Cauliflower Chyma / Gobi Kheema

Ever tried Gobi Kheema? Well now its time you must try this simple yet awesome dish. Goes well with Chapathi / Puri. This can also go along with dosa, my hubby ate dosa with this kheema instead of chutney, nothing was left for me. What more will a wife want, happy husband happy wife.

Ingredients : (serves 2)

Gobi Florets : 4 nos large

Onion : 1 Large

Tomato : 1 Medium

Chilly Powder : 1/2 Tsp

Coriander Powder : 1 Tsp

Fennel Powder : a pinch

Cumin powder : a pinch

Turmeric Powder : a pinch

Garam Masala : a pinch 

Coriander leaves : handful

Ginger-Garlic Paste : 1/2 Tsp

Salt : to taste

To Temper :

Oil : 1 Tbsp

Jeera : 10 nos

Curry leaves : 7 to 8 leaves

Method :

• Take the cauliflower florets and cut the upper part of the floret with a knife.

• In a pan heat oil, splutter jeera and curry leaves, add finely chopped onions,  saute for 2 mins.

• Now add ginger-garlic paste, saute till raw smell goes.

• Add finely chopped tomatoes, saute till its soft.

• Now add spice powders, salt and cook for 5 minutes. (you can add little water)

• Add cauliflower florets and water to the masala and mix throughly. Cook in slow flame for 10 minutes and then in medium flame for 5 minutes or until the gobi is cooked and water is absorbed.

• Just before switching off the stove put chopped coriander leaves.

Your Gobi Kheema is ready to be served with Chapathi. 

Note: 

• You can add peas to this recipe and make Cauliflower Peas Kheema. (In my coming post i will post the same)
• You can add yogurt to make this lil tangy.

Raagi Semiya Payasam/ 

Finger Millet Vermicelli Payasam

Payasam is also known as Kheer in hindi. It can be made form different varieties of items. Today i have used Raagi Semiya (Vermicelli). I bet, this will be the tastiest payasam you would have ever had. The taste just lingers in mouth. Your guests will be asking for more.

Ingredients:  (Serves 4)

Milk : 1/2 litre (full fat milk)

Raagi Semiya : 250 gms

Sugar : 6 Tbsp

Clarified Butter / Ghee : 3 Tbsp

Dry nuts and Raisin : 15 to 20 nos mixed

Method :

• Roast Raagi semiya in 1 Tbsp of ghee for 3 to 4 minutes in a Pan.
• Bring milk to boil in a separate pan.
• Add 6 Tbsp of sugar to boiled milk and boil for 2 minutes till sugar dissolves.
• Pour the milk onto Raagi semiya in its pan. Bring to boil. 
• In the mean time, cut dry nuts into  pieces, roast them in 1 Tb spoon of ghee.
• When the raagi and milk mix comes to a boil, put the fried nuts into it plus 1 Tbsp of ghee.
• Switch off the flame and let the payasam sit for 5 minutes.

Your delicious Raagi Semiya Payasam is all ready.

Note:

• You can increase or decrease the sugar and ghee quantity according to your personal choice.

Kambu Dosai / Bajra Dosa / Pearl Millet Dosa

People from all over the world like dosa's. Generally dosa is made from rice flour and black gram flour soaked for 5 to 6 hours and then grind'ed into wet form. This is a cumbersome process. For health freaks and people with no time to cook, this Kambu instant dosa, will serve the purpose of being a dosa and maintaining health.

You can easily get Kambu/Bajra flour from supermarkets.

Ingredients: (makes 5 to 6 dosa's)

Kambu/Bajra flour : 1 Cup

Rava : 1/2 cup

Rice flour (dry) : 1/4 cup

Salt : To taste

Water : to mix

Oil : for frying

Method:

• In a bowl take the Kambu, Rava and Rice flour.
• Add salt as required.
• Pour water and make it into a watery mix (like Rava dosa mix)

• Heat tawa, pour dosa batter from outer surface to inner one. (you cannot smear this batter onto tawa like for usual dosa. You need to pour it using a small tumbler from outer to inner surface.)
• You will be seeing gaps in dosa poured. This means the batter is in right consistency.

• Put little oil around dosa, cook it on both sides. Once the dosa turns little brown take it out and serve with chutney of your choice. (dosa may not exactly turn brown as the color of Bajra flour is dark) 

Note:

• If the consistency of the batter is too thick and you cannot pour dosa, then add little water.
• If the consistency of the batter is too watery, add little rice flour and rawa.
• You can make this dosa more yummy by adding fried onions, curry leaves, pepper and few ginger pieces, just like rawa dosa.

Moong Puri / Pacha Payaru Puri / Green Gram Puri

Moong Dal (Pacha Payaru) is very good for health. Its very healthy for kids as it has high source of protein. Children who do not like to eat green gram will definitely love Puri's with green gram without knowing what they are having. 

