Nuts Pulao

Today I am gonna share another easy and healthy lunchbox recipe. This recipe gives hand when I am running out of veggies. Nuts are essential for the growing children and everyone in the family. Taking them regularly will satisfy our daily protein requirement. As it is mild spicy, kids will like it for sure.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups (soak for 30 mins)
Nuts - 3/4cup - 1 cup(Cashews, Badam, Pista, Dry Grapes)
Saffron strands - 3-4(soak them in a tbsp of warm water)
Onion - 1/2 of a small onion. (sliced lengthwise)
Green Chilies - 2-3
ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Butter - 1/2tbsp
Mint & coriander leaves - a few

Dry garam masala:
cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch
cloves - 2
Elachi -2
Bay leaf - 1
fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Anistar - 1

Preparation:

1. Soak Rice for 30 mins, drain and keep ready.
2. In Rice cooker heat 2 tsps of oil and add the dry garam masala listed above.
3.Add Nuts to it and give a saute. (Just fry them until the cashews turn golden brown)
4. Now add chopped onions, green chilies and saute well.
5. When the onions are translucent add ginger garlic paste and saute well.
6. Once the raw smell of ginger garlic paste leaves, Add chopped mint leaves and give a gentle mix.
7. Add rice, soaked saffron strands(with water) and stir gently without breaking rice grains.
8.Measure the required water to cook the rice.(for the rice variety I cooked, used 1:1 ratio)
9.When the rice cooked 80%, cut and spread the butter pieces on top of it and close the lid.
10. Once the rice cooked let it rest for 10 mins and then mix it with a fork.
11.Spread some chopped coriander leaves and serve with Raitha, and curry of your choice or just with chips.

Note:
1.I cooked using electric rice cooker. If you use pressure cooker, you may bring the water to boil and add the butter cubes before closing the lid. leave it for one whistle.
2. I used the nuts as it is. If you like you can chop them into pieces and add.
3.If you like, instead of soaking, you can just crush the saffron strands and add while sauteing nuts.
4.You can reduce the nut quantity to 1/2 a cup if you feel the quantity I used is too much for you.
5.do not miss / add too much of dry grapes. they give a mild sweet and tangy taste.

Rose Milk Popsicle

Kuchi ice and summer cannot be separated any time. Still remember the childhood days, we kids eagerly wait for the "ice vandi" in the afternoons. Though mom used to make ice creams at home, used to long for kuchi ice. Most of the summer days were accompanied with kuchi ice and ice cream treats.. ;) Those days, we used to have semiya ice, paal ice, grape, mango, orange flavors. We used to love the colors in our tongue after having the Popsicle.

Till last summer I didn't introduce Popsicle to my daughter, But this year, she was very particular about the Popsicles, and we got a pack of pops from stores. Like how i loved to see the colors in  tongue, she was also enjoying it. But whenever i see the colors in her tongue, i used to worry about the chemicals and colors that went in. So decided to make the Popsicles at home itself. Initially i made pops with watermelon juice. And  then tried with rose milk.  She loved its color and flavor.

By thinking the calories of milk, i have prepared some mini rose milk pops also for me. I had some rose milk left after filling the rose milk molds. So just filled them in ice cube tray.. Now the mini pops are the most wanted by the family. :)

Ingredients :

Milk - 4 cups
rose syrup - 2 tbsp
sugar - 3 tbsp ( adjust according to your taste)

Preparation:

1. In a vessel, Boil 4 cups of milk, until it becomes about 2 cups.
2. Once the boiled milk is cool down, add rose syrup and sugar.
3. transfer them to the Popsicle mold and cover with lid.
4. Let it freeze for upto 12 hrs.

It will be ready to taste then. Show the pops mold in running water for 10-15 seconds before trying to remove from the mold. For mini pops, show the back side of ice tray in running water and remove it slowly.

Mini pops can be prepared easily, in case if you don't have Popsicle mold. All you need is just a few tooth picks and the ice cube tray. :)

Insert the tooth pick once it starts setting. Say about after 45 mins once the tray is filled and kept in freezer.

Vegetable Oothappam

Vegetable Oothappam will be definitely liked by all kids, and this would be a great alternate for the regular dosa. It can be made with leftover poriyal also.

