Kiddies Foodies

Peanut Butter-Oatmeal- Butterscotch Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• Plain flour (maida) – 1 cup
• Baking soda – 1 tsp
• Salt – ¼ tsp
• Unsalted butter – ½ cup, room temp
• Creamy peanut butter – ½ cup
• Sugar – ½ cup
• Light brown sugar – ⅓ cup
• Vanilla essence – ½ tsp
• Egg – 1 @ room temp
• Oats – ½ cup (I used regular Quaker oats)
• Butterscotch/Chocolate chip – 1 cup        
• STEP BY STEP PICTURES ARE HERE
• Whisk together the four, baking soda and salt; set aside. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla essence, about 3 mins…
• 
  Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined…
  
  Stir in the oats, and the butterscotch/chocolate chips and mix until the dough comes together…
  
  Place the shaped dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart (refer notes). Bake for 10 mins (refer notes) or until the cookies are lightly golden…
  
  
  

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 180 C, 10 mins before baking. Line two baking sheets with parchment/baking paper.
2. Whisk together the four, baking soda and salt; set aside.
3. On medium speed, cream together the butter, peanut butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla essence, about 3 mins. Add the egg and beat to combine. On low speed, gradually add the flour until just combined. Stir in the oats, and the butterscotch/chocolate chips.
4. Use a large cookie scoop (3 tbsps) and drop dough onto prepared baking sheets about 2 inches apart (refer notes). Bake for 10 mins (refer notes) or until the cookies are lightly golden. Cool completely on the baking sheet and then store in an airtight container at room temp.

COCONUT CHOCO ROLLS

Ingredients: 

• 1 Tin Condensed Milk 
• 1/2 cup Cocoa Powder 
• 3 cups Grated Coconut 
• 3/4 cups Crushed Nuts 
• 1 cup Crushed Marie Biscuits 

Procedure: 

• Mix together all the ingredients in a pan. Save some coconut to fill in between the roll.
• Heat on medium heat. Keep stirring.
• When it starts thickening , turn off the heat. Take some mixture in the palm of your hand, flatten it and fill some coconut.
• Now roll it into a cylindrical shape. Repeat the same procedure with the remaining mixture.
• Wrap each rolls carefully in cling film. 
• Keep the wrapped rolls in refrigerator for about an hour. 
• Take out the rolls, remove the cling film from them and cut each roll into slices. 
• Serve.

Soya Chunks Pulao (Soya Rice) Recipe

Soya beans needs no introduction as there is no other legume which packs more protein than it does. While there are many ways to gorge onto its proteins, the best one is to use soya chunks which are protein rich, easy to cook and has a great taste neutrality which means it can be combined with any food to make it protein rich without affecting its taste. In this soya bean pulao recipe, nutritious soya granules and rice are sauteed in ghee with fresh vegetables and spices and then cooked like a normal pulao making it a well balanced meal in itself.

Preparation Time:  15 minutes

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Long Grained Rice (basmati rice)

1/2 cup Soya Chunks (dried)

1/4 cup finely chopped Carrots

1/4 cup Green Peas (fresh or frozen)

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 small piece of Bay Leaf

2-3 Black Peppercorns

1 small piece of Cinnamon Stick

2-3 Cloves

1 medium Onion, thinly sliced

1 Green Chilli, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder, optional

1¼ cups Water

Salt

1 tablespoons Oil or Ghee

2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves, for garnishing

Directions:

1. Rinse and soak rice in water for 15-20 minutes.
2. Rinse and soak soya chunks in hot water for 15-minutes.
3. After 15-minutes, chunks will increase to almost double in size. Drain excess water and again rinse them 2-3 times in water to remove raw smell.
4. Heat oil or ghee in a non-stick pan (with lid) over medium flame. Add cumin seeds, bay leaf, black peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves and allow cumin seeds to sizzle. Add sliced onion and green chilli and sauté until onion turns transparent.
5. Add chopped carrot and green peas and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
6. Drain the excess water from soaked rice and add them in the pan. Add drained soya chunks and turmeric powder. Mix everything well and sauté for couple of minutes over medium flame.
7. Add 1¼ cups water and salt to taste; bring it to boil over medium flame.
8. When it starts to boil, reduce flame to low and cook covered (cover pan with a lid) for about 10-minutes. Do not open the lid in between as steam will escape and rice will not cook properly and become sticky.
9. After 10-minutes, turn off flame and keep it over hot stove-top for at least 7-8 minutes. Now, remove the lid and fluff the cooked rice with fork.
10. Soya bean pulao with vegetables is ready. Transfer it into a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips and Variations:

• You can also cook pulao in a pressure cooker instead of cooking in a pan. Follow the same method, same amount of ingredients and cook in a 3-liter capacity aluminum/steel pressure cooker for 3-whistles over medium flame.
• Do not add turmeric powder if you want to make a white colored soya rice.
• If you are preparing this recipe for kids then do not add green chilli and black peppercorns. Give this in your kid’s lunchbox as a stomach filing and healthy dish.

Taste:  Mild spicy

Serving Ideas:  Serve it with cucumber raita or plain yogurt or as an alternative of steamed rice with meal.

Vegetable Pulao Recipe 

Vegetable Pulao (Veg Pulav) is a spicy rice dish prepared by cooking rice with various vegetables and spices. In this recipe, assortment of spices, veggies and rice are first sautéed in oil and ghee and then cooked in pressure cooker as you would cook plain rice. However, the uniqueness of this easy mixed vegetable pulao recipe lies in use of bay leaf, cinnamon and cloves which provides nice and complex 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Basmati Rice (long grained rice)

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 small Tomato, finely chopped

1/4 cup Green Peas (mutter), fresh or frozen

3 tablespoons finely chopped French Beans

1/4 cup finely chopped Carrot

1 small piece of Bay Leaf

1-inch piece of Cinnamon

2 Cloves

1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder

1/8 teaspoon Turmeric Powder

1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder

2 tablespoons finely chopped Coriander Leaves

2 tablespoons Oil

1 teaspoon Ghee

1 cup Water

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Wash rice and soak it in water for 15-20 minutes. Drain and keep aside until needed.
2. Heat ghee and oil together in a pressure cooker (2-liter capacity, stainless steel cooker) on low flame. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, and sauté for 30 seconds. Add onion and sauté until it turns light brown or for approx. 2 minutes.
3. Add chopped tomato, green peas, french beans and carrot.
4. Stir-fry them for approx. 2 minutes.
5. Add soaked (drained) rice, garam masala powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt.
6. Stir-fry them for approx. 2 minutes.
7. Add 1 cup water and mix well.
8. Close the lid and cook over medium flame for 2 whistles. When 1st whistle is completed, reduce the flame to low and cook until another whistle. Turn off flame.
9. Let it cool at room temperature until pressure inside cooker comes down naturally. Open the lid carefully and fluff the rice wit a fork.
10. Transfer it to a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves.

Tips and Variations:

• We have used 2 liter capacity stainless steel cooker in this recipe. However, you can use larger size of cooker as well but you need to determine how many whistles and what flame intensity will be required to cook it properly. If you are using pressure cooker made of aluminum then cook it for 2 whistles on medium flame.
• You can prepare it in large quantity in larger pressure cooker. Just use rice and water in 1:2 ratios. i.e. for every one cup rice two cups water should be added.
• You can also prepare equally delicious mixed vegetable rice pulao in a pan with a lid. Use same amount of ingredients as mentioned in this recipe, cover pan with a lid and cook it on low flame for 8-10 minutes. Do not open the lid in between while cooking. After turning off the flame, open the lid after 7-8 minutes. However, cooking in a pan may require more water as steam will escape easily, hence add 1/4 cup more water for given recipe.

Oats Upma Recipe

Oats are known for their health benefits because of its dietary fibers, iron and cholesterol reducing agents. Oats upma is a fusion of western and Indian ingredients, which combines all health benefits of oats, fresh vegetables and Indian spices. This south Indian recipe of upma prepares a healthy dish that is suitable to be served to kids as well as heart and diabetic patients.

