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.
    

• RECIPES! RECIPES!