Gobi Cheese Paratha

Paratha is a quick and healthy option for lunch box on a busy day if you do not have enough time to prepare a separate breakfast and a side dish. If you are familiar rolling the parathas, you can make it with any stuffing inside. I add whatever veggies I find in my kitchen for the stuffing. You can even do this with the rice, just add all the veggies along with the rice and cook! but do not compromise on the taste :).  Gobi Parathas are always healthy, adding cheese makes it even more tastier and kids will like it. Addition of onions makes it crispy, you can skip if you do not like.

Ghee Rice

Ghee rice is one of the quick recipe and a best option for one pot meal. It's always good for kids,  addition of cashew nuts, ground nuts and raisins makes it even more tastier and healthier. This is the most simplest yet flavorful rice with pleasant fragrance. This rice is prepared by sauting the spices like bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, star anise along with green chilli and onions in ghee. This can also be a quick lunch box recipe on a busy day for all the working women.Lets see the procedure for it.

Poori Chole Recipe

Chole is an authentic dish of Punjab. It is generally served with Batura. Instead of Batura I make chole with puris. Even though puri is not a regular item in my kitchen but once in a while I prepare this during the weekends. I have already shared the recipe for puri Bhaji using potato sabzi in Maharashtrian style. I make this chole sabzi by my own way by just using onions, tomatoes and the chole masala that we get in the market and it is simply delicious. This sabzi also goes very well with roti/chapati.

Semiya Upma / Sevaya Upma

Semiya/seviyan/vermicelli Upma is a traditional south Indian breakfast recipe. It's easy, quick and with more veggies it can be a very healthy option for the breakfast menu. It is a must item in a week at our home. I remember when we were kids, we used to prepare semiya at our home using a board, in fact it was a big fun during summer holidays. But now a days all machine made items are sold.We get different size semiya in the market, the thicker one do not taste that much good as compared to the thin once. I usually use the thinner ones. I make it slightly different by adding a bit of tamarind juice instead of lemon juice. Everyone in my family my dad, my mom.. likes the semiya that I prepare. I also add a bit of red chilli along with green chilli. The combination of red chilli and tamarind paste gives unique taste to upma. This post was lying in to do list since many days and finally todayI got a chance to post this, lets go through the procedure.

Tiranga Paratha / Tricolor Paratha

Happy independence day everyone!!! How about celebrating this beautiful and special day by giving tribute to our mother nation in our own way. I had this tricolor paratha idea in my mind since many days, was finding for the right occasion to prepare it. I had to cut the sides of paratha to make it uniform in size since the shape it came out after rolling was not exact rectangular. I added carrots for the saffron color, white is the all purpose flour, for green color I used spinach extract. I did not imitate it exactly since it would be difficult for us to have it :) It is just a combination 3 types of plain parathas. We will see the procedure below.

Carrot Paratha

My kid never has carrot, when I give him he just throws it. So I make this plain paratha by just adding carrots. When preparing for kids you can skip adding green chilli / red chilli powder or add very little amount. We can also add a bit of curd and cream to the flour while kneading , it makes parathas smooth. I made this paratha while preparing Tiranga paratha which I am yet to upload for independence day :) This can be served along with curd / pickle. Hope you like it, lets go through the procedure.

Chocolate Coconut Rolls

Chocolate Rolls!!! with coconut filling tastes heavenly delicious. I always try to make simpler dishes requiring less effort easy yet healthier in a way for my lil one. This is not so healthy we can say, but once in a while we can go for it. It is also a good option as a quick dessert for the guests at your home :). This is No Bake No cook recipe, can be prepared within 15-20 mins and requires around 30 mins to get set with minimal number of ingredients easliy available at home. My kido loved it a lot!, in fact I was facing difficulty in taking the pics as he was grabbing the pieces behind :) Lets go through the procedure.

Bread Sheera

Bread Sheera is one quick option for dessert or a twist in the regular semolina sheera that we already know to prepare. If your kid is a sweet lover then he/she is definitely going to like this. Shallow frying bread in the ghee gives a beautiful aroma and a very good taste. I came accors this recipe in one of the cookery shows. Calorie conscious people be careful!, but once in a while should be ok :). Lets go thought the procedure.

