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Showing posts with label kids breakfast options. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids breakfast options. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 24, 2016

Chattua ( Happy Janmashtami And a Tale of True Friendship )

Krishna and Sudama. Childhood friends separated over the years. The chasm in their bond thought to have widened given their disparate fortunes. But staying true to the tradition of true friendship, they did not let anything get in their way. The impoverished Sudama did not let his ego hinder him from paying a visit to his old friend who had reached the stature of a King. Nor did Krishna show any signs of an inflated self-image when he embraced the former with open arms.

No words were exchanged as to the actual purpose of Sudama's visit. And yet Krishna understood his friend's plight. The once penniless Brahmin finds himself as the owner of a palatial house on his return. Krishna did not give him occasion to lavish praise for that would have created an imbalance in their relationship. Such is the beauty of friendship. It is rightly said that we cannot choose our birth but we are free to choose our friends. So, choose wisely.

By now most of you would be wondering about the connection between this beautiful story and my recipe. Ok, let me give you a hint. One of the important components of this recipe is something that Sudama had taken as a gift when he went to visit Krishna. Bingo! It's beaten rice which is also known as pohe/avalakki/chuda in various parts of the country.

Chattua ideally refers to roasted Bengal gram flour. In large parts of Odisha, it is consumed as a porridge mixed with milk and sugar. But these days, a special kind of Chattua has overtaken the older version. A mix of roasted gram, beaten rice, cashews, milk powder, glucose biscuits and sugar goes into the making of this one. Some versions also include roasted wheat, ragi and other grains to boost the health benefits. Here is my version of 'Chattua' that I usually make in small quantities and keep in a small jar within my reach. Two to three spoonfuls is guaranteed to take care of those unwanted hunger pangs. At the same time, it can also be eaten in the regular manner with warm milk.

Read on -

















Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients -
  • 2/3 cup beaten rice
  • 2/3 cup roasted bengal gram
  • 1/4 cup cashews ( substitute with almond and walnut to make it healthy )
  • 1 tbsp flaxseeds
  • 1 tbsp sugar ( depends on taste so I skip adding it in mine )
  • 6-7 glucose biscuits (any brand)
  • 2 tbsp milk powder (any brand)

















Preparation -  Heat a skillet. Dry roast the beaten rice till it turns crisp. Remove and keep aside till it cools down.

Add the cashews to the same skillet. Roast till they darken faintly. Remove and keep aside till cool.

Finally add the flaxseeds to the skillet. Once they start popping remove and keep aside till cool.

Take all the ingredients in a mixer jar and grind into a powder of medium consistency.

Store in a airtight container and consume within 1-2 weeks.

















To consume as a porridge, add about 1/2 cup of this powdered mixture to 1 cup of warm milk.

















Note - Chattua can be used as a substitute of Cerelac for children older than 1 year. I have also tried the same recipe with my kid. He was ok with it till he grew bored with the porridge stuff and wanted something chew-able. 

Friday, September 19, 2014

Cheesy Quesadillas ( Three Cheese Quesadilla )

The third and final post for the Indusladies Kid's lunchbox event. This time I have chosen to do a three cheese quesadilla as most kids happen to love the cheesy filling in almost everything. Quesadilla's are quite healthy if one substitutes the white flour for the whole wheat version. The cheese provides the much needed proteins that children require and the veggies pack in an impressive amount of fiber and nutrients.

Read on for the recipe -






Sending this as a contribution to the Indusladies event 100 Kids Lunch Box Recipes. Check out more details here - http://www.indusladies.com/food/kids-lunch-box-recipes/







Preparation Time - 25 mins (plus some standby time)

Ingredients -

For the Tortilla/rotis -

  • 1 cup wheat flour or maida
  • 1 tsp butter
  • salt to taste
  • a dash of pepper
  • warm milk for kneading

For the filling and final touches -

  • 1 cup chopped vegetables ( I used lettuce, peppers and tomatoes )
  • 4 tsp grated Cheddar cheese
  • 4 tbsp cream cheese ( one can also substitute it with softened/crumbled paneer )
  • 4 tbsp grated processed cheese (I used Amul processed cheese)
  • pinch of pepper
  • a bit of grated garlic
  • a dash of vinegar/lemon juice (optional)
  • salt to taste
  • EVOO for brushing the quesadillas.

Preparation- Take the flour in a wide plate. Add salt, pepper and butter. Rub in.

Add milk to the flour, little by little and keep on mixing so that it is well incorporated into the dough. We want a soft dough. It is ok if it is slightly sticky but too sticky means more flour should be added.

Cover dough with moist cloth and rest aside for 30 mins.

Take the veggies in a mixing bowl. Add the cheddar cheese, cream cheese, pepper, vinegar/lime juice, garlic and salt. Mix well and keep aside.

Pinch small balls from the dough. Dust a working surface with flour and roll out into thin circles.

