Namak Paare

Namak paare is pastry like crunchy snack. The actual recipe calls for carom(ajwain) but I replaced it with cumin seeds. This is great snack for the evening and can be served as appetizers for parties.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup All purpose flour (plain flour or maida)
• 1/2 cup whole wheat flour
• 2 tablespoons Sooji fine (semolina flour)
• 3/4 teaspoon Salt
• 1/4teaspoon cumin seeds or ajwain
• 2 tablespoon oil
• About 1/3 cup water as needed
• Oil to fry

Procedure:

1. Mix flour, sooji, salt, carom seeds, and oil, and mix it with fingertips to get consistency of breadcrumb.

2. Add water as needed to make firm but smooth dough. Cover with damp cloth and set aside at least for ten minutes.

3. Knead the dough for another minute and divide in two equal parts.

4. Take each part of the dough and make a flat ball shape. Roll them into 9-inch circles and thickness of salted crackers.

5. Prick them with a fork all over the rolled dough, so the paras do not puff when frying.

6. Cut each of the rolled dough into about half inch wide and 2 inch long pieces. Note: you can cut them in your desire shape.

7. Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat.

8. The frying pan should have at least 1 ½ inch of oil. To check if the oil is ready, put a small piece of dough in the oil. The dough should make the oil sizzle and come up slowly.

9. Make sure to place just enough namak paras so you can turn them over easily when frying. Fry the namak paras until both sides are light golden-brown.

10. After namak paras come to room temperature they should become crisp.

Recipe source: www.manjulaskitchen.com

Veg Fried Rice

Fried rice is quick to make with just a handful of vegetables. This will serve great for lunch box.




Ingredients:

Cooked rice – 2 cups
Carrot – 1
Beans – 10 nos
Green peas – ¼ cup
Green Capsicum – ¼ cup chopped
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp
Soya sauce – 1 tsp
Salt
Black Pepper – 2 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp

Procedure:

• Thinly chop all the vegetables lengthwise

• Heat pan and add oil

• Add ginger garlic paste and all vegetables one after other sautéing each for a while. Sautee on medium flame till the vegetables are cooked

• Add salt and pepper and add tomato and soya sauce

• Now add the cooked rice and mix well. Remove from flame

• Garish with coriander leaves and serve hot

Avacado Banana Milkshake

Avacado is a great source of good cholesterol and is highly advised to increase the HDL. Banana is rich in dietery fiber. Together this milkshake makes a yummy desert. Also will serve as a great beverage for kids.

Ingredients:

Ripe Banana – 1
Avacado – 2 tbsp
Sugar – 2-3 tsps
Milk – 2 cups

Procedure:

Blend the above ingredients in a blender and serve. Adjust sugar according to taste.

Palak Vegetable

Palak vegetable is a healthy dish with all the goodness of vegetables and greens. It goes well with hot chapathis.

Ingredients:

Spinach - 1 bunch

Onion - 1

Carrot - 1 no.

Beans - 12 nos.

Potato - 1

Peas - 1/4 cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green chillies - 2

Whole garam masala

Milk - 1/4 cup

Procedure:

Add a little bit of oil in a pan and add the chopped spinach and green chillies. Cook the spinach till it is soft.

When the spinach is cooled, blend it in a mixer. Take care not to make it like a paste.

Add required oil and add whole garam masala.

Add onions and ginger garlic paste and fry till the onions are soft.

Add the chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, salt and add water.

Once the vegetables are cooked add the spinach.

Add milk to get the required consistency.

Let it boil for 3 minutes.

Remove from flame and serve with hot chapathis.

Pineapple Rava Kesari

Kesari is an easy to prepare sweet dish. Pineapple chunks added to this gives it a nice flavour and taste.

Ingredients:

Rava 1cup

Sugar 1 cup

Water 2 cups

Pineapple chunks 1/4 cup

Ghee 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp

Cashewnuts and raisins

Yellow food colour - optional

Procedure:

• Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a and fry cashewnuts and raisins and keep aside.
• Fry rava in the same pan till u get a nice smell.
• Add boiling water to the rava and keep stirring so that no lumps are formed.
• Once it is cooked add the sugar, food colour and keep stirring.
• Add the remaining ghee, cardamom powder and pineapple chunks.
• Add the fried cashewnuts and raisins and mix it well.
• Remove from flame. Pineapple kesari is ready to serve.

Jelly (Agaragar)

Agaragar or “China grass” is a fiber rich ingredient and is good for health. This dish can be served along with desserts and is sure to attract kids.

Ingredients:

Agaragar powder – 2 tsp
Water – 3 cups
Sugar – 1 cup
Food colors – 1 or 2 varieties

Procedure:

• Mix the agaragar powder in water and keep on medium flame

• Add sugar and stir it to dissolve and wait for a boil

• Mix the food color with little water on separate bowls

• Pour the boiled water in the bowls and mix to make the color spread evenly

• Keep it aside (or refrigerated) for 2 hours for the jelly to set

• Cut as desired and serve

Omapodi

This is a traditional south Indian snack. This can be added as a part for chat items too.

Ingredients:

Besan flour – 1 cup
Rice flour – ¼ cup
Butter – 1 tbsp
Asafotedia
Chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil – to deep fry

Procedure:

• Mix all the ingredients expect oil with little water and make as a soft dough (Besan flour maybe sticky on ur hands)

• Put the dough in the murukku press with the plate having lots of holes (the one used for making idiyappam)

• Heat oil for deep frying and keep it on medium high

• When the oil is ready directly release the dough from the press on the oil for 2-3 rounds

• Allow the splutter to settle on one side and turn to cook for the other side. (Make sure the oil is not too hot or else it will get browned)

• Once the spluttering stops take it and keep on a tissue paper to strai excess oil

• Store airtight after cooling.

Carrot Dosai

Ingredients

Carrot – 1
Onion – 1 (fine cut)
Dosa batter – 2 cups

Procedure:

• Shred the carrots and grind them with little water to make a paste

• Add the grinded paste to the dosa batter and mix well. Add salt as required

• Pour this batter like regular dosa and sprinkle cut onions on top. Apply little oil on sides and cover it with a lid

• Take out the dosa after it gets its light crispy texture.

• Server hot with coconut chutney