Tasty Sandwiches

Most of the evenings, the kids in our apartments play down and all moms have a chatting session together. So many topics pass through our discussions, especially cooking for children and how to provide them a nutritious meal as well as interesting for them to eat! So new recipes are part of our discussions.

Sometime during one long weekend, an idea evolved of making sandwiches down near the play area and distribute. Everyone enthusistically brought different items and sandwich maker from home and we prepared different types of sandwiches. We named the event as "Sandwich counter".
We ourselves were surprised at the variety of sandwiches we made at the counter.
The delicious sandwiches included

• cheese with carrot,cucumber
• egg scrambled filling with mint chutney
• cheese,mint chutney and tomato&onion fry.....and yummy different combinations of these

Sandwiches are quick to make and good to eat. Children enjoy them too. Also they like experimenting in this. So always be ready with things in your refrigerator like

• grated carrot,capsicums, onions,tomatoes etc
• eggs
• cheese spreads or butter
• tomato ketchup

Buy fresh bread and make sandwiches within minutes for a tasty break!

Ellu - Curry leaves thuvayal

We cannot imagine any Indian dish without seasoning with Curry leaves. From ages people have used it in kitchen because of its nutrition and medicinal values. It is known to be good for healthy hair and has anti-diabetic and anti-cholestrol properties.
Similarly ELLU (sesame seeds) is also of high nutritional value, especially for children as it has calcium content.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sesame_seed#Nutrition_and_health_treatments
But both these items as such many cannot consume and there are very less dishes which includes ellu.
So here is a good thuvayal which is very tasty and very good for health. But one point to be kept in mind - generally ellu is supposed to be hot for the body, hence not to be consumed daily.
Ingredients
Grated coconut – 3 table spoons
Ginger – 1 inch piece
Urudh dhal split – 2 tb sp
White ellu – 2 tb sp
Fresh Curry leaves – 1 cup
Jaggery – small piece
coconut oil – 2-3 spoons for frying, other cooking oil can also be used
Salt to taste
Method
Wash the curry leaves and kepp aside in a towel for drying.
Fry the coconut to golden brown. Fry the urudh dhal and ellu till brown and ellu splutters.
Put the curry leaves and sauté with low flame for a minute.
When cool, mix all these with pinch of salt, jaggery and ginger. Grind well with out water. The tasty thuvayal is ready. It can be consumed with dosa, idly etc or with ghee rice.
Since it is a dry thuvayal, rather like a podi, it can be kept refrigerated for 10 days.

Kichadi - other types

The base ingredient for the kichadis is the coconut and chilli paste with curd. For a typical Keralite feast the common kichadi serveds are Vendakkai or pavakkai kichadi.

Veppam poo (neem flowers) fried in ghee is also used. But many people may not like the bitter taste.

Method:

Make thin slices of ladysfinger or bittergaurd. Make sure the ladysfinger is cut after washing and drying. Sprinkle little salt and keep aside. Aftersometime deepfry till light golden colour. Put the fried vegetable on top of the cocunut/curd gravy prepared. Add mustard seasoning.

Check this post to make delicious vegetable kichadi.
http://cooking-for-children.blogspot.com/2008/03/thayir-kichadi-vegetables.html

Thayir Kichadi - Vegetables

Thayir kichadi can be prepared using salad vegetables like cucumber, carrot, tomatoes etc. We can either use one vegetable at a time. Alternatively using more than one vegetable add taste, colour and nutritive value to the dish! These types of dishes are very good for health as the vegetables like carrot, tomotoes etc are eaten raw.
Ingredients
Grated vegetables (cucumber, carrot) - half cup
grated Coconut - half cup
Curd - half cup
green chilli - a small one
salt to taste
1 red chilli long,mustard seeds, curry leaves, oil
Method
Grind the coconut and green chilli into a fine paste. If children dont want spice, avoid chilli.
Mix with the curd (ensure it is not sour and no lumps) nd the grated vegetables. Add salt to taste. Fry the mustard seeds, curry leaves and 1 red chilli long for the seasoning and add on top.

Other Ideas!
I normally prepare tomato kichadi with only chopped tomatoes, so that the shape of the ingredients are also uniform.!
For a more colourful dish for the children to say "WOW",

• Add on top few grated beetroot just before serving.


• Add finely chopped coriander leaves for a dash of green.


• If they like bit of sweet, some chopped apple or cherries can be added for a different taste!

Thayir Kichadi - Ginger

Kichadi is a unavoidable dish for any Kerala type Sadya (feast). If one notices the dishes served for a kerala or South Indian feast, each one will stimulate different taste buds. (unlike many of teh current day hotel dishes which taste similar due to the similar masal ingredients).Thayir Kichadi contain curd and has a soft sour taste. It is usually served at the right most corner of the Plaintain leaf!
It is one of my son's favourite item. Different varieties of this can be made. It is very easy to make, especially, when you have unexpected guests at home.!
Kichadi with ginger can be prepared when you run out of vegetables. Traditionally it is prepared for "Srardhams" (a custom where puja is done for the expired people of the family).

Ingredients for Ginger Kichadi
Ginger - 1 piece
grated Coconut - half cup
Curd - half cup
salt to taste
mustard seeds, curry leaves, oil

Method
Grind the coconut and ginger into a fine paste. Mix with the curd (ensure it is not sour and no lumps). Add salt to taste. Fry the mustard seeds and curry leaves and add the seasoning on top.