Cooking - Heat a tawa/flat pan. Put the roti/tortilla on it. Wait till small bubbles begin to form. Add some of the veggie filling to one half of the circle. Sprinkle processed cheese on the veggies. Fold over the other half so that the veggies and the cheese are sandwiched inside.

Slightly press with a spatula for 1 minute or so to allow the cheese to melt from the heat. Brush some olive oil on the side. Flip over and brush more olive oil on the other side. Cook for 30 seconds.

Remove from tawa and keep aside. Repeat with the remaining dough and filling.

Serve immediately or cover tightly with a foil wrap before putting in the lunchbox.
























Wednesday, June 11, 2014

Daliya-Moong dal Kichidi

Time for something light and healthy !! After eating out on the weekends and cooking up some high calorie stuff in the last few days, I thought to make up the abuse that I have put my system through. So, it was a very healthy lunch for my and kiddo, comprising of daliya khichidi, home made curd and a few slices of mango. Loaded with the goodness of fiber (from daliya) and pro-biotic bacteria ( from curd ), it is designed to get digested easily while also removing the toxins from the system. Great option for people suffering from diabetes or those trying to lose some weight.

Read on for the recipe -







Preparation Time - 30 mins

Ingredients -

1/2 cup daliya/cracked wheat
1/3 cup split moong dal
1 small onion (finely sliced)
1/2 cup carrot (chopped into small pieces)
1/4 cup potato (chopped into small pieces)
1/2 cup cauliflower florets (chopped into small pieces)
a pinch of turmeric
1/4 tsp chili powder
1/5 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1 red chili
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp oil
salt to taste


Cooking - Dry roast the moong dal in a pan till it gives a fragrance. Keep aside

Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker. Add the daliya and roast till it changes to slightly red color. Add the roasted moong dal to the same cooker along with 2 1/2 cups water, salt and turmeric.

Close the lid. Cook for 4-5 whistles. Keep aside for steam to escape.

Heat the oil in a wok. Add the cumin seeds with broken red chili. As the cumin turns brown, add the onion and saute till translucent.

Add all the vegetables and masalas. Mix well. Cover with a lid for 3-4 mins.

Add the boiled daliya-moong dal to the wok along with 1/2 - 1 cup water. Boil for 4-5 minutes before removing from flame.

Serve hot with a drizzle of ghee and coriander leaves.


Tuesday, May 27, 2014

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 -



















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.

Friday, May 2, 2014

Khoya Paratha

If there is one food hotspot of India that gets featured over and over on television, its the -'Paranthe wali gali' in Delhi. Ofcourse the 'Khao Gali' in Mumbai comes close. Or maybe its a tie between the two for the Numero Uno position. I guess it just depends on how many times an individual has caught it on television. But coming back to the 'Paranthe Wali gali', the last time I caught it on TV inspired me to try out atleast a dozen of the varities described. Some really sounded exotic like this 'Khoya parantha'.







Preparation Time - 12-15 mins

Ingredients -


  • 1 1/2 cups whole wheat atta
  • 2/3 cup unsweetened khoya
  • 1/4 cup chopped raisins and cashews
  • 2-3 tsp sugar
  • salt to taste
  • milk for kneading the dough (optional)
  • 3-4 tsp oil or ghee for frying the Paranthas


Preparation - Take the dough on a kneading plate/ wide vessel. Sprinkle salt and mix in.

Add milk little by little and make a smooth and soft dough. Apply little oil or cling film over the dough and keep aside.

Cooking - Heat a frying pan. Add 1/2 tsp oil/ghee. Add the raisins and cashews and fry for 10-15 seconds.

Next add the crumbled khoya and fry till it turns light brown in color. Sprinkle sugar and cook on low flame till sugar melts in. Switch off flame and keep aside.



















Pinch small balls out of the dough and roll into small circles. Place a little of the khoya mixture over one circle and apply little water around its circumference. Put another circle over it and press lightly to close the ends.

Heat a flat tawa and place the parantha over it. Drizzle ghee/oil and cook on medium flame till little brown spots appear. Flip over to the other side and add some more ghee/oil. Cook till brown spots appear and then remove from tawa.

Repeat for the remaining paranthas.

Serve as it is or with some sweet / savoury side dish. ( This is usually accompanied by 'kele ki chutney' in Paranthe Wali Gali. Will post the recipe soon. )



















Note - Any leftover khoya mixture can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for upto a month (as per my experience). No need to warm it before using. It reverts to its original texture as it gets cooked with the paranthas.


Saturday, April 19, 2014

Gobi and Chenna Paratha

When the kids start school, one invariably runs out of options for the tiffin/lunchbox sooner or later. With time being a constraint and junk not a healthy option, a variety of parathas/upmas and sandwiches are the best alternatives available to working mothers. This is one such 'Paratha' that is filled with the goodness of cauliflower and chenna(panner). Best part is that it takes very less time to make and can also be made in the microwave (Just brush on some oil on the rolled out paratha and place it in the microwave for 2 mins) .

