Bottle Gourd Pancakes/ Lauki Chilla

Aaaah!! Yes I am still experimenting with the 'Bottle gourd'. Look like I am trying to conquer this big vegetable with vengeance! This recipe makes the regular chilla so exciting and nutritious. It has carbs, protein and vegetables to make it a complete meal. Its best eaten straight from the pan when still crisp on the edges.

Ovie has announced that she would like to eat this everyday!!!Its her way of saying that she really likes something.

I will post the picture of this recipe soon. Our SLR is refusing to transfer any photos. That is why there was such a long gap from my previous post.



Bottle Gourd Pancakes/ Lauki Chilla

Makes 24 mini chillas

Besan / Chickpea  flour: 1/2 cup
Rice flour: 1/2 cup
Bottle Gourd: 1/2 cup grated

Onion : 1 small finely chopped
Coriander leaves: 1-2 tbsp chopped
Green Chili: 1 slit in half (optional)
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1/2 tsp
Chili powder: 1/2 tsp (optional)
Salt to taste
Sesame / Vegetable Oil
Water as required

• Use a whisk and combine all the above ingredients in a bowl with sufficient water. The batter should be slightly thick of pouring consistency, similar to that of dosa batter. 
• Heat a flat non-stick pan and grease it with a tsp of oil. Turn the heat on low.
• Using a small ladle, pour the batter on to the pan to make mini pancakes. Do not make it too thick.
• Dribble some oil on the sides and cook covered until one side turns golden brown. These cook very fast, so keep a close watch.
• Turn over and cook the other side also. Repeat the same process with the rest of the batter. 
• Serve warm when still crisp with a chutney of your choice. It tastes good on its own too.

Wholewheat Ragi Pancakes with Applesauce

Quick and easy pancakes using oats, whole wheat & ragi / millet flours combined with creamy applesauce ideal for a very healthy breakfast for kids.

We have a rule at home for Ovie that she has to eat at least 3 different fruits every day....and surprisingly we  have a 95% success rate. But off late she is on a 'banana only' phase. She refuses to eat any other fruit. So I have been sneaking other fruits into her meal. I had 2 apples left in the fridge for over a week now and out of the blue got the idea to make apple pancakes. I made them this morning and was quite surprised by how quickly they disappeared. I added some oats and ragi flour to increase its fibre content, but they can be made with just whole wheat flour.


Whole Wheat Ragi Pancakes with Applesauce
Makes 6 mini pancakes

Whole Wheat flour: 1 heaped tbsp
Ragi / Finger Millet flour: 1 heaped tbsp
Quick cooking Oats: 1 heaped tbsp
Egg: 1
Milk: 1/4 cup - 1/2 cup
Applesauce: 2 tbsp
Melted Jaggery: 2 tbsp
Cinnamon Powder: 1/2 - 1 tsp

• To make applesauce, peel, core and dice 1 apple and steam it in the microwave for 2 minutes. Then puree in a blender with 2 teaspoons of the steam water.
• Whisk all the wet ingredients in a bowl. Use only 1/4 cup milk at first. Adjust the quantity of jaggery depending on how sweet the apple is.
• Add all the dry ingredients and whisk well into a smooth thick batter. Add more milk if required. The batter should be of pouring consistency but not too watery. 
• Heat a non-stick flat pan and grease is lightly with butter or ghee. Pour a ladle of batter and make small thin circles (or use a stencil if you have any)and cook on both sides until golden. Press the pancake with a spatula to make sure they cook from the inside. 
• Serve it with jam or honey or whipped cream. Ovie loves it absolutely plain.....just as it is.

Pumpkin Almond Whole Wheat Muffins

A wholesome pumpkin muffin so easy to bake that even a 3 year old can do it !! Pumpkin is rich in antioxidants and beta carotene and what a better way to start you day with this super vegetable.

Last week I came across a very yellow pumpkin at the organic store in the neighbourhood. Since they were not selling it in a small quantity, I found myself stuck with a huge pumpkin. I made a curry with a part of it and was wondering what to do with the rest. I stumbled across a blog called ladykayskitchen.blogspot
which had an interesting recipe for muffins using pumpkin. I have adapted the recipe from here and made a few changes.

