Chocolate Chip Cookies

"Mom. Cockroach !! It is hiding behind that bottle of hand wash", screams my five year old.  I almost panicked for a moment as I had a batch of golden brown cookies baking in the oven and the ingredients for an orange Bundt cake lying scattered all over the kitchen platform. " Ahha !! Smart move but better luck next ", I retorted back even as I mentally thanked LAL HIT for eliminating these pests from my kitchen. My little one had just pulled a fast one on me in an attempt to grab a fistful of choco-chips lying on the platform.

The New Year preparations are in full swing. Between multiple batches of cookies and muffins going into the oven, I am running short on time to give a thorough scrub to the kitchen area on a daily basis. But LAL HIT ensures that my kitchen stays roach-free throughout the month and I no longer worry about food poisoning. Given that cockroaches tend to crawl through the most unhygienic nooks of one's home, even a single one is cause enough for concern. And especially so with the kids who are much more susceptible to such infections. No wonder LAL HIT has become an indispensable part of my monthly kitchen cleaning regimen. Full-fledged spraying of LAL HIT  in the kitchen in the beginning of the month followed by another round of spraying in those deep corners, crevices, cracks and gaps after a fortnight ensure that my kitchen stays free from those creepy crawlies. And the all-new fresh fragrance does not even leave behind any tell-tale signs of pest control. I recommend it to anyone who is having a tough time with these unwanted guests.

Now coming back to the batch of golden brown cookies that I mentioned earlier, it is the simplest yet dependable 'Chocolate Chip cookies' recipe that I own. Nothing exotic about it. Just sheer blissfulness that comes from the feeling of familiarity. Do not be surprised if you are flooded with memories of biting into grandma’s cookies. It is impossible to stop at just one. Even my kid feels the same way about these cookies. The entire batch is almost gone even as I post the recipe on my blog.  No wonder I end up making multiple batches every year during the New Year period for gifting to near and dear ones. And more than half of it is on request! A fact that vouches for it’s popularity.

Read on for the recipe -

Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

• 2 1/2 cups Maida or All purpose flour
• 75 gm butter
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tsp vanilla essence 
• 2 pinch nutmeg
• 1 cup chocolate chip cookies

Preparation - Melt the butter. Add the eggs, sugar and vanilla extract. Whisk together till sugar melts.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt in another bowl.

Mix the dry ingredients into the batter. Add the chocolate chips.

Take tablespoonfuls of the dough and roll into balls with slightly wet hands. Place on a baking sheet at a distance of about 3-4 cm apart. These will flatten as they bake.

Preheat oven to 175 C . Place the baking tray and bake for 12-14 mins or till a golden brown.

Transfer to cooling rack , Once cooled store in airtight jars.

Happy Baking !! And don't forget to leave all your cockroach worries to LAL HIT !!!

5 Minute Caramel Popcorn (Kid's favorite recipe)

Easy to make and an instant crowd puller, this easy popcorn recipe has become my go-to dish during b'day parties and small get togethers. All it takes is a packet of instant popcorn in plain/salted flavor and some regular ingredients from the pantry.

Read on -

Preparation time - 5 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 packet of instant popcorn (Act II)
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tsp water
• handful of peanuts
• 1-2 drops vanilla essence / 1/2 tsp orange rind / few drops lemon juice

Cooking - Take the water, sugar and butter into a large pan and put it on medium heat.

At the same time, prepare the packet of instant popcorn in a microwave or pressure cooker,

Allow it to boil, then reduce flame just as the sugar starts caramelizing. Add peanuts and flavour of your choice. Throw in the popcorn and stir for 1 min.

Keep aside till it cools down as it will be very hot.

Serve immediately or keep in a airtight container.

Janta Roti

Does the name sound a little odd ?? Hindi speaking folks would confuse it with 'Junta' or the masses. So, is it a roti (indian bread) meant for the masses ? No, it is nothing of that sort. 'Janta' in odia loosely means 'pre-cooked'. The flour is cooked in hot water/milk to form a sticky mass. This is allowed to cool down before it is kneaded into a smooth dough which is then fried/baked/steamed. Most of the 'Pitha's' like Manda, Kakara, Arissa, or Poda pitha are prepared this way. The pre-cooking helps in easy chewing and digestion. Hence it is the preferred food for elderly folks and infacts who are just being introduced solid food. Even people who are recuperating from fever/jaundice/upset stomach can be given this 'roti'.

