Announcing Kid's Delight - Back to Hostel Food

Cooking for the kids is always a wonderful job. Be it a holiday or a weekend, you end up cooking up a storm to meet their demands. Each occasion would demand a different dish to be rustled up and you can well plan ahead.

Kid's Delight, started by Srivalli,  is one such event that's only for Kids and Kid approved dishes. It need not only be your own kid, it can be your relative or even your childhood dishes that you remember. Only criteria being it should cater to some harassed mom, to cook for her kid.

I have the pleasure to host Kid's Delight again, this time themed on Back to Hostel Food. Now sending kids to hostel is a painful thing, however there might be a need for it. So when you do send them back, you should be sending them with loads of food that they can still enjoy right.

So "Back to Hostel Food" is just that. Cook anything that can be packed and stored for a while and send them to me.

Guidelines for the event:

Event starts from Feb 16th and ends on Mar 15th.
Link  back to Srivalli's Kid's Delight Announcement Page
Entries should fall under the requirement of being packed and sent.
Has to be Kid approved.

Peas Pulav

Kids generally like one pot meals. And mothers like to make them as its easy cooking than making Sambhar, Rasam and rice along with a side dish. I personally feel one pot meals help a lot to conserve time, energy and Gas ( which is in high demand these days ).  Yes, I can see some heads nod. 

So today's recipe is a simple Peas Pulav, without any fancy ingredient or spices. Very simple meal that uses the ingredients available in your pantry and can be made in a jiffy.

Ingredients 

Basmati Rice - 1 cup ( soaked for 20 mins in 1.5 cups of water )

Green Peas - 1 cup

Green Chili - 2 slit 

Mint and Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Onions - 1/2 cup ( sliced )

Spices - cardamom, clove and saunf

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Method 

In a small pressure cooker, add a little oil

When the oil is hot, add the spices along with sliced onions

Add the mint and coriander leaves and saute well

I love the aroma at this stage of cooking

When the onions are done, add the ginger garlic paste and saute again 

Add the slit green chilies and green peas

Saute well and add salt

Now add the basmati rice along with the water in which it has been soaked 

Let the water boil for a minute, before you close it and cook for 2 whistles.

Serve hot with papad and curd or raitha

Two points that needs to be noted 

Water to cook basmati rice is 1: 1.5

From the second whistle the flame should be low to ensure that the rice does not burn at the bottom

This Easy breezy meal, is being served at Blogging Marathon  and at  Kid Delight : Potluck

Chappathi Noodles

Noodles, as the definition goes are he noodle is a type of staple food made from some type of unleavened dough which is rolled flat and cut into one of a variety of shapes. While long thin strips may be the most common, many varieties of noodles are cut into waves, helices, tubes, strings, shells, folded over, or cut into other shapes. 

As a kid I loved Maggi Noodles a lot. I am sure everybody would have had the same experience. But off late after the news about wax in Maggi Noodles, I some how is a little skeptical to eat them. Its not good for kids either. A healthier option is make noodles with some thing else. And there is some one who is the inspiration behind this dish . Its my good friend's MIL. A special mention about her is a must. She is a very talented woman who can cook about anything, a creative person who can never stay idle for a minute. She excels in cooking, painting, art and craft. and of course in taking care of her dear daughter in law. You are an inspiration to me Aunty. 

Coming to the day's recipe. Its chapatti noodles, inspired from dear Aunty

Ingredients

Chapatti - 3 nos

Capsicum - 1 cup

Onions - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 1/2 cup

Red Chili powder - 1 tbsp

Coriander Powder - 1/2 tbsp

Tomato sauce - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil as required

Method

Prepare chapattis and shred them into thin strips

In a wok, add a little oil

Following it add the thin strips of Capsicum, Onion and Tomato

Saute well

Add the dry powders, Red chili, Coriander powder and salt

Saute well and add the tomato sauce.

Mix well , so that the spices and sauces incorporate well

Add the chapatti strips and mix well.

Adjust salt and serve hot

Kids will love it , I loved it too. 