Ovie had a very strange expression on her face when she realised I was adding pumpkin to her muffins. But once she got engrossed in whisking the eggs and making the muffins, she didn't care what went inside them. She was so thrilled at being involved in the whole cooking process and baking her own creation. Its such a wonderful idea to include kids while cooking for them.

The muffins are not very sweet which is perfect for breakfast.

Ovie's current favorite toy - 'The Whisk'

Pumpkin Almond Whole Wheat Muffins
Makes 6 (I halved the original recipe)

Wholewheat flour: 50 gms
Oats flour: 50 gms
Baking Powder: 1 tsp
Cinnamon Powder: 1 tsp


Egg: 1
Raw Sugar: 2 heaped tbsp
Canola Oil: 2 tbsp
Milk: 2 tbsp
Honey: 2 tbsp

Pumpkin Puree: 1/2 cup
Chopped nuts: 1/4 cup (I used almonds and pista)

• In  a bowl mix together the first 4 ingredients. In another bowl whisk together the next 5 ingredients. 
• Slowly add the flour mixture to this and stir gradually. 
• Add the pumpkin puree and the nuts and combine. Do not over mix it. 
• Spoon the mixture into a muffin tray (silicon) directly or into paper cups. 
• Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for 15-20 mins. 
• Serve warm with a dribble of honey over it. 

To make pumpkin puree: I steamed chopped pumpkin in the microwave for 2 minutes and pureed it with a little milk. 

Mixed Dal Adai / Pancakes

This is a high protein recipe that is made from a mixture of rice and many lentils & pulses and  requires no fermentation. This is ideal for kids who are allergic to yeast. 

A couple of months ago Ovie was introduced to alphabets at her pre-school. Now she has this fascination to look for them every where. I was wondering how to shape alphabets out of food when I got this idea with Dosa batter. Its really easy; instead of spreading the batter round, shape it into alphabets or numbers. I even get requests for a car, butterfly and winnie the pooh :-). These days we spell her name or other words that she wants. 

Mixed Dal Adai
Rice: 1 cup                                                 (use dosa rice / kollam rice or any short grain white rice)
Urad Dal: 1/ 2 cup

Mixed lentils & pulses:    1/2 cup            (use whatever you have at home - I used a little bit of moong, masoor, thuvar, channa dal, rajma, kabuli channa, black channa, whole green moong, lobia and soy)

Asafoetida: a pinch

Dry red chili: 2-3

Salt to taste

Water for grinding

Sesame oil: 2 tbsps

For tempering:

Oil: 2 tsp

Curry Leaves: a sprig

Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp

• Wash  rice seperately and all dals together and soak seperately in 2 bowls for 3-4 hours.
• Grind rice with sufficient water until its almost done - a little grainy. 
• Add to this the dals, asafoetida and salt and grind to a coarse , thick batter of pouring consistency. It should not be too smooth.
• Transfer batter to a bowl.
• Heat oil in a small pan and splutter all the tempering ingredients. Add it to the batter and mix well. 
• Heat a flat pan and grease it. Pour a ladle full of batter and spread it round or any shape of choice. 
• Dribble with a little sesame oil or any other oil and cook on medium heat until one side turns golden brown and crisp. Turnover and cook the other side too. 
• Serve hot with a chutney or curry or dip. It also tastes delicious with honey. 

Paneer & Broccoli Dosa Roll

A mixture of broccoli and cottage cheese stuffed into a rice pancake / dosa makes an interesting breakfast or even a snack. Ovie does not like to dip her dosa or roti's into anything; be it a chutney or a curry. So I always try to add vegetables to the dosa to make it as loaded  and tasty as possible ! This roll is best eaten hot and crisp with a dip of your choice.


