Mixed Lentil Dal

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Dal is a food, which can be prepared in more than 1000 ways and each preparation tastes different.  The down one is a simple and healthy dal.

Again, as usual, I have mixed 7 lentils in this.

Here is the recipe,

All mixed lentils - 1 cup all together, Qty of each dal is as per your taste, but Urad dal should be little.

(Toor dal, Yellow moong dal, Chana Dal, Masoor dal, Urad dal, Split black Urad dal, Split green moong dal)

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Tomato - 1 big chopped

Wash the dal and mix jaggery and tomato in a cooker with dal. Give 3 whistles. Allow it to cool.

For dal masala,

Oil -1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Onion - 1 medium, cut into long thin slices

Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves, crushed

Ginger - 1/2", cut in to thin long pieces

Whole red dry chilly - 3 to 4

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander - handful, chopped finely

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai, add jeera. Fry for some time. Add curry leaves and garlic. Fry till the garlic changes its color. Now add onion and ginger and fry till onion is fried. Then goes whole red chilly, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Fry for half minute and add boiled dal. Mix it and allow it to boil for a minute. Now add 1/2 cup water. Close the lid and allow it to boil for 2 minutes on low flame. Open the lid and add fresh coriander. Remove from the heat.

Dal is ready to serve.

Sending this to EC's event MLLA-19th Helping event announcement for the month of January 2010.As per the rule of the event, I am linking my post to  Susan's event host lineup page..  also.

Keep smiling,

Egg bhurji with green leafy veg.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

It is always very difficult to feed green leafy vegetables to kids. They just puke it out, if we stir fry and give them. Till now, I thought to add the leaves in dal and feed the kids,  is the only way. But my aunty (Mom's cousin) gave me a tip. A very healthy and easy way to give green leafy veg. to your kids. 

Every one know the benefit of intake of green leafy vegetables and egg in everyday food.

So I am good girl, if I do not explain the benefits in detail!! (Just because, it is my last minute entry, I do not have much time!! Sorry!)

Just add any leafy veg. into Egg bhurji and the purpose is served.

Jumping to the recipe,

Green leafy veg - 1 bunch, cleaned, washed and chopped finely

(Methi or palak or Rajgiri or any leafy vegetables which cooks faster)

Eggs - 2, beat and keep ready in a bowl

Onion - 1 big chopped

Garlic - 2 flakes(optional)

Green chilly - 1 chopped

(skip green chilly and add 1 tsp red chilly powder, if you are giving to younger kid)

salt to taste

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Dhania powder - 1 tsp

Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Tomato - 1 small (only if you are using Palak)

Lime juice - 1 tsp for other leafy veg.

Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai, add jeera, onion and green chilly. Fry for some time. Add tomato if you are using palak. Cook it till tomato starts leaving the sides. Add salt, dhania powder and haldi.(and red chilly powder if not using green chilly). Mix it properly. Add beaten eggs. Mix it properly and cook till egg is 3/4 cooked(3 to 4 min). Now add chopped green leaves. Mix it and cook it. Keep on stirring, or else it will get burnt. Once the green leaves is cooked and the raw smell is gone, add lime juice. Take it from the heat. Mix properly. The bhurji is ready to eat with chapati or rice!!

I want to send this healthy dish to RV's Food for 7 Stages of Life - Kids Special Event Announcement 

and it is essential to give credits to Sudeshna of

 Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong(http://bengalicuisine.net) page.

Keep smiling,

14 mixed pulses gravy(reposted for the event)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Here is a recipe which is colorful and a very healthy for all the ages.

I prepare this at least once in ten days. It goes well with chapatis, hot rice or even just like that as an evening snack.

Here is the recipe,

Mixed pulses - 1 cup(soaked over night, washed )

(You can choose any pulses of your choice. The pulses I have used, you can see in the photo and with that I have added toor dal, yellow moong dal and chana dal)

Boil the pulses in a cooker just for one whistle with tej patta and haldi a pinch. Keep the same tej patta for masala.

Onion - 1 big, chopped

Tomato - 1 big or 2 medium, chopped or grated or even tomato puree will be fine

Tej patta -1 big

chilli powder - 2 tbsp

Dhania powder - 1 tbsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Haldi - a pinch

Hing - a pinch

(or if one likes ginger & garlic flavor, add 1 tbsp paste)

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste.

Fresh coriander to garnish.

Heat oil in a thick bottom kadai, add tej patta, onion. Let it cook till brown. Now add hing or ginger garlic paste. saute it for some time.

Add tomato and other dry powders. Cook till tomato starts leaving oil. Now add boiled pulses with little water. Mix it properly and boil it for 5 minutes. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Mixed pulses gravy is ready.

If you want to have is as a snack or side dish, let the water dry from the gravy.