Palak Plain Dosa

Palak (Spinach) Dosa is one healthy breakfast option, instead of a regular plain Dosa. Adding Spinach to the regular dosa batter will make it rich in ironand vitamins. Palak dosa can be prepared in many ways like the one I have explained here by adding palak extract to the dosa batter / add palak sabzi along with boiled potato or paneer and spread it over the dosa / fry the spinach and add it in the dosa batter and prepare it like uttapam. Near to our house in Bangalore near the park a person serves 100 varieties of dosas, I love the sabzi that he prepares using palak, potato and cheese. It simply melts in the mouth. We will see below the simple way of preparing plain palak dosa by adding spinach extract to the dosa batter.

Shenga Hindi / Shengadanyachi Chutney

Shenga Hindi is a dry peanut chutney which is served along with the side dishes in complete North Karnataka / Maharashtra meal. It is served along with Bhakri (Jowar), chapati, dosas, rice. It's a dry chutney which goes best with curd. This chutney is must at our home. My mom used to make this and give when I was in hostel since I used to get bored with the same hostel mess menu.

This is not a difficult recipe, can be prepared with minimal number of ingredients easily available at home. Lets go through the procedure.

Fried Ice Cream

How about an ice cream which is cold inside and super hot outside on this rainy season?? Yes you got me right it's "Fried Ice Cream". The thing with opposite combinations tastes very unique like a hot Gulab Jamun in an ice cream or a ice cream on a hot cake. Mangalore being a place famous for the ice creams, there is a hotel by name  "Cherry Square" and it was indeed very famous for the desserts they served. They served a dessert called "Some Like it Hot!" where cold ice cream scoop is placed on hot chocolate cake with hot chocolate sauce on it. It was heavenly! Similar way the other day  was searching for such recipes over the internet and came across this fried ice cream recipe. You need not require much ingredients for this. I prepared it and it was a great success! In fact hardly got anything to taste since everything was finished by my son :) Hope you try it and like it.

Methi Pulao

Methi rice/ fenugreek Pulao is an healthy option for one pot meal. We already know how useful the methi is and also different ways of using it in our day to day life like preparing methi sabzi, methi paratha, methi dal and thepla. This is a very quick and different option for the surprise guests that you can offer at your home :) I add lemon juce and sugar for balancing the bitter taste of methi. I also add potatoes, onion and groundnut, you can add vegges of your choice like tomato, green peas etc.

Apple Pan Cake

Apple Pan cake is the best option for a sweet and healthier pan cake which I am sure your kids will surely like. This is the best option for making your son to have apples and get all the benefits of it. I usually make dosas at home but the sweeter version never tried. It makes a perfect taste for the kids. But be sure to fry these pan cakes well on both the sides. I added a pinch of chocolate powder to it and hence the color got changed. You need not add it. I also added Khishmish for better taste.

Tomato Dosa

Tomato Dosa is a slight variation to the usual dosa that we prepare. This is a good option to make your kid  benefited with the goodness of tomatoes along with the rice that we use for making dosas. My mom usually prepares instant dosa using wheat flour, gram flour, all purpose flour and joward flour by adding chopped veggies to it. For this I usually add chopped tomatoes/ grind the tomatoes and then add the juice to the usual dosa batter.

Instant Dhokla

Dhokla!!! is one of my favorite since childhood. I remember when we used to go to Sangli a place in Maharashtra for Diwali shopping my mom used to buy it for us. It was just for Rs.3  a packet with 6-7 small Dhokla's with fried Mirchi. It used to taste awesome, in fact its still available now. might the prize is increased to 10 or so. That was "The Dhokla" taste that I ever have in my mind. If we google now, there are many ways of preparing it! using Rava (Semolina), curd, etc etc.. The one that I prepare is using very minimal number of ingredients, its instant and all you need is Besan peeth (Gram flour) and a Eno packet as main ingredients, the rest of all are available in every kitchen.  I haven't tried the Dhokla yet with Semolina or with curd, will surely try someday :). Here is the procedure on how preparing this simple instant "Dhokla".

