Sabudana Kheer

/span> While moms may go to any length and breadth to make their children happy, they end up ignoring themselves. Whenever we are fasting together, my mom in law prepares a lavish fare as she knows I'm a foodie. But when she is fasting alone, she makes excuse that she is fasting strict and will break her fast next morning. 

I guess when parents get old, we children need to become their parents. It's a kind of role reversal. One can't ignore one's health.

So, when MIL was taking a nap, I soaked sabudana chupke se 

And prepared Sabudana Kheer for her in the evening.

Do I have to tell how happy she was?

Small joys of life! :)

Ingredients

Milk - 1/2 litre

Sugar - 1tbsp (I have shown the spoon used in pics)

Sago/Sabudana - 1/2 Cup Soaked for 5-6 hours

Fox Seeds/Makhana - A handful, roasted

Green Cardamom/Elaichi Powder - 2tsp

Chopped Nuts - For garnishing (Optional. I haven't used nuts as I prefer the kheer without them)

Method 

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, boil the milk. I have used a kadai here for a very weird reason. At weddings, I notice Halwais with their kadai full of milk, which they serve with Jalebis! Also, I had just prepared carrot kheer for my son in the kadai so you may notice some red carrot strands in my kheer!

2. Once the milk boils, reduce the flame and add the soaked Sabudana, stirring continuously.

3. Grind the roasted Makhana in mixie to a coarse powder. Just one small blend will give you the desired result. 

4. Add the makhana powder and elaichi powder to the milk and mix well.

5. Once the kheer begins to boil (this time at low flame) and begins to reduce, add the sugar and mix well.

6. Mix well and cook on medium flame for another 3-4 minutes, stirring continuously and tadaaa! The kheer is ready!

Trust me, there cannot be an easier way to earn brownie points from your fasting mom or mom in law!

Happy Navratra!

5 minute Papad in gravy

Why on earth would someone want to eat a subzi made of Papad? This was my first reaction when I came to know Papad too can be used to prepare a main course dish! I have always loved my Papads super fresh and super crunchy and the thought of making them into a soggy dish with gravy prevented me from even giving this dish a try.

But few days ago, while cleaning my fridge, I found a Papad packet that was taking its last breath. In the name of Masala Moong Dal Papads, all the packet was left with were crushed leftovers of what was once a nice round papad. Now I didn't want to throw it all in the dustbin. So, my wise kitchen guru mom in law suggested why not give the Papad ki subzi a try for today's lunch? 

I am glad I am a dutiful daughter in law who never ignores her mom in law's advise! Lol! The dish came out so well that I now plan to include it in my list of quick fixes when I am out of grocery or need to prepare a tasty curry in 5 minutes.

If you are still apprehensive, I suggest you give it a try. The papads melting in your mouth like malai soaked in the yum gravy will steal your heart!

Here's how I prepared the 5 Minute Papad in Spicy Sour gravy

Ingredients (Serves 2)

Moong Dal Papad - 2-3 No.

Onion - 1 large

Ginger - 1 small piece

Garlic - 3-4 pods

Green Chilly - 2 no./as per preference

Tomatoes - 2 medium, pureed

Curd - 2tbsp

Oil - 1tbsp 

Asafoetida/Hing - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1tsp

Turmeric Powder/Haldi - 1 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder/Dhaniya - 2tsp

Salt - to taste

Green Coriander leaves - Few, chopped for garnishing

Method

1. Crush the Papad with hands into rough mouthful pieces.

2. Dry roast the Papads into a kadai till they turn slightly brown. Remove and keep aside.

3. Prepare a paste of the onion, ginger, garlic and green chilly.

4. Heat oil in a kadai. I have used mustard oil however, you can use vegetable oil as well.

5. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds.

6. When the cumin seeds begin to crackle, add the onion-ginger-garlic-green chilly paste and saute on medium flame.

7. When the paste begins to turn golden in color, add turmeric paste, coriander powder and salt. Mix well.

8. Add the tomato puree and saute.

9. When the mixture starts leaving oil on sides, add just a spoonful of curd and mix well. Since I wanted to let the Papad cook in the curry I decided to add the curd in the end else it would have curdled.

10. Add the roasted, crushed Papads. Mix well.

11. Add some water and give the gravy a nice boil. 

12. Garnish with fresh green chopped coriander leaves. Turn off the flame and add the curd.

13. Serve hot with Chapati/Rice. I enjoyed the dish with Bajre Ki Roti and Cauliflower stuffed Makai Ka Parantha

Easy Eggless Carrot Omlette For Kids

I loved Omelettes as a kiddo. They were an answer to my midnight hunger pangs during exam time. However, last year, an hour spent in Mumbai traffic jam behind a crammed up Poultry truck prompted Mr. Hubby and I to give up eggs.

