BLACK-EYED PEAS CURRY


I love these kinds of one-pot curries. These are good to cook when you are running short of time or ideas. Usually I make this black-eyed peas for lunch with rice and we have the same for chapathis for dinner. This dish also go well with dosas.

Ingredients:
1. Dried black-eyed peas, 1 cup, washed and soaked over night.
2. Onion, medium size, 2, diced finely.
3. Tomato, small, 2, chopped into small pieces.
4.  Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
5.  Coriander powder, 2 teaspoons.
6. Turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon.
7.  Garam masala powder, 1/2 teaspoon.
8.  Mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon.
9.  Cumin seeds, 1/2 teaspoon.
10. Curry leaves and cilantro for garnishing.
11. Ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 teaspoon.

Preparation:
Heat a pan (I have used a pressure pan here) with a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil turns hot, add the mustard seeds and let is splutter. Then add the cumin seeds and fry for a few seconds. Add the diced onions  and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Then add the diced tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a few more minutes until everything is well blended. Then add salt and all the powders and fry under low flame for 2 minutes until the powders lose their raw smell. Now add 2 cups of water along with the black-eyed peas, mix everything well, and cook for 2 whistles in the pressure cooker for up to 10 minutes. If cooking in a pan or pot, cook closed under low-to-medium flame for 25-30 minutes until the peas are tender. Garnish with chopped cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapathis, etc.

KIDS RECIPES: TODDLER AND KIDS CHICKEN SOUP



Starting a separate blog for kids recipes had been in my mind for quite sometime since I have been getting many questions regarding cooking for toddlers, both from my readers and the users at Sweet&Spicy (I am currently working as their Food and Diabetics Expert).  All I needed was a push from one of my close blogger friends, who asked to just do it right away in this blog itself . I am thankful to her suggestion because honestly with my kids routine,  that was a good piece of advice :)

So Gita's Kitchen will also be featuring kids and toddler recipes on a regular basis from now on.  These are the basic recipes, which I have been cooking for my kids (sometimes with a different vegetable or an interesting twist), and I am sure most of the moms will have their own versions to suit the taste buds of their little ones. 

Coming on to this recipe, this chicken soup is ideal for toddlers, who are looking for something a little more than the regular fruit and vegetable purees. I had to start introducing new flavors like these for my little girl who didn't like baby foods just after 8 months. You can also start introducing a little bit of spices into their foods as their taste buds evolve. The only thing to be cautious about is while introducing new foods, give it a gap of 3-4 days to see if the baby's body accepts that and also is to make sure it is mashed up thoroughly to prevent choking.  These days I add a pinch of chili powder in these kinds of dishes and also ginger-garlic paste instead of just crushed garlic.

Ingredients:
1. Boneless skinless chicken, 1/2 lbs, cut into small bite-size pieces. (Once the soup is cooked, the chicken can also be shredded finely and then added back to the soup, so it will be easy for kids to chew on).
2. Small onions, 4-5, chopped finely.'
3. Tomato, small, 1, chopped finely. I also remove the skins by parboiling the tomatoes.
4. Garlic, 1/2 clove, crushed finely. (When my kids were just a year old, I used very little garlic, now I even add 1/4 teaspoon of ginger-garlic paste since my kids are 3 now).
5. Pepper powder, a pinch or less.
6. Salt, as per taste.
7. Turmeric powder, 1/4 pinch.
8. Fennel powder, a pinch.
9. Ghee, 1/2 teaspoon.
10. Water, 2 cups.
11. A little bit of finely chopped cilantro for garnishing.

Preparation:
Add all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook for up to 3 whistles for 15 minutes until the chicken is soft. Alternatively this soup can also be cooked on stove top, just bring everything to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes until the chicken is tender.

Serving Suggestions:
This soup can be mixed with mashed up rice (for very little ones under 2 years old) and served.  This can also be used as a side dish for idlis and dosas or breads.

RAGi/ RED MILLET FLOUR PUTTU



One of my favorite breakfast recipes and this is a hit with my kids as well.  This is an ideal quick and healthy breakfast recipe for kids. I usually prepare two versions, one with sugar for the kids, and the other one with Splenda for my husband and I.  Both the versions equally taste good.

