Savoury Semolina Loaf with Carrot and Sunflower Seeds | Healthy Snacks

Semolina | Sooji | Rava is great for preparing all kinds of snacks in the Indian Kitchen. I use it for Upma, Rava Idlis, Cheelas (North Indian Style Pancakes), and Dosas (South India Style Pancakes). I also add it to savoury muffins, scones, and biscuits, which I make for breakfast on weekends. This semolina loaf is just a leap away from a savoury muffin. Its a great alternative entree at breakfast, lunch, dinner or snack. In fact, its quite like a quick bread only a lot tastier as it incorporates tonnes of flavour with spices and vegetables. Its wonderfully grainy texture which comes from the semolina allows it to take on a lot more flavour than any flour!!

I love to make this loaf for tea when I serve it up with chutneys and farsan. Sometimes I also make it for dinner or Sunday brunch and we enjoy it with a cup of dal (lentil soup). It makes for a really hearty and delicious meal. This is a great travel food too. It can be sliced and wrapped individually which makes it easy to eat on the go.

Ingredients:
1 cup sooji (cream of wheat)
1 large onion, chopped very fine
2 carrots, grated
1/2 cup corn
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped fine
1" piece ginger, grated
1/3 cup sunflower seeds
2 tbsp sesame seeds
Salt to taste
3/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup yogurt, plain
2 tbsp water

To Temper:
11/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp rai (mustard seeds)
1/2 tsp zeera (cumin seeds)
1/8 tsp hing (asafoetida)

Method:

1. Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the mustard seeds, when they begin to pop, add the cumin seeds, and then the hing.
2. Now add the chopped onion with a pinch of salt. Stir and fry on a medium heat until the onions turn transparent. Now add the ginger. Fry for a minute, then turn off the heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, sift together the semolina, salt to taste, and baking soda.
4. Add the yogurt and the water and mix well. Add the grated carrots, corn, sunflower seeds and cilantro. Allow this mix to sit for about 10 minutes.
5. Next fold the tempering with the onion and ginger in to this mix.
6. Grease a loaf pan, and pour this mix into it. Sprinkle generously with sesame seeds.
7. Bake at 350 F for about 35-45 minutes or until it passes the toothpick test.
8. Remove from the oven, cool in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.
9. Cool another 5 minutes, then slice and enjoy.
10. This loaf can be baked and refrigerated. Slice, warm in the microwave or griddle and enjoy.

Good to Know

• This is a very easy snack loaf. Use any / all vegetables that you like in this loaf.
• I added a lot of onion. You can reduce this amount and replace with zucchini, cabbage, cauliflower.
• Add spices and herbs as per taste. Skip cilantro and replace with parsley or dill, and add cayenne pepper for some heat.

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