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.

Whole Wheat 2 minute Microwave(MW) chocolate chip cookies

Chocolate chip cookies is everyone's favorite. Usually it is prepared in many ways by baking them instantly or refrigerate the dough for 24-36 hrs and bake them. However the taste differs when it is rested in refrigerator for 24-36 hrs. Here is an simple attempt to make a 2 minute cookies in a microwave. This can be made by kids too and they will enjoy making them.

How to make it:

1. Add unsalted butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract.

2. Mix well, add an egg, and mix again.

3. Add whole wheat flour, add tsp salt, and mix. 

4. Add chocolate chips, mix, and scoop onto butter-greased plate or parchment paper on a plate.

5.Decorate top with chocolate chips, and make sure to clump them together because the dough will expand.

6.  Microwave for 1:50 for little crunchy, microwave for 1:40 to 1:45 for little softer cookie. If toothpick comes clean when stuck in cookie or middle of cookie, let out even if time remains. ( See Notes).

7. Let cool for few minutes and enjoy!

For tastier results, refrigerate for 12-24 hrs and then follow Steps 5-7.

A small video representation is here:

Here comes the full recipe:

Ingredients: 

• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup cane sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 6 tbsp whole wheat flour
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 5 tbsp chocolate chips for batter, 1/2 tbsp for "decorating" the top of cookie

1. Add unsalted butter, cane sugar, and vanilla extract.

2. Mix well, add an egg, and mix again.

3. Add whole wheat flour, add tsp salt, and mix. 

4. Add chocolate chips, mix, and scoop onto butter-greased plate or parchment paper on a plate.

5.Decorate top with chocolate chips, and make sure to clump them together because the dough will expand.

6.  Microwave for 1:50 for little crunchy, microwave for 1:40 to 1:45 for little softer cookie. If toothpick comes clean when stuck in cookie or middle of cookie, let out even if time remains.

7. Let cool for few minutes and enjoy!

You can also prepare the dough and refrigerate for 12-24 hrs and then follow Steps 5-7 to enjoy even more tastier cookie.

Note:

!. Each microwave have a different power. So test one cookie first and then adjust timing according to your microwave.

Whole wheat paneer tikka pizza/ No maida added pizza

Pizza an all ones favorite can be baked at home with whole wheat flour. Follow me for using other flours as base for pizza.They are lining up next in my blog.

How to make:

1. In a small bowl, add lukewarm water, sugar and yeast. Mix well so that there is no lumps. Leave it aside for 10 minutes to activate and bloom the yeast. 

2. In a stand mixer, add whole wheat flour and salt and mix well at a low speed. 

3. Now add the yeasted mixture and mix well at the low speed. 

4. Add oil and the mixer running at medium speed knead for 5 minutes.

5.Now remove the dough and keep covered using a damp cloth to proof the dough for about 1-1 1/2 hrs.

6. Prepare the tikka ingredients. In a mixing bowl, add hung curd, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, amchur powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt, olive oil and mix well. To this add paneer cubes, sliced lengthwise onions, capsicums and mix well until a nice coating is formed on all the vegetables. Cover and set aside for at least 2 hrs.

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7. Remove the dough. Punch it down and knead for 2 minutes until smooth. . 

8. Divide into two equal parts. Using a roller, knead one half of the dough to a round shape. Grease the pan with oil. We are going to bake one 12” round pizza and a 13” by 9” rectangular pizza.

9. Preheat the oven for 450 F

10. Now spread the round dough on the pizza pan. Prick it with fork and bake for 3 mins.

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11. Remove from the oven, spread pizza sauce. Spread soaked paneer tikka ingredients. 

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12. Add a little cheese over it. I have used mozzarella cheese. Bake for 15 mins for a crust pizza and 12 mins for a softer dough pizza.

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13. Similarly do it for rectangular sheet pizza too.

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A small video for you to refer:

Ingredients:

For pizza dough:

Whole wheat flour - 2 3/4 cup

Salt - 1 tsp

Cane sugar - 1 tbsp

Instant yeast - 2 1/4 tsp

Extra virgin olive oil - 1 tbsp + 2 tsp for greasing

Lukewarm water - 1 cup

For paneer tikka:

Hung curd - 1/3 cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Amchur masala - 1 tsp

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Paneer - 200g

Red capsicum - 1

Green capsicum -1

Onions - 1

Olive oil - 3 tbsp

For pizza:

Pizza sauce - 1 cup

Mozzarella cheese - 1/2 cup

How to make

1. In a small bowl, add lukewarm water, sugar and yeast. Mix well so that there is no lumps. Leave it aside for 10 minutes to activate and bloom the yeast. 

