Gluten-Free Cookies With Moong Dal: Yellow Lentil Cookies in Airfryer Without Baking Powder

There's a lot of buzz around gluten these days. Rightly so, the dragon of gluten sensitivity seems to be spreading its tentacles around the globe so much so that a vast majority of people are sensitive to gluten now. Unfortunately, a number of small children have developed intolerance toward gluten. So you, too, seem interested in gluten recipes, or for that matter, gluten-free cookies for kids and elders alike. But before moving to the gluten-free cookie recipe in airfryer, let's do a small discussion on gluten and gluten intolerance or celiac disease.

gluten free cookies with yellow lentils moong

What is Gluten

moong gluten-free cookies in airfryer with rice flakes moong dal

We have already discussed gluten in another post on gluten intolerance. Gluten is a protein found in certain cereal grains, including

wheat
barley
rye
oats (if the oat crop is grown adjacent to wheat fields - unfortunately, product manufacturers never reveal this)

When you develop intolerance to gluten, you tend to experience:

digestion issues, especially in kids with celiac disease
stomach ailments, especially kids diagnosed with a gluten allergy
skin problems related to celiac disease

Gluten is not bad for everyone. In fact, it gives chewy texture and elasticity to your rotis and breads.

In patients suffering from celiac disease or gluten allergy, these proteins are mistaken as intruders by the immune system, resulting in a tissue-damaging inflammatory response and causing all sorts of stomach problems, nutritional deficiencies, and bowel disease.

In adults, celiac disease symptoms may be slightly different. Unlike kids, adults are more likely to experience:

· Unexplained iron-deficiency anemia

· Osteoporosis, arthritis

· Fatigue

· Bone or joint pain

· Depression

· Seizures

· Liver and biliary tract disorders

· Missed menstruation

· Depression or anxiety

· Frequent miscarriages

· Dermatitis herpetiformis, which may be in the form of an itchy skin rash

Canker oral sores

So as a gluten insensitive person, you ought to look for gluten-free recipes that can keep you from this glue-like protein.

We have many such recipes without gluten.

Here's another one:

cookies for celiac disease

Ingredients

1 cup measures = 235 ml =16 tablespoons

1/2 cup- dry roasted moong dal powder (I wash moong dal and then dry roast it on tawa/skillet)

1/2 cup- poha (rice flakes - I had taken 1 cup poha and then powdered it - the powder measured 1/2 cup)

2tbsp- homemade desi ghee (here's my 5-minute ghee recipe) - I keep ghee in the refrigerator for cookies

3 tbsp- oil (I have used extra virgin olive oil- you may use any flavorless oil)

1/4 cup- dry jaggery powder (you may add more, depending on your sweet tooth - for me, subtle sweetness is enough)

2 tbsp- sunflower seed powder (optional - you may use any nut powder instead)

2 tbsp- curd or milk

pinch of salt

1 tbsp-besan (chickpea flour - for binding- I did not add- because I am used to handling my tough cookie dough)

How to make gluten-free cookies at home

Like all of my simple cookie recipes, whisk together cold ghee, oil, and jaggery powder. Add a pinch of black salt or normal salt too.
Whisk again after adding curd or milk. The wet mix should look completely mixed. It should become pale in color.
Take a sifter or tea strainer. Sift through moong dal flour and powdered poha.
Take a spatula and just mix everything. I do this with hands only. WE DO NOT NEED TO KNEAD. IT IS ALL ABOUT MIXING EVERYTHING WITH LIGHT HANDS.
Add the sunflower seed powder and mix gently.
Keep covered for 30 mts on your kitchen countertop.
After half an hour, gather the dough. I warn, this is going to be a tough dough to deal with - one of my toughest, because it tends to break time and again.
To make things easier, flatten it on a dusted surface or butter paper.
Take a bangle or cookie cutter and pick the cookie along with the cutter and place directly on a greased and floured baking tray. I have baked these gluten-free cookies in airfryer.
This will ensure that the cookie discs do not fall apart or disintegrate while picking - pick it immediately with the cutter as you cut it.
You may either refrigerate the cookies for half an hour on the tray itself or bake these gluten-free biscuits right away. I did it in two batches - refrigerated one batch and baked one right away. I didn't feel too much of a difference. But still advise you to refrigerate.
Preheat oven to 180 degrees for 10 mts or airfryer for 5 mts.
Bake/airfry for 12-15 mts until you see golden edges.
Do not touch the gluten-free cookies while they are still hot. Allow them to cool down properly before removing them from the baking tray.. Else, there is a high risk of them falling apart.
This was my toughest dough and cookies, since these are gluten-free. But the end product is worth it. Do try out the wheat free gluten free beauties and share your feedback.
Super soft, melt-in-the- mouth, and easy to disintegrate are these gluten-free cookies. But if you handle them carefully or add 1 tablespoon of besan/chickpea flour to these, these may be a little easier to handle.