Sweet Pongal ~ Chakkarai Pongal

Ingredients

1 cup Raw Rice
 1/2 cup Moong dhal 1 cup Milk
 3 cups Jaggery (powdered)
 5 tbsp Ghee
 Cashews 4-5

Raisins 4-5

 Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

Method

Dry roast moong dhal and rice separately for 3-4  mins or until aromatic.

Transfer both the rice and moong dhal into a pressure cooker add water and cook for 2-3 whistles or until the rice and dhal is soft.

Dissolve the jaggery in water on simmer until the jaggery melts and forms like a syrup.

Slowly add the cooked rice and dhal to the jaggery syrup and mix well.

Now add ghee and mix well.

Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee and add to the pongal and mix well.

Finally add the cardamom powder and mix well.

Mix well and serve hot Sweet pongal.

Suggestions

Nutmeg powder can also be added to enhance the flavour.

A pinch of saffron can also be added

Carrot Honey Rolls ~ Sweet without sugar, jaggery and ghee

Ingredients

Carrots 3

Peanuts 2 tsp

Dry coconut 2 tsp (grated)

Almond/Badam 3

Cashew 3

Cornflour 2 tsp

Honey 4 tsp

Method

Roast the peanuts until aromatic, cool and grind to coarse powder.

With the help of mortar and pestel make a coarse powder of both cashew and almonds.

Wash peel the outer skin and grate the carrot.

In a deep pan add the grated carrot and fry until the raw smell goes or for 4-5mins.

Now add honey and keep stirring, add cornflour, peanut powder, almond and cashew powder.

Mix everything until the mixture thickens, transfer this to a plate, with the spatula or wet hands spread the mixture, form like oval shapes and roll of dry coconut.

Enjoy Carrot Honey Rolls immediately or chill.

 

Sent to ‘Healthy Food for Healthy Kids-Kids Lunch Box Recipes'

Rava Idli

Ingredients

Sooji 1cup

Curd 1 cup

Fresh ginger 1 tsp (Finely chopped)

 FriedCashew 3-4

Fresh grated coconut 2tsp

Carrot 1

Green chilly 2

Coriander leaves few

Salt as per taste

Ghee 2tsp

Method

Heat 1/4 tsp ghee in a pan and fry sooji until golden colour and aromatic, keep aside to cool.

Wash chop the edges and grate the carrot, finely chop the green chilly.

Take a mixing bowl, beat the curd add a cup of water, salt, grated carrot, coconut, green chilly, ginger, mix everything.

Now add fried sooji and mix carefully.If the mixture is too thick add little water.

Grease the idli plate with ghee and keep a tomato slice, and a fried cashew, few coriander leaves, now pour the curd and rava batter.

Close the lid and cook for 10-15mins.

Serve hot with ghee and enjoy your Rava Idli.

Veg Kofta Curry

Ingredients

For Kofta

Cabbage small head

Beans 5-6

carrot 1

Potato 2

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Maida/All purpose flour 2 tsp

Salt as per taste

For Curry

Onion 2

Tomato 2

Cashews 10

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Ginger garlic and green chilly paste 1 tsp

Kasuri Methi 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Milk 2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying and curry.

Method

Wash chop the vegetables finely and boil and keep them.

In a mixing bowl add all boiled vegetables and ingredients mentioned for kofta and knead without adding water to soft dough.

Prepare small balls from the vegetable mixture and deep fry until golden brown and keep aside.

Make a fine paste of one onion tomato, cashews and turmeric with little wtaer to fine paste.

Heat oil in a pan add finely chopped onion  and fry until colour changes to pink, now add ginger garlic and green chilly paste, kasuri methis, finely chopped tomato, fyr all this until tomato becomes soft.

Now add coriander powder chilly powder and salt.

Now add the ground paste of onion, tomato, cashew and turmeric and mix well.

Add 2tsp milk now add let the curry boil for 5-6mins.

Just before serving add the prepared veg koftas(pic below) in the curry and serve Veg Kofta Curry with chapathi

Oats Pongal

Ingredients

Oats 1 cup(Any variety)

Moong dhal 1/2 cup

Fresh Ginger 1 inch

Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp

Black peppercorns 4

Green chilly 2

Curry leaves 4-5

Ghee 3 tsp

Hing 1/2 tsp

Cashews 4-5

Salt as per taste

Method

In a dry pan put oats and roast for 2mins and keep aside. In the same pan put the dhal and roast for 2 mins until aromatic.