Ingredients
Ragi flour, 1 cup
Sugar or Sugar-free sweetener like sucralose, ½ cup
Grated coconut, 1-2 tablespoons, optional
Cardamom powder, ½ teaspoon
Salt, a pinch

 Procedure:
Add the flour and salt to a big bowl and mix everything well.  Sprinkle some warm water to the flour little by little and keep mixing the flour as the water is added. The consistency of the flour should not to be too wet or too dry and still be powderyOnce this is done, add the flour into a traditional puttu maker or spread it evenly on a cloth on a idli mold plate.  Steam for 15-20 minutes under medium flame.  Once the flour is cooked, let it cool a little bit, add the sweetener, cardamom powder, and grated coconut. Mix everything well and serve by itself or with sliced bananas.

COLORED CAPSICUM AND EGGPLANT (BRINJAL) STIR FRY



This is a regular stir fry, which I make as a side dish for rice. It goes well with any spicy gravy or rasam and rice.

Ingredients:
1. Onion, medium-size, 1, diced into small pieces.
2. Tomato, small, 1, cut into small piece.
3. Green chilies, 2, slit into 2.
4. Eggplant, any type, coming around to a cup when cut into small pieces. It should be soaked in water until it is ready to be cooked. If Indian brinjal variety is used, it can be cut into long strips.
5. Colored bell pepper, coming around to a cup when cut into small pieces.
6. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
7.  Turmeric powder, 1/4 teaspoon.
8.  Chili powder or sambar powder, 1/2 teaspoon.
9. Salt as per taste.
10. Curry leaves or cilantro for garnishing.
11. Mustard seeds, 1/2 teaspoon.
12. Fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon.

Preparation:
Heat a pan with some oil.  When the oil is hot enough, add the mustard seeds and let it splutter. Then add the fennel seeds and fry for a few seconds. Now add the diced onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent.  Then add the chopped tomatoes, green chilies, and ginger-garlic paste and keep frying everything until everything is well blended.  Now add the sambar powder, turmeric powder, salt and keep frying for a few more minutes under low flame until the powders lose their raw smell. Now add the chopped bell peppers and brinjals, mix everything and cook closed for 5-10 minutes under low flame until the vegetables are cooked and the dish is dry.

VENDHAYA/ FENUGREEK DOSAI



This is one of the regular breakfast items that my mom makes for my dad these days. This recipe is a keeper in any diabetic recipe list and is an ideal breakfast for diabetics since fenugreek is one of most popular home remedies known to lower blood sugars. This dosa goes well with any idli podis or any tomato-based chutney or curry although the classic combination is with garlic idli podi. The batter is usually made with boiled rice but I have tried this recipe with regular brown rice and it turned out well too. 

Ingredients:
1. Boiled rice, 1 cup. I have used brown rice here.
2. Urad dhal, 1 tablespoon.
3. Fenugreek seeds, 1 tablespoon.
4. Salt, 1/2 teaspoon.

Preparation:
Wash the rice and dhal and soak them for 3-4 hours. The dhal and the fenugreek seeds needs to be soaked just for an hour. Grind everything into a smooth batter and let it ferment overnight or 6-8 hours. The batter should be of pourable consistency.  Heat a flat pan or a cast iron pan and rub an oil-dunked soft cloth or a half cut onion on the top of the pan surface.  Pour a ladle full of dosa batter on the surface and let it spread evenly over the pan by gently tilting the pan. Cook closed on low flame for 2-3 minutes until the dosa is cooked. This dosa need not be flipped. Serve hot with any spicy and tangy side dish.

SWEET WHEAT RAVA ADAI




This is one of my grandma's favorite evening snacks. She usually makes this with regular rava and sugar or jaggery  (ideal for kids' after-school snacks). I have made a sugar-free version here with wheat rava and agave nectar. This one was equally delicious like my grandma's. If preferred the same sugar-free version can also me made with regular rava instead of wheat rava.

 
Ingredients
Wheat rava/ cracked wheat (small variety), 1 cup
Milk, ½ cup
Cardamom powder, ½ teaspoon
Grated coconut, 1-2 tablespoons
Any sugar-free substitute like sucralose, agave nectar etc, ½ cup. Palm sugar also works perfect here.

