Oats and barley cereal/porridge for babies

I have been feeding my little one this recipe for more than a month now and I can say she loves it, in fact we too occasionally enjoy this creamy and satisfying porridge as breakfast,with some of  our favorite fruits and a dash of cinnamon  .

  used in this recipe is pearl barley (Bob's red mill brand)which looks very much similar to wheat berries and is packed with fiber and essential minerals . 

Ingredients:

• rolled oats -1 cup
• pearl barley-1 cup(the ratio is 1:1)
• salt -as required
• water-for every 1/4 cup of powder use 1 and a 1/2 to 2 cups

method

• measure out the ingredients and using a sharp blade grinder make a coarse powder
• you can make a finer powder if you want the porridge or cereal to be smooth rather than granulated.
•  transfer the powder to a dry airtight container and that is our base.
• when you are ready to make the porridge ,in a saucepan bring water to a rolling boil . 
• add in the powder and whisk thoroughly to ensure no lumps are formed.
• when bubbles start to appear simmer down and cook for 10 more minutes.
• season with a little salt,add in your little once favorite fruit and add milk if desired .
• you can add pureed fruits if adding whole chunks doesn't suit 
• The powder or flour as mentioned can be stored in an air tight container same as you would store any other flour in your pantry .I recommend making the powder meal in small batches to retain freshness.

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Secret to Perfect vadai recipe

Medu vadai is the star of festival season or to say most of the festival at home would be just incomplete with out this crunchy on outside and soft on the inside deep fried savory donuts.I have been trying to perfect my skills at making them as long as I can remeber asking my hubby whats his favorite food,yes they top my husbands favorite food list,so I said to myself-' I should make 'em and I should make 'em perfect ' there began my quest for the perfect vadai.
Almost every household in south India makes them ,but to get a crunchy on outside and soft on the inside" hotel style" vadai ,the batter should be just right.which could be possible in a wet grinder ,but then ,I always do a small batch and I think if this method were to be applied for a larger quantity it would work all the same . Here is my  foolproof method that makes perfect vadai every time ,
Ingredients :

Urad dal:1 cup
Water: few tbs to grind the dal
peppercorns-7to 8
salt as per taste

To grind:
urad dal-1 tbs
rice-1 tsp

oil for deep frying

• start by soaking 1 cup of urad dal in enough water for a minimum of 4 hours,set this aside 
• In a pan dry roast 1 tbs of urad dal and 1 tsp of rice,let cool and grind into a powder.
• Now grind the previously soaked urud along with a few peppercorns and a little bit of salt using as little water as possible.
• add in the powder and beat well with a wire whisk until you notice "stiff peaks" - means when you try to pull the batter it stands pointed on both the ends ,which means our batter is ready.
•  line up a plate with tissue paper and lets and shape the vadai
• dip your fingers into water and take a portion of the batter,roll it into a ball,dip your thumb into water again and make a dent in the center
• slide this vadai gently into the pan with preheated oil ,
• flip after a few seconds and remove when golden brown,repeat for the rest of batter
• bring this to the plate and wipe off surface oil if any,
• serve with your condiment . 

Here is a quick video tutorial :

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Instant upma mix /savory pudding - homemade recipe

A savory pudding most famous in the southern part of India as a healthy nutritious and filling breakfast, in fact it's a quick fix for any time of the day.
 Lets have a look on how to get started on this :
This recipe uses cracked wheat also know as daliya(gothumai rawai in tamil)  but you can substitute with semolina(suji) or rice rawa.

Ingredients:
cracked wheat :1 cup
Onion: 1/2 of one large
oil: 1 tsp
mustard seeds :1/2 tsp
channa dal : 1 tbs
asafetida : 1/4 tsp or adjust according to preference
dried curry leaves :about 1/4 cup
green chilies :4 slit or adjust according to taste
salt:3/4 tsp or adjust according to taste
water to dry mix  ratio - 2:1

Method:

• Start by adding 1 tsp oil in a non stick pan,add mustard seeds,let splutter,add channa dal and saute until it turns golden brown
• Add asafetida,dried curry leaves and the green chilies
• Next add in the onions ,season with salt .cook until the they turn translucent,
• Finally add the cracked wheat, season with some more salt if needed
• Mix everything well cook for another two minutes and you will notice a nice aroma of roasted wheat 
• Cool and store in an airtight container with a measuring cup.
• When ready to make the upma take twice the amount of water for every measure of the dry mix .
• Bring the water to a rolling boil and add in the mix little by little ,keep stirring until well combined.
• Cover and cook for 2 minutes and there you have your healthy quick and low fat upma 

Here is a quick video tutorial:

Notes:

1. Stores well in the fridge for upto 3 weeks (depends on the temperature of your refrigerator)
2. If not refrigerating then use dehydrated onions and cook the chilies until they start to shrink.

