After school snack-Simple Tomato Pasta with Milk

This quick after school snack is sure to win many kids. A quick pasta with a glass of milk.
You need...
Pasta -250gms
Tomato sauce- 1tbspoon
Tomato-2 grind to fine paste or you can use tomato paste
pinch of salt and pepper
Grated cheese for garnishing
Cook pasta according to instructions on the packet until soft. Drain and while its warm mix with tomato puree and tomato sauce. Scoop into a serving plate and garnish with salt and pepper and finally with grated cheese. Sure to win a hungry tummy with a glass of milk.
Another look ...

Sprouted Moongdal & Rainbow Salad

I started preparing salad using cucumber, tomato and onion for pulav etc., Eventually I started experimenting by adding one by one other fresh veggies like corn, carrot etc., Finally this particular salad become one of my hits amongst family and friends, plus in my dinner parties. Corn is missing in my salad today, since i run out of corn cobs.
We need...

1 carrot

1 cucumber

1 tomato

1/2 cup sprouted moongdal

1 green granny smith apple

1/2 cup corn kernels

Pinch of salt and pepper.

1tsp lemon juice

1tbsp finely chopped walnuts.

Method:

Dice carrot, cucumber, tomato and granny smith apple. Mix with corn kernels and sprouted moongdal. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and mix well. Just before serving add finely chopped walnuts. Serve as side dish with lemon rice, pulikaachhal sadam, Ghee rice, saffron rice, veg pulav etc.,

Breakfast-American waffles

This is another breakfast which my kids enjoy. There is nothing complicated about this one. But the mix and match is what they like in this. Sometimes I present this as it is, some times i cut slices of banana and decorate on waffles. Either way this is another hit in my house, so i am sticking to it.

On the plate ........

Hardboiled egg - boiled for 15 mintues

Cornflakes and oats with dried fruits with milk ofcourse.

American waffles toasted with little butter.

Semiyaa Upma & Groundnut chutney

This dish was my first trial dish when I suddenly decided to learn cooking when I was 16 years old. I asked for recipe from my mum and she gave it to me without realising that someday I am going to spoil her kitchen and her cooking pan. Luckily I got the opportunity during my summer school holidays when my mum went to see her sister that afternoon for a chat. I ran to grab my best friend and schoolmate(she lives only couple of streets from where i live) and started my experiment. Not to mention that i burnt the Vessel so much so that my mum could never use that again. But the tricky part which shocked both of us was, after tadka, when we added water in the oil for boiling. we were shocked to see mild flame just above the vessel. Later my sister told me that, I must reduce the flame either to lowest or turn the stove off before pouring water in tadka. The recipe goes like this...
2 cups Semiyaa(Thin noodles)- You can buy this in any indian shop.

1 cup rava(semolina)

1tbsp ghee

1spoon mustard seeds

1red chilli, 1 green chilli

few curry leaves

1sppon Channadal

1spoon udid dal

Hing, salt.

4 cups water

1 cup mixed vegetables(carrot, peas, potato, corn)-optional- Microwave or boil for couple of mintues.

Method:

First fry semiyaa and rava with ghee until the raw smell goes.

In a pan add bit of oil and add mustard seeds, red chilli, green chilli, curryleaves, channadal, udiddal, and hing. Keep strring until the mustard seeds starts splutter and other ingredients turns to golden brown. At this stage you need to pour water slowly either by turning the burner off or in low flame. Add veggies and salt. Cover and let it boil in high flame until you see the bubbles start coming. Turn flame to low again, and slowly pour roasted semiyaa and rava. Start mixing without forming any lumps. Let it cook covered for another 5 minutes before turning off. That's it Upma ready. This is an excellent combination when you are in a hurry and healthy too.

Groundnut chutney:

1 cup roasted groundnuts

4 or 5 red chillies

1 garlic

salt

Mix and grind together the above ingredients to a fine paste. Temper with mustard seeds, curryleaves and finely chopped and fried onion(optional).

Kathrikkai Thair Pachhadi(Eggplant with Yoghurt)

When I saw Sangeetha's choice for this month's JFI-Event as "Eggplant", I went vow.. i must participate. But lazy me.. eventhough I get to make many dishes with Eggplant during the past month never had time to take a picture. So Yesterday as part of our sunday special lunch I decieded to include "Kathrikkai Thair Pachhadi" to participate in JFI event. Right... as far as recipe goes this is one of my mum's recipies. My mum serves Kathrikkai Thair Pachhadi along with lemon rice.
What you need:

2 eggplants - roasted on direct flame. Peel and mash with fork.

1 cup fresh natural yoghurt

4 or 5 Sundried pickled green chilli(MoRu Milaghai)-My mums usually prepares this in summer by soaking in Youghurt and drying in sun for 10 to 15 days. You can buy in most indian shops aswell. I will post recipe for this soon.

1/2 tsp salt

1tbsp oil

Mustard seeds, curryleaves for Tadka.

Method:

Mix roasted and mashed eggplant and youghurt in a bowl along with salt and keep aside for few minutes. In a pan pour 1 tbsp oil, when hot add mustard seeds, when it starts to splutter, add curry leaves and Sundried pickled green chillies. Keep tadka in low flame until the sundried pickled green chillies turn its colour from light brown to dark brown or black. Remove from the flame and add it to the above eggplant and youghurt mix. Add salt, mix well and serve with Lemon rice or you can use this as 'dip' for pakodas, bhajias etc.,