 

Preparation
Soak the rava with just enough water to cover it for 2 hours.
Grind it into a coarse mixture along with the grated coconut.
Mix in the milk, cardamom powder, and sugar substitute along with some water.
The consistency for the adai batter should be like that of a dosa batter.
It should be thin enough to be poured from a ladle onto a pan.
Heat a flat bottomed pan and rub the surface of the pan with a soft cloth soaked in oil.
Once the pan is hot, pour a ladle full of the batter onto the pan and gently spread them evenly throughout the pan.
Pour a teaspoon of oil over the  edges of the adai and let it cook under medium flame for a minute and then flip the adai to the other side.
Let the other side cook for another minute or two and serve the adais hot.

MUSHROOM PEPPER FRY



This is a one of our favorite side dishes, very simple and easy to make, and can be prepared in no time.  This goes well with chapathis, dosas, and is a good side dish for rice dishes with sambar, dhal, rasam, and curd.

Ingredients:
1. Button mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed, and sliced or diced (2 cups).
2. Onions, 2 large, diced finely.
3. Ginger-garlic paste, 1 tablespoon.
4. Curry leaves, a sprig.
5. Chili powder, 1 teaspoon.
6. Coriander powder, 1 tablespoon.
7. Turmeric powder, a pinch.
8. Pepper powder, 1 teaspoon.
9. Fennel seeds, 1/2 teaspoon.
10. Salt as per taste.
11. Cilantro for garnishing.

Preparation:
Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot enough, add the fennel seeds and fry them for a few seconds. Now add the onions and curry leaves and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for one more minute. Now add the chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, and salt and keep sautéing for  a few more minutes until the spices lose their raw smell.  Now add the mushrooms, mix everything well, and cook closed for a 10 minutes under low flame until the mushrooms and cooked and the dish reaches the desired consistency. Add the pepper powder now, mix well, garnish with cilantro, and serve hot.

SUGAR-FREE SWEET PONGAL



This the same and regular pongal recipe where I have just substituted the sugar with sugar-free sweetener, so the diabetics in the family can have something sweet during the festival season. It is ideal to go for natural sweeteners like palm sugar, maple syrup, agave nectar, or monk fruit etc. to avoid the long-term side effects of the artificial sweeteners  varying from kidney ailments to nervous disorders. If you feel like you are missing out the sweets during festive seasons, just go for a small serving size, and go for a brisk walk later to burn out that extra carbs and blood sugars :) In this particular recipe, I have used agave nectar since I like the subtle taste of this sweetener. It is a good substitute for jaggery  in our traditional Indian sweets where jaggery is used.

Ingredients:
1. Rice (brown rice can also be used), 1 cup.
2. Moong dhal, 1/2 cup.
3. Cardamom powder, 1/2 teaspoon.
4. Ghee, 1 tablespoon.
5. Broken cashews, 2 tablespoons.
6. Raisins, 1 tablespoon.
7. Salt, a pinch.
8. Sugar-free sweetener, 2/3 cup. (I have used agave nectar here).
9. Milk, 1/2 cup.

Preparation:
Traditionally sweet pongal is prepared by boiling everything together in a thick-bottomed pot or pan until the rice and dhal along with milk and sweetener is cooked and soft and mushy. Then cashews and raisins are roasted under low flame in the ghee until they are golden brown and then this is poured over the pongal. You can also cook the pongal in a pressure cooker. Add the rice and dhal, and  2 cups of water with a pinch of salt and cook for 3 whistles for 10 minutes. Once the pressure is released, add the milk, sweetener, cardamom powder, and ghee-roasted cashews and mix everything well, and let it cook for 5 more minutes until the desired consistency is reached. Alternatively, this pongal can also be cooked in rice cooker. The method is the same as in a pressure cooker but the dhal needs to be parboiled before adding in the rice.

BRINJAL (EGGPLANT) AND PEANUT CURRY




Peanuts is one of my husband's favorite legumes, so I keep trying out different vegetable combination with peanuts, either in the form of stir fries or curries. This is my mother-in-law's recipe, very easy to prepare in just 15 minutes.  This dish goes well with rice and chapathis. Our favorite combination for this recipe is some plain rice with rasam and chips.

Ingredients:
1.  Brinjals, (eggplant), any variety, (I have used Japanese eggplants here), medium-size, 3-4. Cut them into small pieces, and soak them in water until it is ready to be added to the pan.
2. Raw peanuts, soaked for a 4-5 hours, and boiled until it is well done. I used a pressure cooker to cook the peanuts. Add a teaspoon of salt and cover the peanuts with just enough water and pressure cook them for 10 minutes for up to 3 whistles.
3. Onion, medium-size, 1, diced finely.
4. Tomatoes, medium size, 2, chopped finely.
5. Green chilies, 2, slit into two.
6.  Curry leaves, a handful.
7.  Ginger-garlic paste, 1 teaspoon.
8.  Mustard seeds, 1/4 teaspoon.
9.  Fennel seeds, 1/4 teaspoon.
10 Salt as per taste.
11. Chili powder or sambar powder, 1/2 teaspoon to 1 teaspoon depending on preferred spice  level.
12. Turmeric powder, a pinch.

