Mini tiffin

There are a few kids who are fuzzy about eating. For them food must be presented in a different way. It must be colourful and some sweet items must be included to entice them into eating. Fruits, like cherries, mango, grapes and pineapple not only look colourful on the plate but also adds some nutrition to breakfast. Here I have made a simple tiffin using mini idli and fresh pineapple pieces.

Ingredients:
Idli batter - 1cup
Dosa podi - 2tsps
Powdered sugar -1tsp
Clarified butter -1tsp
Fresh pineapple pieces - few

                                                         mini idli mould
Method:
Prepare mini idlis using the mini idli mould. Combine dosa podi, sugar and clarified butter. Smear this mixture on both the sides of the idle. Arrange it neatly on a plate. Circle it with fresh pineapple pieces.

Note:
Pineapple can be substituted with other seasonal fruits of your choice.
For dosa batter recipe refer my onion carrot pancake recipe. For dosai podi recipe refer podi dosa recipe.

Cottage cheese in spinach gravy

 This famous dish is served in most restaurants as palak paneer. It is high on calcium and low on calories. A 100 gram of spinach provides just 23 calories and the same quantity of low fat cottage cheese provides 71 calories. This mildly spiced gravy goes well with flat breads.

Ingredients:
Low fat cottage cheese -100gm
Spinach greens -200gms
Green chillies -2 to 3
Cumin seeds -1tsp
Coriander leaves -1/2cup
 Finely chopped onion -1cup
Salt and oil -as required

Method:
Toast the cottage cheese on both sides in little oil. Cut it into small cubes. Keep it aside.
Wash and chop the spinach. Add salt and green chillies and cook in 1 cup of water.
Cool and puree it along with the chopped coriander leaves. Keep it aside.
In a frying pan, heat little oil and fry the cumin seeds. Then, add the chopped onions and fry. When the onions become translucent add the pureed spinach and cottage cheese. Simmer for few seconds.

Note: Chopped garlic can also added along with onions to give that restaurant flavour. 

Kidney beans curry

Kidney beans are available in red and white colours. However, the red variety is widely used as it is sturdy and it easily absorbs the flavours of the spices used in its preparation.
They are rich in dietary fibre and complex carbohydrates. A cup of cooked red kidney beans will give you approximately 225 calories. When eaten with steamed rice, it makes a wholesome meal.

Ingredients:
Red kidney beans -200gms
Garlic -few pods
Coriander seeds -2tsps
Cardamom -3 to 4
Cloves -2
Red chillies -4
Black pepper corns -1tsp
Onion -3
Tomatoes -3
Sugar -1tsp
Chopped coriander leaves -2tsps
Salt and oil – as required

Method:

Wash the kidney beans and soak in drinking water for 10 hours or overnight. Cook it along with the soaked water in a pressure cooker for 20 minutes. Keep it aside.
Lightly toast the spices (Coriander seeds, cardamom, cloves, red chillies, black pepper corns) in little oil. Keep it aside.
Chop the onion and garlic. Fry them till it changes colour. Then add the tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes turn mushy. Cool and grind it along with the toasted spices.
Add the ground paste salt and sugar to the cooked kidney beans. Simmer for few seconds till is blended. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note: This goes very well with steamed long rice that is laced with clarified butter.

Fried dumplings gravy (lauki kofta curry)

 

This curry is also known as doodhi or lauki kofta curry. Here grated bottle gourd is mixed with chick pea flour and fried into dumplings. Then it is immersed in spicy tangy tomato gravy. This curry is another all-time favourite in our house. The gravy is simple with flavours of carom seeds and fried onion, while the dumplings are soft and spiced with green chillies and green coriander.

Ingredients for dumplings:

Bottle gourd -400gms

Chick pea flour -100gms

Chopped green chillies - 2tsps

Chopped coriander leaves -1tsp

Chopped ginger -1/tsp

Salt to taste

Oil for frying

Method:

Peel and grate the bottle gourd. Squeeze out the juice and reserve the liquid.

Combine the residue with chick pea flour, green chillies, coriander leaves, ginger and salt. Make small round balls and deep fry them in small batches. Keep it aside.