Read on for the easy recipe-






Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients -

  • Whole wheat flour ( 1 1/2 cups)
  • chenna ( 1/3 cup )
  • cauliflower florets (1/2 cup)
  • onion ( 1 small, chopped )
  • coriander leaves ( 1 tbs, chopped )
  • cumin powder ( 1/5 tsp )
  • red chilli powder ( 1/5 tsp )
  • salt to taste
  • oil/ghee ( 2 tsp )
  • warm ghee ( 1/2 tsp ).


Preparation - Boil water in a saucepan. Add salt and a little turmeric. Add cauliflower florets and boil for 3-4 mins. Drain and transfer to a bowl containing cold water. Allow to stand for 2 -3 mins. Darin excess water. Buzz in a hand blender/food processor for 1 minute along with the chenna to get a coarse mix.

Take the flour in a plate. Rub in the warm ghee.

Add the chopped onion, chenna, cauliflower paste, cumin powder, red chilli powder, coriander and salt. Mix well. Add water little by little to get a stiff dough as the chenna and cauliflower also have quite a bit of moisture. Cover with moist cloth and keep aside for 15 mins.

Make 4-5 balls out of the dough. Roll out the balls into parathas/circles.

Cooking- Heat a non-stick tawa. Put one paratha, add little ghee/oil and cook for 1-2 minutes. Flip and add some more oil/ghee. Cook till done.

Repeat for the other parathas as well.



















Note - Skip the chenna or replace with some grated silken tofu for a vegan version.

Wednesday, January 15, 2014

Sprouts Sandwich

It is still the January and I am going good job of sticking to my New Year resolutions. I have been eating healthy (Read sprouts, oats, poha, whole grains) for the last two weeks. Hence I substituted my regular potato filling with a mix of potato and sprouts ( you do need to add a bit of potato to hold those runaway sprouts together ).

Sprouts are categorized in the superfood category as they are loaded with enzymes (upto 100 more than what you get in fruits and vegetables). Enzyme help to improve the process of breaking down the ingested food so that the body can do a better job of assimilating it. The sprouting process is known to drastically improve the quality of available proteins and increase the fiber and vitamin content (especially those of vitamin A, B-complex, C and E).

Though beneficial for all, sprouts are a must have for women who are trying to conceive/pregnant. For older women nearing menopause, they help regulate hot flashes and hormone levels.




Preparation Time - 10 mins

Ingredients - 4 slices of bread, 1/2 cup sprouts (I used green moong but mixed lentils is also OK), 1 boiled and mashed potato, 1 small onion (chopped), 1/5 tsp cumin powder, a pinch of turmeric, 1/5 tsp chilli powder, 1 tbsp chopped coriander, 1 tsp oil, 2 tbsp thick/hung curd, 1 tsp tamarind-jaggery chutney (can use Imli Pichkoo instead), 1 tsp ketchup, salt to taste.

Preparation - Add salt to the curd and beat lightly. (One can also add some mint/coriander chutney to enhance the flavor)

Cooking - Heat the oil in a wok. Add the chopped onions and fry for 1 minute.

Add the mashed potato along with cumin powder, turmeric and chilli powder. Fry for 1 minute. Add the sprouts along with salt. Cook covered till the sprouts are cooked (takes 3-4 mins).

Add ketchup, chopped coriander and remove from flame.

















Heat a flat pan. Toast the bread slices for 1 minute (30 secs on each side). Remove from the pan and place on a plate.

















Spread the curd on the both bread slices. Drizzle with the tamarind-jaggery chutney.



















Take and spread about 2 tbsp of the sprouts mixture on one slice.

















Place the other slice over it. Cut into two triangular pieces.

Repeat with the other two pieces.

Serve immediately with ketchup/mint chutney.



Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Quaker Oats New Flavour : Classic Elaichi & Raisins (Product review)

This is the latest flavour of Quaker Oats to hit the shelves. With its rich cardamom flavour, it is quite reminiscent of the traditional Kheer prepared by my mom.
















Quaker has a interesting range of flavoured quick oats which come at a pocket friendly price & packaging. Priced at Rupees 10 a pouch, these are designed for one time use thus doing away the need of storage.

Available in both sweet & savory versions, the savory flavours are more inclined towards an older audience. I have no reason to complain as my kiddie laps us the sweet ones ( I have recommended the same to my neighbours and got wonderful feedback from them). It is the easiest way to get some milk into my little ones' tummy who otherwise puts up quite a fight (no amount of drinking chocolate, horlicks, bournvita, or Boost succeeded in masking the smell of milk).

This is one product that I would rate at 5/5 (overall).
Packaging - 4.5/5 ( I find the quantity a little less and have to add a fruit/boiled egg to supplement my breakfast. But quantity is good enough for kids. )
Price - 5/5
Taste - 5/5
















Note: This is a product that has added sugar. Diabetics please watch out. 

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