 

Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice is an easy bachelor recipe and such a simple one pot meal that it can be prepared by anyone :) We have already seen the recipe for Kanda Pohe. It is the same procedure, instead of soaked poha we need to add cooked rice, along with it we can also add nuts. This can also be prepared with the left over rice that you have in your kitchen. I usually prepare phodni bhaat with the left over rice using red chilli powder and tamrind paste instead of green chilli. But this one is very simple yet tasty. 

Potato Capsicum Veg Toast

We usually add mashed potatoes to the bread and grill it, why not add few more veggies along with it so that it becomes more healthier. I added bit of capsicum, to the mashed potatoes to get the crunch along with the roasted peanut powder instead of cornflour which is usually used in Maharashtrian food. This gave an awesome combination for the sandwich. You can add any veggies of your choice. I had to roast the veggies and then add to the boiled mashed potato.

Chivda Recipe

Chivda is most famous tea time snack in India in fact more famous in Maharashtra. It is prepared in large quantity by my mum during the festival season like Diwali/Dasara. When I was small and used to stay in hostel for studies, I remember my mom used to prepare laddoo and chivda and pack for me. Even now she gives whenever I return from my native :). I used to think preparing it  is a very big task since the quantity she would prepare would be large! but don't think so that its too difficult. We can prepare in small quantities with easily available set of ingredients. There are different forms of Murmure (flattened rice in marathi) available in the market like kanda pohe type, or the typical Maharashtrian ones which are little puffy. I am using the thin flattened rice that is usually used for preparing Kanda Pohe. We will see below steps on how it can be prepared.

Dates & Nuts Laddoo

Dates & Nuts laddoo, you can also call it dry fruits laddoo with lots of dry fruits and essential energy in it. I make this usually for my little son who is 2 years old. Its quick and easy to prepare with whatever raisins you have in your house. Since my son does not eat dates I make use of it in this form so that he has it :) A slight variation of this laddoo with lots of dry roasted dried coconut and few more raisins usually my mom prepares and this is usually preferred to give to women after the child birth to get all the strength back :) If you have roasted peanuts at your home then preparing this laddoo should not take much time. We will see the way that I prepare this laddoo.

Instant Mango Pickle

When its summer how can anyone forget about the "Mango Pickle". I know I am already late posting this recipe since the monsoon has already began. I had few raw mangoes given by my mum from our farm. Thought will prepare pickle which is my husband's favourite. Earlier when we were small summer was the season for preparing pickle, papad, homemade semiya(vermicelli). But now everyone prefers ready made store brought things which are prepared with lots of preservatives. This pickle recipe I am posting here needs very minimal number of ingredients, and cannot be stored for long time, but can be prepared instantly in small number and can be preserved for around 5 days when refrigerated. We will see below the steps for preparation:

Rajma Recipe

Rajma is the most famous side dish of North India makes an awesome combination with hot steamed rice generally called "Rajma Chawal". It is made from kidney beans which means "Rajma" in hindi. When cooked properly, adding little chopped garlic and salt to the cooked mashed Rajma makes it more healthy and nutritious. Rajma goes well with any Indian flat bread as well as rice. Rajma is mainly rich in proteins, adding up spices will enhance its taste.

Varan Recipe

Varan is a Maharashtrian recipe a kind of sambar, a side dish which is usually served with rice. It is simple, quick and healthy recipe. Since I was on a long vacation did not get time to upload recipes from long time. Thought of starting with this simple dish. I make this compulsorily in every week. This was even the amongst the initial dishes that I started giving to my little son. It is easily digestible and can be given with rice / or by soaking chapati in it for kids.

Matar Paneer Recipe

You go in any North Indian restaurant Matar Paneer is the must served side dish. Paneer gives many options for vegetarians. It can be used in combination with any of the veggies like palak (spinach), peas etc.. and prepared as a side dish for roti/rice. Matar Paneer is the easy option with less effort using Paneer.

Peanut Chutney

Peanut chutney this is the quick way of preparing chutney for dosa/uttapa/idli. I learned this from my mom, whenever she makes instant Uttapa she prepares this chutney for us. This is quick, easy and requires less number of ingredients. You can refer the link for preparing groundnut powder, I have already shred it.