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup Rolled Oats

1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Cumin Seeds

1 teaspoon Chana Dal (optional)

2 sprigs Curry Leaves

1 medium Onion, finely chopped

1 Green Chilli, chopped

1/4 cup finely chopped Carrot

1/4 cup finely chopped Capsicum

1 Tomato, finely chopped

5-6 fried Cashew Nuts (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped Coriander Leaves

Salt

2 tablespoons Cooking Oil or Ghee (clarified butter)

2 cups Hot Water

Directions:

1. Roast oats in a pan or kadai until they change from white to light brown. Transfer them in a plate and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a same kadai or pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When seeds begin to pop, add chana dal and curry leaves. Sauté until dal turns light brown for approx. 1 minute. Add chopped onion and chopped green chillies, sauté until onion becomes translucent.
3. Add chopped carrot, chopped capsicum and chopped tomatoes, sprinkle salt over it and cook for 2-3 minutes.
4. Add and mix roasted oats and cook for a minute.
5. Add 2 cups hot water and stir for a minute.
6. When it starts to boil, cover with a lid and cook over medium flame.
7. Cook until water is absorbed and oats are cooked thoroughly for approx. 7-8 minutes.
8. Add chopped coriander leaves and cashew nuts and mix well.
9. Turn off flame and transfer healthy oats upma to a serving bowl.

Tips and Variations:

• If you are using steel cut oats, then add 2½-3 cups water because they take more time to cook.
• You can add vegetables like beans, green peas etc. to make it even healthier.
• If you are preparing it for heart patient, use very little amount of oil or ghee and use cholesterol free butter.

Taste: Salty and mild spicy taste of spices, vegetables and oats.

Serving Ideas: Serve this healthy upma with tea in the morning for breakfast or as afternoon snack. It is a perfect healthy snack that can be packed in kid’s lunch box.

Semiya Upma Recipe 

Preparation Time: 5 Minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serves: 3 servings

Ingredients:

1 cup Vermicelli (semiya) (thin or thick)

1/2 teaspoon Mustard Seeds

1/2 teaspoon Uzhunnu parippu/ Urad Dal (optional)

1-2 sprigs Curry Leaves

1 large Onion, finely chopped

2-3 Green Chillies, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon grated Ginger

4 tablespoons Carrot, finely chopped

4 tablespoons Fresh or Frozen Green Peas

1 large Tomato, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon Turmeric Powder (optional)

2 tablespoons chopped Coriander Leaves

Salt

2 tablespoons Cooking Oil or Ghee (Clarified Butter)

1¾ cups + 2 tablespoons hot Water

Directions:

1. Roast vermicelli in a kadai on medium flame until it turns light brown. Cooking time may be varying according to size and thickness of your kadai. Keep stirring continuously. When done, keep roasted vermicelli aside to cool.
2. Heat oil or ghee according to your choice in same kadai. Add mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Add chana dal, urad dal and curry leaves, cook until dals become light brown. Add sliced onion, grated ginger and slit green chillies. Sauté until onion becomes translucent.
3. Add chopped carrot, green peas, chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder. Sprinkle salt over it and mix well.
4. Pour 2-tablespoons water and cook covered on low flame until vegetables become soft for around 3-4 minutes.
5. Add 1¾ cups hot water and let it boil for a minute.
6. Add roasted vermicelli.
7. Mix well and cover it with a lid.
8. Cook until water is absorbed for around 5-7 minutes. Stir in between occasionally to prevent sticking.
9. Turn off flame and transfer semiya upma to a serving bowl. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Taste: Salty, soft and mild spicy

Serving Ideas: Serve it with tea in the morning for breakfast. You can also eat vermicelli upma for a light dinner.

Corn Tikki Recipe

Ingredients:

3/4 cup + 1/4 cup Sweet Corn Kernels, boiled

2 medium Potato, boiled, peeled and mashed

1/2 cup Dry Breadcrumbs

2 Green Chillies, deseeded and finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon grated Ginger

4-5 Garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons Coriander Leaves, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala

2 teaspoons Lemon Juice

Salt

Oil

Directions:

1. Coarsely grind 3/4 cup boiled corn kernels, ginger, garlic and green chillies and make a corn paste.
2. Take mashed potatoes to a large bowl. Add breadcrumbs, corn paste, 1/4 cup whole corn kernels, coriander leaves, garam masala, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.
3. Grease palms with oil and divide mashed potato-corn mixture into 12 equal portions. Roll each portion into ball and flatten it to make round shaped 1/3 inch thick pattie.
4. Heat non-stick frying pan (tawa) or griddle for shallow frying. Drizzle 2 tablespoons oil and spread it. Place 6-7 patties over it and cook over medium-low flame until bottom surface turns golden brown or for approx. 2-3 minutes.
5. Flip them and cook another side until golden brown.
6. Transfer prepared tikkis to a plate and shallow fry remaining patties. Corn tikkis are ready for serving. Serve them hot with tomato ketchup and assortment of chutneys.

Corn flour halwa recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Sweet
Prep Time: 1 mins    |  Cook time: 10 mins    |  Serves: 4

Ingredients

Corn flour	1/2 cup
Sugar	1 & 1/2 cups
Water	2 cups
Ealchi powder	A pinch
Cashews	5 nos.
Ghee	2 –3  tsp
Food colour	1/2 pinch

Method

1. Mix corn flour,sugar,water and food colour in a large microwavable bowl, without any lumps.
   
   
    
2. Microwave in high for 6 minutes. After 4 minutes in between, mix once. Again microwave for 6 minutes, stirring in between after every 2 minutes of interval.
3. Fry cashews in ghee till golden brown and mix well. Grease a plate with ghee and pour in the plate and let it cool down for 1/2 hour or so. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

Notes

• Stirring in between as mentioned is very important to ensure even cooking.
• Do not reduce the sugar amount,as it will change the glossy look too and end up in porridge ;)
• The whole process is made in microwave high power.
• According to oven the cooking time varies plus or minus 2-3 minutes.
• Consume within one or two days. Refrigeration changes the texture so it is not recommended.
• There is a easy way to remember the recipe. 1 part corn flour,3 parts sugar,4 parts water. i.e; which ever cup u use, use the same cup and follow the ratio. Simple.

Veg Momos recipe

Prep Time: 10 mins    |  Cook time: 15 mins    |  Makes: 12

Ingredients

All purpose flour/ maida	3/4 cup
Water	As needed
Salt	3/4 tsp
Oil	2 tsp

For stuffing

Finely chopped cabbage	1 cup
Finely chopped Carrot	1/4 cup
Finely chopped garlic	1 tblsp
Spring onion	4 –5 sprigs
sugar	1/4 tsp
Pepper (black)	1/2 tsp
Soya sauce	1 tsp
Salt	1/2 tsp
Oil	1 tblsp

 

Method

1. Mix flour, salt and oil  in a bowl and add water to make a smooth pliable dough. Just like our poori dough. Keep aside covered.
2. Heat a pan with oil, add garlic, and finely chopped white part of the spring onion. Give a stir in high flame. Add the chopped veggies, sugar and fry in high flame for a minute.
3. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce and mix well. Lastly add finely chopped green part of the spring onion and mix for a minute in medium flame. Switch off and keep aside.
4. I rolled the dough into a big disc and used a big lid to cut into smaller discs. After that I again roll to make it more thin. Keep some stuffing we prepared in the middle.
5. Fold it to make momo shapes.
6. Steam it in a steamer spaced properly, for 5 minutes.

Notes

Adding oil in the  dough gives softer outer layer.

Egg Fried Rice

Ingredients

• To prepare rice :
• 2 cup Basmati rice
• 1 Vegetable stock cube dissolved in 4 cup hot water
• 3 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 1/4 tbsp Ginger, Garlic & 1 green Chilli grind together to fine paste
• Salt to taste
• Items to sauté :
• 2 tbsp Sunflower oil
• 1/4 tbsp Ginger, Garlic & 1 green Chilli grind together to fine paste
• 2 Carrots finely chopped
• 20 Beans finely chopped
• 1 Capsicum finely chopped
• 3 Eggs scrambled with salt for taste & 2 pinch Turmeric powder
• 3 tbsp dark Soya sauce
• 1 tbsp Chilli sauce
• Salt for taste

Method

Step 1

First clean the rice, drain water and allow to dry for 15 minutes.

