Dates and poppy seeds Burfi

Dates and Poppy seeds burfi is a healthy burfi, that I have tried during this Deepavali. No sugar or jaggery is added to this bar and is nice to chew the healthy, yummy and easy  Dates and poppy seeds.

I have used Dates, almonds, cashews, raisins, figs and poppy seeds.
It is an easy and healthy burfi that all age group can enjoy and more of it it is diabetic friendly. Sweet teeth people can munch this burfi at any time of the day. Good to carry for travelling and good snack for the kids snack box. It is energetic and loaded with good minerals and vitamins.
I prepared this Dates burfi during Deepavali and packed it as one of the sweet to our relations.
Dates and Poppy Seeds Burfi Has NO Sugar, NO Ghee or any fat and No Coconut.
Preferably use ripe and soft Dates to prepare this burfi.
Let us see the recipe now :

Ingredients 

Dates : 400 Grams
Raisins : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Almonds : 20 to 25
Cashews : 10 to 15
Figs : 5 to 6
Poppy Seeds : 3 to 4 Tablespoons

Method :

1. Remove the seeds from Dates and put it in a big bowl.
2. Cut cashew nuts and figs into small pieces.

3. Dry grind almonds into powder consistency.
4. Put all the dry fruits into a big bowl. Kneed them well and let it mix well. ( Dates, raisins, cut cashews, figs and powdered almonds).
5. Spread a tablespoon of poppy seeds in a tray or plate.
6. Put dry fruits dough in the tray and press it evenly. Use chapati roller to even it in equal level.

7. Spread remaining poppy seeds on the top of the burfi and just press it slightly.

8. Leave it for a while. Cut it according to your desired shape.

9. Remove from the tray and store in a box.

10.  Serve or munch at any time of the day.

Note :

The dates you use should be soft. You need to kneed the mixture nicely so that it mixes well and sets well as burfi. Dates proportion should be more, so that it adds to the sweet taste. The sweet taste is natural and good for all age group and the diabetic people.
Time : 30 Minutes. 
Serves : 20 Pieces. ( According to size and shape ).

Mango Fruit Burfi

Happy Vara Mahalaxmi to You all. Mango burfi is a sweet dish and you can serve them as desert.

Some time back I saw Mango burfi done very nicely in Foodie blog. Foddie blog is managed by Admins ..Mr. Sadashiva Rao Mailankodi, Shri Kripa and Madhura Pradeep...The blog is super and the members and admins are very creative. It is one of my favourite blog  too.
Sorry to say I forgot the name of the person who had prepared this sweet. It was looking superb. I wanted to try but was busy a bit. I had some Neelam Mangoes from sister Sujatha 's house. (Udyavara/Udupi/Karnataka). So Thought of the recipe and tried it with jaggery instead of sugar.
 I have used mango pulp, wheat flour, ghee and jaggery.
It is always better to eat /use seasonal fruits because they are fresh and filled with more nutrients and vitamins
Let us see the recipe :

Things Needed :

Mango Fruits : 3 to 4 (Medium sized)
Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Ghee : 1 Cup
Cardamom : 4 to 5
Jaggery : 3/4 Cup.
Almonds flakes /Powder : 3 to 4 Tablespoons.
Cashew nuts  : 6 to 8 or little more

Method :

1. Wash and clean mango fruits and squeeze out the pulp. Keep it in a bowl.

2. Powder cardamom and keep it aside.
3. Keep a pan and put jaggery and put 1/4 cup of water and melt jaggery and filter it. (with a tea strainer). Keep it aside.

4. Keep a pan on the fire and put ghee. Let it melt. (Keep a tablespoon of ghee aside).
5.  Put cashew nuts and fry nicely. Add wheat flour and fry nicely till the raw smell goes off. (4 to 5 minutes).

6. Remove it from the pan to a plate/tray.
7. Add jaggery and let it get one string consistency. Add mango pulp and stir for some time. (10 minutes).

8. Add fried wheat flour and mix it well. Stir continuously till it starts to leave the edges of the pan.

9. Stir for another 10 minutes and add a tablespoon of ghee. Mix it nicely. Keep stirring for a minute.

10. Grease ghee to a tray or plate. Shift the ready Mango burfi to the greased plate and spread it around evenly.
11. Just roll a roller or spatula and make it even on all sides.

12. Spread almond flakes on the top and press it with spatulla. Let it cool. Cut it according to your desire once it is cooled.

13. Put the pieces in a clean airtight box.
14. Serve when some one visits you and your family.

Note :

Do not use much water to melt the jaggery. |Use of clean jaggry is a must. You can also use sugar instead of jaggery. Use of more jaggery helps the burfi to get it thick quickly. But too much of sweet dominates more. It gets harden once it is cooled.
Time : 30 to 40 minutes
Pieces : More than 30 pieces. ( According to your desired shape and size).

JAGGERY NUTS BURFI

Jaggery nuts barfis are very nice to have them. It takes us to our childhood days where we used to buy some gol gol (round) jaggery balls and chewing it for a long time. What a fun and relish.

