Stuffed Cucumber Cups

My two year old loves snacking on cucumber slices,and when I found this recipe in the Family Fun Magazine,I had to try it.This would make a fun eye-catching side or a healthy after school snack.

Ingredients :

• 1 English Cucumber ( about 12 inches long,ends trimmed)
• 1/2 Cup Hummus
• Finely chopped red bell pepper or tomato for garnish

Method :

1. Using a fork,score the sides of the cucumbers to create the decorative stripes (for my two year old,I peeled skin from the cucumber).
2. Slice the cucumber into 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick rounds.
3. Using a teaspoon or melon baller,scoop the centre of each slice.
4. Spoon 1/4 to 1/2 tablespoon of hummus into each cucumber cup.
5. Garnish each cucumber cup with chopped red bell pepper or tomato.

Peas and Carrot Pulav Rice.

Rice has a been a staple in our household growing up and the tradition continues.I feel nothing is more satisfying than a cup of steaming hot rice and dhal.My kids love this rice dish and I combined our rice with a simple coconut based egg curry,it was a big hit! (egg curry post coming soon)

Ingredients :

• 2 cups of Basamati Rice ( wash,soak in water for 10-15 mins)
• 1 cup of carrot & peas
• 1/4 cup of Raw Cashew-nuts (optional)
• 1/4 cup of Small Raisins (optional)
• 2 inch piece of Cinnamon (broken into two pieces)
• 4 Cloves
• 6 Cardamom Pods
• 4-5 Flakes of garlic (peeled and slit)
• 3 Medium sized Onions (Finely Sliced)
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons of Ghee ( clarified butter)
• 2 tablespoons of Oil
• 4 cups of hot water

Method :

1. Strain the rice and discard the water that the rice was soaking in.
2. In a heavy based pot,add the oil and ghee,when hot add the whole spices (cinnamon,cloves and cardamom).Give it a quick stir.
3. Add the sliced onions and garlic flakes,saute till the onions are translucent.
4. Add the cashew-nuts and raisins and saute till the raisins swell up.( saute on medium low heat)
5. Add the carrot and peas and give this a quick stir.
6. Add the rice,salt and give this a quick stir and fry the rice for a quick minute.
7. In another pot bring 4 cups of water to a boil.
8. Add the boiled water to the rice and stir.
9. Cover and cook on low heat till the water has evaporated and the rice is cooked. (this will take about 15 to 20 mins)
10. Enjoy this with a side of pepper chicken,mutton curry,egg curry or your favorite curry!

Whole Wheat Pumpkin Pancakes.

Happy Halloween Everyone! I see pumpkins everywhere,our weekend was spent decorating pumpkins and I have already been dreaming of pumpkin pie.I researched the internet for everything pumpkin related and I loved the idea of making pumpkin pancakes for the kids.I alerted few of the ingredients from the original recipe and I had two very happy kids! This is a perfect fall breakfast.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup Vanilla flavored coconut milk ( or milk of your choice)
• 1/2 cup Organic Pumpkin Puree
• 1 Egg
• 1 Tablespoon Coconut Oil ( or oil of your choice)
• 1 Tablespoon Vinegar
• 1 Cup Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 and half Tablespoons of brown sugar
• 1 Teaspoon Baking powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Baking soda
• 1/4 Teaspoon All spice powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Cinnamon Powder(for a milder cinnamon flavor-1/4 teaspoon)
• A pinch of Nutmeg
• 1/4 Teaspoon Salt

Method :

1. In a bowl mix the coconut milk,pumpkin puree,egg,oil and vinegar.
2. In another bowl,combine all the dry ingredients,the whole wheat flour,brown sugar,baking soda,baking powder,salt,all spice powder,cinnamon powder and salt.
3. Combine the wet and dry ingredients together to form a batter. ( if you feel your batter is too thick,add a little more milk)
4. Heat a lightly oiled pan over medium heat. 
5. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter onto your heated pan and once you see bubbles forming,flip the pancake and cook to a golden brown color on both sides.
   