Step 2

By the time the rice gets dried, keep 4 cups of water on flame to boil. In this water dissolve the vegetable stock.

Step 3

Meanwhile, chop the vegetables also.

Step 4

In a thick bottomed pot, pour 3 tbsp oil and fry the rice for 2 minutes. Then add boiled water with vegetable stock to the rice. Reduce the flame and allow the rice to cook.

Step 5

By the time the rice gets cooked, place a pan and make the scrambled egg first and keep aside.

Step 6

In the same pan sauté beans first in oil because beans need a little more cooking time than other vegetables.

Step 7

Once beans is cooked add ginger-garlic-green chilli mix followed by carrots and capsicum. Cook all vegetables together for 2 minutes.

Step 8

Meanwhile check if the rice is cooked. If water is fully evaporated and the rice is cooked stir the rice once and switch of the flame.

Step 9

After 2 minutes, to the cooked vegetables add soya sauce and chilli sauce and mix well.

Step 10

Then add scrambled egg to the vegetable mix and adjust the salt by adding some more salt if required.

Step 11

Add this vegetable mix to the cooked rice and mix well. Keep aside for 5 minutes. Now yummy, tasty and healthy egg fried rice is ready to serve.

Spicy chicken Pizza recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Snack
Prep Time: 1 Hr dough resting time    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Makes: 1 large pizza

Ingredients

All purpose flour/ Maida	1 & 1/2 cup
active dry yeast – 1 tbsp
Milk	1/4 cup
Water	1/4 cup (approx.)
Olive oil	1/8 cup
Salt	3/4 tsp
Sugar	1 & 1/2 tsp

For topping

                                             .2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves.

[ chicken cut in to cubes . marinate with salt(as needed), red chilly powder/ pepper powder (1/4 tsp) , garlic ( 1 clove minced) add olive oil (4 tbsp).   keep in refridgerator for  30 min, then saute the chicken to just brown all the sides]

 Cool, then either shred or chop into small pieces

Pizza cheese/ Mozzarella, grated	3/4 cup
Onion, tomato, capsicum(red/ green), black olives and ,	As needed, chopped
Red ripe chilli (Cayenne pepper)	1
Pasta sauce/ homemade pizza sause	3 tblsp

Method

1. Take a  bowl and add 1/4 cup of just warm water. dissolve your dry yeast in it.then add 2 tbspn of flour. mix well and keep aside for 10-15 min
2. In a bowl, mix flour, salt .
3. Add sugar , milk. and olive oil to the flour and mix. add yeast mixture
   
   
4. Make a smooth dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Keep aside covered with a wetted towel. Preferably in a warm place. I keep inside the oven with oven light ON. After an hour or 1 & 1/2 hour, the dough would have doubled and risen.
5. punching the dough and remove the air bubbles out. then let it ferment for one more  time. keep in the same place  by covering with same cloth. for  1/2 hr
7. Preheat the oven to 200 deg.C . Get the toppings ready. Knead again the dough smoothly and in a well floured surface, roll out into thick pizza (dust the surface generously if sticky). Just make the sides like a rim. Transfer this to a well greased and sprinkled with some flour pizza pan.
8. 
   
9. 
10. Spread pasta sauce inside the rim and spread some half of the grated cheese, I used mixed cheese.
    
    
    
    
11. Arrange the toppings as desired in pattern or just toss the toppings here and there and cover with the remaining grated cheese.
    
12. Bake for 14 - 15 minutes in a preheated oven until the cheese melts and pizza turns golden in colour. The pizza should move freely in the pan, with which you can check if its cooked perfectly.
    

Notes

• Do not skip sugar.
• You can use 50 50 wheat flour and all purpose flour too.
• Water quantity is approximate and just use it as only a guidance and adjust accordingly.
• The dough should be soft and pliable and not stiff to get a soft pizza.
• Feel free to use your own toppings.
• More cheese = more tasty, but do not overload, otherwise, centre of the pizza will be looking white and gooey.
• Do not roll too thick, remember, the dough will rise a bit while baking too.

