Rice with Fried Potato

Kids need a bundle of energy as they are always on their heels.  I present another great meal for your child especially for the fussy eaters. Rice and Potato are a great source of carbohydrate. Carbohydrate would fuel them up. You may serve this with a single serving of any vegetable soup. The presentation and taste would encourage them to keep asking for more. The same can be given in the tiffin. Lets see how this dish is ready in minutes.

Ingredients -

Steamed Rice - 1 small bowl
Butter - 2-3 tblspns
Parsley - a bit chopped
Potatoes - 1 large
Olive oil - 3-4 tblspn
salt - to taste

Method -

Prepare steam rice as usual.
Mix butter and place it in a bowl.
Press the rice with the back of spoon.
Invert the rice carefully on the serving plate.

Parboil the potato.
Peel and cut roundels.
On a non stick pan drizzle olive oil and place the potato slices.
Cook till reddish and done.
Sprinkle salt and arrange on the serving plate as shown in the pic.
Garnish with chopped parsley.

Note- Ensure the steamed rice has salt added to it.

Chicken-Egg-Veggie Sandwich for kids

Tiffin Time, Tea Time Snack or Breakfast - a great option to serve the kids is this sandwich full of protein made from chicken eggs and vegetables served with potato fries would give them enough energy to be on their heels. Packed with nutrients is this easy to assemble sandwich.

Ingredients -

Sandwich bread - 2 slices

Red ripe tomatoes - 1 large

Egg hard boiled - 1

Iceberg Lettuce - 8-10 leaves

Chicken Breast boneless - 1

Butter - as required

Salt and Pepper - to taste

Potato Fries - one portion

Method -

Pressure cook chicken breast with little salt and 1/2 cup water.

After one whistle lower the flame and let it cook for 5-8 minutes.

Wash lettuce well and dip it in ice-cold water.

Cut tomatoes into roundels

Cut egg into thin slice.

Cut chicken breast into thin slice.

Drain the lettuce leaves.

Butter all the bread slices from both sides.

Layer the first bread with lettuce

Top it with chicken slice.

Sprinkle little salt and pepper.

Top it with egg slice.

Sprinkle little salt and pepper.

Arrange a bread slice on it.

Again top it with lettuce.

Top it with tomato slice.

Sprinkle salt.

Finally top it with a bread slice.

Grill the sandwich till the grill mark appears on the bread.

Insert a toothpick to keep things into place.

Serve hot with potato fries.

Rice and Oats Cutlets

Surprise your guests by turning these left overs into tasty tea-time bites. Left over rice can be used to prepare cutlets. Combined with roasted oats it's a healthy combination. One can have it for evening snack or kids can take this in the tiffin. Let's see how it's made.

INGREDIENTS-

Left over boiled rice - 1 cup.

Dry roasted rolled oats - 1/2 cup

Roasted crushed peanuts - 1 tblspn

Chopped onion - 1 medium

Chopped coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Roasted coriander cumin powder - 1 tspn

Red Chilly powder - 1 tspn

Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - 1/2 tspn

Finely chopped ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Green chillies chopped - 2 (or as your choice)

Dry roasted til - 1/2 tspn

Oil - to deep fry

Salt - to taste

Onion Rings - for garnish

Tomato ketchup - to serve

METHOD -

1. In a bowl put the boiled rice.
2. Add to it the oats.
3. Add peanuts.
4. Add chopped onions and coriander leaves.
5. Add carom seeds and sesame seeds.
6. Add all the dry powders.
7. Add ginger and green chillies.
8. Add salt.
9. Mix well.
10. Heat oil.
11. Prepare oblong shaped cutlets.
12. Deep fry the cutlets, drain.
13. Garnish with tomato ketchup and onion rings. Serve hot.

Tori ke Bachke (Ridge gourd Fritters)

Monsoon reminds me of Garma Garam Pakode पकोड़े (Hot Fritters) . It had been raining continuously and I thought the best thing to serve the family is hot fritters made up of तोरी Tori (Ridge Gourd). My children who feel "yuck" just by the sight of Ridge gourd had these bites without fuss, lovingly demanding for more and deep in my heart I was pretty happy to see my kids having a green veggie with no fuss. I made the Bihari version of the Pakode (Fritter) which is known as बचका "Bachka" . Favourite Vegetable is coated in gramflour batter and deep fried. My mother-in-law's advise is - बचका can be made कुरकुरा (Crispy) by adding चावल का आठा (Rice Flour).Kids would love to carry it in their tiffins.  Here is the recipe.

Serves - 2
Preparation Time - 7 mins
Cooking Time - 10 mins

INGREDIENT

Tori (Ridge Gourd) - 4
Besan (Gram Flour) - 2 cups
Chopped Ginger - 1/4th cup
Carrom Seeds - 2 tsp
Roasted (Sesame Seeds) Til - 1 tsp
Flaxseeds - 1 tsp
Coriander Chopped - 1/2 cup
Rice Flour - 1/4th cup
Salt - to taste
Chopped Green Chillies - 4-5
Chilly powder - 1 1/2 tsp
Water - as required (a little less than 1 cup)
Chat Masala - to taste
Oil - to deep fry

METHOD

1. Cut Tori into Roundels.
2. Take a bowl and place the tori in it.
3. Add gram flour and rice flour.
4. Throw in the carom seeds and flax seeds.
5. Add to it chopped ginger and coriander.
6. Mix in chopped chillies.
7. Add red chilly powder and salt.
8. Add water and mix well.
9. Prepare a batter as to well coat the vegetables (Tori).
10. Heat oil in a deep pan (kadhai)
11. Drop in pieces of tori and deep fry till reddish in colour.
12. Place on a kitchen napkin for excess oil to evaporate.
13. Sprinkle Chat Masala.
14. Serve hot with ketchup and garnished with green chillies (see pic)

Tips - People staying in States or Canada and other countries where Tori is not found can replace Tori with Zucchini.
Tori is known as Turai तुरई in many states of India.
The Green chillies can be increased/decreased as per liking or totally omitted if so desired.

