Wheat (Atta) Sheera with Jaggery

As we are getting closer to the Holiday season, it's time to start preparing the holiday delights for the family. I like to kickstart the holiday season with some healthy yet delicious dessert to keep our health in check. Here's one of the most favorite dessert/ meetha of my family - Wheat (Atta) Sheera during the auspicious festival of Navratri. Wheat (atta) sheera is a famous dessert or side in Western and North India. I have prepared this decadent dessert numerous times before and it has been loved by one and all. The Gujarati style wheat (atta) Sheera is one of the easiest dessert to prepare.  

This Sheera is made with just 7 simple ingredients that are easily available in Indian household. You just need whole wheat flour, jaggery, homemade ghee, milk, cardamom pods/powder, nuts and few saffron strands. While saffron strands are optional in the recipe but they give a distinct flavor and color to the Sheera. 

Traditionally, sugar is added to this Sheera as sweetener but to avoid decking up on all the unhealthy calories, I have prepared it by using jaggery instead. Though jaggery and sugar provide almost the same amount of calories, jaggery is considered more nutritious than refined sugar. In fact according some sources, jaggery benefits our bodies in numerous ways.

I have also used milk in preparing the Sheera instead of water to make it richer  and creamier in taste. Adding milk is optional but I have always added milk to it and I absolutely love the texture and the taste of the Sheera that is prepared using milk vs water. 

So without further ado, let's look at some important notes and then the recipe. 

Important Notes/ Tips

• It is important to use thick bottom kadhai/pan to prepare the Sheera, it will help avoid burning of ghee and wheat flour (atta).
• It is important to roast the wheat flour (atta) correctly. Do not over roast wheat flour, else it will get burnt and under roasting will give a raw taste.
• Jaggery need to be shaved or powdered in order for it to melt quickly when mixed with wheat flour (atta) and ghee. Adjust the quantity of jaggery as per your liking. 
• I have used ghee prepared at home for the recipe, you can always use store bought ghee. Here is my recipe for Homemade ghee if you like to see it. You can add little more ghee if you like but do not reduce ghee quantity else the Sheera will turn sticky.
• I have added milk to prepare Sheera, however you can use water instead, in the equal quantity, if you like to keep this recipe vegan. Also, know that adding water will give darker color to Sheera. 
• Be sure to use room temperature or lukewarm milk for the recipe. Cold milk will act against the hot kadhai/ pan and the Sheera mixture. 
• You can store the Sheera in a container in the fridge for up to a week. Always warm it up before serving.

Wheat (Atta) Sheera with Jaggery

Prepare time - 5 minutes

Cook time - 20 minutes

Yields - 2 1/2 Cup Sheera

Ingredients

1 Cup Wheat flour (Atta)

3/4 Cup Melted ghee

3/4 Cup Shaved/powdered jaggery (adjust the quantity per your liking of sweetness)  

1 1/2 Cup Milk 

2-3 Pods of Cardamom (Elaichi) / 1 Tsp cardamom powder

Handful of cashew halves, silvered almonds and raisins

Few strands of saffron (optional)

Instructions

Heat up a kadhai/ pan on a medium flame. Add homemade ghee to the kadhai and heat it up for 1 minute. While ghee is heating up, take saffron strands in a small bowl and add a tablespoon of milk. Let it soak. 

Now add wheat flour (atta) to the heated ghee and combine it well. Keep stirring the mixture continuously with spatula or spoon to avoid any lumps in the mixture. 

Roast the mixture for about 5 minutes until it becomes aromatic and the wheat flour (atta) changes color. Be careful of wheat flour getting burnt at the bottom if roasted for too long. 

Now turn the flame to low and let the mixture simmer for about 2 minutes until you see the ghee starts separating from wheat flour (atta) mixture.

Further add shaved/powdered jaggery and 1 1/4 cup milk (at room temperature) to the mixture. Give it a quick mix to ensure the milk doesn't burn at the bottom of the kadhai/ pan. Then add the soaked saffron to the kadhai/ pan. Combine everything well. 

Turn up the heat to medium and keep stirring the Sheera mixture to avoid any burning or sticking at the bottom of kadhai/ pan. After couple minutes milk will be completely absorbed in the Sheera mixture. 

Now pop the cardamom (Elaichi) pods and add them to the Sheera. Let the Sheera mixture cook for couple more minutes to ensure jaggery is completely melted and mixed up well with the rest of the mixture. 

Next add the remaining 1/4 cup milk to the mixture and combine well. This will allow the Sheera to loosen up. 

Finally add the nuts and raisins to the Sheera and mix it well. Cook the Sheera for another 3-5 minutes. At this point, turn off the flame and transfer the Sheera to a bowl and garnish with some more nuts. Our scrumptious and healthy Wheat (Atta) Sheera with Jaggery is ready to relish! Serve this Sheera hot or store it in a container in the fridge for up to a week. 

