Oats and Peas Mini Idly

Ingredients:

Oats - 1 cup

Rava(sooji) - 1/2 cup

Yogurt(curd) - 1/2 cup

Water - 3/4 Th cup or as required

Green peas(boiled or frozen) - 3/4 Th of a cup

Salt - as required

Asafoetida - a pinch

Procedure:

1. Roast the oats slightly, just to get rid of the raw smell and powder it in a mixer(not finely)
2. Roast the rava and mix it with oats in a bowl
3. Add the green peas , salt and hing to the oats and rava mixture
4. Mix them all well
5. Slowly add the yogurt, then water and blend it well to a batter consistency
6. Now pour this in a greased mini idly pan and cook it for few minutes
7. Serve it with whatever your kids like, i did it with strawberry home made jam.

Notes:

• If you wish you can add 1 tbs of coconut to the batter
• I made this idly in a microwave idly pan and it took me exactly 5 minutes
• If you use the traditional idly pan, change the timings accordingly

Served with grapes and Jam

                                     

Vegetable Pin wheel Pasta

Bento Box -1

Preparation Time: 15 mints

Ingredients:

Wheat Pasta/Anil sangu semya - 1 cup

vegetables of your kids choice - 1/4 cup
Salt - as required
Sugar - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 2 medium size
Olive oil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Basil, oregano, Mint, coriander - as needed
Pepper powder - as required

Procedure:

1. Add pasta to the boiling water with salt and 1/4 tbsp oil.
2. Cook until fork tender, drain it and keep aside
3. Chop the tomatoes and grind it with all the herbs to paste
4. Dice the vegetables, boil them with little salt and keep it aside
5. In a wide hot pan, add 1 tbsp oil and sugar
6. Immediately add the boiled vegetables and saute them
7. After a minute add the tomato puree and cook for a minute again
8. Now add the boiled pasta and toss well
9. Drizzle some salt and pepper on top and switch off the stove.

Note:

1. Choose colorful vegetables to attract kids and that will increase their appetite.
2. Tomato puree can be replaced with ketchup to make it even faster
3. Add a bowl of colorful fruits for snack time to make it a complete healthy meal.
4. You can use any herbs thats available for you.

Adai / Aviyal

Adai:

Adai and Aviyal

No.Of Servings - Good enough to serve a family of 5.

Ingredients:
Toor Dall - 1/4 cup
Chenna Dall - 1/4 cup
Urad Dall- 1/4 cup
Rice - 1/4 cup
Fenugreek - 1/4 tbsp
Coconut - 1/4 cup (shredded)
Green chillie - 4
Corriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Cumins - 1 tbsp
Black pepper - 1 tbsp
Hing - a pinch
Curry leaves - 10 no.s
Corriander leaves - 10 strings
Chopped ginger - 1 tsp
Oil - as required
Salt - to taste

Procedure:

1. Wash and clean all the dall and rice and soak it in water for 3 hours
2. Grind this mixture along with coconut, fenugreek, chillies,corriander,cumins, black pepper,chopped ginger and  curry leaves.
3. Add salt, hing and chopped corriander leaves to the mixture.
4. The Batter has to be little thick (when compared to the dosa batter)
5. Heat the dosa thava, apply little oil and do the adai in a circular fashion as a you do dosa
6. Remember you cannot make adai very thin, it has to be little thick.
7. When its golden brown, turn it to the other side and cook similar way
8. When ready serve it with side dish of your choice or just jaggery

Note:

1. You can also soak any lentils of your choice
2. Its a very healthy, stomach filling recipe
3. Good for both dinner and break fast
4. With the leftover batter you can also make like small vadas or pagodas and fry them in oil, its called as "punugu"

Health Tips:

• Lentils are loaded with iron and are a great way to replenish the body's iron stores, especially for people who don't eat red meat like vegans and vegetarians.
• Lentils are a great source of B vitamins, most notably folate and niacin (B3). B vitamins are important for the healthy functioning of the nervous, digestive, and immune systems.
• Lentils are a great cholesterol lowering food due to their high levels of fiber.
• Protein makes up 26% of the calories in lentils and they have the third highest level of protein than any other plant food. It's no wonder that they're a staple in many parts of the world.
• Due to their high fiber content, lentils help in regulating blood sugar by providing steady, slow-burning energy and balancing blood sugar levels.
• Studies have found that people who eat high fiber legumes like lentils have a much reduced risk of heart disease. The high levels of folate and magnesium in lentils also go a long way in protecting the heart

Aviyal:

Ingredients:
Carrot - 2
Beans- 10
Potato - 2(medium size)
Peas  or Vaal lilva beans- 1/4 cup
Plantain - 1
Coconut - 1/2 cup( grated)
Cumins - 1 1/2 tbsp
Dhaniya/ corriander seed - 1/2 tbsp
Green chillie - 4 big
Curry leaves - 10
Corriander leaves - 1/4 cup (chopped)
Coconut oil - 1/4 cup
Yogurt/ curd - 2 cups
Salt - as required
Turmeric - a pinch
Hing - a pinch

Procedure:

1. Cut all the vegetables lengthwise in big chunks and steam cook them(until they are partially cooked) with a pich of turmeric and salt. Drain the excess water and keep it aside.
2. Otherwise make sure you just cook with no excess water( to save the nutrients)
3. Soak the grated coconut with green chillie, 1 tbsp cumins, corriander seeds, 5 curry leaves.
4. Grind that masala into paste.
5. In a big pan, heat half of the oil and do the seasoning with remaining cumins and curry leaves.
6. Add the coconut mixture and saute it little
7. Add the partially cooked vegetables slowly into the pan with the mixture
8. Add some salt, and cover it with a little until the vegetables are fully cooked
9. This way all the masala falvour will get into the vegetables, add chopped corriander leaves
10. After cooked, switch off the stove and leave it for a while until it comes to room temparature
11. Once chilled, add all the curd into this and slowly mix it without breaking the vegetables. Pour the remaining coconut oil on the top for a finishing touch
12. Serve it with hot rice or Adai.

