If I say this semolina coconut cookie recipe is the easiest to follow, would you believe my words? If I say these are crispy, crunchy cookies without baking powder, soda, would you trust me? Well, you have got to believe my words, for this is not the first recipe in the baking without baking powder/soda series. Do not forget to check out these organic, chemical-free baking recipes. You will love each one of my baking experiments, for these use organic ingredients. When looking for a simple cookie recipe, try out these easy Indian semolina biscuits and enjoy a blast of coconutty flavor in your mouth.
Baking powder and baking soda are chemical agents. Since cookies are a regular for me, I do not want to put chemicals into my body. The idea is to bake without chemical agents so we can enjoy organic cookies without guilt.
1/2 cup- semolina (suji)
1/2 cup- organic coconut powder (dry)
2 tbsp- organic/homemade ghee/butter (make ghee in 5 mins here)
2 tbsp- *extra virgin olive oil (I use a mix of olive oil and ghee to cut down on the saturated fat. Feel free to substitute olive oil with ghee/butter)
1/4 cup or more- organic jaggery powder
2 tbsp-hung curd (check the video to make quick hung curd at home)
*if you choose to substitute butter for ghee, you will need to increase the amount of semolina by 2 tbsp.
Keep some extra dry coconut powder in a plate/tray.
Let's make hung curd first.
Take a tea sieve or sifter and a bowl. Place the sifter in the bowl.
Pour curd into the sieve. Let it rest as is in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
This will ensure that the water/whey from curd settles at the bottom while you can see thick layer of curd resting at the top in the sieve.
After 30 mts, start the creaming process.
Whisk together ghee, oil, and sifted jaggery powder. I use organic jaggery for all my bakes. I have stopped buying refined sugar and use jaggery instead.
Beat for 2-3 minutes until the mix looks pale and creamy.
Add 1 tbsp of hung curd and whisk again for 1 minute.
Add 1 tbsp more of hung curd and follow the same process of whisking for 1 minute.
Now it's time to add the other dry ingredients.
Stir in the dry coconut powder.
Add semolina in small batches.
Mix with a spatula, spoon, or hands.
Cover and let the semolina coconut cookie dough rest on the counter for 30 mins.
You can keep it longer too.
Preheat the oven or airfryer or convection to 160 degrees for 5 mins.
It will be a completely crumbling dough. Worry not.
Make small balls of the cookie dough. Press gently with palms. Roll into dry coconut powder.
Place cookies on a baking tray or in an airfryer basket and bake/airfry for 12-15 mins at 160 degrees.
Let the semolina coconut cookies rest inside the oven for at least 30 mins after baking.
Start munching on crunchy coconut semolina suji cookies when they cool down.
Store in an airtight container only upon cooling.
I have a gluten-free coconut cookie recipe too. Do check it here.
Ingredients for Semolina besan cookies without baking powder/soda.
Varied the ingredients a bit to substitute coconut with chickpea flour and voila! The semolina cookie recipe is a big hit.
1/2 cup +2tbsp- semolina
1/4 cup- chickpea flour
2 tbsp- ghee
2 tbsp- olive oil
2 tbsp- thick curd
Rest the process remains the same. Happy baking with semolina flour.
Feedback on sooji cookies eggless :
 |
| eggless semolina coconut cookies baking without baking powder, soda |
Why Do I choose to bake without baking powder/soda
Remember your chemistry lessons?Baking powder and baking soda are chemical agents. Since cookies are a regular for me, I do not want to put chemicals into my body. The idea is to bake without chemical agents so we can enjoy organic cookies without guilt.