This special post is dedicated to Aunty who is my inspiration to do more

This amazing sweet that I love a lot, is being served at Blogging Marathon  and at  Kid Delight : Potluck

Thiratu Paal : A Traditional Sweet

Time flies, I say.. We are in the Third Week of Blogging Marathon 20. This week my theme is Kid Delight : Potluck . One this occasion I have to mention about the wonderful lady Srivalli, who is also a good friend of mine. I admired her for the amount of energy she has to maintain, three blogs, a  full time job , cooks a variety of dishes and runs various events in her blog. She is famous for the various Melas that she hosts. To mention a  few, Dosa Mela Indian Thali Mela, Kababs Mela . I draw my inspiration from her. One of her events is Kids Delight Event. Its been Four Years since this lovely event was started. To celebrate it , Srivalli is hosting a Potluck Party at her blog. Do check and join in for the party. Kudos to you Valli. May you have many more anniversaries to celebrate.

My post for the day is the ever versatile and traditional Thiratu Paal. This is not only for Kids, but also for grown up kids at home, who cannot stop with one spoon of this. Simple to make, but you need a little patience to get this amazing sweet.

Ingredients

Milk - 2 litres

Sugar - 3 cups

Method

Take the milk in a heavy bottomed wok

Keep continuously stirring to avoid the milk from boiling over

When the milk has reduced to about 1/3 of the quantity

(This will take about an hours time)

Add the sugar to the milk and keep stirring 

After you have added sugar, ensure that the Thiratu Paal is mixed well to avoid burning at the bottom

When the milk changes color and becomes a semi solid consistency, remove from fire and store it in a separate box

This amazing sweet that I love a lot, is being served at Blogging Marathon  and at  Kid Delight : Potluck 

Corn Salad for a Rainy Day

Who would not love to have steaming corn with some Masala and butter in it, when it is pouring outside.. I would love to have it with a favorite book of  mine with Illayaraja's songs playing in the background. Bliss isn't it. OK I hear it .. For kids this is an opportunity to feed them with good and healthy stuff when they are really really hungry and would not mind munching down snacks when they are watching the rain.

Here is a simple corn salad for Day 3 of the second week in Blogging Marathon #19. 

Ingredients

Sweet Corn - 2 cups

Onion - 1/2 cup

Tomato - 1/2 cup

Chat Masala - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Butter - 1/2 tsp

Method

Boil the sweet corn till it is done

Chop the onion and tomato into fine pieces

In a bowl take the corn and add the cut onion and tomatoes in it

Top it with some butter and mix well

Sprinkle some chat Masala before you serve

Check for salt and adjust to taste

You can add shredded carrot or capsicum for a variation. 

Yummy Corn Salad is being served at The Pumpkin Farm of Pradnya who is hosting this month s Kid Delight event . The theme is Warm foods to beat the Rain and at Blogging Marathon #19

Sambhar Idli - Desi Delight

Day 2 of Week 2, and I serve you a wonderful Desi Delight. Sambhar Idli. Idli is good for people from any age, being a steamed dish, it is safe to be given to kids as well as old aged people. Now this recipe calls for two recipes , preparation of Sambhar and the Idli batter. I will post the Sambhar preparation today, assuming that our fridges have the Idli batter in it. On the other hand, I have planned a separate post for Idli batter, as it is one of the most important Kitchen Basics. You can check my version of Sambhar Podi here

Ingredients 

Idli Batter - 4 cups ( makes 12 Idlis)

Sambhar Podi - 3 tbsp

Onion - 1 big ( Sliced into thin slices )

Tamarind pulp - 1/2 cup

Coriander - 1/2 cup

Toor Dal - 1 cup ( Boiled and Mashed )

Mustard seeds and oil for tempering

Salt to taste

Method

Make the Idlis before hand and let them cool a bit

In a wok add a little oil 

When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and let them sputter

Add the chopped onions and curry leaves and saute for 2 mins

To this add the tamarind pulp and let it boil for some time

Follow it with the boiled and mashed Toor Dal.

