Kid's Lunch-Box -I

I am sure many of you like me also struggle in early morning ,to fix the daily lunch-box. In this post I have tried to share some tips and ideas that I generally follow ,to include in my daughter's lunch-box who is a toddler.
Arranging and preparing your kid’s lunch-box,I do think this is the most elaborate topic, it's difficult to choose and give in healthy nutritional supplements in tiffin when our kid's dont give us much options.I know it's pretty tempting for them to munch potato chips and kurkure but that is not what we want them to have ,right.
So we can give home-made potato fries instead of chips or store brought french fries , a much better option than those highly salted, saturated and preservative added stuff.
Like this ,here I have written about some easy and quick-fix tiffin ideas .Hope it helps you out to some extent.

This recipe goes to Monthly Mingle , this month's theme is Kid's lunch hosted by Srivalli , visit here for more details - Kid's lunch at cooking for all season
The event is the brainchild of Meeta of What's For lunch Honey , visit Here for complete details of the event.
Now to the recipe of Aloo Bhaja and Porotha

1 cup of whole wheat flour
Pinch of salt
2-3 medium size potato for potato fry
Oil to fry the potatoes
Method
Cut the potatoes into 1 inch long pieces and marinate them in turmeric powder and salt.
Meanwhile knead the dough for paratha making (you may knead the dough in night and store in refrigerator and make paratha in morning)
Roll them to rounds and with small katoris/bowls cut them to small rounds or you may use any of your cookie cutters to make different shapes.
Now after sometime ,little water will be coming out from potatoes , drain out the water and deep fry them in hot deep bottomed pan with little bit of oil.
Take out and cool.

Arranging your kid’s lunch-box.
I do think this is the most elaborate topic, how to prepare and fix kid’s lunch box.
To me I try to make things as per my daughter’s wish (that doesn’t mean I end up giving her potato chips or kurkure or things like that which we call junk food, which is every kid’s fantasy)
I pack her lunch –box in front of her, keep asking her what she wants to have.
Usually I give her three choices and ask her to pick one among these.That chosing gives her immense satisfaction makes her feel like grown up.
While packing lunch-box for toddlers it’s essential to understand, that they are small, so they need things which can be bite-size or they can hold on while eating like a roll.

Carbohydrate -Vitamins - Roll Recipes can be varied, I would like to draw attention towards rolls made in Indian way not the usual stuff like rolling in mayo or peanut butter, but then these are available now in India also and one can assemble these in lunch-box also .The stuffing can be any subzi much more healthy option than mayo or peanut butter .like a cauliflower-potato subzi, Recipe Link (with less spices), or Bhindi/okhra fry or even chole chaat ,Recipe Link .

Fruits -I also chop some apples /cucumber (bite size) and try to include in her lunch-box. Bananas Make the tiffin messy so avoid it , even they dont want to eat oxidised fruit pieces which turns little black due to this.Sprinkle some sugar and lemon juice over chopped pieces of fruits , it remains very much fresh and enhances the taste.
Cake pieces and wafers can also be given once in a while, that breaks the monotomy of daily lunch box.

Cereals-Flavored corn flakes can also be given; it can be a wonderful substitute for potato chips. I am sure your kid will love munching them. Spread some butter over high fiber biscuits like 7 grain biscuits and include it ,in your kid's lunch box.
There are innumerable varieties of corn flakes available out there like mango, honey almonds,bananas and of various shapes also; my little one is fond of having mango flavored corn flakes.
Minerals and Vitamins -Some dry nuts like cashews or walnuts can also be included .It will be great if the cashews are fried and salted.It will be even nice if you try making it at home .Just fry them in some oil at low and sprinkle salt over it.Store in air tight container, it stays fresh for 2-3 weeks.Include them as your kid wish to.
I will update more in next post with a home-made jam recipe, a perfect as a spread over toasted whole wheat Bread for toddlers.

Menwhile do drop in your two cents regarding this topic and it will be great to know how you fix your kid's lunch box.

Happy Cooking Friends

Click -Wood

Yesterday I made fresh batches of namkins and while making it I realized, this fits into the theme of Click this month i.e Wood ,visit this page for more details Click-Wood .We all know about this great pair of talented peoples who does this great Jugalbandi together. Visit them to know more about them.