While many of my Odia friends may be knowing about it, still I would love to share the recipe as it is a very useful one. Read on -

Preparation Time - 20-25 mins ( For about 1 cup of flour, will vary with quantity )

Ingredients -

• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup water (plus a little more might be required as different wheat varieties absorb different quantity)
• 3 tsp sugar
• 2-3 tsp ghee
• 2-3 pinch salt
• extra flour for dusting

Preparation - Boil the water in a wok. Add sugar and 1/2 tsp ghee to it.

Dissolve 1 tsp of flour in 2 tbsp of water. Add this to the boiling water .

Then slowly add the remaining flour while stirring continuously. Cook for 4-5 minutes till the mass feels somewhat tight to move around. Remove from flame and allow to cool down completely. (it will be very sticky at this point.

Transfer the cooled mass to a working surface. Dust the surface with flour and drizzle 1 1/2 tsp ghee over the dough. Knead the dough till it forms a smooth mass.

Pinch small portions from the dough. Shape them into smooth balls and flatten slightly.

Dust the working surface with more flour and roll out the balls into small circles or rotis.

Heat the tawa and place the roti over it. Cook on medium flame till you can see small bubbles coming up on the surface of the roti. Flip it over and cook on the other side. The roti will swell up.Remove from tawa after 1 minute.

Repeat for the remaining rotis.

Serve with dalma and santula ( or dal and subzi ). These rotis stay soft for a very long time.

Note - One can also brush a little ghee on the roti while cooking on the tawa or immediately after removing.

Vegetable Daliya ( Vegetables with cracked wheat )

A very simple and nutritious daliya recipe that I made for my son. Apart from the regular vegetables, one can also add some sweet corn/baby corn and colorful peppers to give the dish a visual lift. I have kept the spice level low as it is intended for toddlers but one can add more for that extra zing.

Read on for the recipe -

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Preparation Time - 25 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 cup daliya or cracked wheat ( used Patanjali brand )
• 1 1/2 cup assorted vegetables ( carrot, cauliflower, french beans, peppers, sweet corn, beetroot, potato )
• 1 small onion
• 1 small tomato
• 1/5 tsp red chili powder
• 1/6 tsp coriander powder
• a pinch of cumin powder
• a pinch of turmeric
• a pinch of cumin seeds
• 2 1/2 tsp ghee (Patanjali brand)
• 1 tsp oil
• salt to taste
• coriander for garnishing

Preparation - Heat a frying pan. Add 1 tsp ghee followed by the daliya. Roast for 5-6 minutes on medium heat.
Remove and keep aside.

Chop the onion and tomato into small pieces.

All the vegetables should also be chopped into tiny pieces if they are to be pan cooked. Bigger sizes are Ok for pressure cooking.

Cooking - Take the roasted daliya in a cooker. Add 4  cups warm water and salt to taste. Close lid and cook for 3-4 whistles. Remove from flame and keep aside till steam escapes.

Heat  the oil and 1/2 tsp of ghee in a wok. Add the cumin seeds and allow to pop.

Add and fry till translucent.

Add the vegetables along with salt, turmeric, chilli powder, cumin power and coriander powder. Mix well and fry for a few minutes till vegetables are cooked through. (Sprinkle some water and cover with a lid for faster cooking)

Finally add the tomatoes and allow them to soften a bit. Now add the cooked daliya and mix thoroughly. Cook for a few minutes more so that the flavors are properly assimilated into the daliya. Remove from flame and keep covered for 4-5 minutes.

Sprinkle remaining ghee and coriander leaves. Serve hot.

 Note - One can add some more hot water during the last stages of cooking to thin the consistency further. This is especially good for younger kids ( less than 1.5 years of age ) as they tend to swallow rather than chew down their food. One should also pressure cook the vegetables before combining with the cooked daliya for such toddlers.

