Simple Upma

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As my mother was working, I entered the kitchen at the age of 7 only. I think, first I learnt to make tea. But I do not remember my first food in meals or main course. Simple Upma was my first learnt food, which I used to prepare all by my self, and I was just 9 years old.

When I learnt to prepare it, I used to wait for someone to come home, so that I will make upma and give them and get appreciation.. Once in a week, my grand father(my mother's father) used to come to meet us.

You guessed it right!!!  He was my target always. 

Here is the recipe,

Semolina(Rava) - 1 cup

(Roast the rava with little ghee or oil till you get aroma, keep it aside)

Onion - 1 medium, chopped

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Green chilly - 2 chopped length wise

Salt to taste

Sugar -1 tsp

Ghee or Oil  - 2 tbsp

(When I learnt making Upma, I used to make only in ghee )

Boiling Water - 2 cups (1:2 ratio)

Heat ghee or oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds. When splutter, add urad dal and wait till dal turns little brown and nice aroma comes. Immediately add green chilly, onion. Saute it. Wait till onion turns into golder color. Now add water, salt and sugar. Add roasted rava and mix it properly. Keep it on low flame till the rava is cooked. Adjust the seasoning. 

Serve with ghee on top!!!

This is going to Shama Nagarajan 's  MY FIRST COOKED FOOD EVENT .

I know this is very simple recipe, but I always feel happy when I think about my first cooked food!!!!, but same time, I feel sad that why I entered the kitchen at so early age!!!!

Keep smiling,

Malt for toddlers(Reposted)

Tried and tasted by Nivedtia
Hi All,

I thought of starting my recipe entries with baby food. I am giving this food to my second daughter since she is 3 months old.(Now she is 18 months old.) Thanks to my neighbour who shared this with me. Before I share the recipe I want to say something about this. I went back to India for my second delivery after 9 years staying in UAE. It was nice and I really enjoyed my stay there for 11 months. When Phalguni, my second daughter was 3 months old, my neighbour Shaila, who also had 5 months baby, gave me this malt powder and told me to start feeding Phalguni. And I started giving it, the baby enjoyed the first sip!!!!! So I decided I will make it in more quantity and will start giving her everyday.

So I prepared the ingredients and took it to Flour mill ( in Kannada we call it "Girani"). I told the old man to make it powder and give it. And after he finished I went to give him money for the same. But!!!!! he refused. He said he will not take the money for baby's food. I forced him to take but he refused. Even though its only Rs.5, for him it was big as per me. But he told me let any amount of quantity comes for baby food, he never charges for it. He said, babies are like God, and I feel happy to do this!!!!!!!!! Its like blessings for him.This is what India is!!! Now when ever I make this malt at home( as there are no flour mills available near my house in UAE) I always remember him and smile!!

Now coming to the recipe:

Rice - 2 cups

Toor Dal, yellow moong Dal - 1 cup

Channa Dal, 

split green moong Dal -1/2 cup(after 9 months)

Almonds - 6 to 8

Wash rice and all dals together. put it to dry inside the house for a day or two. Once they are dry, roast with crushed almonds. Keep it to cool. Then put it into mixi and make fine powder. Store it in a jar. You can keep it for a month in refrigerator.

Now to make malt:

Rice and Dal powder - 3 tbsp

raagi (Nachni) Powder - 1 tbsp(I get ready powder packet here in UAE, in Indian stores) (Or if you have an access to flour mill, you can take raagi seeds, wash and put it to dry. Roast seperately and add with rice and dal mix )

salt to taste

Oats - 2 tbsp

Keep water in a vessel to boil. Till it starts boiling, mix all the above ingredients in a bowl with enough water. Then put in the boiling water, Stir continuously for a minute as there is a chance of getting burnt. Add salt.(If baby is less than 9 months, add very little salt).Let it cook for 15 min. Keep on stirring in between. Off the gas. Feed your child for breakfast. Its very healthy and my daughter loves it. For a change, only alternative days I put raagi powder so that she will feel change,eating white color malt.

When Phalguni turned 9 months and I started giving her vegetables, I started adding grated carrot, beans, potato and cabbage to make it more healthy. And all the vegetables goes into her stomach without any fuss.

I am sending this recipe to PJ's event : Tasty Bites For Toddlers

Till today(she is 2 years old),  I am giving it as one of main meals.

This is going to participate in "Event Announcement: Food for 7 Stages of Life - Cooking for Infants and toddlers ( 0-3 yrs)' organized by Radhika  and of Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong.

Keep smiling,

Many and more Veg. Sambhar

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I Love Vegetables and more vegetables, in any form. But my favorite is Veg. sambhar with hot rice and ghee.

And as I need to give nutritious food to my kids, I prefer to mix more than one food and give them in one time.

I am giving here two recipes for sambhar, only difference in both is the masala. First sambhar is without any masala, and the second one is with Godha masala. You can use any vegetables for both the sambhar.

I always prefer to mix maximum vegetables.

Recipe for  Plain Veg Sambhar

Vegetables : Any vegetables(you can see in the photo) or as per your taste.(wash, clean and cut the vegetables and keep aside)

Toor dal or moong dal -1/2 cup (boiled)

Tomato - 2 big chopped

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Tamarind paste - 1 tbsp

Chilly powder - 1 to 2 tbsp
Jaggery - 1 tbsp

Dhania (coriander) powder - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Haldi - 1 tsp

Water for sambhar

Veg Sambhar without masala

Heat oil in thick bottomed vessel. Add Methi seeds, when they change the color, add mustard seeds. When splutter, add jeera, curry leaves. Now go on adding, the harder vegetables(which takes more time to cook) and cook for sometime. Then add the softer vegetables. Add chopped tomatoes. After a minute, go on adding all the dry powders, jaggery  and tamarind paste. When vegetables are 3/4th cooked, add boiled dal. Mix properly and add water as per your requirement and taste. Boil it for 5 minutes. Adjust the seasoning.

Veg. Sambhar is ready to serve with hot rice and ghee.

Recipe for Veg Sambhar with Godha masala

You can choose any available vegetables.
The only difference in this recipe is add Godha masala 2 tbsp instead of Coriander powder and reduce the qty of red chilly powder to 1 tbsp.

 

Godha masala is mainly used in Maharashtra. It is having strong smell as more spices are used to make this powder. But when you add in any gravy or sabji or sambhar, the taste is really very tasty and the aroma will attract any one to the kitchen to check what's cooking???

Veg. Sambhar using Godha masala

Keep smiling,