. Cool on a wire rack.

11. Once cool, cut and enjoy!

The cake lasts for 5-6 days if stored in refrigerator. But it turns out so yummy that I assure you it won't last beyond two days!