   
   Tip :
   

   • I didn't add vanilla essence,since I was using vanilla flavored coconut milk,if you use plain milk,you can add 1/4 teaspoon of vanilla flavor.

Tomato Saar (Tomato Soup)

The weather outside is nippy and as the winter draws closer, my grandmother's Tomato Saar is the perfect soup to combine with a cup of steaming hot rice.This is a traditional Mangalorean recipe and one that  frequented our dinner table a lot. I love the combination of the peppercorns and tomatoes,gives the soup a warm and comforting taste,especially on a cold day like today.

Ingredients :

• 3 medium sized  ripe tomatoes
• 1 medium sized onion (chopped)
• 1 green chilly slit
• 4-5  flakes of garlic ( sliced)
• 1 inch ginger (finely chopped)
• 5 tender stalks of cilantro leaves (finely chopped)
• 5-6 curry leaves
• 8 peppercorns
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/4 teaspoon chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
• A small marble sized piece of Tamarind soaked in water
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons of Oil
• 1 and half cups of water

Method :-

1. Boil the tomatoes for 5 minutes and once they have cooled,discard the water,peel the tomatoes and run your fork through them and mash them.
2. In a heavy based pan,add the oil and heat the oil on medium heat.
3. Once your oil is heated,add the mustard seeds,once the seeds start to splutter add the curry leaves and green chilly.
4. Add the chopped onions,garlic and ginger.Saute this mixture till its golden brown.(make sure this mixture doesn't burn,keep stirring it constantly)
5. Add the tomatoes,pepper corns and salt,give this a quick stir.
6. Add the powders ( chilly,turmeric,cumin and pepper powder)
7. Add the tamarind juice ( adjust this to your taste,if your tomatoes are really sour,then you may want to cut down on the tamarind juice)
8. Add the cilantro leaves and saute this mixture for a quick minute.
9. Add a cup and half of water and let this soup simmer covered till it reaches a boil. (this mixture can simmer for a good 10 minutes)
10. Garnish with fresh cilantro leaves and enjoy with a steaming cup of rice.

Brinjal and Potato Sukka ( Eggplant and Potato)

This is my grandmothers recipe,and as a child whenever she made it,I would scoop out all the brinjal (eggplant) pieces and eat just the potato part of the dish.As an adult I have learnt to eat the eggplant part of the dish and absolutely love it!

This dish is prepared using the small eggplant and is layered with flavors of sweet and spices,and a relatively simple dish to prepare.

 

Ingredients:

• 3-4 Small Brinjal (Eggplant)-cut lengthwise
• 2 Small Potatoes-cut lengthwise
• 2  Medium sized Onions (sliced)
• 1 Green Chilly (slit)
• 5 Curry Leaves
• 1/4 Teaspoon Mustard Seeds
• 4 Flakes Garlic (crushed)
• 1 inch piece Ginger (finely chopped)
• 1/4 Teaspoon Cumin Powder
• 1/2 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Chilli Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1/4 Teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• Marble sized ball of Tamarind ( add water to it and use 2 Tablespoons of the juice)
• I inch cube of Jaggery ( adjust to taste)
• Salt to Taste
• 4 Tablespoons of Oil

 Method :-

1. Heat the oil on a medium heat in your cooking pan.
2. When the oil is heated,add the mustard seeds,when they begin to spullter add the crushed garlic flakes.
3. When the garlic flakes begin to brown (they brown really quickly) add the curry leaves,garlic and ginger,saute for a quick minute.
4. Add the onions and green chilly saute for another quick minute.
5. Add the powders (chilli,turmeric,coriander,cumin and garam masala)
6. Add the potatoes and saute the potatoes for a few minutes( make sure you add your potato first,as this takes longer to cook than the brinjal)
7. Add the brinjal and salt to taste and give it a quick stir,make sure that the potatoes and the brinjal does not stick to the pan,keep stirring every once in a while.
8. Add the jaggery and the tamarind juice,give it another quick stir
9. Add a cup of water and simmer till the potatoes and brinjal are cooked to your liking.(this is a dry dish,allow the dish to come to a boil and the gravy will thicken)
10. Enjoy with a steaming cup of rice or parathas!

