Annapurna: Red Lentil Oats Muffins

Monday, 18 September 2017

Red Lentil Oats Muffins

Lentils are a low calorie , protein and fiber rich member of legume family. They come in red, brown , black and green varieties. They are relatively easy and quick to cook compared with the dried beans and are a cheap substitute for meat. #Lentils is the theme of our #110th #FoodieMondayBloghop. This wonderful theme is chosen by Alka di ( a very talented blogger who blogs at CulinaryXpress) Red lentil oats muffins is my contribution towards this theme. Do check out my fellow bloggers for some lovely recipes and innovative ideas on this theme.

You all must be wondering ,what has lentil to do with muffins ? When i was thinking about this theme, i thought of making a creamy soup or cutlets using lentils. But then luckily i recalled how effortlessly my dear friend Ravneet used lentils and millet in her bakes. Ravneet is a talented blogger and blogs at Mercury Information (Healthwellbeinghappiness). So without giving a second thought i settled upon making muffins using lentils.

I have used red lentils (Masoor dal) in this recipe, as this variety is mildly sweet and cooks fast into a mushy consistency which is ideal for making puree. It is added to soups , curries and dals to make them creamy and thick. Along with the red lentil puree, i have used oats and little whole wheat flour as a base to the muffin batter.

Red Lentil Oats Muffins are scrumptious sweet treats that are rich in protein and fiber. They are easy to make and are loaded with healthy goodness of lentils and oats. These beauties are egg-less , butter-less and refined sugar free. Jaggery powder acts as a sweetener. Have added cocoa powder to give them a chocolaty flavor. Over ripen banana acts as an egg substitute in this recipe. Though the muffins have large quantity of red lentil puree, one can hardly make out the taste of the lentil. Added almonds give the muffins a bite and nutty flavor. The muffins are sweet and nutritious and can be served as a healthy filling breakfast along with milk and some fruits. They can be packed in kids snacks box or be served as an after school or tea time snack.

Before moving to the recipe, lets quickly have a look at the healthy benefits of adding red lentil to our diets. Red lentil is virtually fat free ( has no cholesterol) , is an excellent source of fiber, is high in protein , Vitamin B , iron and manganese .

Preparation Time : 15 minutes

Cooking Time : 35 minutes

Makes : 8 Muffins

Ingredients :

1/2 cup Red Lentil
1/2 cup Oats
1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour
3/4 cup jaggery powder
1 large over ripe banana
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup chopped almonds
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Pinch of Salt

Method:

Wash the red lentil thoroughly and cook in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. Puree the cooked lentil adding water as required to get a puree which is the consistency of a pumpkin puree.

2. Mean while line the muffin tray and preheat the oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, mash the over rip banana and add jaggery powder to it. Blend well.

4. Add red lentil puree to it and mix well to get a lump free batter. Add oil followed by vanilla essence . Blend well. Our wet ingredients are ready.

5. In another bowl sift whole wheat flour , baking powder, salt and cocoa powder. Add oats to it . Mix well.

6. Mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones and blend well with a spatula to get a lump free batter. Lastly add the chopped almonds and give a quick mix.

7. Spoon out equal quantity of batter into each lined muffin holder. Tap the muffin tray to release trapped air bubbles if any and bake the muffins in a preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 25 minutes. Keep an eye after 20 minutes as time may vary slightly from oven to oven. Insert a toothpick to check the doneness of the muffins. If it comes out clear the muffins are done.If you find any batter sticking to it, bake for another 4-5 minutes.