Preparation:
Heat a pan with a tablespoon of oil. Add the mustard seeds and let it splutter once the oil is hot. Then add the fennel seeds, and fry for a few seconds. Add the diced onions and curry leaves now and sauté for a few minutes until the onions are tender.  Add the diced tomatoes and ginger-garlic paste and keep sauteeing until everything is blended.  Add the turmeric powder, chili powder, and salt and fry everything for a minute. Another tablespoon of oil can be added at this stage if needed. Finally add the chopped brinjals and boiled peanuts, mix everything well, and cook closed under low-to-medium flame for 10-12 minutes until the brinjals turn soft. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rice or chapathis.

Variations:
Roasted peanuts can also be used here instead of boiled peanuts.
The whole dish can be cooked in pressure cooker if you are running short of time. Add everything in a pressure cooker, (except for the mustard seeds and fennel seeds ), add just enough water to cover everything, and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles for 10 minutes. In this case, the peanuts should be raw, and cooked along with the vegetables. Fry the mustard and fennel seeds, pour it over the dish, mix everything well, and serve hot.

SPICY OATS PORRIDGE/SOUP



This is one of my friend's recipes. This soup is similar to "nombu kanji," which is the soup or gruel prepared during the Holy month of Ramadan.  Recently I have been using oats in the soup instead of the traditional rice and this version has been a hit in our house. This soup can be had for breakfast or as a light dinner.  This soup can also be served along with any spicy side  dish like chicken (preferably spicy tandoori chicken, chicken-65, or fried chicken etc.), mutton, or mushroom fry.
 

Ingredients

Oats, 1 cup

Pearl onions, 6

Green chili, 1-2 depending upon preferred heat level

Cumin seeds, ¼ teaspoon

Shredded coconut or coconut powder, 2 teaspoons (optional)

Turmeric powder, a pinch

Coriander powder, 1 teaspoon

Salt as per taste

 

Preparation

Grind the 4 pearl onions, along with the chili, cumin seeds, and coconut into a fine paste by adding a little bit of water.

Dice the remaining pearl onions and caramelize them for garnishing at the end.

Cook the oats in a pot by adding 2-1/2 cups of water, turmeric powder, coriander powder, salt, and the ground mixture.

The porridge should be cooked under medium-to-low flame gently stirring in between.

Switch off the stove once the desired consistency is reached.

Ladle the soup into serving bowl, garnish with caramelized onions on top and serve hot.

Ragi (Red millet) and greens adai




This is one of the easiest breakfast recipes and can be made in a jiffy with just a few ingredients. Drumstick leaves (moringa oleifera) is the commonly used greens in this adai.  We don't get those here, so I have just used some spinach here.  Any other greens like amaranth or collard greens can also be used here.

INGREDIENTS:
1. Ragi (red millet) flour, 1 cup.
2. Any greens like spinach, 1/2 bunch or a cup full, washed and chopped finely. If drumstick leaves are used, they can be added as whole.
3. Ginger, a small piece, finely minced.
4. Green chilies, 1-2, finely minced.
5. Salt as per taste.

PREPARATION:
Add the chopped greens, ginger, green chilies, and salt to the ragi flour.  Knead it into a smooth dough by adding some water. The dough should not be too sticky (more flour can be added if needed). The consistency should be like for a chapathi dough.  Heat a cast iron or a non-stick pan and rub the surface of the pan with a soft cloth soaked with oil.  Make a small tennis ball-size ball from the dough.  Flatten it on the palm and place it on the hot pan. Flatten the adai and spread it out evenly on the pan with caution. This must be done quickly as the adai starts getting cooked as soon as it is placed on the pan. Add a little bit of oil on the sides.  The flame should be low-to-medium, so that the adais will not burn. After 2 minutes, flip the adai to the other side and let it cook for 2 more minutes under low flame. Serve hot adais with jaggery (palm sugar), or any tomato-based chutney.