Adding coriander leaves while steaming the Toor Dal enhances the flavor of the final dish

Add the chopped coriander to this mixture and it should boil really well

The raw smell and taste of tamarind should be gone

Towards the end add the Sambhar Podi 

Remove the Sambhar from fire two minutes after adding the Podi, else the flavor will just vanish

I make this sambhar Podi only when required and in very less quantity

Freshly made Podi always tastes heavenly

Now the Sambhar Idli part of it.

Place 2 Idlis in a deep bowl

Pour the sambhar over the Idli

Garnish with fresh coriander leaves 

Serve with a spoon and watch the bowl being polished off the sambhar and idlis

Sambhar idli is being served at The Pumpkin Farm of Pradnya who is hosting this month s Kid Delight event . The theme is Warm foods to beat the Rain and at Blogging Marathon #19

Hot and Sour Soup

Week 2 of Blogging Marathon, my theme for this week is Warm Foods for Kids during Rain. The dishes that I will be cooking will be also served at The Pumpkin Farm of Pradnya who is hosting this month s Kid Delight event . The theme is Warm foods to beat the Rain.

For Day 1, Im serving Hot and Sour Vegetable Soup. Nothing is more comforting than having a bowl of hot soup and enjoying the rain. Soup is also one of the ways in which you can steal in vegetables for kids who are fuzzy about eating them. 

Ingredients

Soy Sauce - 1tbsp

Chili Sauce - 3/4 tsp

Black Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Vinegar - 1 tbsp

Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Corn Flour - 1/2 tbsp

Vegetables - 2 cups ( I used chopped beans, carrot, cauliflower and corn)

Salt to taste

Method

Take 3 cups of water in a wok.

Add soy sauce, chili sauce, vinegar, sugar, pepper powder and salt

Bring this mixture to a boil

Add the chopped veggies into it and let them become tender crisp

Add a little water to the corn flour and make a smooth paste

Add this to the boiling soup and stir continuously

Serve hot

Check what my fellow bloggers are whipping up for the Second week of Blogging Marathon

Onion Pakoda - Perfect Evening Snack with Chai

Day 2 of the Blogging Marathon and I am gonna serve you hot Onion Pakoda that goes well with your evening chai or coffee. This is a perfect snack that can be made in no time and is a party pleaser. I love to have these onion pakoda with creamy curd rice. I feel it is the best combo.

Ingredients:

Onion - 3 cups 

Besan - 2 cups

Rice Flour - 1/2 cup

Red chili powder - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying 

Method:

Slice the onions into thin slices 

Take the onions in a wide mouthed bowl

Add besan flour, rice flour, salt and red chili powder to it

Just sprinkle some water on it and mix well

Ensure that the onions slices are coated well with the batter

Heat oil in a wok and add the onion mixture little by little and deep fry them till golden brown.

Remove it to a Kitchen towel, serve hot with chutney or you can have it just like that.

Onion pakoda is being served at Blogging Marathon#18 and Kid's Delight-Evening snack hosted by Vardhini and started by Srivalli . Grab your plates when it is hot

Mix Veggie Pasta

Last day of the 16th Blogging Marathon, here comes an easy breezy pasta preparation which can fill the hunger pangs of you kids any time of the day. Kids will finish that bowl of pasta in no time. It also a good way to sneak in veggies in their diet

Ingredients:

Wheat Pasta - 1 cup

Carrot - 1/2 cup

Beans - 1/2 cup

Corn Kernel - 1/2 cup

Onions - 1/2 cup

Tomato sauce - 2 tbsp

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oregano - a pinch

Method :

Boil the pasta to al dente and set aside 

Cut all the veggies into thin julienne 

Boil Carrot and Beans together till it is done 

Boil the corn kernels separately 

In a wide skillet add Olive Oil

When the oil a little hot , add the onions and saute.well

To this add the boiled veggies and corn kernels.