Ingredients:
Dosa batter - 2 cups

Vegetables- 1 cup (Carrot, beans, green peas,cauliflower, cabbage)
Onions- 1/4 cup finely chopped (optional)
green chili - 1 medium
Tomato - few slices(optional)
Oil - 2 tea spoons
mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1 tsp
Salt- as required
Coriander leaves - finely chopped (optional)

Preparation:

1. clean and chop the veggies finely.
2. In a pan, heat 2 tea spoons of oil and add mustard seeds and urad dal.
3.Then add finely chopped onions, green chili and saute until the onion turns transparent.
4. Then add veggies and saute well by adding a little salt.
5. Once the veggies are cooked enough, switch off the flame and let it cool down for a while.
6. Then add this veggie mix to the Dosa batter and mix well.
7.Heat Dosa pan and make thick oothappam. Place tomato pieces on it. Cook both sides well.

Serve with your favorite chutney/podi or sambar

Linking this recipe to #recipeoftheweek | A Mummy Too

Linking to Dish it Out hosted by Full Scoops and organized by Vardhini of Cooks Joy

Nan Khatai /சூஸ்பரி

Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers around the world :)))

Hope everyone had a great mothers day. I really had a great one this year... My daughter gifted me a flower vase which she made from school. And she herself drew, cut and colored a heart for me. And I got loads of kisses from her through out the day :))) She made a pretend cake and snacks, we both cut the cake and shared the snacks and played some pretend games. When it was my turn  to be a baby and my daughter to be the mom, She asked me, "Sweetie!, what gift you are going to give me for Mother's day?" I was blinking what to answer, and she dint put me in trouble, she came up with a suggestion as "Mamma will be happy if you give a tight hug and a sweet kiss". So sweet mom (though pretend!) she was.

Now about the recipe, As mothers day special, I have prepared Nan Khatai / சூஸ்பரி which is my mom's favorite snack from her childhood. She never used to be particular about her favorite things. But these nan khatais are exceptional. The one we get in our native used to be very soft and used to melt in our mouth. And my mom loves these a lot.

So I have made these as Mothers day special recipe.

The Nan Khatai which i made this time were little crispy and the taste was awesome. It was liked by my family and friends also.

Recipe inspired from here

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 1 cup
confectioner sugar - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup (at room temperature)
baking powder - 1/2 tea spoon
salt - 1/8 tea spoon
nutmeg powder - 1/2 tea spoon
elachi powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Preparation:

1. In a mixing bowl beat butter well
2.Now add sugar and beat well to a smooth paste
3. Sieve flour, salt and baking powder
4.Add elachi powder, nutmeg powder then mix it to the smooth paste
5. Now add the flour mix little by little with the butter paste and mix well.
6. Once all the ingredients are mixed, knead the dough with hands, cover with a plastic wrapper or cover the bowl with a lid, and let it rest for 20 minutes.
7. After 20 minutes again knead the dough again and make small balls out of it.
8. In the mean time, pre-heat the oven to 300F and line the cookie sheet.
9. Then, arrange the balls with some gap between each and bake for 20-25 minutes in middle rack.
10.cool them in cooling rack and store it in airtight container.

Notes:
1.Given quantity of ingredients made about 12 medium sized cookies.
2. It took 23 minutes for me to bake in my oven.
3. If you are using salted butter, avoid adding salt in the cookies.
4. Just make the balls without crack so the cookies will be smooth and perfect in doom shape without any cracks in it.
5.Do not over bake, the cookies will turn hard and the bottom of the cookie will burn and the taste will get change.
6.When you remove from oven the cookies will look like soft, once they are cool down, it will be perfect crisp.

sending this recipe to Rafee's baking fest event  Bake fest May 2014

Channa Pulao

Channa / Kondakadalai is rich in protein and kid's all time favorite. I used to add lentils in my cooking whenever it is possible. Even if there is no idea, what to cook, I just used to soak some lentil, so next day it will be used to make some dish or make it sprout and serve as salad. Even Sprouted Channa used to taste well, A handful of channa can be added while grinding for idly/ dosa, which gives a new taste with lot if nutrients in it.

Now Lets get into today's recipe Channa Pulao.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice- 1 cup
white Channa - 3/4 cup (soak over night)
tomato-1 small
Onion - 1 large
green chili- 2
ginger garlic paste - 1 tea spoon
garam masala - 1/2 tea spoon
chili powder - 1/2 tea spoon
coriander powder - 1 tea spoon
oil - 4-5 tea spoons
salt- to taste

Dry garam masala:

fennel seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
cinnamon stick -1 small
anistar - 1
bay leaf - 1
cloves - 2-3

1.soak basmati rice for 30 mins
2. In a pressure pan / cooker heat 2-3 tea spoons of oil and roast the items listed in dry garam masala.
3. Slice the onions and saute until they turn golden brown.
4. Add ginger galic paste to it and saute until the raw smell leaves.
5. Add sliced tomatoes, saute until they turn soft, then add the chili, garam and coriander powders, if required add a tea spoon of oil and saute until they all blend together and oil starts to separate.