Vaangi Bhaat

Vaangi (brinjal) baath is very famous in Bangalore, I had this first time only in Bangalore. Before we used to prepare only a side dish for roti using Brinjal like "Bharlela vaanga"(Bharva bengan - still I need to upload the recipe for this), "vangyacha bharit", "vangyacha bhaaji" etc.., but never thought it would taste so good when added to rice. I had lots of brinjal lying in my refrigerator and thought of trying this dish but did not have the Vaangi bhaat masala with me. So came up with this version of home made vaangi bhaat masala, it came out really good. You can store this masala for days in your refrigerator.

Kadubu Recipe

Before starting I would like to wish everyone a very "Happy Ugadi". Ugadi/Gudi Padwa is considered to be a start of new year in Hindu culture. So to start a fresh year early in the morning the first thing that we have is "Bevu Bella" which is a mixture of Neem leaves and Jaggery, which signifies that our life is both the combination of joy and sorrow and we should accept it happily.

  At our place my mom usually makes "Puran Poli" on this day which I have already shared the recipe. But since I yet to buy the 'Puran machine' and that requires lots of experience I tried the other version of sweet with same ingredients i.e "Kadubu" which looks like karanjikai / Ghujjia  and is deeply fired but with puran as stuffing inside. 

Katachi Amti

In Maharashtra  any festive meal with puran poli is incomplete without "Katachi Amti". This is a kind of dal which is prepared from split bengal gram which is used for making the Puran poli. We usually use the drained water that is collected after boiling the bengal gram and mix little amount of left over puran to it and use it for making amti which is nothing but a dal in marathi. It has got all the tastes, the sweetness of puran, tamarind tangy taste and chilli powder spicy taste.

Vangyachi Bhaji

This is simple brinjal sabzi with the addition of grated coconut and roasted peanut powder which is usually included in the festive meal. We can prepare this sabzi only with the addition of roasted peanut powder so that it becomes quick.

Puri Bhaji

Puri - Indian flat bread deeply fried made from all purpose flour /wheat flour, along with Bhaji a side dish to accompany is a traditional and must served dish in all the restaurants in India. The only difference is its called with different names based on the region and the side dish, like Puri bhaji, Kurma puri, puri chole and so on. The one that is served in Maharashtrian hotels is the "Puri Bhaji" which has a side dish prepared from authentic potato sabzi which turns to be an awesome combination. 

Methi Dal Recipe

Methi Dal / Fenugreek leaves dal recipe is prepared by adding methi leaves to the dal that we usually prepare as side dish for roti/rice. Dal is rich in protein adding green veggies improves the nutritional value along with the taste of the recipe. We can add any green veggies to dal like methi, spinach, amaranth. This dal can also be a best option for your kids lunch box.

Palak Bhaaji /Spinach stir fry

This version of palak sabzi usually my mom prepares, its very healthy, quick and simplest recipe fully loaded with nutrients. Palak sabzi tastes great when served with hot chapatis.I also give this to my little son along with rice and ghee, when preparing for kids we can reduce the amount of chilli that we are adding. As we are adding moong dal, it will accomplish the protein content that is required in kids diet.

Roasted peanut powder / Shengdanyacha koot

Danyacha koot / roasted ground nut powder is the basic and must element in any of the Maharashtrian dish, you will find it in every house of Maharashtra. We prepare more quantity of this powder and store it, We add it to all most all the side dishes, it enhances the taste of the recipe. Groundnut powder is the key element in some of the dishes like Sabudana Khichdi, shengadanyachi poli (Indian flat bread made out of jaggery and peanut powder as a stuffing). In major quantity, peanuts are used as  dry "shenga chutney" which is served with the side dish for chapati along with curd.  We will see below the procedure for preparing this versatile roasted peanut powder.

Beetroot Koshimbhir

Koshimbhir is the traditional way of preparing a salad in in Maharashtra using roasted groundnut powder, which adds a kick in the taste :) Although the most famous Koshimbhir is kakadi Koshimbhir (prepared using kakadi (cucumber), raw onions and tomatoes ), this is healthy and quick recipe with very less number of ingredients.

