Tag: Breakfast Recipe

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Indian Cottage Cheese Jaffles- Vegetarian Protein Rich- Ultimate Comfort Food

Did you know, a Jaffle is an Australian name for closed toasted sandwich? It’s an Aussie invention. The first electric jaffle maker was released in 1974 that seal and cut a sandwich. When it comes to the iconic jaffle, there is something about the crispy sealed edges and perfectly cut triangular chambers of gooey goodness that makes them simply irresistible. This ultimate comfort food makes the perfect anytime meal or snack, and takes the humble sandwich to the next level.

I have sweet childhood memories attached to jaffles. My mother would often fix us quick breakfast with leftover sabji from last night, add her own touch of masalas to make it even more flavourful and turn it into delicious jaffles. As a child this used to be one of favourite breakfast options.

These paneer jaffles are my 10 year old and family’s favourite. I am sure every one of you have had jaffles atleast once. Every household has its own recipe. So sharing one out of many of my jaffle recipes with you. These are different, tastes very fresh, summery and of course it’s super healthy. I can bet you are going to love it. Do try!

Recipe: makes 6 jaffles

Ingredients 

  • Indian Cottage Cheese/Paneer: 250 grams
  • Capsicum: 1/2 cup, finely chopped
  • Minced ginger and garlic: 1 tsp
  • Fresh Mint Leaves: Handful
  • Fresh Sweet Basil Leaves: Handful
  • Salt and pepper to taste
  • Italian Seasoning to taste
  • Red pepper flakes to taste
  • Cream Cheese: 2 tbsps (optional)
  • Bread Slice: 12

Instructions 

  • Crumble cottage cheese. To it, add capsicum, minced garlic & ginger, chopped fresh mint leaves, chopped fresh sweet basil leaves and cream cheese. Cream cheese will bring it all together and will also add creaminess. 
  • Now add Italian seasoning, freshly ground pepper, red pepper flakes & salt. 
  • Mix it all well. Apply it on a slice of bread, top it with another slice. Apply butter on both sides and toast it in jaffle iron.
  • Serve hot with ketchup or dip of your choice. 
  • Note: You can store the leftover filling in the refrigerator and use within 3 days.

Substitutes: 

  1. For Vegan option substitute paneer with tofu.
  2. If cream cheese is not available, you can add hung curd/Greek yogurt. 
  3. You can also add vegetables of your choice like bell peppers, shredded carrots or cabbage.

Do try out this simple recipe. I am sure you guys will love it. Let me know what other kind of jaffles you make at home and what is your comfort filling in the comments section. It will be great to know. Stay Healthy! 🙂

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Healthy Wholewheat Carrot Chia Seed Pancakes- Vegetarian High Protein Recipe

These fluffy Carrot Pancakes are high protein vegetarian pancakes and are a brilliant way of incorporating vegetable or fruit in your or your child’s diet. These pancakes remind me of carrot cake, without the frosting of course. They are packed with all the healthy ingredients with inclusion of yogurt to give it more nutrition and a fluffy texture. 

They are so easy to whip up with wholesome, easy to find ingredients and you are just going to love the flavor and texture! Carrots are a great addition to pancakes because of their subtle flavor. Your child will definitely notice bits of carrots but will not mind it. You can also check out my healthy carrot cake recipe here- Wholewheat Carrot Orange Tea Cake

Ingredients you will need

  • Wholewheat flour: Wholewheat flour gives a nice nutty flavor to these pancakes. However if you want to make these pancakes gluten free, you can use buckwheat flour. It is a little more nutrient-dense, though the two work similarly. For more gluten free pancake recipes check out my Healthy Protein Packed Pancake recipe.
  • Jaggery Powder: Jaggery adds some natural caramel like sweetness. You can also try these pancakes with applesauce.
  • Plain yogurt: This adds moisture and protein. You can also use milk instead. If you want to make it vegan, you can add Almond Milk or Coconut Milk or any other nut milk. Check out the recipe of Homemade Almond Milk here. 
  • Coconut Oil: I used coconut oil that’s melted in the pancakes to add some moisture and richness. You can choose to add Olive Oil or Unsalted Butter too.
  • Pure Vanilla Extract: This adds lovely flavor to the pancakes batter.
  • Baking powder and Baking Soda: They are essential to give the pancakes rise, make it fluffy and light in texture
  • Cinnamon and Nutmeg: I love to add these flavors in carrot pancakes or cake. They add a nice warmth and cozy feeling to the pancakes.
  • Chia Seeds: Chia seeds will add more nutrition and protein to the pancakes since we are not using eggs here. Also, it will add more moisture. 2 tbsps of Chia Seeds contain 5 grams of protein.