Ingredients: (makes 25 puri's)

Whole wheat flour : 2 1/2 cup

Green gram : 1 cup

Green Chilly : 1 (for Kids) 3 to 4 (for adults)

Ginger : 1 inch long stick

Carom Seeds : 1 Tsp (Optional)

Coriander leaves : handful

Oil : for frying

Water : to make dough

Salt : To taste

Method :

• Soak green gram in warm water for 3 to 4 hours or soak in normal water over night. (i have over soaked my green gram so it started to form sprouts)

• Take the soaked gram put it in a mixer, add chilly, ginger, Coriander leaves and grind to a fine paste using very little water.

• Take out the paste in a bowl. Now add wheat flour, carom seeds, salt and knead it into a Chapathi/Puri dough consistency using water as required.

• Let the dough rest for 1/2 an hour.
• Roll the dough into small balls and make puri's. 

• Serve them with any curry of your choice. (I have made Masoor Dal fry for my daughter, as she likes dal with puri)

Note :

• You can also make chapati using the same dough if you are conscious of oil consumption.

Microwave Caramel Custard

Children generally don't like milk, but when it comes to milk delicacies they enjoy it a lot. Here is one of the simplest and quick milk delicacy. 

Ingredients: (serves 5)

Milk : 2 1/2 cups

Sugar : 10 Tsp

Vanilla Essence : 1  Tsp

Eggs : 2 nos

Method :

• Boil milk and 6 Tsp of sugar in a pan. Cool it to room temperature.
• Take eggs add vanilla essence and beat it finely.
• Add this egg mix to the cooled milk.
• In a separate pan put 4 Tsp of sugar and 1 Tsp of water and heat in a slow flame to make caramel. Do not over heat as the caramel may turn bitter. See pic for reference.

Stage I

 Stage II

 Stage III

• Pour this caramel in a baking dish and let it cool for sometime.

• When the caramel has cooled down pour the milk egg mix into the baking dish.
• Bake in convection mode at 180 degree Celsius for 20 to 25 minutes. Create a water bed  below baking dish in oven.
• After baking cool the custard till it reaches room temperature.

• Put the custard in freezer for 4 to 5 hours with the baking dish itself.
• Remove from freezer, invert  onto a serving dish and enjoy your custard.

 Note:

• Frequently look into microwave after 17 minutes for any over cooking of Custard. depending upon the quality of milk it may get cooked faster or slower. I have used raw cows milk which is not pasteurized like in packet'ed ones.

Shallot Egg Curry

Ingredients: (Serves 3)

Eggs : 3 or 4

Shallot : 13 to 14 pods

Onions : 1 small

Tomatoes : 1 Large

Coconut Paste : 2 Tbsp

Chilly Powder : 1/2 Tbsp

Coriander Powder : 1 Tbsp

Garlic Pods : 7 to 8 medium sized

Oil : for frying

Salt : to taste

To Grind:

Fennel Seeds : 1/8 Tsp

Cumin seeds : 1/8 Tsp

Black Pepper : 1/8 Tsp

Poppy Seeds : 1/8 Tsp

To Temper:

Oil : little

Shallots:3 nos

Garlic : 1 nos

Garam Masala Powder : 1 Tsp

Curry leaves : 4 to 5 leaves

Method:

• Boil the eggs and keep it separately. 
• Roast fennel, cumin, poppy seeds separately and pepper as well. Let it cool and grind it to a powder.

• Shallow fry shallots and garlic pods. grind this into a fine paste. 
• Take a pan, heat oil, add chopped onions to it. Fry untill golden brown.

• Add the shallot, garlic paste to it. Saute till garlic raw smells goes.

• Now add the dry powder mix. Saute.

• Add chilly and coriander powder. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Chop tomatoes and grind them into a paste and add this to the pan. Saute for 3 mins.

• Take coconut paste and add this to the masala. Saute it. Add little water and simmer it, till oil comes out from gravy.

• Now add boiled eggs and cook it for 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a small frying pan heat little oil, add cut shallots and garlic, add garam masala and Curry leaves. Pour this tadka over the cooked gravy. 
• Garnish with coriander.

Shallot Egg Curry is ready to be served with Rotis / Chapathis / Dosa's etc.

Note:

• To make coconut paste, grind coconut pieces into a smooth paste with little water.

Walnut Jaggery Wheat Cake

Cakes are definitely a delicacy. However consuming maida (all purpose flour) is not good for health. Sugar is also found to cause lot of health issues. Kids love to have cakes all the time. Thus to fulfill their wish and also give them a healthy snack this cake serves the purpose. A cake made with whole wheat flour and Jaggery. 

Wheat and Jaggery have lots of health Benefits. Wheat we have in many other forms like roti's, chapatis etc. But jaggery is becoming a forgotten item used only during festival times for making sweets. Thus including jaggery in today's much consumed snacks like cake will add taste and health.

