Executive Chef Ishika Konar of the Atmantan Wellness Centre, Pune, shares two uncommon but delicious recipes that are healthy to boot.
Sweet Ragi Pancake Stuffed with Coconut
Ingredients
Servings: 5
- 100 gm ragi or finger millet flour
- 150 ml coconut milk
- 30 gm palm jaggery, powdered
- 3 gm cinnamon powder
- 2 gm baking powder
- 3 gm pistachio flakes
- 100 gm fresh coconut, grated
- A little oil for frying
- 15 ml jaggery syrup, optional
- 15 ml honey, optional
Method
- In a bowl mix the ragi flour with the baking powder.
- Then add the cinnamon powder, palm jaggery and coconut milk.
Mix well to form a smooth batter.
- Heat a non-stick pan and grease with a little oil.
Pour a spoonful of the batter in.
Spread lightly with a spoon to make into a pancake.
Once the pancake is cooked on one side, flip and cook on the other side.
Fry a little more and then serve onto a plate.
- Stuff the pancake with a spoonful of grated coconut and fold it into a triangle.
- You may top it with jaggery syrup or honey.
Garnish with 3 to 4 pistachio flakes and serve warm.
Bajra or Pearl Millet Payasam
Serves: 5
Ingredients
- 50 gm whole bajra or pearl millet
- 500 ml coconut milk
- 150 gm palm jaggery
- 5 gm cardamom powder
- 2 bay leaves
- 10 gm dried prunes
- 30 gm goji berry
- 500 ml water (for the millet)
- 100 ml water (for the jaggery)
Method
- Wash the pearl millets well.
Parboil the millets in the 500 ml water in a saucepan.
Once partly boiled, drain the excess water.
Add the bay leaves and coconut milk.
Cook the millets till they swell up.
- Heat, in a separate pot/saucepan, the palm jaggery with the 100 ml water on low heat for 5 or 10 minutes till it becomes a syrup.
- Add the jaggery syrup to the millets and cook for 5 minutes more.
- Now add the cardamom powder and blend.
- Serve the payasam warm, with dried prunes and soaked goji berries sprinkled on top.