Recipe: makes 7 pancakes

Ingredients 

  • 1.5 cups of Wholewheat flour
  • 1/2 tsp Baking Soda
  • 1/4th tsp Baking Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
  • 1/4th tsp Salt
  • 1/4th tsp Nutmeg Powder
  • 4 tbsps Jaggery Powder
  • 1 cup Grated Carrot
  • 1.5 cups Yogurt
  • 2 tbsps Chia seeds soaked in 1/4th cup water for 10 minutes 
  • 2 tbsps Oil (Olive/Coconut) or Melted Unsalted Butter
  • 1/2 cup Dark Chocolate Chunks (70%)

Instructions

  • Stir together jaggery, yogurt or milk or almond milk, butter or oil and vanilla in a medium bowl.
  • Add in the flour, baking powder & soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt, and stir gently to combine.
  • Now add grated carrots and mix gently. Top it with chocolate chunks if using.
  • Heat a nonstick or cast iron pan or griddle over medium-heat, coat it with some butter. Add a ladle full of batter and spread it thinly. 
  • Cook per side for 2-3 minutes or till the top sets and bubbles start bursting. Flip and cook the other side.

Enjoy 😊 I hope you enjoy this recipe. It is a must try especially for your child if he/she is a picky eater. Do let me know in the comments if you try this recipe and want more of such healthy recipes. 

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Best Guacamole Recipe (Easy, Fresh and Authentic)

I absolutely love avocados for their rich buttery taste. Guacamole is an avocado-based dip or spread that originated in Mexico. Mexico cuisine is quite incomplete without guacamole. Making guacamole at home is super easy. It will literally take you 5 minutes with which you can make a classic side dish. You can spread guacamole on a toast, serve with tacos, chips, tortillas or burrito bowl.

Avocados are well loved for its buttery rich creamy flavour. Authentic guacamole doesn’t contain fillers and unnecessary ingredients. All you need is ripe avocados, onion, tomatoes, cilantro, lime juice, garlic, and salt. Easy and delicious! The key to making a good guacamole is to keep it simple. Do not get too fancy with the ingredients. Keep it plain and simple!

Pick ripe avocado for best guacamole. How to pick ripe Avocado?

Pick ripe but firm avocado. We are not looking for soft mushy ones for this recipe. 

  • Ripe avocados will yield to firm gentle pressure in the palm of your hand. 
  • If avocado is ripe, it may have a darker colour but colour can vary so it is best to go by feel as well as colour. It will feel lightly soft but it will not feel “mushy” to the touch.
  • The “stem trick” can also help you determine—by pulling off the nubby stem—how ripe an avocado is. If it comes off easily and the color is bright green, it’s ready.
  • Another indicator is the skin. Feel for bumpy skin. Avocados that are ready to eat will have a bumpy and not smooth skin.

Avocado Benefits 

Incorporating avocado into a varied, healthy diet can provide a number of benefits.

  1. They are loaded with vitamins, potassium and antioxidants. Avocados are a source of Vitamin C, E, K, and B6, as well as riboflavin, niacin, folate and pantothenic acid.
  2. They are excellent source of omega 3 fatty acids. These are good fats which helps a person feel fuller in between meals. Eating healthy fats supports skin health, enhances the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals
  3. Avocados also contain high levels of phytochemicals and carotenoids, which may have anticancer properties.
  4. It can also help you loose weight. A half-cup of guacamole has about 6 grams, almost 1/4, of your daily fiber needs. Fiber helps you feel full, so you’re less likely to overeat. Although avocados are high in fat, it’s mainly healthy monounsaturated fat which will not lead to unnecessary weight gain. 
  5. Avocados can also help lower “bad” cholesterol, triglycerides, and blood pressure.

How do you make Guacamole?

Ingredients:

  • 2 large ripe Avocados
  • Juice of 1 Lemon
  • 1 clove Garlic, minced
  • 1 small Onion, chopped very fine
  • 1 small Roma tomato, chopped very fine
  • 1 small Jalapeño, chopped finely
  • Handful of finely chopped Sweet Basil leaves (optional)
  • Handful of finely chopped Cilantro
  • Salt, Black pepper and Cayenne Pepper to taste

Instructions 

  • Slice the avocados in half, remove the pit, and scoop into a mixing bowl. 
  • Mash the avocado with a fork and make it as chunky or smooth as you’d like.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and stir together. Give it a taste test. Add more salt or lemon juice if needed.
  • Refrigerate the guacamole for 30 minutes before serving. It tastes best when it is cold.

How to store the leftover

Guacamole is best consumed the same day because it oxidizes and turns brown quickly. There are lot of old wives tales that tell you to keep a pit in guacamole to prevent it from browning but I tell you none of this works. 

