Energy Laddu

Energy Laddu /Laadu /Unde is an easy dish and it helps to keep you full and provides energy. These energy laddu is prepared using dry coconut, jaggery, poppy seeds, oats, almonds, raisins and little ghee.

These laddu/laadu/unde is full of nutritious and healthy. Eating a laadu keeps you full for a long time. These Energy Laadu can be taken for travelling, kids snack box, kids parties and ladies kitty party.
These Energy Laddu is diabetic friendly and it has oats.

Lets see some benefits of eating poppy seeds in our diet.
Poppy seeds are filled with medicinal values. They helps to keep our mind and body cool. They are filled with anti-oxidants and a mono saturated fatty acid called Oleic acid. It helps in lowering the bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol level in blood. Poppy seeds have good source of dietary fiber.It is good for people who suffer from constipation. Poppy seeds are filled with B -complex vitamins. They contain good amounts of minerals like, copper, calcium, potassium, manganese, zinc and magnesium. Copper helps in the production of red blood cells. Potassium helps in regulating heart rate and blood pressure. It is good for soothing nervous irritability and act as pain killers. Poppy seeds are used in many traditional medicines and in the preparation of cough mixture.
Let is see the recipe now :

Ingredients :

Oats : 400 Grams
Almonds : 1 Small cup / 15 to 20 pods
Jaggery : 1 big cup 150 to 200 grams
Raisins : 1 Small cup
Ghee : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Dry coconut : 1 ( Small one )
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods
Poppy Seeds : 2 Tablespoons
Home made Rose Gulkand : 2 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Dry roast oats for 5 minutes till the raw smell goes off. Dry grind once it is cooled.

2. Cut dry coconut into small pieces.

3. Dry grind almonds, dry coconut and oats like powder consistency.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put jaggery and 1/4 cup of plain water. Let jaggery melt completely.
5. Let it boil and get one thread consistency. Stir in between and let it boil for another 2 to 3 minutes on low and medium flame. Add home made gulkand at this point. Mix it well. ( Optional ).

6. Put off the fire and keep the jaggery melted pan down. Add powdered oats, almonds, coconut, raisins and 2 tablespoons of ghee.

7. Mix all the ingredients nicely and take a small amount of the mixture and make laddu/laadu/unde.

8. Prepare more laddus and arrange it in a big bowl or tray.
9. Sprinkle poppy seeds on them and slowly turn the bowl, roll laddu and make the unde to get proper puppy seeds on each laddu.

10 Let all the laddus cool a bit. Now you can put them in a box and serve when ever you want.
11. 40 Laddus can be prepared.

12. Put them in a steel box and store. This Laddu can be kept for a week.

Note :

It is a must to use completely dry coconut.
I have used organic jaggery from Udupi. So did not filter the jaggery water. Used it directly.
Use of more ghee is optional. Use of gulkand is optional. Gulkand adds to the taste and aroma.
Add more ghee on the top of the mixture and prepare laddu quickly or add little warm milk and prepare laddu.
Time : 30 to 40 Minutes.
Serves : 40 Small Laddu can be prepared.
Purely Indian Sweet/Desert/ Energy Laddu.

Dates - Nendra Bale Halva

Dates - Nendra Bale Halva is a sweet dish. It is prepared using Nendra bale and dates with some dry fruits. It is soft and delicious sweet which you really relish it with your calm mind.

I have used Dates, Nendra bale and elakki banana with raisins, a few cashews and jaggery. I have also used poppy seeds on the top and it gives a yummy taste and you really enjoy having them.
Let us see some benefits of eating Poppy Seeds in our diet.
Poppy seeds are good content of calcium and magnesium. Calcium helps our bones and teeth to be strong and it helps the nerve and muscle function well. Magnesium helps in providing energy to the body. Poppy seeds have good source of anti -inflammatory properties. It helps to treat sleep disorder/insomnia. It is a good source of dietary fiber, minerals like calcium, magnesium andiron, vitamins and omega 6 fatty acids. Poppy seeds are used in Ayurvedic medicines. It is said to be a great pain reliever. It improves immunity in our body. It helps to improve digestion and prevent kidney stones. It is also used in cosmetics.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed : 

Nendra banana /Nendra balehannu : 2
Yalakki Banana : 2
Corn flakes : 1 Bowl ( Medium sized bowl)
Jaggery : 1 Cup
Almonds : 10 to 12
Raisins : 1 Handful
Ghee : 3 to 4 Tablespoons. / Little more than 1/2 cup
Dates :  250 Grams
Chiroti Rava /Thin variety of rava : 3 Tablespoons
Poppy Seeds/ Gasagase : 2 Tablespoons

Method : 

1. Remove the seeds from dates and remove the outer layer of bananas.

2. Dry grind almonds /cut almonds into thin slices.
3. Grind dates and bananas together and remove it from the mixi jar.

4. Dry grind cornflakes and keep it aside.

5. Keep a pan on the fire and add jaggery. Add an half cup of water and let it melt completely.
6. Remove it from the pan and sieve it with a siever and keep the clean jaggery aside.
7. Keep a big pan on the fire and put cleaned jaggery and ground banana -dates mixture. Add powdered corn flakes. Mix all the ingredients well.

