Whole wheat cinnamon rolls with simple icing

A cinnamon roll is a rolled sheet of yeast-leavened dough onto which a cinnamon and sugar mixture (and raisins or other ingredients) is sprinkled over a coat of melted butter. Then the dough is rolled, cut into small portions, and baked. Its main ingredients are flour, sugar, cinnamon and butter which provide a robust and sweet flavor.

 Cinnamon rolls aka cinnamon buns is always a favorite desert in my home. I tried this cinnamon buns with whole wheat flour and it is a hit at home now. It is usually served with cream cheese icing, but here I am giving you a simple icing recipe that everyone can do at home. You can have it without icing too.

Ingredients:

Whole wheat flour - 500g/ 2 3/4 cups

Brown sugar -  65g/ 1/4 cup

Milk powder - 2 tbsp(optional)

Salt - 1 tsp

Unsalted butter - 2 tbsp

Warm milk - 1/2 cup

Instant yeast - 7g/ 2 1/4 tsp

Warm water - 1/2 cup + 1/2 cup

Brown sugar - 1 tsp ( to activate yeast)

For filling:

Melted butter - 1 tbsp

Brown sugar - 6 tbsp

Cinnamon powder - 3 tsp

For glaze:

Brown sugar - 1/2 cup

Melted butter - 1 tbsp

Heavy cream - 2 tbsp

Vanilla extract - 1/2 tsp

Video to bake cinnamon rolls:

How to bake:

1. In the warm water add yeast, sugar and mix well. Leave it aside for 5 min until it becomes foamy and frothy. Alternatively you can add it directly to the flour and mix it. This step is to check whether our yeast works well or not. 

2. In a mixer, add whole wheat flour, sugar, milk powder, salt and mix well in a slow speed.

3. Add the yeasted mixture, warm milk and continue to mix in slow speed. If the dough is not formed, add 1tbsp water and let it mix. If you have flour left again, continue adding 1 tbsp water extra each time and continue the process until dough is formed. For my flour I added 6 tbsp extra water to form a dough. Each flour acts differently and so this may vary. Don't add all the extra water altogether and the dough might become watery. So add 1 tbsp extra each time and check whether you have to add more or not. 

4. When all the flour becomes a dough, add butter and continue to run the mixer at speed 2 for about 5 minutes. If you are using hand, knead well for about 10-12 minutes until the dough becomes so soft and spongy. This step is necessary to develop gluten in the dough.

5. Grease a bowl with oil and place the dough inside it. Cover it with a damp cloth and place it in a  warm space for about an hour or until the dough is doubled in volume. Alternatively, you can keep it in an Instant pot greased with oil, close the lid and set in YOGURT option for about an hour. The dough will be doubled after an hour.

6. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together brown sugar and cinnamon and keep it aside.

7. Punch down the dough and place it in a oiled surface and roll it into a thin rectangle. Spread the melted butter all over the dough.. Spread the cinnamon sugar mixture over the rolled dough. Roll into a long rectangle and pinch on the ends and along the sides too and roll it all over.

8. Now cut onto 1" on the roll and place it in a oiled 13x9 pan with an inch apart. Cover it in a damp cloth and let rise for another 1/2 hr. Now your dough will touch one on another.

9. Meanwhile preheat you oven at 350F/180C.

10. Place your pan in the bottom rack and bake for 18-22 minutes. Mine took 22 minutes. Remove when your dough changes to golden brown color. Cool in the pan for about 10 minutes.

11. Prepare the icing. Melt butter and mix sugar, cream and vanilla extract and drizzle it over the roll. Enjoy your warm roll.

Notes:

1. Check the expiry date of your yeast before you bake the bread.

2. You can have your rolls without icing too.

3. You can half the recipe and you can bake it a round pan too. But check timings for that.

Kongu style ragi murukku with no rice flour-easy snack recipe/ Ragi chakli recipe

Ragi popularly known as Finger millet/Nachni in North India is very common in South India. It is grown in kongunadu region and it is their regular grain in their foods eaten in the form of kali, pakoda, roti. It is a super crop as well as super food which is rich in calcium. No essential nutrients are lost during processing in ragi. It's gluten free too. 

Step by step pictures to make murukku:

1. In a bowl, sieve ragi flour to remove any lumps. 

2. To it add besan and gram flour and sieve those as well to remove any lumps.

3. Now add butter, sesame seeds and omam(ajwain) to it.

4. Add red chilli powder and salt and rub it with hands so that they are combined well and looks coarse crumbs. 

5. Add water little by little and make a soft dough. Grease murukku mould, inner and outer sides and also the plate where you are going to press the murukku. Use any mould that you would like. I am using round shape here.

6. Grease murukku mould, inner and outer sides and also the plate where you are going to press the murukku. Use any mould that you would like. I am using round shape here. Take a small portion of dough and make a log. 

7. Put it inside the mould and close with the outer press. Gently make a smooth press on the greased plate.

8. Meanwhile heat oil in pan. Put the piped murukku into the hot oil and cook it till the stops the 'sh' sound. Remove using a skewer, drain oil and place it in plate. Cool and store it in an airtight container. 

Here comes the full recipe:

Ingredients:
Finger millet flour/ Ragi maavu - 2 cups
Pottukadalai flour/ gram flour - 1/4 cup
Besan flour/kadalai maavu - 3/4 cup
Butter - 1 tbsp
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp
Ajwain/Omam - 1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1 1/2 tsp

Peanut oil - for frying

How to make:
1. In a bowl, mix ragi flour, gram flour and besan.
2. Now add butter, sesame seeds and omam(ajwain) to it.
3. Add red chilli powder and salt and rub it with hands so that they are combined well and looks coarse crumbs.
4. Add water little by little and make a soft dough.
5. Grease murukku mould, inner and outer sides and also the plate where you are going to press the murukku. Use any mould that you would like. I am using round shape here.
6. Take a small log and put it inside the mould and close with the outer press.
7. Gently make a smooth press on the greased plate.
8. Meanwhile heat oil in pan.
9. Put the piped murukku into the hot oil and cook it till the stops the 'sh' sound.
10. Remove using a skewer, drain oil and place it in plate.
11. Cool and store it in an airtight container. Enjoy with a cup of coffee/tea.

Note:

1. Red chilli powder what I use is very spicy and I have used only 1 tsp. So adjust your spiciness according to your red chilli powder.

2. Prepare pottukadalai maavu by grinding gram dhal in mixie and sieve to get a fine powder.

3. Butter gives the crispiness for murukku and don’t omit it.