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Finger Millet (Ragi) and Dill Wholewheat Bread – Revisiting Ancient Grains

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A good way to start incorporating ancient grains – millets, in everyday diet is with this wholewheat bread with finger millet, fresh dill and a touch of spice using hot green chilli peppers.

Ragi or Finger Millet is one of the better known and, in fact, quite widely used millets in many parts of South and Western India.

Ragi looks a lot like big, brown mustard seeds, though in colour, more of a rich mahogany medley.
(I only had small brown mustard at hand just then, so for scale have included big yellow, too)

It also belongs to a category now gaining popularity, referred to as an “ancient grain”, or one that has remained more or less unchanged over time, unlike extensively hybridized varieties of wheat and rice. So we are perhaps thinking of going back to our roots in quest of what we might be missing.

Ragi is popular with good reason, too. Rich in calcium (the richest source among plant foods!) and iron, it is also often the preferred grain of choice here in porridge as a weaning food for babies, as well as figuring prominently in the everyday diet in many parts of Karnataka (a part of southern India), which is the largest producer of this millet in India.

Ragi takes on a lovely, dark, chocolate-y hue when moistened.

Not only is it gluten-free, but Ragi is quite versatile and can be used in a surprisingly varied number of ways both savoury and sweet: roti (flatbread), mudde (soft-cooked balls), dosa (crêpe), idli (steamed cake), kheer (porridge), ganji (congee), cookies, laddus and many more.

To make this nice-textured bread, which slices well and also makes good rolls, I have blended ragi and wholewheat flours. The rich, dark colour and earthy taste make this bread go well with anything, it’s perfect even just plain (adjust the spice quotient to your liking), or toasted, or as a sandwich.

I used the buns to make vegan burgers which were great too.

The addition of the leafy green dill (sabsige soppu) an iron-rich ingredient make this not only a taste-good, but also a feel-good and do-good food! 😀

TIP: Though there is a significant amount of leafy-greens (fresh dill can be very strong-tasting, but it mellows quite a bit in the bread), it is well camouflaged in the rich, dark colours and even enhances the earthy flavours. The spicy quotient is high which also makes it a great tea-time snack with Indian masala overtones that go oh-so-well with chai! Feel free to omit the chillies if you don’t want it spicy.

These days, I don’t bake too much bread (and particularly those with commercial yeast). But this is one of those exceptions with so many good ingredients going for it.

As always, because it is made without preservatives, it will keep for two to three days at most At my place it never has to last longer than that. 🙂
For the best texture, do not refrigerate, and warm it up before serving, either as toast, or oven-heated, or pan-fried.

I tend to usually allow the dough (first proof) to slow-rise in the refrigerator overnight which helps the flavours meld and mellow better. That way I have some flexibility about when to bake it the next day, which could be possible even in the morning. Once out of the fridge and back to room temp, the second proving usually takes only half as long.
Feel free to do a faster rise in a warm place (or gently pre-heated oven).

Ingredients:(For one large loaf):
 
Ragi flour – 1 cup, (freshly-milled,if possible)
Wholewheat flour – 2 cups, (freshly-milled,if possible)
Fresh Dill (sabsige soppu) – 100 gms finely chopped (that’s all I had at hand this time – but it can be easily double that)
Fresh, hot green chillies – 2-4, very finely minced (optional, adjust the quantity to taste)
Grated Jaggery – 1/4 cup (dissolved in equal amount of warm water and strained, or use liquid jaggery)
Active dried Yeast – 1 teaspoon
Salt – 1 teaspoon
Oil – 60 ml
Note: I used a hand-held chopper to very finely mince the dill and green chillies. Another possible option is to grind them.

Method:
In a bowl, add a quarter cup lukewarm water to the yeast and leave to proof (say around fifteen minutes) till frothy.
Mix all the ingredients, except the dill and the green chillies, in a large bowl and knead well together till the dough becomes elastic and soft.
Leave, covered with a damp cloth or lid, to rise in a warm place till doubled in bulk. (Likely two hours or so in present, usual Bangalore weather)
Gently deflate the dough, kneading it again lightly, mixing in the finely minced dill and chillies.
Make the rolls, or place in a greased loaf pan. Cover and keep in a warm place till doubled in bulk.
Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Centigrade for an hour or till done. 
 