6. Add soaked and washed channa and fry for few minutes
7. Add soaked and washed basmati rice and fry gently for few minutes without breaking the rice.
8. measure and add 1 and 3/4 cups of water to it,adjust salt and close the lod and leave it for 2-3 whistles.
9. When pressure leaves, add chopped coriander leaves and mix gently with fork.

Serve with Raitha or Kurma of your choice.

Notes: Few mint leaves can be added while cooking.

Sending this recipe to

 'My Legume Love Affair' event hosted by Lisa at Food and Spice. This wonderful event is the brain-child of Susan of Thewellseasonedcook. Event rules & host line -up can be found at Lisa's FoodandSpice.

cook and share what you like event

South Indian cooking hosted by Nandoos Kitchen and organized by Anu

Only food for growing kids event hosted by Shrutis Rasoi and organized by Pari

Easy peas rice

Peas rice will be loved by kids as they love green peas and the aroma of basmati rice...

I love the smell of basmati rice and whenever i open the rice bag, i use to smell deeply. 

This rice can be cooked with ponni rice also, But normally I prefer making it with basmati. I made this stove top this time, you can make this in pressure cooker also. leave it for 2-3 whistles or per your rice used.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice -1 cup

Green peas -3/4 a cup (fresh or frozen)

Onion -1 small

Green chili -2-3 (medium)

ginger garlic paste -1/2 tea spoon

Bay leave- 1

cinnamon-1 small piece

fennel seeds -1/4 a tea spoon

anistar - 1 floret 

oil-2 tea spoon

ghee-1 tea spoon(optional)

coriander leaves - a few(finely chopped)

Preparation:

1.Soak basmati Rice for 30 mins.

2. In a sauce pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil and add bay leave, cinnamon stick, fenel seeds, and anistar.

3. Fry them until the nice aroma comes, then add sliced onions and green chili to it.

4. Fry them in medium heat, and dont let it burn. 

5. When the onions are transparent add ginger garlic paste and fry until the raw smell leaves.

6.Add Grean peas and fry for a minute or two.

7.Add 2 cups of water and close the pan with lid.

8. When the water boils and green peas is half cooked, add soaked basmati rice to it and reduce the flame to simmer. close pan with a lid.

9.cook for 10- 15 mins. In between open the lid and stir gently without breaking rice and make sure it is not burning.

10. When the rice is cooked and water is absorbed, switch off the flame.

11. Add a tea spoon of ghee and chopped coiander close with lid for another 5 mins then serve with your favorite side dish.

This will be perfect for lunch boxes and dinner for guests.

Sending this recipe to Lets cook with Green Vegetables

Cook up some main dish

cook and share what you like event

and  dish-it-out-light-dinners and cooks joy

Carrot peas oothappam

Carrot peas oothappam:

Kids always look for some attractions in food. It can be either the color or shape of the food, or at least the serving the dishes should attract them :)
And now my daughter is in the age of eating by herself. So to push the food to her tummy, i need some techniques. So always I need to make something special on her plate. While making dosas i need to make it to some shapes like, Duck, butterfly, house, teddy, aeroplane, car,ant, flower etc and sometimes she used to order the shapes from her books also :)

I know that she likes only the crispy and crunchy dosas. So i was not sure how much she will like the oothappams. So just tried to attract her by the colors. And it really worked well for me.

Here is the recipe idea:

Idly/dosa batter - 1/2 cup
Grated carrots - 1/4 cup (or approximatly 1/2 of a medium size carrot)
Green peas - 1/4 cup
salt - a pinch

To temper

Mustard and urad daal -1 tea spoon

cumin seeds -1/2 tea spoon (optional) 

curry leaves -few

1. Temper the idly batter with the ingredients given in the list.

2. In a pan pre-heat a 1/4 tea spoon of oil and saute carrots and green peas with a pinch of salt. 

3. In tawa, pour a spoon of batter and spread it to a thick oothappam.
4. Decorate the oothappam with carrot and green peas as you like.
5.Sprinkle some oil on sides, cook on both the sides (also you can close with lid and cook )

Serve hot with your kid's favorite side dish.

Sending this Recipe to Cook with Comfort organized by Sapana Behl
Linking this recipe to "In My Veg Box - Carrots"
sending this recipe to cook and share what you like event

 Linking this recipe to "South Indian Cooking " hosted by nandoos kitchen  and organized by Anu

Linking this recipe to #recipeoftheweek | A Mummy Too