Paneer & Broccoli Dosa Roll


Dosa Batter: enough for 4 dosas

For Filling:
Broccoli: 1/2 cup grated
Paneer / cottage cheese: 1/2 cup crumbled
Onion: 1 sliced thin
Green Chili: 1 slit
Garlic: 1 pod finely chopped
Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp chopped
Turmeric Powder: a pinch
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:
Canola Oil: 2-3 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1 tsp
Urad Dal: 1 tsp
Channa Dal: 1 tsp
Curry leaves: 4-5 leaves

• Heat oil in a pan and add the seasoning ingredients. When it splutters add the garlic and onion and saute until lightly brown. 
• Add green chili (optional) and broccoli; stir and cook covered for two minutes until the broccoli is cooked. 
• Add turmeric powder, salt and crumbled paneer. Mix well. Add a spoon of water to moisten the mixture if required..
• Add coriander leaves and check for seasoning and fry for 2 minutes.  Keep the filling aside. 
• Now heat a greased flat pan and pour a spoonful of dosa batter. Spread it round into a thin dosa. Dribble some oil over it. 
• When the top side is cooked , spread a portion of the broccoli - paneer filling all over the dosa. Press lightly so that it sticks to the dosa.  
• When the underside of the dosa is brown, remove from pan and roll it carefully. 
• Serve hot with a dip or sauce of your choice. 

Broken Wheat Porridge

Daliya or broken wheat cooked in milk and jaggery is a quick and filling breakfast. Broken wheat is whole grain and not refined like semolina / sooji. Its a great way to introduce babies to a grainy texture. Ovie still loves to eat this especially when she is unwell.

Broken Wheat Porridge

Broken wheat / Daliya: 1/4 cup
Water: 1/4 cup
Milk: 1/4 cup + 1/4 cup
Jaggery: 1 tbsp
Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp
Chopped nuts (optional & not for babies)

• In a thick bottomed pan, boil broken wheat in 1/4 cup water & 1/4 cup milk. When half cooked, add the remaining milk and jaggery and cook. Keep stirring once milk is added or it will boil over. 
• Daliya takes a little longer to cook than semolina. 
• When done, check for the consistency and remove from heat. Add more milk if you want it thinner. 
• Add the cardamom powder and nuts and serve warm. 

Ragi Idli

My neighbour calls it 'Nachni Idli' while my daughter calls it the 'Brown Idly'. I found this simple yet super healthy recipe while browsing for ragi recipes. Was'nt sure how it would taste or how it would be accepted by Ovie, so I tried a small quantity last week. All the mini idlis vanished and there was demand for more. I even tested some on my neighbors who were game enough to be my guinea pigs. Thanks A & M. 

So, today I made lots of it and packed it for school. The first thing she told me when I went to pick her up was - 'I finished all the idlis Amma....pack them everyday'. What more does a mother want to hear?  So here is the recipe for you.

Ragi Idli

Ragi Powder / Nachni: 1 cup
Urad Dal / Split black gram: 1/2 cup
Methi seeds / Fenugreek: 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

• Wash & Soak urad dal & methi seeds together for 2-3 hours. Grind them with a little water  (but not too smooth). The batter should be a little grainy to touch.  
• Add the ragi powder and salt and mix by hand / ladle. Leave it to ferment overnight. 
• Mix the batter well and pour into greased idli moulds and steam for 10-15 mins until cooked through.  
• Serve it with chutney / sambhar. I skewered the idlis onto lolly sticks and sprinkled them with jaggery powder and packed it in Ovie school box. 

Wholewheat Oats Banana Muffins

This wholewheat banana muffins with oats is sure to be a super hit with kids and the proof is the big smile on Ovie's face when she took a bite of it. Its soft and unbelievably  healthy that the entire family can indulge. I made just 4 muffins as I had halved a recipe. Next time I'm sure going to double it. These are not very sweet, so go ahead and dribble some honey or spread jam over it and enjoy! 

Wholewheat Oats Banana Muffins

Makes 4 medium size

Wholewheat Flour: 50 gms

Oats: 50 gms

Baking Powder: 1 1/4 tsp

Salt: 1/4 tsp

Egg: 1 small size

Vanilla: 1/4 tsp

Milk: 20ml

Oil: 15ml (Canola / Vegetable)

Sugar: 40gms (I used unrefined organic)

Mashed Banana: 1/2 cup (use very ripe bananas)

• Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees C or 350 F
• Sift the dry ingredients together in a bowl.
• In another bowl blend all the wet ingredients together (except the banana).
• Now very slowly mix the dry and wet mixture together. Add the mashed bananas. (Do not over mix or else you will have very dense muffins).
• Grease muffin tray or line them with paper cups. I used a silicon tray  - the muffins just slid off them. 
• Scoop the mixture into the muffin trays 3/4th way up as they will rise. 
• Decorate it with a banana slice, sprinkle some sliced nuts or oats on top.
• Bake at 180 C for 13-15 mins until a toothpick comes out clean. 