Benefits of Jaggery:

• Energy food
• Self Cleaner
• Good for Lungs
• Digestive agent
• Source of Minerals
• Has medicinal properties

Ref: https://www.reliancegeneral.co.in/insurance/articles/year-2012/September/Say-No-to-Sugar-Opt-for-Jaggery.aspx

Ingredients: 

Whole wheat flour : 1 cup

Baking Powder : 1 Tsp

Jaggery : 1 cup

Milk : 3 TBsp

Oil : 3/4 cup

Eggs : 2 nos

Almond essence : 1 Tsp

Walnut : 7 to 8 kernels

Method:

• Sift wheat flour and baking powder twice for even distribution.
• In a mixing bowl break 2 eggs and beat finely untill air bubbles are seen.
• Take jaggery put it in a mixer with milk. Grind it to a fine running paste.
• Put this jaggery mix in the mixing bowl with eggs.
• Add Almond essence and oil. Beat it.
• Now slowly add wheat flour and beat it without forming blocks.
• Let it be of flowing consistency. The batter will look like this.

• Take baking pan grease it with oil and wheat flour.

• Pour the cake mix and put walnut kernels. The kernels will dissolve themselves.

• Pre-heat oven. After pre-heating bake the cake at 200 degrees for 20 minutes and then at 220 degrees for 10 minutes. Finally check for tooth pick test to come out clean at centre. If its clean then your cake is ready.

• Let the cake cool down for 10 to 15 minutes depending on surrounding temperature. After its cooled down remove it from baking dish and cool it in cooling rack.

• Now the cake is all ready to be served and eaten. My daughter likes cream a lot. So i have made simple chocolate ganache icing and served it.

Note:

• You can use butter in place of oil. Use equal measure as to wheat.
• You can add other dry fruits and make it more yum.
• Ganache icing is my personal choice, you can eat it without icing also.

Butter Cheese Omelette

It was a Lazy day, being the last day of the week. I couldn't get up early. I was very late to prepare anything and give Mittu for breakfast before school bus comes. Egg, the all time saviour helped me again. You might wonder whether only eggs for breakfast will suffice? Well, Yes! we can make it a heavy breakfast by just adding butter and cheese. A good heavy breakfast for kids, which can be made instantly. 

Ingredients:

Eggs : 2 Nos

Pepper Powder : 1 Tsp

Salt : To taste

Butter : 1 Tsp

Cheese : half cube

Method:

• Shred cheese.
• In a bowl break 2 eggs
• Add salt, pepper powder, shredded cheese, butter and whisk it.
• In a pan heat little oil and fry as usual omelette.

Your Butter Cheese Omelette is ready. 

Note:

• To make it more interesting for kids, decorate it with salads. 
• Serve it with any bread of your choice as well.

Paneer Chapathi

Every day chapathi is boring for kids and as well as for us. To make chapathi yummy i have added paneer today. My daughter never has paneer in its original form, so i have to make ways for her to eat it. 

Paneer is also known as Cottage cheese and is a rich source of calcium and protein. It is very prominent in South Asia and is used in most of the dishes. Paneer has lots of nutritional values for children and adults.

Health Benefits of Paneer

• Paneer is a great source of calcium, which is helpful in maintaining strong teeth and bones. Due to its low lactose content, it protects the teeth against harmful sugars.
• Paneer contains Vitamin D, which along with calcium, facilitates in preventing cavities and wearing down of the tooth enamel. Hence, regular consumption of paneer is helpful in preserving good dental health.
• Intake of cheese prevents osteoporosis that is caused due to the deficiency of calcium. Osteoporosis is common in women undergoing menopause, elderly people and children suffering from malnutrition. Paneer is a rich source of protein, calcium, and vitamins which are necessary for proper bone health.
• Vitamins B complex, present in paneer, are essential for the formation and strengthening of cartilage in children, women (pregnant and lactating) and men. 
• For people who are underweight, paneer helps you put on those extra pounds. It contains generous amount of proteins, fats, calcium, vitamins, and minerals, which help in boosting weight.
• Paneer is also known to enhance blood formation, strengthen the liver and facilitate absorption of nutrients.

Ref: http://nutrition.indobase.com/articles/cottage-cheese-nutrition.php

Ingredients: (Serves 2)

Whole wheat flour : 1 cup

Paneer / Cottage Cheese : 100 gms

Onion : 1 Small

Chilly Powder : 1/4 Tsp

Coriander Powder : 1/4 Tsp

Cumin Powder : 1/8 Tsp

Fennel Powder : 1/8 Tsp

Turmeric Powder : 1/8 Tsp

Garam Masala : 1/8 Tsp (Optional)

Salt : To Taste

Water : to make dough

Clarified Butter / Ghee : to Toast

Oil : for frying

Method :

Shred Paneer and keep it separately.

        

 Chop onions and fry them in little oil.

Take a Bowl and put wheat flour, salt and all other spices, add shredded paneer and fried onions. Mix them without water.

Now add water little by little and make a dough. Let the  dough rest for 15 minutes.

Make small balls of the dough and ply them into chapathis using Rolling Pin.

Heat pan in stove and fry the chapathis using desi ghee (clarified butter). For diet conscious people you can use any oil of your choice.

Now your Paneer Chapathi is all ready to be served.

Serve it hot with a blob of butter / curd / pickle.

Note:

• You can use, part of milk with water to knead the dough to make it more tasty.
• While kneading you can add little ghee or butter for taste.