Best Homemade Muesli

Healthy and easy breakfast recipe cannot get any easier once you prepare this Muesli at home. This is by far the best and most cost effective Muesli I have had compared to any store bought brands. This recipe is gluten free, egg free, vegan and vegetarian. The best part is there is no need to add sugar to it as it contains natural sweeteners. So no matter what your diet preferences are, you can enjoy this heart healthy and nutty Muesli for breakfast on any day of the week! It will keep you full until lunch time. So no need to look for junky snacks, thereby helping you stay focused on your office and/or school work. 

I was introduced to Muesli through my Mother-in-law during one of my visits back home. I liked the flavors back then and I started looking for it after we returned. However, after looking around for a while, I realized that it is so easy to prepare Muesli at home with my preferred ingredients and without additives. 

What is Muesli?

Originated in Switzerland, Muesli is a breakfast dish that is prepared by mixing rolled oats or grains along with various nuts, seeds and dried fruits. Muesli is not the traditional chewy oatmeal nor the crunchy granola, it is actually the healthier version of both. Unlike traditional oatmeal, Muesli is loaded with nutritious nuts, seeds and dried fruits. In addition, Muesli is much more healthier than granola as it does not contain any oils or sugars that is typically used to prepare granola.

What goes in the Muesli?

You can add any assortment of nuts, seeds and dried fruits of your choice, here are some suggestions. 

Nuts - Almonds, Pistachios, Walnuts, Pecans and Cashews

Seeds - Chia seeds, Flax seeds, Pumpkin seeds, Sunflower seeds, Sesame seeds

Dried fruits - Figs, Dates, Raisins, Coconut chips, Goji berries

To make it more attractive for kids, you can also add dark or milk chocolate chunks.

Just mix and match the combinations each batch you prepare and explore your creative side! 

Serving suggestions

Muesli can be paired with your choice of dairy or plant based milk and yogurt. You can also top up the nutty Muesli with some fresh fruits, dash of ground cinnamon, nutmeg or ginger powder and finally drizzle some maple syrup or honey if you need any additional sweetener. 

Important Notes/ Tips

• I have used rolled oats for the recipe, but feel free to add any other rolled grains or corn flakes if you like to try different flavors.
• I have toasted the rolled oats and nuts in the conventional oven but you can toast it in the toaster oven or on gas stove per your preference and availability of equipment.
• I have not added any sweetener to the Muesli, however, you can add a tablespoon of maple syrup, honey or jaggery syrup at the end and mix everything well to coat evenly. If you add the sweetener than the shelf life for Muesli will reduce to a month. 

So here is the recipe for the Best Homemade Muesli that you can prepare and store until you use it up. 

Best Homemade Muesli 

Prepare time - 10 minutes

Toast time - 12 to 15 minutes

Yields - 4 Cups of Muesli

Ingredients

3 Cups Rolled Oats

1/3 Cup Silvered/chopped almonds

1/3 Cup Chopped walnuts

1/4 Cup Raisins

1/4 Cup Chopped dried figs

1/4 Cup Chia seeds

1/4 Cup pumpkin seeds

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F and line a baking tray with parchment paper or silicone baking mat. You can skip this step if you are planning to toast the oats and nuts on the gas stove. 

In a big mixing bowl, combine rolled oats, chopped almonds, chopped walnuts and pumpkin seeds. Mix everything well with a spatula. Pour the mixture on the baking tray and spread it in a single flat layer. 

Bake the mixture in oven for 12-15 minutes while tossing it halfway through to avoid any burning of oats or nuts. When done you can smell a nice toasty aroma of oats and nuts. Let the oats mixture cool down a bit for 2 to 3 minutes and transfer it back to the mixing bowl.

Now add the chia seeds, raisins and chopped figs to the oats mixture. Combine everything well. The easy peasy and the best Homemade Muesli is ready to be stored in an airtight container. 

Begin your day with this nutritious Muesli prepared in your choice of milk or yogurt and fresh fruits!

To prepare Muesli with yogurt

In a bowl, take 1/4 Cup of Muesli and combine it with 1/3 Cup of yogurt. Mix well. Let it soak in yogurt for about 10 minutes before you consume it. The oats and the seeds need to be soaked completely to bring out the best flavor. Top it with fresh berries, some more nuts and seeds for the extra crunch and enjoy the bowl of goodness. 

To prepare Muesli with milk

In a bowl, take 1/4 Cup of Muesli and combine it with 1/2 Cup of milk. Mix well. Now, you can either soak it overnight in a jar by keeping it in the refrigerator or soak it in hot milk for at least 15-20 minutes prior to consuming it. The longer you soak the thicker the Muesli becomes. Finally, top it with freshly chopped apple and dash of cinnamon when you are ready to serve. You can also add some more nuts for the extra crunch. Enjoy the delicious warm bowl on a cool wintery morning.