I placed two small, shallow containers of boiling hot water in the oven, to keep the surface from cracking, since I wanted smooth topped burger buns with soft crusts and no cracks.

This isn’t really required, of course. There might otherwise be some cracks on the surface, which are perfectly fine and just add to the character.

 
 
 
Keep a watch. Rolls will get done faster than a loaf, may be in half the time depending on the size.
Brush the tops with oil (or butter, if not vegan) for a glossy finish, leave to stand for five minutes then unmould from pan, if used, and cool completely on a rack, before slicing.

Exotic. Delicious.

Pomegranate Juice, and an easy, natural Ayurvedic solution for anaemia.

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Sweet, tart, refreshing, delicious. Also packed with anti-oxidants and nutrition.

If I’m reaching for a nice, healthy drink, chances are high that it will be this one.

Pomegranate juice has always been one of my favorites.


But ever since I got to know from an ayurvedic pratitioner about how one simple, small addition not only further enhances it’s taste, but also apparently improves the iron absorption (by increasing it’s bio-availability) multi-fold times (apparently something like 2000x), I’ve been hooked to making it that way.

And that small addition is the wonder fruit called Amla – the super food that is pretty much revered all over the Indian subcontinent as such by our ancient scriptures and holds a place of pride in the arsenal of many ayurvedic remedies.

Why amla? Because, (as per this study conducted at the Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine), amla is supreme when it comes to enhancing iron dialysability and uptake, and that is, besides being commonly and cheaply available.

Phyllanthus emblica L. (Indian gooseberry or amla) is a well-known dietary supplement (Rasayana) in Ayurveda used in the management of iron deficiency anaemia (Pandu). Amla is said to act by regulating the ‘metabolic fire’ (agni), which is important for proper digestion and absorption of nutrients. 

If taking it therapeutically, try keeping the ratio around 20-30 ml of amla juice to a glass (around 200ml) of pomegranate juice.

Else, simply add a couple of amlas (de-seeded) into the mixie along with the arils of one pomegranate, some water, blend, strain and enjoy! Or, if amla is not available, just add any source of Vitamin C such as orange juice. 😀

And, for at least an hour before and after having this drink, avoid few things like tea, coffee, chocolate, spinach to maximise the benefits. These contain certain compounds and phytonutrients including tannins and oxalic acid, which prevent the body from from absorbing the iron.

Delicious food can be medicine, too.

Tahini Spread

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Here is a simple, delicious and quick dip using sesame seeds with lemon and garlic that works as a  spread or by itself, or it can be further modified into a thin sauce or salad dressing.

Making tahini at home is simple enough (simply grind the toasted sesame seeds into a fine paste) – the advantage being that you can use the unhulled seeds which lend a richer taste and more nutrition.
With the addition of just a couple of ingredients, this can be further transformed into a delicious dip by itself.

Ingredients:

Sesame seeds – 1/4 cup, lightly roasted, (preferably unhulled)
Lemon juice – 1/4 cup (or to taste)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil – 1/4 cup
Garlic – 1 teaspoon, finely chopped

Salt – to taste
Method:

Blend all the ingredients in the mixie to a smooth paste.

Note: 
  • To use as a spread, keep the consistency thick like peanut butter. 
  • To use as a thin sauce or salad dressing, blend in a little water to the required consistency.
    Optional additions could be roasted cumin powder, or chopped parsley/basil/mint/dill, or red chilly powder/paprika.
  • This spread also works as a versatile base to make any other sesame based dip, including hummus.
  • Goes well with crudites, pita bread, roasted veggie salads.
It can be quite addictive just by itself!

Coconut Macaroons (Vegan, Aquafaba)

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These coconut macaroons are one my early trials with aquafaba last year, upon first discovering this incredible egg-replacer.

They hold a special place in my heart because in the past, I used to sometimes bake these along with my mum (that’s back in the eighties, when it was the non-vegan version).

And only because one fine day, she and some of her friends decided on a whim to sign up for a short-term baking course at the IHMCTAN (Institute of Hotel Management Catering Technology and Applied Nutrition).
It was surely fun for the whole family, because we regularly got to sample all the goodies that they made in class. I still have her notes from then!

