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.

Easy and Tasty Bhel pori

Ingredients


Pori (puffed rice)
Omapodi (sev), any namkeens or crushed pani puris
cooked and mashed potatoes
chopped onions
chopped tomatoes
chopped coriander leaves
2 tsp lemon juice

Tamarind sauce or bhel puri sauce which is readly available in market
Few cut pieces of cherry (if you like bit of sweet)

Method

Mix the pori, sev, namkeens etc with the chopped veggies etc. add the lemon juice and little bit of bhel puri sauce. Finally on top add the chopped coriander leaves and if liked cashew nuts, cherries etc

Makes a quick and tasty snack. Have it when the pori is still crisp.

Pani Puris

Pani puri is basically a North Indian snack meal. Its a very tasty dish. My son loves Pani puri. Me too ...!!!!

Before when I used to go out, I used to eat Pani puri outside. But these days I love eating home made Pani puris.

It is very simple to prepare, provided we get some of the items off the shelf of supermarkets. Like the small crispy puris, tamarind chutney. I usually get Smith & Jones Bhelpuri chutney.

Ingredients

Cooked potato
Chopped onion
Chopped coriander leaves
Chilli powder or garam masala
Salt to taste
Coriander and mint (puthina) leaves
1 small green chilli
Lemon
Kara boondi

Prepare filling

Mash the cooked potato. Add the chopped onions, chilli powder and little salt. Mix it thoroughly as for a dough. Sprouts, grated carrots etc can be added for a more nutritious filling.

Prepare the “pani” (mint water)

Take the juice of the mint and coriander leaves in a mixer. If required only add the green chilli. Filter and Extract the juice. Add the juice of a lemon. This will give the sour taste as well as helps to retain the color. Otherwise puthina will turn brownish.

How to

Break holes on the puris on one side. Fill with the potato filling. Top with chopped coriander and kaara boondi. Add 1 spoon of the bhelpuri chutney. Fill with the pani.

Pop the filled puri into your mouth and mmmmmmmmm….Wonder who found all these Yummy combinations!

Pumpkin peel thuvayal

Recently I read an article in "The Hindu" detailing the nutrition contained in the skin of different vegetables and fruits. So I thought of sharing this recipe here. It is a very tasty and nutritious thuvayal. Those who like less of coconut can relish this thuvayal.

My son likes this thuvayal very much and has given a name "Vitamin thuvayal". It can be used along with cooked rice and ghee or with dosa, idly etc.

Ingredients


chopped Pumpkin peels and the inner flesh - 1/4 cup
grated coconut - less than 1/4 cup
Tamarind - size of gooseberry
Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
Urud dhal (split or whole) - 3 tsp
Red chilli -3 nos
asaphoetida (perumkayam thul) - pinch
salt - to taste
cooking oil - 2 tsp

Method:
Peels and inner flesh of yellow or orange pumpkin can be used. It can be chopped into small pieces or grated. Seeds may be removed as it may not grind properly.

Put little oil in a pan, and put the pumpkin peels and flesh. Let it fry to become soft on low flame. If required sprinkle little water in between. When it is soft and there is change in the colour, keep it to cool.

With little oil fry the coriander seeds, urud dhal and red chillies to brown.

Grind all the above along with some grated coconut, salt, tamarind and asaphoetida powder to a fine paste. Do not add water. The delicious thuvayal is ready.

To read the article in Hindu

http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/10/11/stories/2007101150820200.htm

Yummy Groundnut masala

This is an easy to prepare nutritious evening snack for children. It also reminds us the "masala chundal" at the Marina beach chennai.

Sometimes I prepare snacks and we both go to the terrace. Abhi's friend may also join...and we have a small camping out!

Ingredients:

Cooked groundnuts - 1/2 cup

Chopped onions and tomatoes - 1/4 cup

Chopped fresh corriander leaves

Khara boondi - less than 1/4 cup

pinch of chilli powder or garam masala powder

lemon juice - 2 tsp

Method:

Take the required amount of cooked groundnuts in a kids bowl. Mix the chopped onions and tomatoes. Top it with the kara boondhi (or any crspies like potato chips crushed) and chopped coriander leaves. Add lemon juice and pinch of spice if required.

Yummy nuts is ready to savor!

Plan for the week ahead.

To make cooking easier, set apart little bit extra time to plan and keep certain things ready and handy for the week ahead. Always have air tight containers of different sizes in which things can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days.

I have listed below few of the things which I keep refrigerated.

• Grated coconut
• Sprouts of green grams, soaked green peas etc. Have quantity as needed for 2-3 days only. Alternate the grams and peas.
• Tomatoes
• Tomato sauce, Chilli sauce etc
• Grated Carrots
• Lemon
• Fresh Corriander leaves
• raisins, tuty-fruity etc
• Cheese, butter

A quick garnishing and decorated topping can be done for all children;'s dishes using raisins, grated carrots, lemon, tuty fruity etc ...I am sure children will love to eat.

Nellikkai Arachu Kalakkiyathu

This is an easy to make side dish. This is more a Kerala style Kitchadi recipe. Since nellikkai kitchadi wil be sour, it will taste better if the other side dish is of bland taste like Kuttu, Olan etc. That is why the traditional "Sadya" will have each side dish kindling different taste buds. Kitchadi is sour, whereas Pachadi is sweet, Thoran and avail may be more spicier.