Sweet Corn stuffed Paratha

Sweet corn is repository of nutrients and carbohydrates, which can be consumed in the form of soup, salads, side dish and a good option as a diet food. Usually sweet corn paratha is done by crushing the corn and directly adding it to the wheat flour along with the spices. I prepared a sabzi of sweet corn and used it as stuffing in the flour since stuffed parathas are more tastier. But I had to squeeze the water content from the corn so that it would be easier for rolling, that might decrease the nutritional value of the corn.

Broken Wheat Upma

Upma made form broken wheat is one of my favorite; I like it more than rava upma. I remember when we were kids my mom used to prepare this and we used to enjoy it with curd. This is healthier and rich in nutrients as compared with the sooji upma. The procedure for preparation is almost same we can add any veggies of our choice but here we need to add more water so that wheat absorbs it and gets cooked well. I add little tamarind juice and red chilly powder so that the taste is balanced combination of spiciness, salt and tangy taste.

Easy Capsicum Sabzi

We get the more bigger capsicum in a market near by to my house, so I prepare this sabzi once in a week. I add pav bhaji masala which gives a different taste. The procedure is same as I use for preparing mix veg sabzi. We will see below the steps of preparing this dish.

Chocolate Sheera Barfi

My son likes chocolates a lot! he can have it non stop :) so I thought of adding chocolate coating to the usual sheera that we prepare.There is another way where we can directly add the chocolate into sheera while preparing so that the whole sheera turns to chocolate color. This barfi came out well, but the thing is my smart kido licked only the chocolate part and I had to run behind him to make him have Sheera :)

 

Korti / Gurellu Chutney

Korti chutney/ gurellu chutney is commonly made in only north Karnataka and some parts of Maharashtra, This is made from Niger seeds and the shelf life is more and hence can be stored for any number of days like the shenga hindi (dry groundnut chutney). My mom usually makes this for me which helps me as an alternative whenever I am bored of preparing side dish for Chapati. Niger seeds are supposed to be very good in protein content.

Aloo Gobi Paratha

Anything that has aloo I just love it! Aloo/potato is vigorously used in most of the parathas as it serves as binding agent and improves the taste. This paratha is a combination of potato and cauliflower. Once you are mastered in rolling parathas you can try any stuffing into the parathas for a varying taste and healthy meal.

Karela stir-fry

This is the easiest and quick recipe of bitter-gourd. Karela/Bitter gourd is the most nutritious vegetable but we do not prefer to have it because of its bitterness. This style of sabzi I learnt from my mom and she got to know about this recipe when she was on a trip to North India.We usually make a gravy of Karela by adding tamarind and jaggery, this is the dried/ fried version of karela and tastes awesome and needs very less number of ingredients. The bitterness of karela is  balanced by adding cashew nuts, almond and peanuts.

Jhunka Chapati Roll

This is one of my most favorite roll.. I can have it unlimited. :) Jhunka is a must dish in every house of North Karnataka/Maharashtra which is prepared from gram flour. This is also considered to be a travel food due to its long shelf life when its prepared without using onions. Idea of using Jhunka as a stuffing in a roll I got from one of my friend's mom. When I was in hostel pursuing my degree her mom used to get it every time and it used to be literally dipped in ghee and tasted unimaginable. I still cannot forget the taste of it. I am very "kanjus" in applying ghee :) There is another version of Jhunka which my mom generally prepares while we are traveling by just heating the flour more and making it dry.

Palak Gobi Recipe

Palak Gobi - is a side dish prepared using spinach/palak and gobi/cauliflower which can make a nutritious combination. This recipe I tried on my own following the procedure like the one usually done for palak paneer. Made a grvay of palak and added boiled gobi to it, also added bit of peas which enhanced the color of the sabzi. The taste also came out well. Hope you like the recipe.

Oats Upma

I had got a packet of oats from the stores long time back when had decided to start my dieting, but unfortunately never used it :) so thought of preparing something out of oats for my lil one and hence prepared this recipe. Instead of directly adding the veggies and frying them I had to boil and then use so that my son doesn't find any trouble in getting this digested :) The procedure I have used here is very simple and the upma tasted delicious as well. This can be a very healthy food for your kid.