Add the tomato sauce and adjust salt

Mix the boiled pasta to it and stir well

Remove from fire and sprinkle oregano on the pasta

Serve hot with some garlic bread

Check what my fellow bloggers are cooking today 

Sending this to Kids Delight at Smitha 's place

Jeera Rice

As mentioned in my earlier, post kids of today like to eat more out of the bowl rather than have sambhar or rasam like us . Jeera Rice, is a mildly flavored which is loved by kids. This is from my personal experience, my nieces loved it so much , that they had finished it of till the last morsel.




Ingredients:


Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Basmati Rice - 3 cups
Salt to taste
Onions - 1 cup ( sliced into thin pieces )
Oil as required

Method :


Boil the basmati rice, till done and set it aside.
In a wide pan, add a little oil
When the oil is hot add the cumin seeds and let it sputter
The aroma of cumin seeds roasting is very nice
Add the sliced onions and saute for a minute or so
Adjust salt and add the boiled basmati rice
Mix well and serve hot with Rajma Masala.

Check what my fellow marathoners are cooking today 

Brown channa sundal .

One of the themes for this Marathon is "Cooking with Colors". I chose brown color, for the ever healthy and tasty Brown Channa Dal Sundal. This Sundal is rich in proteins and very good for people of all ages. 

Ingredients:

Brown Channa dal - 2 cups

Coconut scrappings - 1/2 cup

Salt - as required

Olive oil - 2 tsp

Curry leaves and Mustard seeds - for seasoning

Method:

Soak the Brown Channa Dal the previous night

Wash well and steam cook it till done 

You can use a pressure cooker to cook the Channa Dal 

Drain the water and keep it aside.

This water will be rich in protein, you can add some salt and pepper to it and drink it just like that

In a wide skillet, add olive oil.

Add mustard seeds , as they sputter add the curry leaves

Add the boiled Channa Dal 

Mix well and adjust salt

Remove the Sundal from the fire and then add fresh coconut scrapping to it 

Mix well till the Channa Dal and coconut blends well

Check what my fellow bloggers are creating for today 

Masala Vadai - A wonderful evening snack

I would love to have something to munch on during evening tea especially during weekends. Masala vadais with tea or coffee is an awesome combination. As I kid whenever such things were made at home I used to run up and down the house, grabbing a vadais now and then and eating it non stop. This will usually be the scene at home when we cousins are together for summer vacation. Masala vadais brings back nostalgic memories of Summer Vacation.

Ingredients :

Kadalai Paruppu / Channa Dal - 2 cups 

Onion - cut into small pieces -1 cup 

Green chilies - 1 

Ginger - 1 small piece

A bunch of curry leaves finely chopped 

A small bunch of coriander and mint leaves finely chopped

Salt to taste

Oil for deep fry

Method:

Wash and Soak the Channa Dal for about 2 hours
In a blender take the soaked Channa Dal, along with green chili , ginger and salt.
Grind it to make a coarse paste.
To this add the finely chopped onions, curry leaves, coriander and mint.
Mix together to form a coarse paste.
Make flat patties out of the paste and deep fry them
Remove the vadais on a kitchen towel and serve hot with chutney along with tea

Today is the last day for Week 1 of Blogging Marathon #16. Check what my fellow bloggers are cooking for today

Tomato Macroni with Cheese

Who does not like cheese ? hands up please. I can see no hands up.. I love cheese but keep away from it due to my weight reasons. Today s recipe is a quickly whipped up Tomato Macroni with Cheese. It tasted out of the world with cheese melting in your mouth. There are certain dishes that require to be eaten when it is hot. Pasta, pizza, Macroni all fall under this category. We can make them for our kids only when are in vacation not when they are rushing to schools or classes. 

Ingredients:

Macroni - 1 cup 

Tomato - cut into small pieces 1/2 cup

Onion - finely chopped 1/2 cup

Capsicum - finely chopped 1/2 cup

Tomato sauce - 2- 3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

                                  
Method:

Boil Macroni to al dente and keep aside
In a heavy bottomed wok heat olive oil
Saute the cut tomato and onion in it.
When it is half done , add the capsicum and saute for a minute
Add tomato sauce and adjust salt to the mixture
To this add the boiled Macroni and mix well
Just before you serve, shred some cheese over the pasta, heat in a microwave for about 1 minute
Serve hot to your kids and watch them finish till the last morsel.