The most common guacamole preservation hack is placing plastic wrap directly on the guacamole and refrigerate it to prevent oxidation. This may work for a day or two.

Happy eating! Do try out this easy peasy recipe and let me know in the comment section how you liked it. 🙂

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Fluffy Buttermilk Pancakes with Stewed Cinnamon Apples

I take breakfast very seriously. This is my favorite meal and I need a good start to the day. If you ask my family, what I specialize in, it would definitely be breakfast.

When it comes to pancakes, nothing beats Buttermilk Pancakes. Though classic American pancakes are made with milk but the secret ingredient to best, fluffy, moist & tender pancakes is buttermilk. Buttermilk when combined with baking soda and powder gives pancakes a nice lift making them fluffy and thick. Also, I love the slight tang it adds to the pancakes balancing the sweetness so well. 

These pancakes are good enough on their own but nothing compared to how wonderful they are when piled on gooey caramely stewed apples. This is what I call breakfast any time of the year! Mmmmm… time to dig in!

Recipe: makes approx 12 pancakes

Ingredients for pancakes: 

  • Flour: 2 cups (you can use All Purpose Flour, Wholewheat flour or a mix of both)
  • Buttermilk: 2 cups 
  • Eggs: 2 large, separated 
  • Vanilla extract: 1 tsp
  • Baking soda: 1 tsp
  • Baking powder: 1 tsp  
  • Oil for cooking
  • Salt: 1/4th tsp
  • Castor sugar: 2 tbsps
  • Unsalted Butter: 2 tbsps (melted and cooled)

For Apple Stew:

  • 2 large Apples (any apples will do)
  • 2 tbsps Unsalted Butter
  • 1/4th cup Brown Sugar or Jaggery powder
  • 1/2 tsp Cinnamon powder
  • 3 tbsps Maple Syrup
  • A pinch of Nutmeg
  • 1 cup Water

Instructions for Pancakes: 

  • In a large bowl sieve flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Mix all the dry ingredients. Set aside.
  • In a separate large bowl, add egg yolks & half the sugar. Whisk till sugar combines. Now add butter, buttermilk & vanilla extract. Mix till everything incorporates well.
  • Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients in batches gently mixing each time. The batter at this stage will be thick & lumpy. Set aside
  • Now add the remaining sugar to egg whites and whip them till you get soft peaks. Do not go for stiff peaks. Soft peak is what we are looking at.
  • Very gently combine egg whites to the rest of the batter in 2 batches. Cut and fold gently. Do not over mix the batter or the pancakes will be flat. Use a light hand while mixing. Few flour streaks in the batter are absolutely fine.
  • Heat a non-stick skillet or a cast iron pan on a medium to low heat. Brush it with any non-fragrant oil. Allow the skillet to preheat for 3 to 4 minutes before adding the batter.
  • Scoop 1/3rd cup of the pancake batter into the pan. Allow it to cook till edges begin to appear cooked and top sets with bubbles forming on top. Using a spatula, flip the pancake and continue to cook the other side for 2 more minutes or until pancake is golden brown.
  • Repeat until all the batter is used. Keeping brushing the pan between each batch of pancakes.

For Apple stew:

  • Finely chop apples. Heat a pan to a medium heat.
  • Add butter and allow it to melt. Tip in apples, brown sugar or jaggery powder (I used jaggery powder), maple syrup, cinnamon powder, nutmeg & water. Give it a good mix. Increase the heat and bring it to a boil.
  • Once boiled, lower the heat, cover and cook apples for 10 minutes or till they become tender & mushy. If you want a thicker stew, mix 1/2 tsp of cornflour in 2 tbsps of cold water & add when the apples are perfectly cooked. Cook for 1 more minute after adding the cornflour.
  • When your pancakes are ready, serve it with warm apple stew topping and enjoy that perfect cozy breakfast.

Notes:

  1. Make sure you don’t over mix the batter. We don’t want to lose that whole fluffiness factor.
  2. Measuring your pancakes out into the pan is the best way to ensure you get uniform size of pancakes and they will take the same time to cook.
  3. You can store the topping for 3-5 days in the refrigerator. The leftover topping can be used for oatmeal, served with Greek yogurt or vanilla ice cream, can be used to make apple muffins.
  4. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, then you can substitute buttermilk with 2 cups of milk mixed with a tsp of apple cider vinegar and kept aside for 5 minutes or till milk starts showing signs of curdling.
  5. If you are using wholewheat flour for this recipe, you might have to increase the amount of buttermilk. I would suggest you to slowly add more buttermilk till you get a thick but runny batter consistency.
  6. If the apples you are using have soft or mealy texture, it may take less time to cook. In that case reduce the water to 1/2 a cup at first. In case you need to add more water, gradually add a little.
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Healthy Iron Rich Pancake- Kid Friendly Recipe

Kids have limited appetite. Give your child the best nutrition in that little food that they eat. The biggest struggle for vegetarians or vegans is to fulfill their child’s iron needs. While balanced diet here is the key but we all know how balanced it gets with the children especially the ones who are picky eaters.