Remove the skin from the ginger and chop finely.

Slit the green chilli into two. Crush the pepper and jeera coarsely.
Put both oats and dhal in a pressure cooker. Add chopped ginger, asafotida powder, salt and three cups of water. Close with lid and pressure cook it for 3 to 4 whistles. Allow to cool. Then open the cooker and mix it well.
In a small kadai put the ghee and when it is hot, add cashew nuts, slit green chilli, curry leaves and pepper, jeera powder and pour it over the pongal. Mix it once again thoroughly.

Serve hot oats pongal with any chutney or sambhar of your choice and a dollop of ghee.

Spicy Toor Dhal Powder ~ For idlis & Dosas

Ingredients

Toor dhal 1cup

Chana dhal 1/4 cup

Urad dhal 1/4 cup

Red dry chilly 4-5

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Dry coconut 4 tsp (grated)

Tamarind a small pinch

Oil 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Method

Heat the oil in a pan and fry all the 3 dhals on low heat until they become aromatic and colour changes to golen brown, keep aside to cool.

In the same pan without adding oil roast dry chilly, cumin seeds, dry coconut and tamarind for 2mins.

Cool all the fried items and grind to coarse powder adding salt.

Store the spicy toor dhal powder in airtight container and serve with idlis and dosas.

Sweet Corn Poha

Ingredients

Sweet corn kernels 1 cup (Boiled)

Poha 1 cup

Oil 1 tsp

Mustard 1/4 tsp

Chana dhal 1 tsp

Urad dhal 1 tsp

Dry red chilly 3

Curry leaves 4-5

Hing a pinch

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Method

Boil the sweetcorn until soft but not mushy and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard, when it stops spluttering add chana dhal and urad dhal, when both the dhals change colour add the dry chilly and curry leaves and saute for a min.

Wash and soak poha for 5mins. drain the water.

Now add turmeric, and boiled sweetcorn kernels and salt and mix well

Now add the soaked poha and mix everything and cook for 4-5mins until poha becomes soft.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve Sweet Corn Poha as an evening snack or breakfast.

Ragda Pattis ~ My Way

Ingredients

For the pattis

Potato 2

Red Chilly powder 1 tsp

Green Chilly 1

Salt as per taste

For the gravy/ragda

Onion 1

Tomato 1

Green chilly 2

Coriander leaves few

Oil 3 tsp

Boiled green peas 1/2 cup

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder 1tsp

Salt as per taste

Method

Boil the potato, peel the skin and mash it in a bowl and to this add all the ingredients mentioned for pattis and knead smoothly without adding water, take medium amount of potato mixture and flatten a bit and make like pattis and shallow fry on a pan with a tsp oil until light brown and keep aside.(Below is the paatis pic)

For the gravy add finely chopped onion, tomato, green chilly and coriander to fine paste adding little water.

Heat oil in a pan add ground paste and fry until the raw smell goes, now add the boiled greeen peas, chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala, salt and 1/2 cup of water.

Let it boil for 5-6mins and let the gravy thicken slightly.

To serve place the pattis in a bowl and pour the prepared ragda on it, sprinkle finely chopped onion, coriander leaf and sev.

Serve Ragda Pattis as a tea time snack.

Punjabi Peas Pulao

Ingredients

Basmati rice 1 cup

Green Peas fresh/frozen 1 cup

Onion 1

Tomato 1

Green Chilly 2

Coriander and pudina leaves few

Clove 2

Cardamom 2

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

Biriyani Masala Powder 1 tsp

Red Chilly Powder 1 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 4tsp

Method

Boil the green peas and keep aside.

Chop onion lengthwise, tomato and green chilly finely.

Clean and chop coriander and pudian leaves finely.

In a cooker or pan heat oil add cardamom and clove once done add onion, tomato and green chilly.

When onion and tomato changes colour add ginger garlic paste, boiled green peas and saute for 2-3mins or until the raw smell of ginger garlic paste goes.

Now add chilly powder, biriyani masala powder, garam masala and salt.

Add coriander and pudina leaves and mix everything.

Now add 2cups of water and wait until the water starts to boil, now add the riceand mix well.

Pressure cook for a whistle and garnish with fried cashews.

Serve hot Punjabi Peas Pulao with any raita of your choice.

