Ingredients:

Oil - 1 tsp
One Onion
One Green Chilli
Two Tomatoes
1/4 of a Green Capsicum (you can add combination of green and red capsicum)
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Corriander Powder - 2 tsp
Salt to taste
Finally a tsp of Ghee.

Method:

In India, we have not seen or heard about Granola, but Muesli is a Popular break-fast next to Cornflakes. Sometimes, while trying some stuffs like Cornflakes and Oats for break-fast, i think, why iam giving this to my family, leaving our own idli, dosa's. am i trying to follow Western Food Culture? Certainly Not. I feel, whats wrong in eating this, when its healthy? What do you feel, should people follow their Geographical Food Culture or not?  would love to know your views over it.

My mom is the one, who introduced me Muesli, when i complained her about Constipation Problem. I dont know, how she knew about this, but taking Muesli or Granola really helps out for Constipation problem, because it has Fibre rich Oats, Nuts and Raisins in it.

Before Going into the recipe, from what i learned from Wiki, Muesli is - the raw form of Granola is Muesli. I guess Muesli has unbaked oats in it. After knowing, that Granola can be prepared at home, will anything stop me?
Recipe for 5 - 6 single servings.


2 Cups of Quick Cooking Oats
1 Cup of Cornflakes (optional)
1/4 Cup of Honey
1 tbsp of Butter

6 almonds - chopped
1 tbsp Pumpkin Seeds
2 tbsp Melon seeds
2 tbsp Sunflower seeds

Black Currant - 2 tbsp's
Raisins - 2 tbsp's
Dried Cranberries - 2 tbsp's
Seedless Dates - 5 (chopped)



Mix the Oats with the Cornflakes, almonds and seeds. add Butter and Honey and mix well.

Pre-heat the Oven to 150C. Line your baking tray with a aluminium foil sheet. spread the Oats mixture over the tray.

Bake the Oats Mixture for about 10-12 minutes, till the Oats turn into Golden Colour. Take Care not to Brown them. It browns so quickly. so keep an eye over it while baking.

Cool them down after baked and mix raisins, black currant, dried cranberries and Dates to the Oats mixture and store them in an airtight Jar.


* Since i made these Granola in a small batch, for me, it kept well for a week long.
* It tastes Good just as it is. so its a healthy snack.
* Serve with Milk and some fruits like Banana. its so heavenly.
* I could not find Rolled Oats, so if you are using Rolled oats for this, then baking time should be increased for another 10 - 15 minutes.
* Dried Cranberreis and other seeds mentioned in the recipe can be found at Nuts and Spices stores.
* I strongly recommend Saffola Oats (newly introduced). Saffola Oats are really Good. At Present those Saffola Oats are available only at Big Bazaar and at Star Bazaar as of now.

One Day night, hubby complained, not to bore him with usual idli, dosa or kanji's for break-fast. so i planned this Pasta Breakfast for him, the next day. soaked some chickpeas, before going to bed. next day, it was breeze to prepare this breakfast. If you are wondering about the pasta's in the pic, those are the one's that i bought at Spencer's store for rs.12.

First Boil the 1/4 cup of Pasta in a cup of water for 5 to 7 mins. and drain them. wash them with clean water and drain them again.
Cook the soaked chickpeas in pressure cooker with little salt.
Chop 3 broccoli florets ann keep aside.
Chop a Tomato.
Heat a Pan, add a tbsp of oil.
Drop the chopped tomatoes to the Pan and saute it well. add salt and Pepper powder to taste.
Add Broccoli and Cooked Chickpeas and saute along with the Tomatoes in the pan.
Add Cooked Pasta to the Pan and mix well.
Break a egg on heated Tava, sprinkle little salt and pepper powder over the egg and leave it for half a minute and transfer to the Pasta Bowl.

Serve Hot!!

If you want to know, If i tried different breakfast's then, No it was usual Cornflakes, Koozh and ofcourse easy idli's.