I have used Almond flakes generously. It adds to the rich taste. I got this Almond Flakes from Veena/Krishnaveni Beedarahalli (Vidya's sister). She stays in U.S. and in her recent visit she brought these Almond Flakes and some chocolates too.
I have used Almond flakes, jaggery, raisins and Almonds. There is no coconut in this burfi.
Lets see some benefits of eating nuts in our diet.
Nuts in general provide energy. protein and good amount of anti oxidants. They do contain vitamins and minerals and Omega -3 fatty acids. It contain unsaturated fats and helps to lower the cholesterol levels. It is full of fiber and helps to prevent type 2 diabetes. Nuts are rich with Vitamin E and it helps to stop the plaques in our arteries. Nuts are good plant protein content. They are filled with minerals like magnesium, zinc, calcium, phosphorus. They help in by providing energy and strengthen our immune system.
Lets see the recipe now.

Things Needed :

Jaggery : 1 Cup
Wheat flour : 1 Cup
Raisins : 2 Tablespoons
Almond flakes : 1 Cup
Ghee : 2 Teaspoons

Method : 

1. Keep a pan on the fire and put wheat flour and dry roast till the raw smell disappear.

2. Remove the roasted flour to a dry plate.
3. Put jaggery in the pan. Add  2 Tablespoons of water and let it melt nicely.
4. Keep stirring. Jaggery starts to buble. Stir for 2 more minutes. ( On Low flame ).

5. Add raisins  and wheat flour slowly. Stir it well so that it mixes with jaggey nicely.

6. Keep stir till it starts to thicken and leaves the sides. Apply ghee to a plate and keep aside.
7. Add 1/2 cup of Almond flakes and mix it well. Add ghee and mix it.

8. Shift the ready jaggery mixture to the plate and spread it evenly. Spread the remaining Almond flakes and press it with spatula. Let it stick to the burfi.

9. Let it cool. Cut them according to your wish. It takes longer time to get it thick.
10. Remove the burfi (piece of nuts and jaggery) and put it in a steel box.

11. At First jaggey nuts burfi is chewy and then it turns hard once it is cooled.
12. Eat /serve according to your wish.

Note :

The burfi texture in the beginning is chewy. Later it turns hard. I have used organic jaggey. Do the whole process on low flame. Adding badam/almond taste nice. You can add ground nuts instead of badam/Almonds. Taste differ. No need to add more ghee.If you do not have Almond flakes just dry grind almonds for 1 minute and sprinkle the powder on the top of burfi, which adds to the taste of burfi.
Time : 20 Minutes
Serves : 10 to 15 pieces. (According to your wish. Small /big size).

Oats - Sesame Burfy /Energy Bar

Oats Sesame burfi is specially prepared for Usha Suresh's home, one of our best family friend . Suresh -Usha Cukkemane had arranged a gathering to celebrate their daughter - Son in law and their sweet cute little daughter's short stay in India. We are known to each other for more than 30 years and we all enjoyed our stay together in Dubai and continued our togetherness after our resettled too.

The gathering was in January. January 14 was Sankranthi and I had prepared Ellu -Bella for my tuition kids to mark Sankranthi. Sesame, groundnuts are mixed together with dry coconut pieces and little chenna to be added to this Sankranthi special "Ellu - Bella".

There is a saying that Ellu bella tindu olle maatadu, means eat sesame and jaggery and always be good and speak good.

Now coming back to the recipe, Just thought of using the remaining ellu-bella to be used for Burfy/Energy bar. It can be called as " Energy bar " because it has good amount of carbohydrates (nuts- ground nuts, sesame and chenna), iron content in jaggery. Added some Coconut gratings and Oats to increase the quantity and taste of the sweet.

Let us see the recipe Now.

Things needed :

Ground Nuts : 1 small cup (4 to 5 Tablespoons)
Roasted Chenna (Hurikadale/Pottu Kadale) : 1 Small Cup ( 3 to 4 Tablespoons)
Oats :  3 Cups (250 Gr)
Poppy Seeds : 1 Tablespoon
Sesame seeds : 2 to 3 Tablespoons
Coconut : 1 Cup
Jaggery : 1 Cup (Grated or powdered)
Cardamom : 5 to 6 Pods

Method :
1. Dry roast Oats till the raw smell disappear. Dry grind it with roasted poppy seeds and cardamom.
2. Powder Jaggery and keep it aside. Dry grind sesame seeds and keep it aside. (Sesame is already roasted).

3. Dry grind roasted groundnuts. (Powder consistency). Dry grind coconut. (Copra/Kobbari).

4. Now keep a pan on the fire and and put jaggery. Put 1/3 cup of water. Let jaggery melt.
5. Jaggery starts to melt and bubbles up. Stir in between and stir till one string consistency.

6. Add powdered Oats and mix it nicely. Add roasted chenna and mix it well.

7. Stir the content slowly for one or two minutes. It starts leaving the edge and turns as round ball.

8. Apply ghee on a tray'plate and put the ready burfy mixture to the tray.

11. Spread it around. and flattened with the help of spatula. Let it cool.
10 Cut it as small pieces. (According to your wish). Let it completely cool.

11. Put it in a airtight glass bottle/box.
12. Serve and have whenever you want. I have packed this for my friends.

Note :

If You are using Ellu -Bella Mixture ..pick all the groundnuts and dry grind it as powder and then use the powdered. Put the powdered groundnuts on the top of burfy (Just after flattened) and a press a bit. So that it helps the powder to remain firmly on the top. The content should be hot enough to hold the powder. Use of more/less ghee is optional.
Time : 20 Minutes
25 to 30 pieces can be made. (According to the size).