Vegetable Pulao

These days I feel its better that I do not enter the kitchen during the day time. Man its so hot. One pot meals provide relief at such times. Kids these days like to have variety rice and easy meals in their tiffin boxes rather than the traditional sambhar or rasam rice that we used to carry during our school days. Vegetable Pulao is a mildly spiced rice with loads of veggies in it. I always feel that for these days kids you need to sneak in veggies in some form or the other. else you are not gonna get them to eat veggies.

The recipe for today is Vegetable Pulao, which is a mildly spiced one, and a party pleaser. Do try and let me know of your feedback.



I had taken the recipe from Divya's Easycooking

It cam out very well and was liked by all. You need not prepare a separate curry to accompany this Pulao, a simple raitha would do.

Do check out what my fellow foodie friends are cooking here

Vegetable Spaghetti

This is one dish I know that kids love any day. I have made this dish for my nieces, nephews,friend's kids, everyone has just loved it. I ensure that a whole lot of veggies are sneaked into this dish, as it will be a treat for the eyes as well as fulfill the requirement of feeding the kids with veggies.

Ingredients:

Wheat Spaghetti - 1 cup

Capsicum - cut into long stripes 1 cup

Carrot - cut into long stripes - 1 cup

Onion - cut into long stripes - 1/2 cup

Tomato Sauce - 2 tbsp

Salt for taste

Olive Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Boil spaghetti to al dente and keep aside 

In a heavy bottomed wok heat two tbsp of Olive oil

Add the onions, carrot and capsicum in the wok and saute well 

Add tomato sauce and adjust salt to the mixture

When the veggies are done, add the boiled spaghetti to it and mix well

Serve hot for kids when they crave for food in evenings

Check what my fellow bloggers are cooking today here

Pineapple Yogurt

Summer and Yogurt making go hand in hand. One cannot make yogurt int he morning and have the same till night, as it tends to become very sour due to the heat in the summer. When we make curd for every meal at home, we get really good creamy and Yogurt that is not sour. Kids usually love flavored yogurt. I feel it is a very easy way to make them eat yogurt by flavoring it. Today I bring to you my favorite flavored yogurt. Pineapple Yogurt.



Ingredients:

Freshly prepared Yogurt - 1 cup
Thick pineapple juice - 1/2 cup
Sugar - to taste
Raisins and Almond flakes - for decoration

Method:

Take the freshly prepared curd in a bowl
Add the pineapple juice to it spoon by spoon till you are satisfied with the flavor
You can add sugar to it if required.
Chill this and serve it garnished with raisins and almond flakes

Kids will love this when they come back from their play in the hot sun.Check out my fellow marathoners creations here

Kulfi - Kids Summer Special

Come summers , we encounter power cuts now and then , and especially at nights. When I had summer holidays, we frequented power cuts at night and would spend the a major portion of the night on the roads so that we could get some breeze. At such times, the kulfiwala would come in with his vehicle and will have a busy day selling off his kulfi  to us . It would be a relief from the heat of summer time that too when you are feeling sleepy. Kulfi is a summer cooler which is liked by people from all ages, be it a kid or a old uncle. This 

is one dish that is approved by my nieces as well. 

Ingredients :

\

Full Fat Milk - 1 litre

Badam, Pista - 1/2 cup

Condensed Milk - 1/2 tin

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Sugar - as required 

Method :

In a heavy bottomed wok take the milk and bring it to boil

Soak Badam and Pista. Blend it to make a smooth paste

When the milk is cool add the condensed milk, sugar and cardamom powder to it and mix well

Add the Badam and Pista paste to the milk and mix well

Now place this mixture on the stove and bring it to a boil till the mixture becomes a little thick 

Taste the mixture to check for sugar levels

Adjust sugar levels if required and take it off the stove

Let it cool and then pour them into moulds and freeze for 2 -3 hours

Hold the moulds under running water to remove the Kulfi.

Enjoy it and beat the summer hear

 Check what my fellow bloggers are cooking for this marathon.