Trying out the bakes together with her was double the fun, also because we were keen to test out our second oven , a counter-top  OTG.  My first oven, a circular one with a lid, several years old by then, worked perfectly fine, but having finished all the basic baking trials on it several times over, I felt ready to graduate to a ‘superior’ oven. I’ll tell you this, though, – nothing could bake as well as that first, circular oven with lid. 😉 Not even my current convection one with fan and all.

These particular coconut macaroons were a favorite because not only were they quite simply delicious, but so very simple with just few ingredients, – an important factor to consider in those days where specialty supplies were few and far between.

Naturally I had to try it out with aquafaba, and was quite thrilled to discover that they turn out EXACTLY like the ones with egg white that we used to make all those years ago (indeed and only stopped because of that one ingredient).

This was a second try (an earlier experiment with jaggery failed – the temperature was a bit on the higher side, and jaggery does not dessicate well)

With this batch, I followed her recipe, simply substituting the AF for the egg whites, but with a slight increase in the  the quantity of coconut during the mixing (going by the texture of the batter), and I left out the vanilla. Simpler is better. The coconut flavour really shines through.

Some further fine-tuning of ingredients has been done on subsequent lots , I will share them in due course of time.

This one is for old times’ sake.

Ingredients:

(makes around 40 pieces depending on size)
Aquafaba (see here for more info and how to make) – 1/3 cup (80 ml)
Granulated sugar – 125 gms
Dessicated Coconut – 200 gms

Method: 

1. Whip the aquafaba using a stand mixer or electric hand mixer, till stiff peaks are reached.
2. Gradually add the sugar and whip it in.  Test for any undissolved sugar grains by rubbing between finger and thumb to check graininess, and continue whipping till smooth.
3. Fold in the dessicated coconut.

4. Drop spoonfuls of the mixture onto baking sheets lined with parchment or silicone mats.
5. Bake in a pre-heated oven 60 degrees Centigrade for an hour or till done. 
Macaroons tend to wick moisture from the air and get soggy very fast, so once cooled, store in an airtight container.
Great for gifting!
Just the thing to go with tea!

Wild Passionfruit (Passiflora foetida) and some fun Foraging with Kids.

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On the outskirts of the city, where things tend to grow wild, there is a creeper with very pretty, attractive flowers and rather ‘ho-hum’-looking fruit encased in softly spiny bracts.



There’s nothing ho-hum about their taste, though.

An exotic, delicate flavour to match those flowers, packed into the tiny morsel-sized pulp that is as much loved by birds, too.

It is difficult to find a whole ripe fruit, since the birds invariably get to them just at the right time. and always long before any human might even notice.

Though I never missed seeing the flowers, I would have missed this delicious, edible surprise altogether, if not for a chance conversation with Y2.

Apparently one of the popular past-times with him and his friends, when boredom strikes, is to make a “sandwich” using this.

Occasionally there is some barter or trading involved. At one point there was even a restaurant with this, among other notables, on the menu.
Currency is wide-ranging (from sticks, stones, leaves, even “shramdaan” (donated labour) to an ongoing “construction” work (tent with sticks and leaves). Neighbouring traders might get a free exchange for “goods”.

Once I was offered a taste of this sandwich (much like a “paan”) and was amazed to discover that it’s actually quite delicious! I even asked for a second!

Then he whizzed me along on a foraging trip, explaining the ingredients, and how to identify and source them.
I managed to take some quick, blurry pictures to document the process –

Leaves and seeds of wild basil, tender green leaves of tamarind, all plucked, washed and squeezed dry.
So I tried to duplicate it at home with slightly clearer pictures and documented their recipe.

Pictured from left to right: Wild Basil Leaves, Tender Tamarind Leaves, Wild Basil Seeds, Wild Passionfruit.

Ingredients all assembled. (That blob is the pulp of the passionfruit – has to be eaten to be believed!)

And here’s the pièce de résistance –

Zingy, Fresh Mouthful, anyone? Naturally vegan, gluten-free, delicious, fresh and healthy.
These days I’m always on the lookout for the ripe ones.

I even manage to beat the birds to it once or twice!

Have you ever had a favorite thing as a kid, eaten straight off a tree or plant growing wild?