 8. Stir nicely and let it cook on low flame. Add ghee in between and keep stirring the mixture.

 9. Slowly the mixture starts to thicken and it starts to leave the pan. Add ghee and stir nicely.
 10.  Add small size rava/semolina and stir for 3 to 4 minutes. See that rava mixes well with halva.

11. Let the flame be slow and medium. It changes its colour and starts to leave the ghee.
12. Apply little ghee on a plate /tray and keep it ready. Add raisins and powdered almonds.
 13. Put the ready Dates - Nendra Banana to the ghee greased plate and spread it evenly with a help of spoon.

 14. Let it cool completely. Add poppy seeds on the top. Press a little on the top.

 15. Cut Dates - Nendra Bale halva , according to your wish. ( Small / Big/diamond shape or a round shape.

16. Serve them once it is cooled completely.  

 Note.

Halva is soft and delicious. Adding more nuts is optional. Adding more jaggery is optional. Do not add much semolina though it helps to thicken fast, it taste differ. Adding more ghee is optional.
Time : 30 to 35 Minutes.
Serves : 25 to 30 Small sizes. 

Wheat flour Aloo Naan / Indian Bread

Naan, a type of Indian bread which is very famous and goes well with delicious curries is well known. I saw some one preparing Naan in the T. V. channal. Wanted to try some thing similar to it, but in a healthy way. So Here it comes Wheat flour Aloo Naan.

Norrmally Naan is prepared in Maida. / All purpose flour which is not a healthy to use it. So I replaced Maida with wheat flour, added boiled potatoes stuff and prepared yummy Aloo stuffed Naan.
 Wheat Flour Naan and it is cooked on tava.. ( Not on gas burner, which is bad for our health).
Potato stuff should be prepared first, so that you need not to wait to roll the naan.
Let us see the recipe Now :

Things Needed :

For the dough :
Wheat flour : 2 Cups
Millet flour : 1/2 Cup
Baking Powder : 1 Teaspoon
Baking Soda : 1/4 Teaspoon
Curd /Yogurt : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Salt : A little /As required
Oil : 2 Tablespoons + 2 Tablespoons
Black Sesame Seeds : 1/2 Teaspoon ( Optional/To sprinkle on the top).
For Stuffing :
Potatoes : 3 ( Medium sized )
Garam Masala powder : 1/2 Teaspoon
Coriander leaves : 1 Tablespoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds/1/2 Teaspoon
Salt : As required : 1/2 Teaspoon

Method :

Aloo/Potato Stuffing
1. Wash and pressure cook 2 to 3 potatoes for 5 minutes and let it cool.
2. Peel off the outer layer and put them in a bowl.
3.Add required salt, garam masala powder, little jeera powder.
4. Wash and cut coriander leaves and cut into thin pieces. (Remove the leaves from its stick).
5. Smash them nicely and take a small portion and make like bonda (round ) shape.
6. Keep them aside.

Dough Preparation :

1. Take a big bowl and add 2 cups of wheat flour, 1/2 cup of millet/jola/jowar/Sorghum flour.
2. Add a teaspoon of baking powder, 1/4 teaspoon of baking soda/cooking soda to the flour.
3. Add 2 tablespoons of curd/yogurt and 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Mix all the ingredients.

4. Prepare the chapati/naan dough. Add water only if required. The dough should be soft.
5. Allow the dough to rest for 5 to 10 minutes.

6. Now kneed the dough nicely and divide them into small portion.
7. Take a small portion of the dough and stuff aloo mixture and cover it from all sides.

8. Roll them on dry flour and roll it as chapati. It should done slowly without putting weight on it.
9. Keep a chapati tava/pan on the fire and heat. Wet your hand and press is it slightly on the rolled naan.
10. Take out the rolled naan slowly and place the wet side on the tava. Sprinkle a few sesame seeds
and coriander leaves on the top and press it slightly. So that it sticks to the Naan.
on the top.

11. Cook on both sides with low and medium flame.

 12.Wheat flour Aloo Naan is ready to serve..
13. Apply butter on the top and serve with a cup of curd pickle or any curry of your choice.

 14. Repeat the same and prepare the rest of naans.
Note :
The dough should be very soft. Adding millet flour makes the dough soft. Do not add more millet flour. You may not be able to roll them. Adding oil on the top of naan while cooking is optional. I have not added. I added butter on the top of Naan while serving. Cook on low and medium flame.
So that it does not get burnt. No need to rest the dough for a long time. Baking powder and baking soda turns the dough very soft.
You can cook this naan on the gas just after heating the naan on the tava you need to pace it on gas burner and cook. These days it is said cooking food on the gas burner is not a healthy option. So I decided to cook this Wheat flour Aloo Naan on the tava. (Both the sides).
Time : 40 Minutes
Serves : 2 to 3.
Indian Rotis.