See previous post for preparing neer nellikkai.

Ingredients
1. Neer Nellikkai - 4 or 5
2. Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
3. Green chilli -1
4. Oil - 1 spoon
5. Mustad - 1/2 spoon
6. Curry leaves
7. Red chilli -1
8. Curd - 1/2 cup

Method:

Remove the seeds from the "neer nellikkai". Mix the ingredients 1 to 3 above in a mixer to form a fine paste. Mix the curd and stir to mix it uniformly.

Heat oil in a tawa. Put mustard seeds and Red chilli. When the mustard sputters, add the curry leaves. Add this as garnish on top.

This is a favourite for many children, as it retains the sour, bitter and sweet tastes of the gooseberries.

Neer Nellikkai

You need:

Nellikkai (Gooseberry)
Turmeric powder
Salt – 2 to 3 spoons
Water – enough quantity so that water level is above the berries.

Method:
Boil the water in a bowl; add the salt and turmeric powder. Bring the flame to low and add the gooseberries. Boil the gooseberries for some more time, till the berries become little soft. When cool, keep in Glass or porcelain jars. DO NOT use plastic containers.

This is the traditional way to preserve gooseberries for quite long time. It can be kept in refrigerator also to preserve for a longer time.

This can be used as pickle along with Curd rice, especially for children. Also these preserved berries can be used to make chutneys and pickles, which I will write in later posts.

For an additional Flavor, add 1 or 2 green chilies and little chopped ginger.

Nellikkai Arishtam (Goosberry Extract)

As a starter, I want to tell about an age old preparation from Grandma’s time. When I buy kilos of gooseberry during the season, my neighbors ask me why I am buying so much of gooseberries.

Nellikkai or Amla (Gooseberry) is considered of the most nutritious fruit. It is used in many Ayurvedic preparations.
It has an abundant quantity of Vitamin C and other nutrients. I have read somewhere that gooseberry is one fruit which does not loos its nutritional value on boiling or processing.

In my school days, children used to take the raw fruits often, as we have them (and the trees!) in abundance. Generally children love to eat them with bit of salt and drink water and enjoy the changing flavours of sour, bitter and sweet. Grandama used to preserve them and keep it for the non-seasonal days.

My first recipe is for home preparation of “Nellikkai Arishtam” or gooseberry extract. In this Jaggery is used along with the berries, as Jaggery is a good source of Iron.

You need:

Nellikkai - 1 Kg
Jaggery - 1 Kg
Powdered cloves and cardamom for spice
Clean and dry Porcelain Jar

Method:
Wash and dry the berries with a cloth. Put 1 layer of berry into the jar. On top of that put 1 layer or crushed jaggery. Follow the layering for the entire quantity, ensuring that the topmost layer is jaggery. Add 2 or 3 spoons of the powdered spice. Close the jar and tie a thick cloth over the lid (traditional way). You can try with air tight containers, but plastic containers are generally NOT advisable.

Leave it in a corner for around 45-50 days.

By that time, the juice would have been extracted (Remember that we did not add even a drop of water). The berries would have shrunk and turned hard and black.

Storage:

Filter out the extract (can use thin cloth or net for this purpose) and keep in air tight bottles. You can take 1 bottle of extract at a time and leave the rest in the jar itself. The extract need not be refrigerated. It will NOT get Spoilt.

Taste:
It tastes similar to an Ayurvedic Arishtam – sweet, sour and tingly taste.

Intake:
Effective way is to take around an ounce of the extract 1 hr before food once a day or so. Since it is very natural, little amount more or less does not cause any harm.
For smaller children, it can be diluted with little water. I read that Vitamins are best absorbed on empty stomach, proving Grandmothers prescription of taking the arishtam before food.

Uses and effect:
This is a very effective preventive medicine for children against cold, fever, anemia etc, as the extract is a concentration of Vitamin C and Iron. It improves appetite and also the general immunity and resistance.
For Information on nellikkai http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_gooseberry

Nostalgia takes me back to the famous Malayalam song “Oru Vattam…. Aa Nelli Maram Onnuluthuvan moham”

More nellikkai recipes in coming blogs…

Cooking For Children

Many times I have seen mothers breaking their heads to cook good dishes for their children. Good in the sense, both for the taste buds as well as for the body.

Most often children enjoy their meal if it is given in the fanciest way possible. So we have to take a little extra time to do that. I make a point to do the last minute garnishing, well and good if it is done before the child.

Also we have to understand the taste of child (or adult also) before preparing. If somebody doesn’t like the lemon flavor, there is no use squeezing the lemon on top. So the taste may vary from child to child, person to person. But the basic ingredients can be same, with plus or minus some of the items.

Keep in mind certain rules when cooking:
Rule 1: Colorful and fanciful
Rule 2: Smells good
Rule 3: Nutritious (for the moms…and dads if they come into kitchen)
Rule 4: Always keep in mind that the “Cook” has to be spontaneously innovative and creative!


In the forth coming posts I will be writing about lot of kitchen tips, home preparations for nature care, snacks, curries etc mainly south Indian based.

Hope all of you who read this, have good fun cooking and good health eating!