French Toast with Pumpkin Puree

French toast is Ovie' s all time favorite school box snack. I like sending it too as it is a high protein dish with eggs and milk in it. But what if you add a vegetable puree to it......it becomes a wholesome meal by itself. I am yet to try other vegetables, but I find that the flavour of pumpkin blends so easily with that of egg that kids will not even realize it. 

French Toast with Pumpkin Puree

Wholewheat / Multi-grain Bread: 4 slices
Eggs: 2
Milk: 1/2 cup
Pumpkin Puree: 1/2 cup
Melted Jaggery: to taste
Vanilla Essence: 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon Powder (Optional): 1/2 tsp

To make pumpkin puree: Wash & cube pumpkin and steam it (either in a microwave or a steamer). It cooks really fast. Blend it in a blender. Add a little milk if required to get a smooth puree.

1. Beat eggs and vanilla essence in a flat bowl. Add all the other ingredients except bread and whisk until smooth.
2. Cut bread into desired shape (I used a cookie cutter)or use the whole slice as it is.
3. Soak the bread slices one by one in the egg mixture until its soaked up enough.
4. Heat a flat pan and grease it with butter. Place the soaked bread on it and fry both side. You may dribble some more butter to make it crisp. Press the bread with a spatula to make sure it gets cooked on the inside. 5. Serve as it is or make it more interesting with honey/ jam/ fruits / maple syrup. 

Whole Wheat Pancakes

This whole wheat pancake recipe with no sugar, no  baking soda is so delicious and easy to whip up.

Ovie is a die hard fan of 'Winnie the Pooh'. On a school morning came a request from a groggy pre schooler - 'Amma, today I want to take Pooh to school'. Since kids are not allowed to carry their toys to playschool, I had to come up with an edible Pooh ! I love to get creative with food to make them kid friendly.




Whole Wheat Pancakes


Serves: 4 teddies
Wholewheat flour: 3 heaped tbsp
Egg: 1
Milk: 1/2 cup
Jaggery: 2 tsp
Vanilla Essence: 1 drop (optional)
Raisins: 8
Dates: 2
Strawberry Jam: a little

1. If using jaggery (mollasses) melt it with a little water and strain to remove any impurities. (I always have a bottle of melted jaggery in my fridge. Its easy to add to recipes and a very very healthy alternative to sugar. Also jaggery is full of iron and has no chemicals in it like refined sugar.)

2. Whisk the egg and milk together with the jaggery. Add the essence.
3. Add the wholewheat flour and whisk it into a smooth thick batter.
4. Slightly grease a non-stick flat pan and heat it.
5. Pour a ladle of batter in a small round shape to make the teddy face. Make a semi circle on either side to form ears. The pancake should not be too thick.
6. Now place 2 raisins for 'eyes' and press slightly.
7. De-seed the dates and cut in half horizontally. Open it out to look like a round 'nose'. Place it in the centre of the pancake and press.
8. Now carefully turn the pancake over and press down with a spatula. This will cause the raisin to darken like eyes.
9. If you have a large pan, make 2-3 pancakes at a time.
10. Remove on a plate and use a small spoon to make a strawberry jam smiley.

PS: The teddy in my photo is missing his nose as my daughter had already eaten it. These pancakes did'nt reach school that day. They were polished off immediately.
Do let me know how your kids reacted to this pancake!

Fun Mini Idly

Idli is a South Indian staple breakfast and ideal as a finger food for toddlers.
Anyone out there with a child who says " Idli's are boring". Try out this easy makeover and see how the idli's disappear. I have used mini idly moulds to make them. They are easily available in South India. If you cant find it, just use the regular ones and cut the idly into 4-6 pieces.





