As far as pancakes and crepes go, besan ka cheela is one of my favorites. It’s a high protein, high fibre savory pancake that tastes delicious while being easy to make. You can fill them like a classic wrap, with vegetables, or transform them into a snack by rolling them up and slice into bite-size pieces. They can even be served plain as flatbread with any curry. For a veggie omelet version add any greens or chopped vegetables to the batter. They are really satisfying and can be easily adapted to your tastes.
Grain Free
Thai Inspired Healthy Brownies (Gluten free, Paleo, Nut free, Refined sugar fee)
Thai herbs are the unusual chocolate pairings in these gluten free and paleo brownies that I’m really excited to share with you. They are light with a deep chocolate flavor and not overly sweet. The addition of thai herbs might be a surprising addition but in no way does it overwhelm you. I bet you’ve never had a brownie like this before!
Besan Dhokla/ Steamed Savory Gram flour Cake
This incredibly tasty savory snack is light, healthy and hit the spot. It is just as good at lunchtime if you can add a salad on side or for breakfast, alongside a cup of tea and fruit. It is a steamed savory cake, called Besan Dhokla in Hindi. When I was a kid, this was one of the frequented item in our house at any given event. Soft, & delicious, mildly tangy and sweet accompanied by the light crunch of mustard and sesame, garnished with the herby cilantro! It’s been etched in my mind.
Pithaud with Chaunke Matar / Gram flour Cakes with Masala Peas
I have more than a dozen gluten-free flours stored in my fridge and pantry, but the bag of besan (gram flour) is the one that needs to be restocked most often. There are many, many ways you can use gram flour in your cooking. Its characteristic nutty flavor gives besan the ability to create tasty, simple dishes that stand on their own with few ingredients. Take this Pithaud recipe for example. It looks simple, right? Well, it is! The delicate golden brown crust and silky smooth interior of pithaud really shines through in this easy dish and is well complemented by simple tomato curry and seasoned sweet green peas. I made this for my friends on Yoga retreat day and they couldn’t stop talking about how good it was.
Persian Chickpea Flour Cookies (Nan-e Nokhodchi)
Sweets made with besan have always been my favorite. So when I encountered this cookie a few years ago, during spring at a specialty store featuring chickpea flour, I was thrilled. I was even more excited by seeing the ingredients, they were similar to what we use in making Besan ladoo and Besan burfi. The recipe was so much easier. Since then, I have been making these cookies every Baisakhi. These chickpea flour cookies with pistachios are melt in mouth Persian treat, traditionally known as Nan-e Nokhodchi.
It would be a pity to deprive yourself of these petite cookies because they are very simple to prepare and delicious. Perfect for kids, (or an adult’s) party or to celebrate a festive and joyful occasion .
Dark Chocolate Lava Cake with Cape Velvet Ganache
Sometimes you get the urge to make a dessert again and again with in the span of few days even when it is extremely rich and there is no special occasion. This was one of those times. A friend brought us a liqueur gift basket and, in there was a small bottle of cape velvet. My husband told me it was a brandy based cream liqueur. I had never heard of this brand before but it was very tasty, smooth and creamy. We don’t buy and keep cream liqueur in the house so the idea hit me to use it in chocolate lava cakes. A little liqueur always spices up a decadent dessert. And now, that we are all adults in the house I don’t have to think twice to make alcohol based desserts. When I was about to make these cakes for the third time I realized I barely had enough liqueur for one try. So I made the Sunday evening Super bowl and Valentine special!
Healthy Homemade Chikki / Brittle – three types
Chikki is Indian version of brittle made with jaggery, nuts and seeds. Jaggery is a type of unrefined sugar consumed in the Indian subcontinent and South east Asia. If you can not source jaggery where you live i also have a chikki recipe made with coconut palm sugar and maple syrup.
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