Amishi 's Kitchen : HOMEMADE GRANOLA BARS

Finally I tried making Granola Bars at home and realized why didn't I make them for so long. Granola Bars are so easy to make at home and when you have a husband who is a fitness freak and diet conscious you ought to give it a try.
The best thing that I liked about Granola Bars is that you can add whatever nuts and seeds you like to it depending upon your taste buds and flavors. I actually added most of the things I could lay my hands on in the kitchen.

Granola Bars serve as a perfect snack for your munching or your mid afternoon or evening hunger pangs. If you got late and missed out on your breakfast just grab a Granola Bar and you're good to go for a couple of hours because with all the nuts and seeds and the binding agents it is quite heavy and fills up your tummy.
So here's the recipe of a Healthy Granola Bar the way I made it you may add or omit or increase or decrease a few ingredients as per your liking.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups Oats
1/4 cup Almonds (Badam) chopped

1/4 cup Cashews (Kaju) chopped
1/4 cup Walnuts (Akhrot) chopped
1/4 cup Pistachios (Pista) chopped
1/4 cup Raisins (Kishmish) if you use the bigger ones you may chop mine were pretty small so i used them as it is
1/3 cup Dates (Khajoor) chopped
1 table spoon Melon seeds (Magaz)
1 table spoon Flax seeds (Alsi)
3 - 4 table spoons Maple syrup
2 - 3 table spoons Peanut Butter

METHOD

1. Dry roast the oats lightly. Remove them from the pan and keep aside.
2. In the same pan add the almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios and dry roast them too. Remove and keep aside.
3. Now add the melon seeds and flax seeds to the same pan. Dry roast them lightly.
4. In a bowl add the roasted oats, all the nuts and seeds and mix.
5. Now add the raisins and the chopped dates. Mix everything well.
6. Add 2 table spoons of maple syrup and 2 table spoons of peanut butter.
7. Mix everything together and see if you are able to bind them together. If not add more and try to hold it in your fist like we do for laddoos.
8. Once you get a mixture which is able to hold shape. Take a baking tray and line it with parchment. Spread the mixture evenly pressing it with your hands. Apply cuts with a knife according to the size and shape you want your Granola Bar to be.
9. Bake the Granola Bars in a preheated oven at 180 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Let them cool completely on the tray. Store in an airtight container.

PICTORIAL GUIDE

METHOD

1. Dry roast the oats lightly. Remove them from the pan and keep aside.

2. In the same pan add the almonds, cashews, walnuts and pistachios and dry roast them too. Remove and keep aside.

3. Now add the melon seeds and flax seeds to the same pan. Dry roast them lightly.

4. In a bowl add the roasted oats, all the nuts and seeds and mix.

5. Now add the raisins and the chopped dates. Mix everything well.

6. Add 2 table spoons of maple syrup and 2 table spoons of peanut butter.

7. Mix everything together and see if you are able to bind them together. If not add more and try to hold it in your fist like we do for laddoos.

8. Once you get a mixture which is able to hold shape. Take a baking tray and line it with parchment. Spread the mixture evenly pressing it with your hands. Apply cuts with a knife according to the size and shape you want your Granola Bar to be.