Simply Salads

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I love to eat raw food, in fact, my husband, my both daughters love raw food especially the salad!! We are like cows or sheep when it comes to eat raw food or salad . The salad is the must for every dinner in our house.

And most of the times, when we are not more hungry, we love to eat only Salad.

When we were in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, most of the times, we used to eat Falafel Sandwich or Showrma sandwich 
with lot of green leaf(In the middle of the restaurant, they keep big bowls of salted carrot, cucumber and radish pickles with different types of leafy vegetables on a table) 

When I read about EC's event,  thought many days about light meals, then decided to send my favorite food to her event. 

Simple veg.salad

To make Simple veg. Salad,

Take vegetables of your choice(which you can eat raw)

Cucumber, Carrot, Onion, Tomato, Onion, Chilli, Ginger, Lettuce leaves. Cut in to desired size and shapes. We love to cut in to long peices as it is easy for my kids to hold in the hand.

Salt to taste

Lime Juice as per taste

Vinegar - 1/2 tsp
Green and black olives - 1/2 cup
(Not in this photo)
Olive Oil - 1 tsp
Oregano or mixed herb - 1 tbsp crushed

Mix all in a Salad bowl and enjoy the crispy taste.

Tomato and Onion Salad

For Tomato and Onion Salad,

Tomato - 2 big Chopped 

Onion - 1 Medium chopped lenthwise

Fresh Coconut - 4 to 6 tbsp

Salt to taste

Fresh Coriander - little

Mix all in a bowl and eat it with crispy Papad.

Veg and Curds Salad

For Veg and Curds Salad,

Cucumber - 1 big chopped

Tomato - 1 big chopped

Curds(Fresh) - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Fresh Coriander - little

Mix all in a bowl and eat chilled.

So here goes my Salad to 

EC's  WYF: Light Meal event announcement

Keep smiling,

Sweet Coconut Rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

As I have told before also, I llllllovve sweets! 

When ever I go to my aunt's house(Father's sister), every time I get something new to eat!!Last month, when I went to her house, she gave me this sweet! As usual,  it was very delicious. Even though it was not new to me, but I had it after long time. She makes very tasty and variety of food. 

This sweet is very common in South canara, and I think even in Maharashtra, they call it as Naaral bhaath.

I wanted to try this sweet, and Today I got the time to make. I called her, and asked her in the phone about the recipe.(  usually, we both share the recipes). I noted down the ingredients and prepared in the evening. 

         Here it is in front of you all, with my little creative decoration.

It is very easy recipe, if you have some unexpected guests and you want to serve them some sweet!! As the ghee is must in this, I thought of sending this to Sanghi 's  FIL - Ghee for this season and Spicy delights!!.

Coming to the recipe,

Rice(any variety which stays firm after cooking,) - 1 bowl (cooked)

Sugar - 3/4th bowl

Fresh coconut - 1 bowl(grated)

Ghee - 3/4th bowl

Cashew nuts and raisins - 6 each cut into pieces

Salt - a pinch

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Heat 1 tbsp ghee in thick bottomed pan. Fry the nuts and keep aside. In the same pan, add coconut. Fry for a minute. Add sugar. Mix well and let it cook till the sugar is dissolved with coconut. Add half of the ghee.Do not let it boil. Once, both are mixed properly, add the cooked rice immediately. You should be  always with the dish, stirring it always on medium flame. Now add some more ghee, salt and cardamom powder. Cook it only for one minute. Remove it from the fire. Add fried nuts. Mix it nicely and transfer in to serving bowl. If you delay, then it will become hard.

The sweet coconut rice is ready to serve.

The sweet is going to take part in 

Sanghi 's  FIL - Ghee for this season and Spicy delights!!.

AND

Festive rice event by  Torview

Keep smiling,

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,