Health Tips:

• Vegetables  contain Beta karotene, vitamin c, chromium, co enzyme Q 10, Zinc, Selenium, chlotamine. These contents help to keep us healthy, young and fresh giving a glowing face and skin.

Quick & Easy Vegetable Kuruma

Vegetable Kuruma

Ingredients:
Vegetables - 1 cup(chopped carrot,beans,peas,cauliflower,potato)
Split & cooked chick peas(pottukadalai) - 2 tbsp
Green chilies - 2 big
Mint(pudhina) - few leaves
Curry leaves - few
Coriander leaves - Finely chopped for Garnishing
Cumin - 1 tsp
Coriander - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as required
Grated coconut - 1 tbsp
Hing - a pinch
Mustard, Urad Dal, cumin's, Oil - for seasoning


No. of Servings - 4 people


Procedure:

• Half cook the cleaned vegetables in a bowl with water. Water should be just enough to cook the vegetables(don't add excess water, you will loose the nutrients)
• In a blender add the split chick peas, green chilies, grated coconut, cumin's, coriander, mint, hing and grind it to paste.
• Take a large pan, heat the oil and do the seasoning with mustard, Urad Dal, cumin's and curry leaves.
• Add the half boiled veggies,saute well for half a minute.
• Now add the grinded paste, and little water if needed.
• Add Salt to the mixture and let it boil util all the veggies are cooked in that masala, may for 6 mints.
• Garnish it with coriander leaves.
• Serve it hot with roti, or dosa.

Kuruma & Roti

Sweet Basil Lassi

Sweet Basil Lassi

Ingredients:
Thai or sweet Basil leaves - 1/4 cup
Curd/Yogurt - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Lemon zest - 1/4 tsp(Grated green portion of a lemon skin)
Lemon juice - 1 1/2 tbsp (1/2 small lime)
Ice cubes - 1/4 cup


No. of servings: 4 small glasses


Procedure:

• Add the chopped basil and lemon zest to a blender and grind it to paste, just by sprinkling some water.
• Next add all the remaining ingredients to the paste and grind it again.
•  Pour it into the glass, and top it with a basil flower and serve chill.

Another click

Health Tips:

Sweet Basil

• Thai Basil, sweet Basil is known as "Thiruneetru Pachilai".  
•  Sweet Basil Lassi  is a healthy summer drink to cool your body.
•   Basil benefits : lowering blood pressure, easing tension, general detoxifier, cleansing the blood, lowering stress levels, anti inflammatory, lowering cholestrol.

Masala Bun

Basket of Masala Bun

Ingredients:

Flour - 3 cups
Water - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 tbsp

Fleischmann's Yeast

Yeast - 1 tbsp
Oil/butter - 4 tbsp
Salt -1 tsp
Green chillie - 2
Curry leaves - few
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad Dal - 1/tsp
Hing - a pinch
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (chopped)

Procedure:
     Boil the water until its warm. Into that water add the yeast and sugar, leave it for at least 10 mints, until it raise.  In a separate bowl take the flour and add the salt to it. Then add the yeast mixture and oil to it. Knead well. Keep this dough mixture closed in the bowl for 20-30 mints. A warm place is nice to keep it.
     After twenty thirty minutes the dough should have raised well like double the size. In a small pan add 1 tbsp oil and do the seasoning with chopped chillie, mustard,hing, Urad Dal and curry leaves. Add this do the dough. Mix well and keep punching the dough until it becomes soft. This punching makes the the dough areolated and make the buns really fluffy and soft. So after punching it for 10 mints and kneading well. Make small balls and slightly press it to get the bun shape.
     Take a large tray(like pizza tray) arrange this balls in a way they have 1 inch distance between them(because the bun will raise) and bake it in the oven for 20 mints 350-375 F.
Keep checking in between and take it out when they are golden brown on top.
     Since this bun has all the spice in it, it can be served just like that with a cup of hot tea.


Note: To make normal soft bun just skip the seasoning process. 
These buns can be used for making burger .

Yummy Buns

Served with tea.

Slice the bun and fill it with some cream, cheese or jam for kids.
I have used a yeast which is derived from plant, you can use any yeast you want.
Water can also be replaced with warm milk.

Rice & coconut Pudding / Pacharisi Thengaai Kannamudhu(Paayasam)

Kannamudhu

Ingredients:
Pacharisi - 3 tbsp (raw rice)
Thengai   - 1 cup(grated coconut)
Milk         - 3 cups
Water      - as required
Ghee       - 2 tbsp
Cardamon - 2 no.s
Cashew   - 10 no.s
Raisin      - 10 no.s
Saffron    - few strings (optional)
Jaggery   -  lemon size ball (crushed)
Sugar       - 2 tbsp


Procedure:
     Wash and clean the rice, soak it in a cup water along with grated coconut and cardamon for at least 15 minutes. Blend this in a mixture to a coarse paste. Add milk and a little water to this mixture and let it boil.Keep stirring in a low flame until the rice gets cooked add the sugar. In a separate bowl add the crushed jaggery and a very little water and boil to a thick paste consistence. Add this caramel to the boiling milk mixture. Let it boil for a minute in low flame. Add few saffron strings if you wish now.
     Simultaneously in a small pan heat the ghee and fry the cashews and raisins. Pour this to the paayasam and switch it off. Serve it hot in a bowl with spoon.


Note:Sugar and jaggery can be used according to your taste. I made this for Tamil varushapirappu(new year) and it can be made for any special occasions.