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Showing posts with label kids special. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids special. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

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 !!!








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. 

Thursday, June 2, 2016

Cranberry and Mango Pilaf ( Back to school Collab )

Ahh. Finally the schools are re-opening after the much needed summer break. As much as it brings relief to the aggrieved mommies like me, planning for the tiffin/lunch box becomes a major headache. One has to ensure things like nutritional value, individual preferences and even variety to ensure that the neatly packed labor of one's love does not return home untouched or half-eaten.

With most of the schools having two recess breaks (usually from standard 1) these days, it is important to plan the boxes in such a way that it includes all the five nutrient groups, i.e., carbs, protein, dairy, fruit and veggies ! For example if one of the boxes contain a whole grain sandwich with a spicy chickpeas and vegetables filling, the other box can have a stuffed paratha or any kind of wrap with yogurt/hung curd and fruits. For a typical Indian variant, one can try a vegetable upma / idli and vegetable chutney for the first box and a simple rice dish with a fruity raita/paneer and vegetables curry for the second box. One can create many such permutations and combinations which not only add variety to the lunchbox menu but also make it possible to provide wholesome and balanced diet to the growing kids. And thankfully, quite a few schools, with the help of nutritional experts, have started sending out circulars as to what should be there in the kid's lunchbox. A different menu for each day to expose the kids to a variety of edibles. I find it to be a great initiative because when all the kids start to carry wholesome foodstuff in their boxes, the demand for junk food automatically dies down.

With my kid having a distinct preference for all things sweet and also a little bit tangy, I often make a sweet fruit pulao for his lunchbox. I complement it with a veggies fry which works quite well for him. But for kids who like yogurt/paneer, a simple Boondi raita or a semi dry Paneer curry can also be packed along with the pulao. For my kid, I prefer to use the small grained fragrant rice as it is easier for him to swallow. For that matter, do you know any kid who chews up properly ? Huh huh. But for grown ups, this recipe goes great with the long grained Basmati brown rice !

Read on for the recipe -
[ And do remember to scroll down to the bottom of this post to check the collaboration recipes with Saswati 's Delish Potpourri and Parinaaz's A Dollop of That ]
















Preparation Tim - 15 mins

Ingredients - 

  • 1 cup rice ( I used fine grade jeera rice or Gobindo bhog )
  • 2-3 cloves
  • 2 inch cinnamon
  • 2 green cardamom
  • 1-2 star anise
  • 2 dry red chili ( very mild heat )
  • 1 1/2 tsp sugar
  • 2 tsp ghee 
  • salt to taste
  • a pinch of saffron ( soaked in 2 tsp milk )
  • a handful of dried cranberries
  • 2/3 cup ripe mango (chopped into small cubes)

Preparation - Wash and clean the rice. Drain the water. Add turmeric powder and mix evenly. Let it air dry for 1-2 hours.

Cooking - Heat the ghee in a cooker. Add all the whole spices and stir fry till fragrant.

Add the rice and fry for 2-3 mins till all the grains are coated with ghee. Finally add 2 cups water, sugar, salt, chopped cranberries and the soaked saffron strands.

Close lid and cook for 1-2 whistles ( about 12-14 mins ). Allow steam to escape before removing the lid.

Stir in the mangoes and let it stand covered for 5 mins for the flavor to get imbibed.

















Pack into the lunchbox along with a raita or a semi dry curry of your kid's choice.

















For more such delicious recipes, check out these blogs !!

Check out Saswati' blog 'Delish Potpourri' for a yummy Peanut Butter Chocolate Trial mix Granola Bars. recipe

Image courtesy : Delishpotpourri.com




















and Parinaaz's blog ' A Dollop of That ' for some lip-smacking Ragi Banana Pancakes  .






















That certainly takes care of the Kiddo's snack box. What say !!

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