Spicy veggie Pizza recipe

Recipe Cuisine: Indian  |  Recipe Category: Snack
Prep Time: 1 Hr dough resting time    |  Cook time: 20 mins    |  Makes: 1 large pizza

Ingredients

All purpose flour/ Maida	1 & 1/2 cup
active dry yeast – 1 tbsp
Milk	1/4 cup
Water	1/4 cup (approx.)
Olive oil	1/8 cup
Salt	3/4 tsp
Sugar	1 & 1/2 tsp

For topping

Pizza cheese/ Mozzarella, grated	3/4 cup
Onion, tomato, capsicum(red/ green), black olives and zucchini,	As needed, chopped
Red ripe chilli (Cayenne pepper)	1
Pasta sauce/ homemade pizza sause	3 tblsp

Method

1. Take a  bowl and add 1/4 cup of just warm water. dissolve your dry yeast in it.then add 2 tbspn of flour. mix well and keep aside for 10-15 min
2. In a bowl, mix flour, salt .
3. Add sugar , milk. and olive oil to the flour and mix. add yeast mixture
   
   
4. Make a smooth dough. Knead for 5 minutes. Keep aside covered with a wetted towel. Preferably in a warm place. I keep inside the oven with oven light ON. After an hour or 1 & 1/2 hour, the dough would have doubled and risen.
5. punching the dough and remove the air bubbles out. then let it ferment for one more  time. keep in the same place  by covering with same cloth. for  1/2 hr
7. Preheat the oven to 200 deg.C . Get the toppings ready. Knead again the dough smoothly and in a well floured surface, roll out into thick pizza (dust the surface generously if sticky). Just make the sides like a rim. Transfer this to a well greased and sprinkled with some flour pizza pan.
8. 
   
9. 
10. Spread pasta sauce inside the rim and spread some half of the grated cheese, I used mixed cheese.
    
    
    
    
11. Arrange the toppings as desired in pattern or just toss the toppings here and there and cover with the remaining grated cheese.
    
12. Bake for 14 - 15 minutes in a preheated oven until the cheese melts and pizza turns golden in colour. The pizza should move freely in the pan, with which you can check if its cooked perfectly.
    

Notes

• Do not skip sugar.
• You can use 50 50 wheat flour and all purpose flour too.
• Water quantity is approximate and just use it as only a guidance and adjust accordingly.
• The dough should be soft and pliable and not stiff to get a soft pizza.
• Feel free to use your own toppings.
• More cheese = more tasty, but do not overload, otherwise, centre of the pizza will be looking white and gooey.
• Do not roll too thick, remember, the dough will rise a bit while baking too.

Kozhukatta Recipe

Ingredients

• Rice flour - 1 cup
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
• Jaggery - 150 gm
• Crushed Cardamom - 2
• Water - 1 1/2 cup
• Salt to taste

Method

Step 1

For the filling : Heat a pan and melt the jaggery with 1/4 cup of water and strain the jaggery with a strainer.

Step 2

Reheat the jaggery. Add grated coconut and keep stirring until it turns to thick consistency. Add crushed cardamom and remove from fire. This is for the filling.

Step 3

For the dough - Kozhukatta Maavu: Boil 1 1/2 cup of water with salt. Pour the boiled water to the rice flour little by little and mix it with a spoon. Keep it aside till it is warm enough to handle.

Step 4

Knead the dough and make it into a soft ball. Make medium size balls out of the dough. Take one ball at a time and place it in your palm. Press it with the other hand and make it thin.

Step 5

Starts folding it inwards in such a way that you get a cup shape. Place 2 tsp of the filling and cover it and roll it back into a ball. Repeat the process with the rest of the dough and filling.

Step 6

Heat an appachembu or a steamer and steam the balls or kozhukatta for 10 minutes on a medium flame. Keep it covered for 2 more minutes. Serve hot.