Mixed Veg with Sprouts Sabzi

Ingredients

Potato 1

Carrot 1

Beans 4-5

 Green Capsicum 1

Onion 1

Mixed sprouts 1/2 cup

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 2 tsp

Mustard 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds 1/4 tsp

Method

Boil the mixed sprouts until its soft but not mushy drain the excess water and keep aside, do not pressure cook the sprouts as it will become very soft.

Finely chop the onion.

Chop all the vegetables into medium size and place in a bowl of water until required for cooking.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard when it stops spulttering add cumin seeds and onion and saute for 2-3 mins or until onion changes colour.

Now add all the chopped vegetables mix once, close the lid and cook on simmer for 3-4mins.

When the vegetables are half done, add the sprouts, and all the masala powders and mix once.

Increase the flame and cook for 2-3mins.

Finally add salt and mix everything, garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve Mixed Veg with sprouts as a side dish with rice.

Suggestions

Cauliflower, babycorn and cornkernels can also be added to this sabzi

Masala Multi Dhal

Ingredients

Toor Dhal 1/2 cup

Moong Dhal 1/2 cup

Chana dhal 1/2 cup

Masoor dhal 1/2 cup

Onion 1

Tomato 1

Oil 2 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Grind to fine paste

Garlic 3 pods

Ginger 1 inch

Red dry chilly 3

Cinnamon 1 inch

Black peppercorns 4

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Coriander seeds 1tsp

Method

Wash all the dhals and pressure cook until soft.

Grate the onion and chop the tomato into medium size.

Make a fine paste of the things mentioned for grinding adding little water.

Heat oil in a pan add grated onion and saute for 2-3mins or until colour changes, now add the chopped tomato and the ground paste of the spices and cook on simmer for 4-5mins.

When tomato is soft add turmeric and salt.

Finally add the cooked dhals and water and mix well and cook for 5mins. Adjust the consistency of the dhal by adding more water if required.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve Masala Multi dhal with rice or chapathi

Dry Fruits Laddu

Ingredients

Pitted Dates 7-8

Cashews 4-5

Goledn Raisins 6-7

Almonds 5

Pistachios 3-4(optional)

Method

Crush the cashews, pistachios and almonds into small bits using a pestle or a quick pulse in the processor.

Finely chop the dates and the raisins, Alternatively, chop the nuts with help of a large knife.

Add all the prepared ingredients in a mixing bowl.

Take each portion into hand and press to form into a ball.
Store dry fruits laddu in a dry tight jar and serve as a snack.

Cucumber Poha

Ingredients

Poha/rice flakes 1 cup

Cucumber 1

Lemon Juice 2tsp

Mustard 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaf few

Dry red chilly 2

Green chilly 1

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste.

Method

Wash the poha and drain the excess water, to this add grated cucumber, salt and lemon juice.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard when it stops spulttering add cumin seeds, curry leaf, dry and green chilly and fry for 2mins, pour this on poha mixture and mix well.

Serve Cucumber Poha as an evening snack or for breakfast.

Corn Raita

Ingredients

Fresh/Frozen boiled corn kernesl 1 cup

Onion 1(finely chopped)

Curd 1 cup

Salt as per taste

Chaat masala 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp.

Method

Boil the corn kernels and keep.

In a bowl whish together curd and salt, add all other ingredients including boiled corn kernels and mix well.

Garnish with corn kernels and serve with any pulao of your choice.

Buttermilk Bubbles

Ingredients

 Yogurt/Curd 1 cup

Grenn chilly 1

Ginger 1 inch

Salt as per taste

Sugar a pinch

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Coriander leaves few

Oil 1 tsp

Mustard 1/2 tsp

Hing a pinch

Lemon Juice 1 tsp

Method

To the blender add curd, sugar, salt, coriander leaves, green chilly, ginger and turmeric with little water and make sure everything has blend properly.

Drain the yogurt mixture in a bowl.

Heat a tsp oil add mustard and hing when its done add to the yogurt mixture and add lemon juice.

Mix everything well and serve buttermilk bubbles chill or immediately.

Brinjal Sambhar

Ingredients

Brinjals 4-5

Tomato 1

Onion 1

Toor dhal 1 cup

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Tamarind small size soaked in water

Salt as per taste

To grind into fine paste

Chana dhal 2 tsp

Urad dhal 1 tsp

Coriander seeds 2 tsp

Red dry chilly 3

Methi seeds

Fresh grated coconut 2 tsp

To temper

Oil 2 tsp

Mustard 1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves few

Hing a pinch

Method

Wash and cook toor dhal with turmeric and water until mushy.