Mayonnaise and Veggie Sandwich

The 4 o' clock snack time is turning out to be a big headache for me. My little one is always looking for variety and I keep looking for different ways to please him. God, kids are really getting bored of everything these days. I swear we were not like this when we were young. I will have my Mom vouch for that.

Since the heat is increasing these days, I wanted to skip the fried snacks and get something healthy for him. Leafing though my old notes (yeah, I keep making a note of everything), I found this sandwich recipe that I had not prepared for a long time. With loads of veggies, this one is a very healthy option. One can always replace the mayonnaise with some hung curd seasoned with mustard sauce and garlic. Read on for the recipe:

Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients-

• 2 slices of sandwich bread
• a few thin slices of cucumber
• a few thin slices of tomato
• a few thin slices of capsicum
• some iceberg lettuce
• a few thin slices of onion (skip this for toddlers...optional for older kids)
• 1 tbsp mayonnaise
• a sprinkling of pepper (optional)
• a dash of ketchup
• grated cheese (as much as you like)
• salt

Preparation: Place the bread slices on the kitchen counter.

Spread mayonnaise on one half.

Layer on the vegetables. I put cucumber first, then tomato, then capsicum and finally the lettuce.

Sprinkle grated cheese and pepper. Add a dash of salt.

Sprinkle tomato ketchup on the other slice.

Finally place the slices one over the other and close the sandwich. Press lightly.

Cooking : Heat a sandwich maker and place the sandwich in it. (Most have auto-cook function but if not then cook for 2 minute till lightly browned.

Else heat a flat dosa tawa. Place the sandwich over it and cook for 1 minute on both sides.

Place the sandwich on a flat surface and cut into smaller portions (triangles).

Serve immediately with some ketchup.

Note - Pleas excuse the badly clicked pics!! Kiddo was busy pulling the plate away from my hands even as I was trying the click the final pics!!

Gulkand and Kesar Milkshake

Superhero Panda is all exhausted with the enormous task of saving the planet. He goes to meet Dr. Panda. The latter advises him to drink two glasses of milk everyday. But our Superhero hates the white stuff.

Doc Panda calls up his Mama. "You know Mama has a solution you everything", he tells to our Superhero.
So, Mama comes up this refreshing rose and saffron flavored drink.

Superhero gulps it down in no time. Doc Panda suppresses a smile when he sees Superhero back on his feet.

Read on for the recipe of Superhero's energy potion :

Preparation Time - 5 mins

Ingredients -

• 1 glass cold milk
• 2 tsp gulkand or rose jam
• a pinch of saffron
• 1 tsp sugar (optional)
• 2-3 ice cubes (optional)

Preparation - Soak the saffron in 3 tsp of warm milk for 10 mins.

Add all the ingredients to a mixer jar. Buzz for a few seconds. Yummy milkshake is ready.

Pour in a glass and serve.

So, our Superhero Panda is all recharged and is back on his mission to save the Planet.

Corn Khichdi ( makai khichdi )

Preparation time - 10-15 mins

Ingredients - Sweet corn kernals ( 1 cup ), milk ( 2/3 cup ), cumin seeds ( 1/5 tsp ), mustard seeds ( 1/5 tsp ), a pinch of asafoetida, pinch of turmeric, dry red chilli ( 1 no ), curry leaves ( 3-4 nos ), salt to taste, lemon juice ( 1/2 tsp ), a bit of butter, cooking oil ( 1/2 tsp ), coriander leaves for garnish.

Preparation - Take 2/3rd of the corn in a grinder cup and grind for 1-2 secs to get a coarse mix.

Cooking - Heat the oil in a pan. when it smokes, add red chilli, cumin and mustard seeds. once the seeds start spluttering, add curry leaves and asafoetida.

Add all the corn after a couple of seconds. Sprinkle salt and turmeric. Stir for a minute.

Pour in the milk and cover with a lid. Allow to cook for 6-7 mins till the corn is done.

Serve hot with a dash of lemon juice, a little butter and some freshly chopped coriander.