This instant recipe comes in very handy on a busy day and is perfect when travelling or camping ,all you need is - boiling water ,the mix and 2 minutes of your time ...to make to this healthy meal.
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Bread upma /savory bread pudding with chickpea-vegan recipe

This is one of our favorite ways to eat bread ,especially if it's gone dry or a little stale.Here I have added chickpea to the dish for a boost of protein. The recipe is simple, you can add more or less spices or vegetables as per your taste and preference .



Ingredients:
Makes 4 servings for breakfast

• Bread :  6  (we use brown bread so the color may vary if in case white bread is used)
• garbanzo beans/chickpea:1/2 cup
• Onion :1 large
• tomato -one large 
• carrot- 1 grated 
• green chilies - 4
• curry leaves -a few
• turmeric powder- 1/4 tsp
• red chili powder-1/2 tsp
• tomato ketchup- 2 tbs
• salt as per taste
• oil-1 tsp
• mustard seeds-1/4 tsp
• cumin seeds 1/2 tsp
• walnuts -few to garnish(optional)
• coriander to garnish

Method:

1. Start by heating a pan on medium high,add mustard seeds let crackle,add cumin seeds and curry leaves
2. next add onions ,green chilies and a little salt,saute for a few minutes.
3. once the onions are cooked well add the turmeric and red chili powder,let the spices cook for a couple of minutes and then add tomato,cook until mushy
4. add the grated carrot and mix in everything well.
5. add in the beans and also add about 2-3 tbs of water to make everything come together. 
6. mix in the ketchup 
7. cut the bread into bite size pieces or shred them by hands and add to the mixture .
8. incorporate everything and check for seasoning ,keep in mind that bread already has salt.
9. garnish with walnuts and coriander leaves 

This can be enjoyed with an evening cup of tea or can be had as a healthy breakfast along side with eggs or just coffee.

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Baby food - Ragi porridge

lets have  a look on how to prepare ragi or finger millet for a baby's diet


Disclaimer:  following  is a basic recipe , always consult the pediatrician  before changing your baby's diet.
Cleaning the whole grain:
look for impurities rinse,dry properly and store t in an airtight container .

• Start by soaking 1 tbs of this grain for a minimum of 4 hrs in enough water .
•  grind this into a loose paste along with the water it was soaking in 
•  filter the contents with a cloth or a strainer, and leave undisturbed for the next hour or so until  a layer of water gets collected on the top,
• Drain the water alone into a separate container and discard.
• Bring the paste into a saucepan, add water and keep stirring until it changes into a darker shade,also bubbles will start to appear on the surface to indicate that the ragi is cooked.
• Stir in for a few more minutes ,if not sure whether the ragi is cooked follow this simple step : dip your hand into water and lightly touch the surface (taking care not to burn your hand) it should not stick if it is well cooked.
• season with a little salt,and add sweetener of your choice.
• finally turn off the heat and add milk if desired 
• Adjust the consistency to your liking by adding more or little liquid to the recipe.

here is a quick video tutorial:

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Tiffin sambar

The mung dal sambar is often served for breakfast along with idlis , topped with ghee ....yummmm .This sambar strikes perfect combination with dosas,idli,pongal and hence also is known as  tifffen sambar .Lets have a look how to prepare this :

Ingredients :

Mung dal :1/2 cup

water - 1.5 cup

shallots: 10-12 

tomato : 1 large 

tamarind : small lemon size 

turmeric : 1/2 tsp

asafetida : little

mustard seeds:1/2 tsp

cumin seeds :1/2 tsp

curry leaves : few

salt as per taste 

oil :1/2 tbs 

To grind :

Red chilies : 4 or adjust according to taste 

coriander seeds- 1 tbs

channa dal- 2 tbs

fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

coconut - about 2 tbs

1. Rinse and pressure cook dal  with 1/2 tsp of turmeric  for about  2 to 3 whistle.
2. Meanwhile prepare the masala by dry roasting the above "to grind" ingredients on a low flame for about 5 minutes,make a paste and keep aside.
3. Heat 1/2 tbs of oil in a pan,add mustard seeds and let crackle add cumin seeds ,some curry leaves and  asafetida
4. saute for about 2 -3 minutes adding a little salt ,next bring in the tamatoes saute well and add 2 cups water
5. add the tamarind paste at this stage and let this come to a rolling boil,you will notice foam on the top which means that the tamarind is cooked.
6. add the cooked and mashed dal and let this cook for about 10 to 15 mintues .adjust the consistency at this stage.
7. add coriander steams for a nice aroma and finally add in the paste and mix everything well and let boil for 2 more minutes before turning down the heat.
8. enjoy !

Here is the unbeatable combo for this sambar : soft idlis


Here is a quick video tutorial: 

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