Thursday, January 15, 2009

Moving Again!!! Need a break....

I am moving to Michigan by the end of this month. I know what you all are thinking..:) Disappearing for a year, I thought I could blog again for a while but again on a move. I feel so helpless, that too with my 6 month old little Diya.

I need help here. I want someone to host my Cooking for Kids Event for the next few months. Who ever is interested, please email me with the month in which you would like to host to cookingforkidsevent@gmail.com. I also want someone to take over January's Cooking for kids event-Milk and Milk products which ends on Feb-5th. Thanks in advance.

Hope to be back soon this time. Bye!!

Friday, January 9, 2009

Cooking for Kids - Corn Roundup!

Here are some delicious Corn recipes! This roundup took me lot of time because we all were under the weather. It made my little ones cranky. These days my drafting are done between diaper changes, cooking, cleaning, laundry, shuttling between the 2 little ones, answering my 4 year old's never ending questions, pickups/drops from/to school. Besides all this, cook, capture, draft, events, visit other blogs...Whew!! Pretty hectic.

Thankyou so much for all your lovely contributions!
This months's Cooking For Kids Ingredient is Milk. You can use paneer(Indian cheese), any other cheese, yogurt and cream too. Please find the details of this event on the side bar.

Veg-Corn Soup from Appetizing recipes


Simple Breakfast from Easy 2 Cook Recipes

Semiya Corn Upma from Easy 2 Cook Recipes

Pasta and Corn in White Sauce from Appetizing recipes

Corn and Pasta in Tomato Sauce from Appetizing recipes

Sabudhana Corn pulao from Adlak's Kitchen


Poha snack from For spicy lovers

Moong Dal with Corn and Spinach from Cooking in westchester

Corn kurma from Easy 2 Cook Recipes


Toasted Corn from Veggie Platter

Makai Handvo( Vegetable Handvo) from Chai's Corner

Makyachi Usal from Enjoy Indian Food

Corn Toast from Adlak's Kitchen

Microwave chocolate halwa from Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes


Christmas Tree Popcorn Clusters from Culinary Bazaar

Corn Vada from Food Lovers

Mushroom Babycorn Soup from Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

Corn and Sprouts Salad from Poonam's kitchen

Veg Kurma in Corn Gravy from Krishnaarpanam

Corn Croquettes from Sinful Indulgence

Corn Bread from Plantain Leaf

Corn Sundal from Simple Indian Food

Corn Seekh kebab from Spice Club

Corn Kebab from Simple Indian Food

One page cookbook from One page Cookbooks

Chilaquiles from Chai's Corner

Corn Fritters from Neivedyam

Corn Puttu and Kadala Curry from Neivedyam

Monday, January 5, 2009

Corn Puttu and Kadala Curry



Puttu is one of my favorite comfort food after idli/sambar. I make this at least 2-3 times a month. It is a staple breakfast in Kerala along with a cup of tea.

Knowing that its my favorite, my mom had bought some different varieties of ready made Puttu flour form India. Double Horse brand has a wide variety like corn, ragi and health mix puttu flour which makes puttu making very easy.
I dont know if we can use corn meal as a substitute.

Ingredients

For Puttu:

2 or 3 cups Corn puttu flour
1 cup fresh grated coconut
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
water to moisten the puttu


Preparation

In a bowl toss in puttu flour, add salt and sugar (for softness). Sprinkle Luke warm water so as to moisten the flour. Keep mixing the flour and water to make sure no lumps are formed and the mix should remain in the form of flour. To know if you have added enough water to the flour, take some flour in your hand to make a fist and see if the flour holds together. This means the mix is ready to get steamed. Keep this mix aside for about 10 minutes.
In a puttu maker fill 2-3 tbsp fresh grated coconut and top it with flour and make layers as seen in the picture.





Steam cook by placing the Puttu maker above a pressure cooker which has 4-5 cups of water in it. Cook for about 10 minutes or until steam appears above the puttu maker.


Kadala curry ( Chickpea gravy)

Ingredients

1 cup black (kala) chana/chickpea soaked and pressure cooked with 1tsp salt
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped tomatoes
2 tbsp Chana masala powder or (1tsp coriander powder)
1/2 tsp chili powder
2 tbsp dry/dessicated coconut powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1tsp ginger-garlic paste
3-4 tbsp oil
1/3 tsp mustard seeds
handful of curry leaves
1-2 green chillies
salt to taste

Preparation

In a deep bottomed pan, add oil. On a medium heat, add mustard seeds, allow it to splutter. To this add ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves and green chillies. Also add onions and cook till soft. Add tomato, salt, Chana masala, chili powder, turmeric powder, coconut powder and cook till soft. The mixture reaches a thick semi-gravy consistency. A little water from the pressure cooked chickpea can be added to the mixture to cook well. Now add the cooked chickpea(kadala) to this mixture.
Let it cook for about 10 minutes on medium-low heat. Delicious Kadala curry is ready to go with steamed puttu. A very satisfying meal to the tummy and soul:)



This is my contribution to Cooking for Kids Event- Corn last date-Jan 5th. This being a very healthy meal. Puttu can also be served with banana and sugar for kids.

I also announce the Ingredient for the month of January- Its Milk and milk products. You can use paneer(Indian cheese), any other cheese, yogurt and cream

Milk being good for kids milk contains significant amounts of Saturated fat, Protein, Calcium as well as Vitamin C.

The last date for submission of entries is Feb-5th. Will get back to you soon with the corn- roundup!!

I am sending this to JFI- Chickpea by Sometime Foodie.

This also goes to FIC-Yellow by Sunshinemom and My Legume Love Affair by Srivalli.
Susan is the brain child of My Legume Love Affair event.