For the recipe of namkins visit Here

Happy Cooking Friends

Fish Fritters

I can see the wind is changing its course.The colour of sunlight is slowly turning crimson yellow depicting spring has arrived.With this ,the chirping of birds has risen as if they are whispering to each other “Elo Basanto elo re!” meaning Look the spring has come.
Spring is the season of joy.Joy to see nature’s bounty in full bloom.

There is this mango tree near our small home, which we can see from our room’s window, it has started showing sign’s of new life, the small green mangoes are more prominent now, by the end of April or May, may be we will be able to see fully ripened mangoes (and that will be a real treat).We are now waiting for some delicious ripened mango (if they are any more left!!)
Even the entire neighbourhood is keeping a strict eye on every movement around it.So; you know this mango tree has suddenly become the centre of attraction or an apple err a mango of every eye …
With growing interest, it is now also regularly being watered, till few days ago many would park their car under this tree’s shade, not anymore now …..They have overwhelmedly given that space to the care-takers to water and clean it regularly…….
Such is the importance of this tree now, elders would yell at every neighbourhood children who would end up playing cricket under its shade or even near it (this means for the time being my AC and windows are shock –proof now!!)
One fine morning I was awaken to the noise outside, a group of morning walkers gathered under its shade and were looking upwards at it very enthusiastically …
I peeked in and saw Mrs B in white tracksuits and in white /peach walking shoes which she had purchased from a sale near-by a big shoe-retail house (how I know it, I was there doing the same!!) She was talking to Mrs M, “onek golo dekhte parchi” (Yeah! I can see many of them)
Mrs M ”Daraon dekho amader agey E shobayi pere kheye nebe, kitcho ekta beboshta korte hobe” (wait before we can get any, there are many who would eat it right there) Then she gave a very crossed look at my window as if she can sense I was there and my heart went pounding with the sound of dub-dub ,can almost hear it in my ears.
Ahh! One mango tree and so many stake holders, uff!!

So friends I have leaved my stake over it .It is very saddening because I am depriving myself of eating fresh mangoes from our fav mango tree,which I am sure you all know is the most precious fruit mother nature has given.
It feels little peaceful also sometimes , just to see it every fine morning with cozy breeze blowing , birds chirping and leaves synchronizing with the rythum and little green mangoes dancing to the tune of life . To me these are indeed small joys of life, isn’t?

May this tree gets its real due and is not butchered for the sale and allotment of parking slots in our residential area!!

Coming to the recipe now, we had some fried fish left which we did not want to eat like a normal fish curry.I thought why not try making it as fritters.This is very simple and quick recipe , any one without much experience in kitchen can make it , but trust me the result is very delicious. Here is the recipe for fish fritters


Fish Fritters
2-3 fried fish pieces (rui /katla mach)
½ cup of besan/chick pea flour
1 -2 tsp of red pepper powder
1 tsp of cumin powder
1 tsp of coriander powder
1tsp of garam masala

4-5 tsp of onion/garlic/ginger paste
Salt as per taste
Oil for frying the fritters
Method

Dig out the small bones out of fried fish pieces, take out the skin also (it will splatter oil while frying the fritters)
Now mix in with besan/chick pea flour, red pepper powder, cumin, coriander powder,onion/garlic/ginger paste and salt as per taste.
Heat up heavy bottomed pan, add oil and drop in some mixture into the oil, fry the fritters at low to deep fry.Take out and drain out the excess oil in tissue paper.
Serve with coriander chutney or any chunky salsa (I used to eat it with Ragu pasta sauce even!!)

Happy Cooking Friends

Shoro Chakhali -Another Dosa Variation

I thought quiz is entirely based on the general awareness about your surroundings and politics, sports and cultural activities, until recently I noticed these question/answer series depicting how successful you are in any particular relationship, be it mom-daughter, husband-wife, girlfriend-boyfriend or with your dog even!!
Here you are given some questions and multiple choice answers based on the possible reactions/activity one may come across.You start doing the questions,for every score you are given some points ,these will add upto your final appraisal.
Now my friends, I must tell you , there are Four types of people regarding this-
One –they will straight jump to attempt these, as if this is their last day; I am being one of them!!
Second- they will see others doing it, so they will attempt doing it for the sake of their peers.
Third-these are the real ones, they will not attempt it anyhow, but deep down somewhere, their mind will be scolding them, why on earth they haven’t attempted it ,but no trace of such reactions/emotions on their face , and when the final score will come out they will be giving you a glance ,I-Told-You-So-That’s-Why-I-Don’t –Attempt-It.
Fourth-gem of gems, they will walk out straight from there without further wasting anymore time there.
Now why I am saying all these, because I have given four choices to the basic question of “attempting these quizs” and you my friend, tried to fit into these categories (You don’t, well you are then very special) ….so you know what I mean …again a quiz! How infectious it is!!