Cut onion and tomato into medium pieces.

Chop brinjal pieces into medium pieces and place in a bowl of water until required

Heat a tsp oil in a pan add all the ingredients mentioned to grind, fry all the things until aromatic or colour changes to slight brown, cool and keep aside and grind with fresh coconut and little water to smooth paste.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard, when it stops spluttering add cumin seeds and curry leaves.

Now add onion and tomato and saute for 3-4 mins or until onion and tomato is half cooked.

Now add brinjal pieces and saute for 4-5mins or until done.

Now add the tamarind soaked water and cook on simmer until it starts to boil.

Now add salt,the ground paste and cooked toor dhal, mix everything and cook on medium flame for 3-4mins or until the brinjal sambhar is aromatic.

Serve brinjal sambhar with rice and a dollop of ghee and papad.

Stuffed Bhendi

Ingredients

Lady's finger/Bhendi/Okra 5-6

Besan 1 tsp

Red chilly powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil 2 tsp

Method

In a bowl mix all the powders including salt and keep aside.

Wash bhendi dry it on kitchen towel.

Slit bhendi lengthwise keeping the ends intact.

Fill the bhendi with the prepared masala mixture.

Heat oil in a pan and place the bhendis and shallow fry, flip the sides occasionally.

Cook until bhendi softens.

Remove onto a serving plate and garnish with coriander leaves.

Brinjal Cashew Gravy

Ingredients

Indian Baby Eggplants 4-5

Cashews 9-10

Onion 1

Ginger 1 inch

Garlic 1 pod

Peanuts 2 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Chilly powder 1 tsp

Coriander powder 1 tsp

Mustard 1/2 tsp

Methi seeds 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves 3-4

Salt as per taste

Oil  3tsp

Method

Soak cashew in warm water for 15-20mins.

Cut the brinjals into 4 keeping the edge intact

Roast peanuts and cumin seeds until aromatic cool and grind to fine powder.

Grind to fine paste onion, ginger , cashew and garlic with little water.

Heat oil in a pan add the ground onion paste and cook in simmer for 3-4 mins or until the raw smell goes.

Now add the ground peanut and cum in powder, coriander powder, chilly powder, salt and mix well.

In another pan heat oil add mustard, methi seeds, curry leaves and brinjals.

Cook until brinjal is half cooked, slowly trasnfer this to the gravy which is cooking, add a glass of water, close the lid and cook for 4-5 mins or until brinjal is done.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with chapathis

Alu Pulao

Ingredients

Potato 2 medium sized

Basmati rice 1 cup

Onion 1

Tomato 1

Cinnamon 1 inch

Bay Leaf 1

Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Chana Dhal 2 tsp

Coriander seeds 2 tsp

Black peppercorns 4-5

Dry red chilly 3-4

Oil 2 tsp

Pudina and coriander leaves few

Salt as per taste.

Method

Soak the rice in water  for 10mins and drain the water

Without adding oil roast chana dhal, coriander seeds, pepper and red chilly for 3-4 mins or until aromatic, cool and grind to fine powder.

Chop onion and tomato finely and potato into medium pieces.

Heat oil add onion, when colour changes to slight pink add cardamom, cinnamon, bayleaf, cloves and tomato, fry all these for 3-4 mins or until tomato becomes soft.

Now add pudina leaves, ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder and potato pieces.

Now add the soaked rice, salt and the prepared ground powder of chana dhal.

Add water, mix everything once and pressure cook for 2whistles.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve alu pulao with any raita of your choice.

Now

Cardamom 2

Clove 2

Alu Palak Gravy

Ingredients

Spinach 1 bunch
2 potatoes
1 Onion finely chopped

3-4 garlic pods
Ginger 1 inch
3-4 green chilies
1tsp red chili powder
1tsp of coriander powder, cumin powder
1tsp of garam masala
1tsp of cumin and turmeric
Salt to taste

Method

In a pan, add the garlic, ginger, green chilies, onions with tsp of oil and sauté them. Add the spinach and cook them. Turn off the heat. After it cools down run into a mixer or a blender.

Boil the potatoes and cut into cubes. Add turmeric, salt and mix them.