Sabudana Khichdi

Since today it’s “Maha Shivaratri” we will start our day with a simple, most common or we can say a compulsory dish for fasting which is generally prepared in Maharashtra. This is made out of sago which makes you full throughout the day. This dish is very common at my home as we prepare at least once in a week since my mom does fasting on every Sunday. 'Varyach Bhaat' which is made from Vari tandul (samo rice) is also a dish which is prepared during the fasting.

Mooli Paratha / Radish Paratha

Radish is the most healthiest vegetable but many of us don't like it because of its bitterness. Radish is used in many ways in Indian cuisine like in the form of side dish, in paratha, in salads etc.. It becomes more tastier when used in parathas. It has got lots of nutritional benefits, I remember my grand-mom used to have it since she was suffering from diabetes. I first prepare the mooli sabzi and use it as stuffing for the paratha.

Instant Jalebi

Jalebiiiiiiii!! I never thought that even I could prepare it. Since its a Valentines day I decided to prepare a sweet item, as I am scared of baking and never tried so had to choose something which can be prepared in instantly, Jalebi was the option that came to my mind. I saw few videos on internet most of them were to soak the batter overnight and I had not done that, finally came with the site which explained the instant jalebi steps and followed the procedure accordingly. I had to make the Jalebi's twice because I was not satisfied with the Jalebi shapes that I made for the first time and the problem was due to the piping paper hole that I had made for the polythene bag. I had to send my husband again to market to get the piping paper. But unluckily he dint find it, so instead he got a sauce bottle which was too bigger in size. I had no option than cutting the polythene bag again. I took a polythene bag which was not folded at the sides, basically a square shaped bag, had cut a small hole at one corner. Added the batter and then made jalebi's, they came very well in fact one of the jalebi came out in a heart shape size ;) may be it was due to the practice as well :)

Puliyogare

Puliyogare - the moment I hear this word my mouth starts watering :D I just love the "Bangalore style" Puliyogare. Heard there is a hotel in Basavangudi which is famous for serving the authentic Puliyogare in Bangalore, never got a chance to visit, but somehow I must have to plan. Puliyogare is also known as tamarind rice. I tried to make this recipe putting my best but could not exactly meet upto the mark that should really be called "Puliyogare". The taste came out well but the color I was not convinced with, might be was due to the color of the tamarind that I used. Anyhow I am sharing the recipe that I tried which I got to know from a cook show, hope you guys like it and try. I prepared the puliyogare gojju first using tamarind and mixed the gojju to the cooked rice.

Palak Pakoda

Crispy Palak/spinach Pakodas in this chilly weather is a wonderful combination. I always had a thought of preparing the palak pakodas but again the mission of shedding weight always kept me away from this..
But this day I could not resist as I had palak in my kitchen and luckily had got some free time, so came up with these crispy pakodas. This is not time consuming at all, just needs maximum of half an hour. Addition of rice flour made the pakodas crispy.

Vangyacha Bharit

Baingan/vangi/brinjal Bharit is the most famous side dish of Maharashtra which requires very less time for the preparation. The Brinjal which are bigger in size are most preferred for preparing Bharit, Brinjal is roasted on a stove top and hence we get a nice smoky smell to it, this goes very well with bhakri (Jowar roti). I remember my brother used to prepare this when i had shifted to Bangalore :) it’s so easy that even bachelors can prepare ;). I usually get packets of dried bajra rotis from my native as they can be used for long time. So whenever I am lazy we have the rotis with this simple dish and the combination is awesome.

Palak Thepla

I usually do not prefer to prepare the usual palak paratha which is done by adding the palak directly into dough without frying it as my husband does not like it. Palak tastes good when it is fried. So came up with this version of paratha or you can say thepla for which I used the method almost similar as that we use for Thalipeeth, it came out very soft and tasted delicious. Even my son liked it a lot. I added little gram flour and curd while kneading the dough and used butter for toasting. Curd helped in softening the parathas.