Shoro Chakhali -another type of dosa


Anyways now to cooking , I am going to share a wonderful recipe for Shoro Chakhali, It’s quite like the dosa, but the lentil here is yellow moong dal.The lentil paste is mixed with rice powder just like a normal dosa would do but the fermentation process is entirely skipped,so you prepare the batter and start cooking right from there.

Shoro Chakhali is prepared in poush-paban in Bengal or during”sankranti”, yeah this was prepared during that period but I am sharing it with you now (I know I am a latelatif ,but cant help it when real life calls ,virtual life takes back seat sometimes,hope you my friend understand that ……)
This is usually accompanied with noton gur/Jaggery syrup, and this tastes just perfect with that only…May be for jaggery syrup substitute, maple syrup can be used, because this indeed is a variation of pancakes or rather vegetarian pancakes, isn’t??
Now to the recipe ---

Shoro Chakali
2 cups of mong dal( yellow small lentil)
2 cups of rice powder (chal gurun) or you may go the entire process of soaking /sona masoori/gobind bhog or any other rice for 2-3 hrs ,then grinding to a smooth paste..
Pinch of salt

Method
Soak the dal for 2-3 hrs.Wash the dal with water for 2-3 times.
Grind it in mixer to a smooth paste.
Mix in with rice powder (chal gurun, available in packets of half kg or 1kg, so no need to soak the rice and then grind it)
Add little bit of water to make a smooth batter just like dosa, add pinch of salt.
Now make shoro chakali just like dosa rounds.
Have it with noton gur.Make syrup with noton gur.Just dissole the solid gur/jaggery in water and cook at low to form sweet syrup.
This brings a good change in our usual night meal.
You can make this savoury too, just stuff in with aloo-peas subzi or paneer bhurji.

Happy Cooking Friends

Chicken Soup

It feels great to see your little kids take some giant step towards life.
Today I got a letter from my daughter's Pre- school for the orientation programme.She will be soon joining this big school.Some more days and my duty to drop her to her Play- school and then pick up will be over .She will be traveling thro school bus, but no more holding my hand or resting her head over my lap.
It gives me sheer chill down the spine , don’t know if this is me or my extra cautious motherly feeling.I am kind of having, sweats in my hands whenever I am thinking about that which haven’t happened yet.
Anyways lets get back to cooking and for that I would like to share a recipe for chicken soup .Now we all know how much soup is healthy and nutritious.
It says have chicken soup when suffering from cold and cough, and it is just so true in our case.

This remains my daughter's fav soup.....




Chicken soup
1 drumstick or you may add any other chicken portions..
1 onion
Few tsp of ginger paste
Few tsp of garlic paste
1 tomato,1 bay leaf
1 tsp of cumin powder (fresh grounded is must for that earthy flavour)
1 egg
Vegetables as per your taste and preference
Method


Clean the drumstick well.
Add oil in a pressure cooker, let it heat up, add 1bay leaf.
Now add the onions,garlic ,ginger ,vegetables and drumstick, fry well for 2-3 mints
Add cumin powder, coat well.
Add water approx 2-3 cups.
Add in tomato pieces, salt and little black pepper powder ,as I was making this soup for my lil one.grown ups can add more spice if they wish to ...
Now lock the pressure cooker, let it whistle once and then lower the flame cook for 20 mints at low.
Open the pressure cooker when the pressure subsides.
You may add in one egg at this time, stir well. Cooking tip from a wonderful recipe of soup Chicken Soup at Recipeswap .
Also at this time if you feel that the soup needs to be thickened a little , add in 1 tbs of corn starch/flour in 1 cup of this chicken broth and mix in well with the entire soup.Just heat it enough before serving.
Serve with 1 tsp of butter and some coriander leaves.
Happy Cooking Friends