2. In a stand mixer, add whole wheat flour and salt and mix well at a low speed. Now add the yeasted mixture and mix well at the low speed. 

3. Add oil and the mixer running at medium speed knead for 5 minutes.

4. Now remove the dough and keep covered using a damp cloth to proof the dough for about 1-1 1/2 hrs.

5. Prepare the tikka ingredients. In a mixing bowl, add hung curd, ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, turmeric powder, amchur powder, cumin powder, garam masala, salt, olive oil and mix well. To this add paneer cubes, sliced lengthwise onions, capsicums and mix well until a nice coating is formed on all the vegetables. Cover and set aside for at least 2 hrs.

6. Remove the dough. Punch it down and knead for 2 minutes until smooth. Divide into two equal parts. We are going to bake one 12” round pizza and a 13” by 9” rectangular pizza. 

7. Preheat the oven for 450 F.

8. Using a roller, knead one half of the dough to a round shape. Grease the pan with oil. Now spread the round dough on the pizza pan. Prick it with fork and bake for 3 mins.

9. Remove from the oven, spread pizza sauce. Spread soaked paneer tikka and add a little cheese over it. I have used mozzarella cheese.

10. Similarly do it for rectangular sheet pizza too.

11. Bake for 15 mins for a crust pizza and 12 mins for a softer dough pizza.

Note:

1. You can make various toppings. Just a simple cheese, mushrooms, veggies, only onions, corn, and the list is endless. Whichever vegetable you like, you can make that as a topping.

2. Use hung curd for tikka to get all the vegetables coated with masala.

 

Watermelon delight

Watermelon and rose syrup make a good combination and enhances flavor.

How to make:

1. In a mixer jar, add watermelon cubes and rose syrup.

2. Blend well until there is no lumps.

3. Serve chilled or as it is.

A small video representation:

Serves - 2

Ingredients:

Watermelon cubes - 3 cups

Rose syrup - 1 1/2 tbsp

How to make:

1. In a mixer jar, add watermelon cubes and rose syrup.

2. Blend well until there is no lumps.

3. Serve chilled or as it is.

Cucumber curd raitha / Vellarikkai thayir pachadi

Raitha is an wonderful accomplishment for biryani and pulao. It can be served with phulkas, chapathis and rotis too along with other side dish. Adding cucumber to curd makes a flavorful raitha. Unlike other raitha, this need to be tempered which gives an unique taste.

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Here is the step by step to make raitha:

1. In a mixer, add grated coconut, ginger and green chillies.

2. Grind to a smooth paste by adding little water. Wash and cut the ends of cucumber. Grate it in a big hole grater.

3. In a bowl, whisk curd until there is no lumps and are smooth. Add the ground paste.

4. Now add grated cucumber, salt and mix them well. Keep aside.

5. In a stove, heat a small saucepan. Add coconut oil. When it heats up add mustard seeds and wait until it crackles. Add hing and switch off the flame.

6. Now add the tempering to the curd mixture and serve.

A small video to make raitha:

Here comes the full recipe:

Ingredients:

Cucumber - 1
Curd - 2 cups
Salt - to taste

To grind:

Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Ginger - 1"
Green chilli - 2

To temper:

Coconut oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp
Hing/Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

How to make:

1. In a mixer, add grated coconut, ginger and green chilli and grind to a smooth paste by adding little water.

2. In a bowl, whisk curd until there is no lumps and are smooth. 

3. Wash and cut the ends of cucumber. Grate it in a big hole grater.

4. Now add grated cucumber, salt and the ground coconut paste and mix them well. Keep aside.

5. In a stove, heat a small saucepan. Add oil. When it heats up add mustard seeds and wait until it crackles. Add hing and switch off the flame.

6. Now add the tempering to the curd mixture.

7. Serve with biryani, chapathis and phulkas.

Note:

1. Don't use sour curd. Use fresh curd to make this raitha.

2. Adjust green chillies according to your spice level.