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Laddu Extravaganza for Bappa! Insights from an Expert Dietitian

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Lord Ganesha is offered several forms of laddu/laadu during Ganesh Utsav as he is fond of laddus. It seems like we have borrowed his sweet tooth for these ten days! 😊

After Modak, there’s a long list of laddus starting with motichoor laddu, boondi laddu, besan laddu, and rava laddu, which are commonly prepared and must-have prasadam/offering on one of the ten days.

However, it occurred to me that Ragi (finger millet) can be used to make delicious laddus and should not be missed as this is another preferred food of the elephant lord! In fact, I call Ragi laddus “Indian choco laddu” though they are devoid of cocoa. 😊

There are several variants in making these laddus. Below is my version of Ragi Laddus.

Ingredients:

  1. Ragi flour (Finger Millet) – 200 gm (slightly roasted in microwave for 1 min)
  2. Wheat flour – 100 gm (roast with a teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter) to a slightly brown color)
  3. Jaggery – 100 gm (grated)
  4. Dry coconut – 50 gm (grated)
  5. Milk – 100 ml (lukewarm)
  6. Ghee (clarified butter) – 20 gm
  7. Cashew nuts – 10-15 (plain roasted)
  8. Cardamom powder – 1 tsp

Method:

  1. Mix all the ingredients in the sequence listed above to make a soft dough.
  2. Form the dough into round laddus. The malty flavor and chocolaty color attract kids at first sight, so do make a point to name it Choco Laddu. What’s more, you are giving your child the best choco ever, 100% nutritious! 😊
  3. Laddus can be preserved in the fridge for up to one week. If you find the laddus too dry, just break them and bind them again by adding a little warm milk.
  4. You can also make a soft porridge of this laddu by adding hot milk, an ideal meal for infants and toddlers.

Some Knowledge on Ragi and its Qualities: Ragi (finger millet) is popular in the southwestern states of India. It is widely consumed as a staple food apart from rice in Karnataka and some parts of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra. Ragi is a very soft millet when made into flour and is a rich source of calcium, other minerals, and fiber. It is easily digested, soothes the digestive system, and is a natural coolant. Ragi soaked overnight in buttermilk or water is consumed as the first meal in hot summers, as it is loaded with rich minerals and fiber, absorbed gradually due to its fiber content, helping maintain fluid balance in the body and preventing energy loss/exhaustion. It is one of the cheapest and best infant foods popular in southern states of India and is making its mark in several branded cookies for its fiber and calcium-rich qualities, making it ideal for diabetics, cardiac patients, and weight managers. Regardless of the region, Ragi is a great food for infants because of its soft malty taste when cooked in milk with a bit of jaggery or sugar and a pinch of cumin powder. This is certainly an important food for moms-to-be and nursing mothers.

Nutritional Benefits:

  • Ragi: Rich in calcium, fiber, energy, and protein.
  • Wheat: Good amount of protein, energy, and fiber.
  • Jaggery: Unrefined sugar, iron, minerals, and fiber; great taste enhancer as a sweetener; complex form of sugar.
  • Coconut: Rich source of protein, vitamin E, minerals, and fiber.
  • Ghee: A better option of fat compared to saturated fats and trans fatty acids.
  • Cashew nuts: Rich in protein, essential fatty acids, fiber, and antioxidants.
  • Cardamom: Adds flavor, antioxidants, and essential oils.

Shall we call it a complete nutritious food? YES, of course! My take is that it’s the best food for all seasons and festivities and a great snack for kids with the goodness of all nutrients from various sources. You can make variations by replacing wheat flour with any other flour of cereals or pulses as per your taste and liking. You can also add cocoa powder to make it a real choco flavor for normal days. However, it is a practice in India to use all-natural sources of foods to prepare the Prasad or Naivedhyam (offering), so it’s all-natural in the current recipe. 😊

So, let’s get started with a hands-on experience!

Note: Always remember, anything in excess is dangerous!

Ganapathi Bappa Moriyaa! Mangala Moorthi Moriyaa!

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Expert Dietitian’s Guide to Ganesha’s Beloved Kheer/Payas/Payasam

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Any festival is incomplete without the regional form of Kheer/Payas/Payasam offered to Lord Ganesha. As we enter the third day of Ganesh Utsav on 21st September 2012, here’s a little detail on Kheer. There are at least 50 variants of Kheer prepared across India that I am aware of, and there may be more! 😊 However, I have ensured that my version is not too elaborate, requiring too many ingredients or long hours of cooking. Typically, Kheer is a sweet made using milk (boiled to half its quantity on a low flame) mixed with sugar/jaggery, along with vermicelli/sevainya made from wheat or rice flour. It can also be made from broken wheat/semolina or cracked rice (Govindobhog rice is the best option for rice kheer) and sometimes a mix of rice and dals/pulses (green gram/bengal gram).