Parathas (Whole Wheat Indian Flatbread)

A Paratha is a flat bread that originated in India.Paratha is an amalgamation of the words parat and atta which literally means layers of cooked dough.Paratha can be round,square or triangular in shape. (source wikipedia).

Paratha is a traditional breakfast flatbread and usually eaten with spiced potatoes.It can be eaten with many other different side dishes too.The kids love to eat their parathas with sunny side up eggs,thats exactly what we did today and they were ecstatic! Parathas are not limited to being a breakfast dish,it can be consumed for lunch,dinner or even a snack.We paired our Parathas with left over mince(ground meat) and vegetables, for dinner and the combination of the two was delicious!

Ingredients :- 

• 2 cups Whole Wheat Flour
• 1 cup Warm water
• 2 Tablespoons of Oil
• Salt to taste

Method :

• Use a wide kneading bowl and mix the flour and salt.
• Use half the water and start mixing the dough and water.
• Add the oil to this mixture.
• Keep adding the water and knead to form a smooth dough ball.
• Cover and keep aside for 10-20 minutes.
• You can make lemon sized balls of the dough and set aside.
• Dust the wooden board and the rolling pin.

Step 1-Take the lemon sized ball of dough and flatten it out on the wooden board,dust the dough with a little flour and start rolling it out into a medium sized circle.
Step 2-Coat the circle with a drop of oil and fold the circle to form a half circle.
Step 3-Coat the half circle with a drop of oil and fold it to form a small triangle.
Step 4 -Shows the small triangle.
Step 5- Start rolling out the triangle with your rolling pin,and dusting the dough with flour to prevent it from sticking to the wooden board,till you get a medium sized triangle.
Step 6- Heat your iron skillet( or your frying pan) and fry the paratha on meduim till its golden brown in color,applying a drop of oil as needed.

Serve hot and Enjoy!

Mince with Mixed Vegetables (Ground Meat with Mixed Vegetables)

Mince is ground meat,could be any kind of ground meat and it is a dish cooked with a few spices and herbs.This meat dish,can be eaten as a side with rice and curry,or with Indian breads.I usually use left over mince in the kids sandwiches and they taste delicious.This is a simple dish to make and one that my kids really enjoy.

Ingredients

• 1lb of ground meat (turkey,chicken or beef)
• 2 tablespoons Oil
• 2 medium sized Onions (finely chopped)
• 1 medium sized  Tomato (finely chopped)
• 1 green chilly slit
• 5 cloves of garlic (finely chopped)
• 1/2 inch ginger (finely chopped)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon chilli powder
• 3/4 tablespoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baffat powder (if you like it spicer you can add 1 teaspoon)
• 1 cup mixed vegetables (I used frozen carrots,peas,beans and corn)
• 2 tablespoon cilantro leaves (finely chopped)
• 1 tablespoon mint leaves (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup coconut milk (optional)
• Salt to taste

Method :

1. Heat the oil in a heavy based frying pan and saute the onions till they turn translucent.
2. Add the chopped ginger,garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add the slit green chilly and fry for a quick 30 seconds
4. Add the tomatoes,the chopped cilantro,mint and salt and saute till the tomatoes become mushy.(I usually add a little water to get my tomatoes really mushy)
5. Add the dry powders (chilly powder,turmeric powder,coriander powder,cumin powder,garam masala and baffat powder) and saute this masala for two minutes.
6. Add the mince (ground meat) and cook the meat and the spices together till everything is incorporated.Stir the meat every once in a while to prevent the meat from sticking to the bottom of your pan.Simmer the meat covered for 5-7 minutes.
7. Add the mixed vegetables ( you can use vegetables of your choice,I used a mixture of frozen carrots,peas,green beans and corn)
8. Cook the vegetables and meat covered for another 7-10 minutes till the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
9. Add 1/4 cup of coconut milk and let the mince cook for another 2 minutes.(we like our mince dry,so I cook it till all the liquid evaporates)
10. Garnish with Mint leaves.