Kambu or Pearl Millet as called in English is a Cereal Kind, Consumed in Tamil Nadu, we have it as Kamban Koozh, its a very common Break-fast among the field workers in village's. Find the Nutritional Values of Bajra / Pearl Millet / Sajjalu(as called in Telugu lang.) / Sajje(as called in Kannada lang.) Here.

When i want to cut Rice for a Day, i decided to make Oats for Break-fast and Kambu Sadham / Pearl Millet Rice for Lunch and Roti's for Dinner. I will post the Oats Break-fast recipe next. Now Coming to this Kambu Koozh, it is cooked as Rice and then mixed with Buttermilk.



Broken Bajra / Kambu Kurunai - 4 tbsp's ( 4 periya kuzhi karandi)
Water - 3 cup's
Butter Milk - 1 cup
Shallots / Small Onions - 8


First Boil the Water in a Thick Bottomed Vessel. Put the Broken Bajra/ Kambu in a Collander / Vadikatti and wash them. when the water boil's add the Kambu to the water and let it cook in medium flame for about 10-15 minute's. Now after the Kambu got cooked, let it cool and mix with Butter Milk and salt to taste. Now the Koozh is Ready. eat along with small onions.

The sweet taste of the onions with the sourness of buttermilk, this Kambu Koozh tastes extremely Good.

So when this Kambu is Good for Health, why not Cut Rice for a Meal and eat this Kambu Koozh??

Note:

* If you are not accessible to Broken Bajra and you are left with whole Bajra's then, you can sprinkle some water over the bajra's and leave it for 15 minute's. then grind them in your mixer grinder. just 1 or 2 pulse is enough. then you can wash the grinded bajra's with water and use it as broken bajra's.
Refer Cookatease for details.

* Kambu Generates Heat. so its must to consume along with Buttermilk and small onions or Onions.

I Prepared these Savoury Muffins with Carrot, Cabbage, corriander leaves. I used Wheat Flour and Oats Flour, all these put together and baked without oil tasted really good. The Guilt part was the Egg Yolks. Next time i should try substituting Eggs with Flax seeds. I added finely sliced Green Chilli's and Red Chilli Flakes to add up the spice. It really helped the muffins taste better than bland taste. These Muffins just tasted like Whole Wheat Bread, this reminds me that i should start baking Breads...

Ingredients:

(Yields 8 Large Muffins)

Wheat Flour - 400 gms
Oat Flour - 75 gms
Salt - 1 tbsp
Baking Powder - 1 tsp
Baking Soda - 1 tsp

Grated Carrot - 3 tbsp
Grated Cabbage - 4 tbsp
Green Chilli - 1 (finely sliced)
Red Chilli Flakes - 2 tsp
Corriander Leaves - 2 tbsp's (finely chopped)

Whole Large Egg's - 2
Buttermilk - 1/2 cup

Method:

Pre-Heat the Oven to 220C.

Mix the Wheat Flour with Oats Flour. add salt, baking soda and baking powder. Mix well with your hands.

Remember : Never Sieve/Sift the Wheat Flour. The Nutrients are lost when sieved.

Now add Grated Carrot, Cabbage, Green Chilli, Red Chilli Flakes & Corriander Leaves to the flours and mix well.

Beat the Egg and add it to the flour. mix with a wooden spoon.

Add Buttermilk to the flour and mix well with the spoon. I kept mixing with hands. It should be like our little watery chapathi dough.

Grease the Muffin Pan and spoon in the dough into the moulds.

Bake it for about 20 minutes at 220c. and check whether it has cooked by inserting a toothpick or knife in centre of the muffins and comes out clean. If Not cooked bake them for another 5 minutes.

Enjoy the Muffins Warm!!


How it Tasted?

Muffins did'nt taste bland, as the red chilli flakes and finely chopped green chilli helped a lot in adding spice. Muffins tasted like a spiced whole wheat bread. i could not even spot the Oat flour.
Cabbage and Carrot gave a different touch to the muffins. for me it tasted like a bonda:)

Finally these No Oil Muffins tasted Good.