Take 1tsp of oil in a pan and sauté the cumin seeds. Once the cumin splutters add the spinach paste and let it boil for few minutes. Now add the boiled potatoes, garam masala, coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder, and salt for taste. Add water only if it is needed. Cook for 5-10 mins covered until the potato absorbs the flavor.
Serve hot with chapathis or a side dish with rice.

Dry Fruits Basket

Ingredients

Wheat Flour 1 cup

Ghee 1tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil for deep frying

For stuffing

Cashews 5-6

Raisins 5-6

Dates 2-3

Badam 5-6

Dry coconut grated 3 tsp

Cardamom powder 1/2 tsp

Method

Knead Wheat flour, ghee and salt with warm water to a smooth dough and keep aside for 30mins.

In a mixing bowl add all the items mentioned under stuffing and mix well and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan for dry frying.

Take each portion of wheat dough, press it a little to form a small disk.
 Take around a big spoon full of dry fruits mixture  and place it on the disk.
 Now bring together the edges of the dough and press it to form a dumpling and cover all the sides carefully.

Carefully drop the dry fruits basket into the pan, and deep fry until it turns golden brown.

Garnish with dry coconut and sugar.

Sugar 2 tsp

Gobi Fritters

Ingredients

Cauliflower/Gobi small 1

Onion medium 1

Besan Flour 3 tsp

Chilly powder 1 tsp

Cumin Powder 1 tsp

Garlic Powder(Optional) 1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil for both deep & shallow frying

Method

Cut the cauliflower florets and put them in warm water for 5mins.

In a bowl add besan, chilly pdr, garlic pdr, cumin pdr, salt and little water and mix without an lumps to bajji consistency.

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan for deep frying.

Put the cleaned gobi florets in the besan batter and deep fry until golden brown and keep aside.

Heat oil in a different pan add finely chopped onion and fry until it turns slightly pink, now add the fried gobi florets and mix well.

Serve gobi fritters as a tea time snack

Mixed Vegetable Sambhar

Ingredients

Toor dhal 1 cup(Boiled)

Potato 1

Beans 4-5

Carrot 1

Onion 1

Tomato 1

Green Chilly 2

Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp

Tamarind pulp

Methi/Fenugreek seeds 1/4 tsp

Oil 1 tsp

Mustard 1/4 tsp

Cumin/Jeera seeds 1/4 tsp

Hing powder 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves 5-6

Salt as per taste

Sambhar powder 4 tsp

Method

Soak tamarind in 1/2 cup of warm water.

Wash and chop all the vegetables into medium size and until required put them in a bowl of water(except onion, tomato and green chilly)

Wash and cook toor dhal with turmeric powder and water until soft.

Except onion, tomato and green chilly cook all the vegetables and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan add mustard when it stops spluttering add methi seeds, cumin seeds, when they crackle, add hing powder, green chilly and curry leaves.

Now add onion and tomato and fry until and both onion and tomato is done.

Now add tamarind water soaked with tamarind, removing the tamarind pulp and seed.

Add 1 glass of water and let the raw smell in tamarind water go.

Now add sambhar powder and salt and mix well.

Now add cooked vegetables and toor dhal and mix everything properly.

Cook for 4-5 mins or until bubbles form.

Before switching off add a tsp of ghee and coriander leaves.

Serve mixed vegetable sambhar with rice and papad. 

Corn Pulao

Ingredients

 Corn Kernels 1 cup(Boiled)

Basmati Rice 1 cup

Coconut Milk 2 cup

Dry Red chilly 2

Green Chilly 2

Garlic pods 3

Ginger 1 inch

Grated Coconut 3 tsp

Pudina/Mint leaves 10-11

Coriander leaf few

Garam Masala powder 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon stick 1 inch

Clove 3

Bay leaf 1

Ghee 1 tsp

Oil 1 tsp

Salt as per taste.

Method

Wash and clean both pudina and corainder leaves.

Grind to fine paste red chilly, green chilly, pudina, coriander leaves, 2 cloves, garam masala, ginger and garlic with little water.

Heat ghee in a pan and fry basmati rice for 3-4 mins or until aromatic and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pressure cooker add clove, bay leaf when done add boiled corn kernels and mix.

Now add the ground paste and cook on low flame until raw smell goes for 4-5 mins.

Now add coconut milk, salt and fried basmati rice.

Close the lid and pressure cook for 1-2 whistles.

Serve hot corn pulao with any raita of your choice.