Chana Dal Paratha with tamatar ki chutney and khatta meetha kaddu

Dal or legumes form the main part of an Indian meal. The protein requirements are fulfilled mainly through dal. Serving the dal day in and day out gets kind of boring hence I thought of a different way to present dal to the family. This dish is called Chana dal paratha as chana dal/Bengal Gram is the main ingredient used here. This is basically a Bihari cusine. Chana dal is widely used in Bihar. This dish can be had for breakfast or can be even packed for lunch. The accompaniments are the curd (plain yoghurt), Tamatar ki chutney (Tomato relish) and Khatta Meetha Kaddu (Sweet and Sour Pumpkin).

Ingredients for Chana Dal Paratha

Chana Dal - Soaked for 7-8 hrs and drained

Bay Leaf - 1

Clarified Butter (Ghee) - 1 tblspn

Asafoetida (Hing) - 1/2 tspn

Salt - to taste

Turmeric powder - a little more than 1/2 tspn

Cumin (Jeera) whole - 1 1/2 tspn

Fresh coriander chopped - 2 tblspn

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

Carom Seeds (Ajwain) - a sprinkle

Roasted Flaxseeds (teesi)- a sprinkle

Roasted Sesame Seeds (Til) - a sprinkle

Oil - as required

Water - as required for kneading dough

METHOD for the dal-filling:-

1. 
   
   Heat ghee in a pressure cooker.
2. 
   
   Add to it asafoetida, bay leaf and cumin seeds.
3. 
   
   After 30 seconds add the chana dal.
4. 
   
   Add to it turmeric powder and salt.
5. 
   
   Add just enough water to cover up the dal.
6. 
   
   Pressure cook for 15-20 minutes.
7. 
   
   When cooled remove the bay leaf.
8. 
   
   Mash the dal lightly, leaving one-third dal as whole.

METHOD for the Dough -

1. Take the flour in a flat cornered plate.
2. Put the sprinkle of flaxseeds, carom seeds and sesame seeds in the flour.
3. Add to it salt to taste and finely chopped coriander leaves.
4. Put a tspn of oil.
5. Knead using water- a firm dough.

METHOD for the Dal-Paratha -

1. Form a round ball (tennis ball size) out of a part of the dough.
2. Flatten it and make a cup shape (katori).
3. Put 2 tblspn filling in it seal it.
4. With the help of rolling pin prepare a (roundel) paratha.
5. Using dry flour roll it to approx 5-6 inch diameter.
6. Place this on a hot griddle.
7. When brown specs start appearing turn sides.
8. When slightly browned smear little oil or ghee.
9. Turn side and again smear oil or ghee.
10. When lightly browned put it on the chopping board.
11. Cut into four to form four triangles.
12. Serve hot with tomato relish and sweet n sour pumpkin

Ingredients for Tamatar ki chutney (Tomato relish)

Ripe tomatoes -  4-5

Fresh coriander leaves chopped - 2 tblspn

Oil - a little less than 1/2 tspn

Methi Seeds (Fenugreek whole)- a pinch

Kalonji  (Onion seeds whole) - a pinch

Green Chillies chopped - 2 tblspn

Gud (Jaggery) grated - 4-5 tblspn

Amchoor - (Dry Mango Powder) - a little more than 1/2 tspn

Sugar - 1 pinch

Salt - to taste

Method

1. Heat oil.
2. Add to it the fenugreek seeds and onion seeds.
3. Add to it tomatoes and chillies.
4. Add salt to taste.
5. Put 2 tblspn water, cover and let it cook.
6. When tomatoes turn soft and mushy add jaggery , sugar and dry mango powder.
7. Mix well. Cook for 5 mins on low flame.
8. Transfer into serving dish and garnish with coriander.

INGREDIENTS for Khatta Meetha Kaddu (Sweet and sour Pumpkin)

Pumpkin - 250 gm peeled and diced.

Pumpkin - 125 gms diced with the peel.

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tspn

Ghee - 1/2 tblspn

Asafoetida- 1 tblspn

Sugar - 1 tblspn

Dry Mango Powder - 1/2 tspn

Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tspn

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tspn

Salt -to taste

Chopped Coriander - for garnish

METHOD -

1. 
   
   Heat Ghee.
2. 
   
   Add to it asafoetida
3. 
   
   Put in the fenugreek seeds.
4. 
   
   Add to it both the pumpkins.
5. 
   
   Mix well. Add turmeric and salt.
6. 
   
   Put 1/2 cup water, cover and cook till pumpkin is done.
7. 
   
   If required you can add more water.
8. 
   
   Add sugar and dry mango powder and mix well.
9. 
   
   Cover and cook for 2-3 minutes.
10. 
    
    Serve hot garnished with coriander.