Idlis: 16 mini or 2 big cut into bite size pieces
Refined Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard Seeds: 1 tsp
Urad Dal: 1 tsp
Curry Leaves: 4-5
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Chili Powder: 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1/2 tsp
Sambar Powder: 1 tsp (Any brand)
Salt: to taste
Asafoetida Powder: a pinch
Coriander leaves: for garnish

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and the urad dal and saute for a few seconds.
2. Add all the remaining masalas except fenugreek powder and fry on low heat until the raw smell goes but be careful not to burn them. Sprinkle a little water if required.
3. Add the asafoetida powder and immediately add the idli. Mix well and check for seasoning. Sprinkle with chopped coriander leaves.


Idli Batter:
Raw rice: 1 cup
Boiled rice/idly rice: 1 cup
Urad dal: 1/2 cup
Methi Seeds / fenugreek: 1 tsp
Salt to taste

1. Wash the soak both the rice together. Wash and soak the dal and methi seeds together in a different bowl for 3-4 hours.
2. Grind the dal mix first with a little water until smooth. Pour in to a bowl.
3. In the smae grinder, add the rice mix and required water and grind until it turns into a smooth batter. Now add this to the dal batter and blend well with a spoon.
4. Add salt and leave to ferment for 10-12 hours (longer if you live in a colder place). When bubbles start to form and the batter has risen, then its fermented. Mix well and idly batter is ready to use. Refrigerate the leftover batter.

Savory Pongal

This is a typical Indian kid friendly recipe and made in every household. It comes in many different forms depending on which part of the country you come from. Almost every Indian has eaten this as one of their first solid foods!!

The last few days have been crazy with numerous visits to the doctor. Ovie is down with a viral fever and needs to eat non spicy food. I offered to make her kitchidi and she said 'NO NO'. However she agreed to eat the South Indian version of it - Pongal !!. Its nothing but a mixture of rice and yellow moong dal (lentil). Just plate it in style and Voila....you have Gourmet Pongal.

This recipe is easy to make and wholesome. Ideal for breakfast.

Serves: 3

Rice: 3/4 cup (any short grain rice - I used Kollam rice)

Moong dal / Split green gram: 1/4 cup

Water: 2 cups

Salt: to taste

Turmeric powder: a pinch

Seasoning:

Ghee / Butter: 2 tbsp

Jeera / Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Black Peppercorns: 1 tsp

Curry Leaves: 1 sprig

Cashewnuts: 7-8 split in half

1. Dry roast the moong dal until it turns a golden brown. Be careful not to burn it.

2. Wash and rinse the rice and dal. Add a pinch of turmeric and water and pressure cook it for 3 whistles.

3. When the pressure coooker is cool, open it and add salt to the rice - dal mixture. If it is too dry add some more water and bring it a boil. The consistency should be like that of porridge.

4. For the seasoning, heat ghee in a small pan. When hot, add the cumin and mustard seeds. When it crackles, add peppercorns, curry leaves and cashewnuts. Saute until brown and pour immediately on to the pongal mixtue. Mix well.

5. Serve it hot with Chutney and/or Sambhar.

Whole wheat Banana Pancakes

I try to make every meal as wholesome, nourishing and kid friendly as possible. So the recipe has been tweeked a little bit. This is one of Ovie's favorite recipes....my mother says it used to be my favorite too as a child (I can eat half a dozen of these even now  !!!).





Makes: 6 mini pancakes

 Ripe banana: 1 big
 Whole wheat flour: 1 Tbsp
 Oats: 1 Tbsp
 Rice flour: 1 Tbsp
 Milk: 1/2 cup
 Jaggery: 1 1/2 Tbsp (you can substitute with honey, maple syrup, sugar)
 Cardamom Powder: 1/2 tsp

1. Add all the ingredients into a blender and make a smooth thick batter.
2. Heat a non-stick flat pan and grease it with butter or ghee.
3. Pour a ladle of batter and spread it thick ( just like pancakes). Cook it on low heat.
4. Turn it over when brown on one side and cook both sides.
5. Press down the pancakes with a spatula to make sure it cooked on the inside as well.
6. Serve it with Honey / Jam / Cream