Raising agents are nothing but chemical agents (time to remember chemistry lessons)used to make baked goodies light, crisp, flaky, and of course, for leavening...regular consumption is surely harmful so the idea is to limit their intake (if we cannot ban these). For that matter, even ENO - the so-called fruit salt - stands in the same class..Remember, you take ENO only when you feel bloated or have gastritis or related stomach issues...an increasing number of homechefs are using ENO in place of baking powder/soda, thinking they are avoiding chemical agents and substituting the same with a fruit salt, which does not make their food healthy. ENO itself comprises sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)+ 2 more chemical agents...(citric acid and sodium carbonate)
Chemicals can cause stomach problems, colon disease, kidney issues, and cancer. I will do a detailed post on why I try to bake without chemicals.
 |
| baking without baking powder, soda coconut semolina cookies |
Ingredients
1 cup= 240ml1/2 cup- semolina (suji)
1/2 cup- organic coconut powder (dry)
2 tbsp- organic/homemade ghee/butter (make ghee in 5 mins here)
2 tbsp- *extra virgin olive oil (I use a mix of olive oil and ghee to cut down on the saturated fat. Feel free to substitute olive oil with ghee/butter)
1/4 cup or more- organic jaggery powder
2 tbsp-hung curd (check the video to make quick hung curd at home)
*if you choose to substitute butter for ghee, you will need to increase the amount of semolina by 2 tbsp.
How to make semolina coconut cookies
Let's make hung curd first.
Take a tea sieve or sifter and a bowl. Place the sifter in the bowl.
Pour curd into the sieve. Let it rest as is in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes.
This will ensure that the water/whey from curd settles at the bottom while you can see thick layer of curd resting at the top in the sieve.
After 30 mts, start the creaming process.
Whisk together ghee, oil, and sifted jaggery powder. I use organic jaggery for all my bakes. I have stopped buying refined sugar and use jaggery instead.
Beat for 2-3 minutes until the mix looks pale and creamy.
Add 1 tbsp of hung curd and whisk again for 1 minute.
Add 1 tbsp more of hung curd and follow the same process of whisking for 1 minute.
Now it's time to add the other dry ingredients.
Stir in the dry coconut powder.
Add semolina in small batches.
Mix with a spatula, spoon, or hands.
Cover and let the semolina coconut cookie dough rest on the counter for 30 mins.
You can keep it longer too.
Preheat the oven or airfryer or convection to 160 degrees for 5 mins.
It will be a completely crumbling dough. Worry not.
Make small balls of the cookie dough. Press gently with palms. Roll into dry coconut powder.
Place cookies on a baking tray or in an airfryer basket and bake/airfry for 12-15 mins at 160 degrees.
Let the semolina coconut cookies rest inside the oven for at least 30 mins after baking.
Start munching on crunchy coconut semolina suji cookies when they cool down.
Store in an airtight container only upon cooling.
I have a gluten-free coconut cookie recipe too. Do check it here.
 |
| gluten free coconut cookies without baking powder/soda |
*People will tell you not to bake with extra virgin olive oil. But I have different views. Rather, if you want to use olive oil for baking or cooking, use only extra virgin olive oil. Avoid Pomace olive oil at any cost. It is not meant for human consumption, but is being sold in India as edible.
 |
| baking with semolina |
 |
| semolina besan cookies without baking powder soda |
 |
| semolina cookies nankhatais without baking powder, soda |
Ingredients for Semolina besan cookies without baking powder/soda.
Varied the ingredients a bit to substitute coconut with chickpea flour and voila! The semolina cookie recipe is a big hit.
1/2 cup +2tbsp- semolina
1/4 cup- chickpea flour
2 tbsp- ghee
2 tbsp- olive oil
2 tbsp- thick curd
Rest the process remains the same. Happy baking with semolina flour.
Feedback on sooji cookies eggless :
Loved the cookies recipe with Sooji and Jaggery.. looks so crunchy and prefect!!
ReplyDeleteThanks a ton dear.
DeleteCan replace jaggery
ReplyDeleteyes, you may add sweetener of choice
DeleteCan we keep the cookie dough in refrigerator if we're keeping it for longer? Say overnight?
ReplyDeleteSorry for the delay in response. Yes, you may refrigerate the cookie dough overnight. However, you will need to bring it to room temperature before shaping the cookies otherwise the dough will be extremely hard to work with after refrigeration. Else, you may give cookie shapes, cover and refrigerate. in that case, you can bake immediately after refrigeration. I hope that makes sense.
Delete