Vegetable Egg Noodles Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 4 Packet Noodles (Maggi or Indomi or any other egg noodles. I have used Maggi)
• 1/2 tbsp Ginger paste
• 1/2 tbsp Garlic paste
• 1 Big onion chopped
• 2 Carrots sliced into 2 inch sticks
• 100 Gram beans chopped
• 50 Gram spring onion chopped
• 3 Eggs
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 Tbsp white pepper powder
• 2 Tbsp tomato sauce
• 2 Tbsp soya sauce
• 1/2 Tbsp pepper sauce
• 1/4 Tbsp vinegar
• 6 Tbsp vegetable oil

Method

Step 1

Cook the noodles as per instruction on the packet. I cook noodles as below. Put noodles to 12 big cups of boiling water and allow to cook for 2 minutes. Drain water with a sieve and pour some cold water to stop noodles from overlooking. Grease noodles with little corn oil to avoid noodles from sticking to each other.

Step 2

Meanwhile beat eggs with salt to taste. Heat 2 tbsp oil and add beaten egg. Whisk or stir continuously to make scrambled egg. Once fried, takeout from fire and keep aside.

Step 3

Heat pan and add 4 tbsp oil. Sauté ginger-garlic paste and onion for 1/2 minute. Add beans and allow to cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Then add carrots and cook for 1 minute.

Step 4

Add all different sauce one by one and then add Maggi masala. Mix well.

Step 5

Add scrambled egg and pepper powder followed by noodles. Mix all ingredients well with noodles.

Step 6

As a final step, add vinegar and chopped spring onion for garnishing. Stir well.

Step 7

Switch off the flame and serve hot noodles with vegetable and scrambled egg with sauce of your choice.

Vattayappam – Steamed Rice Cake

Vattayappam or steamed rice cake  is a typical  Kerala sweet dish.  This delicious thick steamed pancake is made from fermented rice flour and coconut which have soft, thick white spongy texture.

It pairs beautifully with tea or coffee, which makes it a nice tea time snack or breakfast where it will be eaten up in no time. It is loved by almost all Keralites.

You must try this recipe at your home!

Ingredients

• Raw rice (pachari) - 1 cup
• Cooked rice - 1/2 cup
• Grated coconut - 1 cup
• Sugar -1/2 cup
• Water - 1/2 cup
• Instant yeast - 1/4 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Cardamom (Elakka) - 1crushed
• Raisins - 2 tbsp

Method

Step 1

Soak the rice in water for 6 hrs or overnight. Grind the soaked rice with the cooked rice and grated coconut to make a smooth batter. While grinding add enough water.

Step 2

Add the yeast, salt and sugar. Mix well. Keep the batter to ferment overnight.

Step 3

Take a flat bottom greased pan pour the batter. Top it with raisins and cardamom.

Step 4

Take a steamer and steam it for 20 mins on a medium flame.

Step 5

The delicious Vattayappam is ready to be served.

 Tomato Rice Recipe

Ingredients for Tomato Rice:

Tomato juice  - 4 medium

Green chillies - 2Onion - 1 smallGarlic - 6 cloves

Red chilly powder- 1/2  tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Garam masala -  1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds  - for temperingOil - 1 tbspSalt - to tasteCooked rice - 2 cups

How to Make Tomato Rice:

1. Heat oil and cackle mustard seeds . Add chopped onions,  and slit green chillies. Fry till golden brown.

2. Now add the chopped garlic, turmeric, jeera, cinnamon powder and fry for 2-3 mins.

3. Next, add the  tomatoes JUICE  and mash nicely while on fire. Adjust salt and let it cook for about 10 mins or so, until the tomatoes are cooked soft and take a sauce-like consistency.

4. Turn off fire, add the cooked rice and mix well.

Minced meat pasta

Ingredients

• Pasta – 200gms
• Water - 2 cup
• Oil - 5 tsp
• Minced beef - 300 gms
• Chilly powder – 1/2 tsp
• Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
• Onion - 1 chopped
• Celery - 2 strings chopped
• Tomato - 1 chopped
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste

Method

Step 1

Heat a pan and boil water, add a little salt into it. Add pasta into boiling water, add 2 tsp of oil and cook till the pasta is done. Drain out excess water.

Step 2

Heat 2 tsp of oil in a pan and saute onions, ginger garlic paste for 3 minutes. Add chopped tomato, chilly powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, minced beef, 1 cup of water, salt and mix well. Cook this till the minced beef is cooked well. The beef mix is now ready.

Step 3

Mix the pasta and beef mix well and add chopped celery.

Step 4

Delicious pasta with minced meat is ready to serve.