This is going to participate in

"Announcing My Legume Love Affair: Twelfth Helping",

hosted by Anarasa, which was started by

Susan @ The Well-Seasoned Cook

I am sending this healthy food to scrumptious's event " Bean & legume recipes you can count on" 

Keep smiling,

Malt for toddlers(Reposted)

Tried and tasted by Nivedtia
Hi All,

I thought of starting my recipe entries with baby food. I am giving this food to my second daughter since she is 3 months old.(Now she is 18 months old.) Thanks to my neighbour who shared this with me. Before I share the recipe I want to say something about this. I went back to India for my second delivery after 9 years staying in UAE. It was nice and I really enjoyed my stay there for 11 months. When Phalguni, my second daughter was 3 months old, my neighbour Shaila, who also had 5 months baby, gave me this malt powder and told me to start feeding Phalguni. And I started giving it, the baby enjoyed the first sip!!!!! So I decided I will make it in more quantity and will start giving her everyday.

So I prepared the ingredients and took it to Flour mill ( in Kannada we call it "Girani"). I told the old man to make it powder and give it. And after he finished I went to give him money for the same. But!!!!! he refused. He said he will not take the money for baby's food. I forced him to take but he refused. Even though its only Rs.5, for him it was big as per me. But he told me let any amount of quantity comes for baby food, he never charges for it. He said, babies are like God, and I feel happy to do this!!!!!!!!! Its like blessings for him.This is what India is!!! Now when ever I make this malt at home( as there are no flour mills available near my house in UAE) I always remember him and smile!!

Now coming to the recipe:

Rice - 2 cups

Toor Dal, yellow moong Dal - 1 cup

Channa Dal, 

split green moong Dal -1/2 cup(after 9 months)

Almonds - 6 to 8

Wash rice and all dals together. put it to dry inside the house for a day or two. Once they are dry, roast with crushed almonds. Keep it to cool. Then put it into mixi and make fine powder. Store it in a jar. You can keep it for a month in refrigerator.

Now to make malt:

Rice and Dal powder - 3 tbsp

raagi (Nachni) Powder - 1 tbsp(I get ready powder packet here in UAE, in Indian stores) (Or if you have an access to flour mill, you can take raagi seeds, wash and put it to dry. Roast seperately and add with rice and dal mix )

salt to taste

Oats - 2 tbsp

Keep water in a vessel to boil. Till it starts boiling, mix all the above ingredients in a bowl with enough water. Then put in the boiling water, Stir continuously for a minute as there is a chance of getting burnt. Add salt.(If baby is less than 9 months, add very little salt).Let it cook for 15 min. Keep on stirring in between. Off the gas. Feed your child for breakfast. Its very healthy and my daughter loves it. For a change, only alternative days I put raagi powder so that she will feel change,eating white color malt.

When Phalguni turned 9 months and I started giving her vegetables, I started adding grated carrot, beans, potato and cabbage to make it more healthy. And all the vegetables goes into her stomach without any fuss.

I am sending this recipe to PJ's event : Tasty Bites For Toddlers

Till today(she is 2 years old),  I am giving it as one of main meals.

This is going to participate in "Event Announcement: Food for 7 Stages of Life - Cooking for Infants and toddlers ( 0-3 yrs)' organized by Radhika  and of Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong.

Keep smiling,

Sai bhaji(Green leafy veg curry)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

This is the healthiest food for the whole family. Especially for children, all the green leafy vegetables will go in the stomach at a time.
It is a popular Sindhi dish, which I like to have at least one time in 15 days. It goes well with Hot rice, mainly with brown rice or yellow rice.
Here is the recipe,For bhaji:
Palak(Spinach) - 1 bunch
Methi leaves(Fenugreek leaves) - 1/2 bunchSabbasgi (Dill leaves) - 1/4 bunch(Optional)

(While making for this post, I did not had dill leaves and brinjal, so you can not see in the photo)
Brinjal - 1 medium (cut into cubes), its optional.
Potato - 1 medium(cut into cubes)
Tomato - 2 big(cut in to cubes)
Carrot - 1 medium(cut into cubes)
Channa dal - 1/2 cup (Soaked in water at least for an hour)
Salt to taste
Chilly powder - 1 tbsp
Haldi - 1/2 tsp
For tempering,
Oil - 1 tbsp(Ghee will taste better)
Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Ginger Crushed - 1tsp
Mix all the ingredients for bhaji in a cooker and make 4 whistles. When cooker is cool, remove the lid, churn it with churner or with blender. Adjust the taste for salt.Give bhagar with mustard seeds and crushed ginger in a oil.
Sai Bhaji is ready to serve with hot rice of your choice.

But, first thing what I do is I eat just like that in a bowl. Seeing me, my daughter also loves to eat like that!!

I am sending this to PJ's LET'S TURN SATTVIC THIS MONTH....

which is from Lakshmi’s blog

Hey, again one more chance for this recipe to participate in another event from Pavani's

Annoncing Cooking For Kids-Leafy Greens, which was originally started from

Sharmi's( Neivedyam.) original CKF announcement.

Keep Smiling,