Note: When milk recipes are cooked on a low flame for a longer time, the taste is certainly richer compared to short-time, high-flame cooking!

My Version of Kheer:

Ingredients:

  1. Milk – 4 cups (boil on low flame for 30 minutes; leave a small porcelain dish in the pot to prevent spilling or burning)
  2. Jaggery – 1/2 cup (grated)
  3. Milk Maid – 100 ml
  4. Broken wheat (Bansi Rava) – 1/2 cup (soak for 30 minutes before cooking)
  5. Clarified butter (Ghee) – 20 gm
  6. Dry fruits (cashews, raisins, and almonds)
  7. Cardamom and saffron for flavor and color

Method:

  1. Pressure cook the soaked broken wheat with its soaking water for 4-5 whistles.
  2. Heat a frying pan, add ghee, and fry the dry fruits until golden.
  3. Add the cooked broken wheat to the pan and mix on a low flame for a few minutes.
  4. Add grated jaggery and Milk Maid diluted with 100 ml of water. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the jaggery melts, stirring continuously.
  5. Slowly add the reduced milk, keep stirring, and allow it to boil for 5-10 minutes on a low flame.
  6. Serve lukewarm.

Nutritional Benefits:

  • Milk: Rich source of protein, calcium, and vitamin A.
  • Jaggery: Rich in iron, minerals, and fiber.
  • Milk Maid: Provides calories, protein, and fat.
  • Broken Wheat: Rich in protein, carbs, vitamin B complex, and fiber.
  • Clarified Butter: A better fat option compared to saturated fatty acids and butter.
  • Dry Fruits: Provide vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber.
  • Cardamom and Saffron: Add flavor, natural color, antioxidants, and essential oils.

A complete food indeed! 😊 So go ahead and experiment with ingredients to make your version of a complete food Kheer.

Note: You can avoid Milk Maid if you have good quality milk, but you might need to boil the milk longer to make it creamy/thicker.

Caution: Anything in excess is dangerous!

Ganapathi Bappa Moryaa! Mangala Moorthi Moryaa!

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Chana dal- khatti Kairi upma (Chick Pea RawMango Upma)

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One lip smacking traditional recipe of summers in Maharashtra and arts of Karnataka, Gujrat made specially during chaitra Navratri and Ram Navami.

      Ingredients:

  1. Chick Pea (Bengal Gram) -200 gms ( Soaked in water for 6-7 hrs
  2. Raw Mango (grated) – 1 medium size /100gms
  3. Oil -1 tbsp (15gms)
  4. Cumin – 1 tsp
  5. Mustard seeds – 1 tsp
  6. Curry leaves – 10
  7. Finely chopped coriander
  8. Asafoetida -1/2 tsp
  9. Turmeric – 1 tsp
  10. Green chilles – finely chopped 1tsp
  11. Red chillies – 3-4
  12. Redchilly powder – 1/2 tsp
  13. Sugar – 1/2 tsp
  14. Salt – 1 tsp

Method:

  1. Grind soaked chickpea coarsely with very little water.
  2. Steam the ground chickpeas for 5-6 whistles in pressure cooker.
  3. Heat oil in a shallow pan and add Cumin – 1 tsp, Mustard seeds – 1 tsp, Curry leaves – 10, Asafoetida -1/2 tsp, Turmeric – 1 tsp Green chilles – finely chopped 1tsp,Red chillies – 3-4 as these seasonings crackle, add half of grated raw mango and mix well,
  4.  Mix rest of the raw mango with the steamed chickpeas mixture and add this to the seasonings.
  5. Now add red chili powder, turmeric, sugar and salt mix well and allow to cook closed lid for 10-15 minutes on simmer.
  6. Keep tossing the mixture from time to time to prevent charring.

Nutrition Benefits:

      Ideal food for diabetics especially for those who like chickpea but miss out on traditional recipes without sugar

  1. This is an easy to make dish, filling food with  Low glycemic index, hence dose not spike your blood sugar levels
  2. Same time its filling and rich in proteins and fiber,
  3. It makes and ideal morning breakfast as well as evening snack.
  4. It has all the needed nutrients  for Diabetics and woman with gestational diabetes
  5. Serving size- two persons