Ingredients for the gravy:

Tomatoes - 4

Carom seeds -1tsp

Onion -2 (chopped finely)

Chilli flakes -2tsp

Garam masala powder - 1tsp

Sugar -1tsp

Salt and oil - as required

Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method:

Puree the tomatoes in a blender. Keep it aside. Heat little oil in a frying pan and fry the carom seeds. Add the onions. Fry till it becomes brown. Add the chilli flakes, garam masala powder, salt, sugar, the reserved water and pureed tomatoes. Cook for few seconds till is blended.  Garnish with coriander leaves.

Immerse the fried dumplings in the gravy and serve within five minutes.

Note: Carom seeds are also known as bishop’s weed. In Hindi, it is known as ajwain.

 

Stuffed capsicum curry

This is a rich recipe, wherein capsicums are stuffed with spicy potatoes and sweet corn then placed over tangy tomato cheese curry. This goes well with flat breads and steamed rice.
 
Ingredients:
Green capsicum -2
Boiled and mashed potatoes -1cup
Green chillies - 3
Chopped coriander leaves - 2tsps
Sweet corn - 2tsps
Grated cheddar cheese -4tsps
Salt to taste

For the gravy:
Tomato -3
Onion -2
Garlic paste -1tsp
Ginger paste -1/2tsp
Chilli flakes -3tsps
Garam masala powder -2tsps
Sugar -1tsp
Cottage cheese - 1/2cup
Chopped coriander leaves -1tsp
Butter -1tsp (optional)
Salt and oil -as required
 
Method:
Cut the capsicum into two and scoop out the seeds. Blanch them in hot water for few seconds. Keep it aside.
Combine the potatoes, sweet corn, green chillies, coriander leaves and salt. Stuff the capsicum cups with this mixture. Top each of them with grated cheddar cheese. Pre heated oven to 180°C. Grill the stuffed capsicum for 10 minutes or till the cheese turn brown. Keep it aside.
Chop the onions and tomatoes finely. Heat little oil in a frying pan and fry the onions. When it turns translucent add both the pastes. Sauté it well. Add the chilli flakes, garam masala powder and the tomatoes. Cook for few seconds. Cool and grind it along with the cottage cheese to a smooth paste. Place the paste again on the frying pan. Add sugar, salt and little water. Simmer over a low flame till it is blended. Garnish with butter and coriander leaves.
Arrange the grilled capsicum on the gravy and serve hot.

Crispy onion noodles soup

 

This is a sweet and sour creamy soup with flavours of fried onion and cheese besides the crunchiness of fried noodles. This is an all-time favourite in our house. In fact, kids would love it a lot.

Ingredients:
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
Pumpkin -50gm
Onion -2
Chilli powder -1/2tsp
Garlic paste -1tsp
Rice noodles -3tsps
Grated cheddar cheese - 2tsps
Sugar -1tsp
Salt and oil -as required

Method:
Slice one onion and fry in little till it becomes brown. Deep fry the noodles in oil till it turns crispy. Keep it aside.
Cut the other onion and pumpkin into small pieces. Boil in one cup of water. Cool and puree it in a blender. Mix it with tomato puree, garlic paste and chilli powder. Add salt and sugar. Add little water and bring it to pouring consistency. Simmer for few seconds. Garnish with fried onion, fried noodles and grated cheese.

Carrot tomato soup

Soups can be creamy or clear. In both cases, vegetables  are boiled - crushed and strained.
In some soups some tiny bits of vegetables are also added to give it some bites. In the first place, why should we strain the crushed vegetables, which is a big process in itself? Secondly, why not by pass the process of adding cream or corn flour for thickening it.
For me, soup making involves pureeing the vegetables and boiling it. This way the fibre content of the vegetables is retained. The taste is also not compromised.
Here is a simple soup that kids would also relish.

Ingredients:
Tomato -1
Carrot -2
Garlic - few pods
Green chilly -1
Oats - 1tsp
Pepper powder -1/2tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
Puree the tomato, carrot, garlic and green chilly to a smooth paste. Add oats, salt and water in 1:1 ratio. Bring it to a boil. Garnish with pepper powder.