Nutty Millet balls ( தினை மாவு உருண்டை )

Nutty Millet balls 

தினை மாவு உருண்டை 

Ingredients:


Foxtail Millet / தினை அரிசி- 1/2 cup
Milk Powder / பால் மாவு - 2 tbsp
Almonds / பாதாம் பருப்பு- 10 Nos.
Walnut / வால்நட் -  5 Nos.
Dates / பேரிச்சம்பழம்- 5
Raisin / உலர்ந்த திராட்சை -  10 to 12 Nos.
Cardamom Powder / ஏலக்காய் தூள் -  1/4 tsp
Honey / தேன் - 1 tbsp
Ghee / Clarified butter / நெய்- 3 tbsp


Steps:
In a heavy bottom pan, add half a tablespoon of ghee and  roast the foxtail millet on medium flame. Toss around the millet with a flat ladle for uniform roasting.
Allow it to cool and dry grind the milet into a not so fine powder. Slightly coarse.
Fine chop the nuts and dates. Slice the raisin into halves or can leave as a whole if they are smaller in size.
In a wide plate or basin, mix the powdered millet, the milk powder and the cardamom powder.

Add in the sliced nuts and pour in the spoon of honey. Mix well.

Heat ghee in a pan and dribble over the combined ingredients. Mix it well using a spoon. While it is still hot , roll into balls of desired size.

My Notes:
Who does not crave for that  midnight snack. Chocolate ? Icecream? The left over Chips in the fridge? Anything will do for us. But the next morning or immediately after relishing, I'm sure most of us will feel guilty to the core. 
So here is an alternative. ..Enjoy the goodness while treating yourself. :))

Keep this snack handy, pick one and pop it. You wont feel guilty as you enjoy the sweet balls.
I have not added  sugar. or jaggery. Wanted to try the natural sweetness of dates, raisins and the milk powder . A spoon of honey is added for its unique flavour and to moisten the mixture. The aroma of ghee will take the sweet to next level.

If you are conscious of calories and cholesterol level. omit ghee and use 2 tablespoons of warm milk. But the sweet balls have to be refrigerated as cannot be kept outside for more than 6 hours once milk is added. 
I can assure you the satisfaction without using sugar in this recipe. 

Foxtail millet is a very good source of iron, protein and other minerals. This particular millet powder is mixed with palm sugar and given to devotees at Murugan Temples especially when they are fasting and for breaking their fast, it is given as prasadam. My mother used to  make the millet powder with palm sugar,which is called, தினைமாவு, during Kanda Sasti. An energy boaster. 

So I tried an improvised version and it came out well. You might have noticed that the nuts, dates and raisins form a major portion making it as main ingredient. The combination of nuts and the choice of millet can be played around with. Make sure you roast the millet well and grind it, as raw millet will not be so good to taste in this sweet dish.

Try this for your kids as their evening snacks or pack for  recess snack  
Next time your kids will choose this for the energy bars off the shelf.