So, I am going to share with you a simple recipe which has a great balance of protein and iron.

We all make BESAN CHEELAS at home. Sharing with you a simple way wherein you can make the best out that one Cheela that your child eats. 😊 And trust me it comes out delicious and packed with flavours. Also, this makes a great lunch box recipe too.

This recipe requires no elaborate preparations, so don’t need to plan ahead either. Just stir together the ingredients to make a batter, pour it on a hot griddle & cook up a delicious healthy meal.

What is Cheela?

Cheela is a sweet or savory Indian Pancakes made using lentils, cereal or grain flour. They are often made without any leavening agents, so they are considered to be healthy.

What is Besan?

Besan is a Hindi word which means “gram flour”. It is a pulse flour made using channa dal or chickpea flour. So besan cheela is gram flour pancakes. These pancakes are Gluten Free, vegan and nutritious. Gram flour is a fabulous source of protein, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6. Just 100 grams of gram flour can give you 22 grams of easy to digest natural protein. You can make these pancakes with basic ingredients as well but when you add green leafy vegetables to it, it not only enhances the taste but also makes it wholesome and an amazing source of iron for your kids.

Also the vegetables I have added are all homegrown. If you don’t have enough space, grow them in small pots. It’s no rocket science. Just get a few pots or grow bags, potting soil and seeds from any nursery near your house. Engage your children while planting it. The satisfaction of eating your homegrown organic vegetables is unmatchable. Try it!

Ingredients

Prep time: 5 minsServing: makes 3 Pancakes
Cook time: 5 mins
  • Besan/Chickpea flour: 1/2 cup
  • Sattu/Roasted Gram flour: 1/4th cup
  • Semolina/Suji: 1/4th cup
  • Cumin seeds/Jeera:  1/8th tsp
  • Bishop seeds/Ajwain: 1/8th tsp
  • Garam Masala: 1/4th tsp
  • Roasted Cumin powder: 1/4th tsp
  • Turmeric: 1/4th tsp
  • Salt & Black pepper to taste
  • Chat Masala to taste (optional)
  • Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
  • Water as required 
  • Chopped Methi (Fenugreek), Spinach, Radish leaves, Mint leaves, Curry leaves & Coriander leaves: 1 cup
  • Onion: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
  • Ginger: 2” long, grated
  • Ghee or Oil as required 

Method

1 Take Besan/Chickpeas flour, Sattu or Roasted Gram flour (great source of protein) and Semolina/Suji (for crispiness) in a bowl.

2. To this add turmeric, cumin seeds, ajwain/bishop seeds, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, black pepper, salt, chaat masala and coriander powder. Mix it well. Add enough water to make a thin but not a runny batter. Start with 1/4th cup water and the gradually add more as required. Continue whisking until the batter has a smooth, flowing consistency. There shouldn’t be any lumps, so make sure to break those up while mixing the batter.

Tip: Use a wire whisk to whisk the batter. This will ensure that your batter is lump free.

3. Now add chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves, spinach leaves, onion, grated ginger (fabulous food for digestion), curry leaves, coriander & mint leaves. Use the leaves that are in season. All the green leaves are a great source of iron and this is one of the best ways to incorporate this in your child’s and your diet.

4. Keep the batter aside for 10 minutes. Heat a cast iron tawa on a medium to low heat. I have made it on normal tawa in which we make rotis but if you can’t make it on tawa then you can use a non stick pan as well.

5. Brush the tawa with desi ghee or oil. Add generously to avoid dry cheelas because besan tends to soak ghee/oil. Take a ladle or ¼ to ⅓ of a measuring cup full of the batter and pour on the pan. Spread the batter evenly with the back of your ladle to make thin cheelas.

6. Then continue to cook the chilla on a low to medium-low heat until the top begins to set. You can drizzle some more oil or ghee along the edges for a crispy cheela.

7. You can flip the chilla once or twice for even cooking.
Once the base gets golden brown, it’s time to flip the cheela. Cook the other sides till you see golden spots on cheela. You can flip the cheela once or twice for even cooking.

8. Finally, fold it and then serve it mint chutney, homemade ketchup or the way your child likes it.

Enjoy!! 😊

Notes:

  • If some of the spices mentioned above are not available, feel free to skip them.
  • Incase you don’t find sattu or roasted gram flour, feel free to skip it and add more besan or chickpea flour. However, sattu is a great source of protein and iron, so it’ll be great if you can get your hands on it.