These days I am trying to introduce various flavours to my toddler son as I believe, introducing varied flavours to kids by the age of five develops them into less picky eaters. While I wanted him to relish a nice fluffy Omelette, I found a way out to do so the eggless way! The best part is one can also play hide and seek successfully with veggies and the little prankster will happily eat it all without any fuss!

Sounds like a relief to the moms na! So let's get started...

Ingredients (Makes 4 Omelettes)

Gramflour/Besan - 2 tbsp

Carrom Seeds/Ajwain/Ova - 2tsp

Asafoetida/Hing - a pinch

Coriander Powder/dhaniya - 1 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Black Pepper Powder/Kali Mirch - 1tsp

Carrot - 1 small, finely chopped

Onion - 1 small, finely chopped

Green Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, chopped

Water - For the batter

Refined Oil - To toast

Method

1. In a bowl, take gramflour. Add asafoetida, coriander powder, carrom seeds, black pepper powder and salt to taste. (Asafoetida and carrom seeds are excellent for digestion).

2. Add water and make a slightly thin batter. Remove any lump.

3. Add the chopped onions, chopped carrots and chopped coriander leaves and mix well. The batter will thicken a bit so adjust consistency to that of a dosa batter.

4. Heat an iron tawa/nonstick pan sufficiently. The way to a perfect Omlette is to have a sufficiently hot and greased pan. Personally, I am trying to do away with non stick cookware hence I stick to my good old iron tawa.

5. Using a round spoon, pour a spoonful of batter on a greased tawa and spread using circular movements.

6. Flip over the Omlette when one side is done and cook the other side as well. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes till the Omlette turns crispy from one side.

7. Tasty and healthy eggless omlette is ready! Serve it with ketchup/green chutney or as my son prefers, just like that!

Quick Masala Corn & Paneer

What would you do if you were to walk into an empty refrigerator after a vacation? Order from restaurant? No way, you have already been eating out for so many days. Definitely, not going for grocery shopping in such a tired state. Chances are, you would be so tired that you would settle for a dal rice meal.

When we had gone to vacation in Kerala last month, I finished every possible perishable item in my fridge. Ironically, we returned at a time when most restaurants had closed for lunch, not that we would have ordered anyway. While I was gazing at my fridge and blaming myself for having finished all the grocery, a packet of corn kernels and frozen paneer in the freezer compartment smiled at me, as if saying, "Main Hoon Na!"

So, this is how I prepared this quick and easy Masala corn and paneer and not in a kadai, but in my time saver pressure cooker!

Do try it out and let me know in the comments section how it turned out. Also, let me know if you have been in a similar situation and how you managed!

Okay okay enough of my bak bak, now over to the recipe. 

Ingredients (Serves - 4)

Cottage Cheese/Paneer - 200g

Corn kernel - 100g

Onion/Pyaaz/Kaanda - 1 medium

Ginger/Adrak - 1 small piece 

Oil - 2tbsp

Cumin Seeds/Zeera - 1tsp

Cloves/Laung - 3-4 pieces

Asafoetida/Hing - 1/2 tsp

Black Peppercorns - 3-4 no.

Bayleaf/Tejpatta - 1/2 

Salt - 1,1/2 tsp or to taste

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder/Dhaniya - 1 tsp

Turmeric Powder / Haldi - 1,1/2 tsp

Tomatoes - 2 large, pureed 

Water - 1/2 Cup

Method

1. Grind the onion and ginger into a fine paste.

2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add asafoetida, cumin seeds, black peppercorns, cloves and bayleaf.

3. Add the ginger onion paste and saute for 2-3 minutes. We don't have to make it golden brown, just saute till the raw smell of onions goes away.

4. Add the corn kernels and mix well.

5. Add the spices - salt, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and coriander powder. Saute on medium flame for 2-3 minutes.

6. Add the tomato puree. Saute for 3-4 minutes or till the oil separates.

7. Add water, mix well. Cover the lid and give 2 whistles.

8. Now that the gravy is done, add the cottage cheese cubes. Give it a nice boil for 2-3 minutes. 

9. Masala Paneer and Corn is ready!

P.S. I was broke on grocery that day else I would have garnished the dish with some chopped coriander leaves and would have added 1-2 tsp cream/malai to make the gravy rich. So, if you are preparing this on a good day, I suggest these to enhance the flavour. The dish nevertheless comes out to be lip smacking even without these!