Whole wheat chocolate and cinnamon cupcakes

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour (refund flour may be used)

2 1/2 tablespoons cocoa powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

3/4 spoon cinnamon powder (you may use 1/2 cinnamon and 1/2 nutmeg if you wish)

3/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

4-5 drops vanilla essence

1/4 cup oil

Sieve together dry ingredients, except sugar.

In a bowl take sugar and water and stir till sugar dissolves. Then add vanilla essence and oil and stir well.

Add this liquid to the dry ingredients and whisk well to ensure no lumps are formed.

Preheat the oven to 210 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes and bake for 15-20 minutes (if cupcakes) or 30-40 minutes (if in a cake mould).

Insert a toothpick in the cake, if it comes out clean the cake is done.

Gajar ka halwa

Ingredients -

1 kg carrots, peeled and grated (red carrots work better)

250gms sugar

1 litre milk (you may use skimmed if you choose to)

4 tablespoons ghee/oil

1 teaspoon powdered cardamom powder

1 tablespoon poppy seeds (khuskhus)

Nuts to garnish 

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. When hot add cardoon powder and a minute later add the carrots. Cook carrots until the water evaporates completely. This could take about 20-30 minutes. Must be done on slow/medium flame.

Then add milk and cook on low flame till the milk evaporates completely and the mixture is dry again.

Then add sugar and poppy seeds and cook on low flame for another 5 minutes till done.

Garnish with chopped nuts.

Serve warm.

Can be stored in the fridge for upto week.