Crispy Healthy Granola Bars

My family sometimes loves to substitute their regular breakfast with a rich nutrition bar and a cup of milk. I didn’t mind so much ….until today….I just went through the ingredients ….and whoa!! I was in for a BIG surprise…..HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL? Really?

Hmmffffff…….there goes another of my easy quick fix for a late morning when we have to rush to work.

So? I made some of my own. After getting back from work, I tried this out….and it turned out yummier and definitely a lot healthier.

Need

Pitted and ground dates – 1 ½ cups

Broken oats flakes – 1 cup ---- ROASTED (you’ll love the nutty flavor)

Corn flakes – ¾ cup ----- crumble between palms

Milk – 1 ½ cup

Chopped roasted nuts (walnuts, almonds, cashew, sunflower seeds, sesame, you pick J ) – ¾ cup

Dried cranberries (you can use any kind of raisins) – ¼ cup

Cinnamon ground – 1 ½ tsp

Balck pepper ground – 1 ½ tsp

Salt – ¼ tsp

Oil – just enough to grease the baking sheet

Optional add-ons – chocolate chips, fruit candies

The super easy process

1.    Take the date and milk in a saucepan and simmer until the mix forms a smooth somewhat runny paste

2.    Take off flame and add all the rest of the ingredients and mix

3.    Line a baking tray with foil or baking sheet and grease the sheet with oil / butter. Spread the mixture over the sheet. You can make it smooth and square in order to get neat bars. I leave it messy….as long as I have smoothened the paste on top. Saves me time J

4.    Bake in preheated oven at 400 degree F for 5 minutes, then at 100 degree F for 1 hour.

5.    Cut the bars and cool. Store in an air tight container.

I made 40 mini bars in this batch. This would average to a max of 30 calories per bar. J Hurray!!

Easy Niramish Polao (Bengali Pulao/Pilaf Recipe)

Niramish polao is a very pujo-celebration recipe that we relish esp. on Navami day of Durga puja. While the polao itself is niramish (no meat, or onions, or garlic in there), it is served with traditional mangsher jhol (bengali mutton curry). It tastesd yummy and reminds me of pujo everytime we cook this no. Enjoy!

Need:
Long-grained Basmati rice (or gobindo bhog rice - also called jeera rice) - 2 cups
Water - as per instructions on the rice packet [water required to cook basmati well varies across different varieties and brands of the rice. so read the instructions well before cooking]
1 medium potato - cut up into 1cm X 1 inch julienne
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - to taste
Sugar - 3 tsp
Almonds and cashew - chopped - 1 tbsp
Raisins - 2 tsp
Cloves - 4-5 sticks
Black cardamom - 1 broken
Bay leaf - 1 medium
Dried red chili (whole) - 1 large broken
Black pepper corns (whole) - 2 tsp
Shahi Garam masala (recipe here) - 1 tsp
Ghee (clarified butter) - 1 tbsp [you may use oil if you wish....but ghee brings out the amazing aroma of the spices]
Finely chopped cilantro

To cook:
1. Wash the rice in running water, drain, and spread out on a plate.
2. Rub in the salt, 2 tsp sugar, turmeric, and garam masala to the rice and keep aside.
3. Wash the potatoes, cut as instructed above, rub in some salt and turmeric, and keep aside.
4. Heat the ghee in a pan/wok and add the red chili, bay leaf, cloves, cardamom, and peppercorns. The heat should be on high so that the beautiful garam masala will release its aroma in 1 minute. Reduce the heat to med-hi and add the potatoes. Saute for 1 minute.
4. Add the remaining sugar and mix in the raisins and chopped nuts. Saute for 1 minute.
5. Add the rice. Mix well and saute for 2 minutes.
6. Now add enough water to cook the rice. You may add some hot water later if required. But be careful to not add excess water. Draining would be a waste and is not an option in this recipe. Cover and cook the rice until done.
8. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with traditional bengali chicken or mutton jhol (a runny curry).

:)