Healthy Banana Pista bread

Banana Pista bread - it happens when you discover you're out of walnuts midway through making the batter!

Ingredients

Atta - 1 cup
Manna Health Mix - 1/4 cup
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Eggs - 2
Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
Butter (unsalted) - 1/2 cup
sugar - 1 cup (you can use a mix of white and brown sugar)
Bananas - 3 ( really ripe and about to die:)
Pista nuts - cut into small bits (should I say - Pistachio nuts) - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 or 1/2 cup depending on consistency of batter


Pre-heat oven to 178 C. Sift flour, salt and baking soda together. Cream butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Whisk egg, vanilla and bananas - I used a juicer jar. Mix butter-cream mixture with egg mixture and gradually add to flour, incorporating it fully. Add nuts. Add milk to bring batter to thick, pouring consistency.
Grease a loaf pan with butter.
Pour batter into pan and bake for 40 mts.
Enjoy!

* It pays to know your oven as well as your 'avan' - my bread got a little scorched to one side!

Mr.Idly get a makeover

Mini idlis
Carrot Chutney
Idly Milagai podi (gun powder)

To make mini idlis

Beg, borrow or steal batter from mother/mother-in-law or South Indian friend.
Pour in mini idly plates and steam for about 10 minutes in a pressure cooker, without the weight.Let it cool, remove idlis with wet spoon & keep aside.

For the carrot chutney

2 medium sized carrot grated
3 red chillies
Coriander seeds (Dhania) – 2 tsps
2 to 3 garlic pods
Grated coconut – 2 tbsp
Peanuts – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds

Fry the dhania seeds and red chillies in a little oil for about 3 to 5 mts. Remove. Fry the grated carrot for 2 mts. Grind with all ingredients to a rough paste. Add salt to taste and season with mustard seeds. This chutney can be stored in the fridge for 4 to 5 days.

The Makeover

Make a small cut in the mini idlis (without cutting into two).
Spread carrot chutney and close.
Place stuffed idlis in a bowl, gently toss with a little gingely oil and idli mulagapodi (gun powder)
Roast in a non-stick pan with a little oil.
Serve!

Nut butter and jam sandwich

50 grams of peanuts
50 grams of pistachio nuts
50 grams of walnuts ( you can use pine nuts too )
1 teaspoon of sugar
1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
juice of half a lime

Chop nuts into rough bits and roast on medium heat on a heavy bottomed pan or wok for 5-7 minutes stirring every 30 seconds or so, until peanuts start to turn a nice reddish brown. Take of the heat and allow to cool.
Process in a food processor along with the olive oil, salt, sugar and lime juice.
Spread on toasted whole wheat bread with a dollop of your favourite jam.

Yankee Noodle went to town

1 packet - cooked Maggi Noodles (without tastemaker), cook till firm.

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salted butter

1 medium sized onion - julienned finely

1 dry red chilli

1/2 a zuccini - deseeded & sliced into small chunks

1/2 a carrot - sliced into small chunks

1 handful of cashewnuts broken into two

150 ml coconut milk (packaged or fresh)
1 tsp salt

1 tsp sugar

pepper to taste

Heat olive oil & butter in a heavy bottomed pan. Throw in the red chilly, onions & cashews. Stir till onions are transparent. Add the veggies and sautee on medium heat for 5 mts. Add the sugar & salt, stir, sprinkle water, cover and cook for 5-10 mts till the veggies are done. Add noodles and coconut milk to pan and cook for a couple of minutes. Season with pepper.

Pat-a-cake, Pat-a-cake Paneer Man!

You can make this recipe with leftover rotis/parathas.

1 medium sized onion - julienned

1 cup mushrooms - washed well and sliced very thinly

1 cup capsicum (any colour) - sliced very thinly

2 to 3 tsp Soya Sauce

1/2 tsp sugar

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

100 gms paneer - cut into very thin strips

2 tsps - butter

olive oil

fresh pepper powder - to taste

Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a wok or heavy pan. Add the ginger-garlic paste and onions and sautee till transparent. Then add sugar and sautee till onions are golden brown. Add the mushrooms and capsicum. Stir for a couple of minutes, add the paneer strips, salt and the butter. Reduce heat, cover pan and cook for 5 minutes, till mushrooms are done. Stir in soya sauce and fresh pepper and toss on high heat for a couple of minutes.

Wrap in a roti/paratha !

* The paneer and onions become so crunchy and yummy, kids just lap it up. You could also sneak in some broccoli:)

Little Miss Muffet's curd sandwich!

The night before

Put two to three tablespoons of curd in a tea strainer,

place the strainer on a bowl and keep in fridge.

The water in the curd will drip away and

give you a thick, creamy spread in the morning!

The next morning

1/2 to 1 onion - chop finely

1 small tomato - deseed and chop finely

1 tsp sugar

a dash of balsamic vinegar or apple cider or plain vinegar

1 tsp of tomato chilly sauce

salt to taste

Mix all of the above with the curd to get a nice, smooth paste.

Toast 2 slices of bread.

Take 2 lettuce leaves

Place lettuce leaf on top of slice, spoon the curd mixture and spread evenly.

top with another lettuce leaf and then place close with the second slice.

*The lettuce prevents the sandwich from getting soggy, plus this is a great alternative if you feel your kid is eating way too much cheese:)

Ringa Ringa Potatoes

Half an hour before…

Soak ¾ cup basmati rice in water

Take as many potatoes as you have kids
Wash well to remove all dirt and make some cuts on the surface.
Pop into a bowl full of water
Microwave on high 8 minutes

Meanwhile...

Slice 2 medium sized onions, roughly
Julienne 2 medium sized carrots – very thinly
take a handful of raisins
grate 1 pod garlic & same sized ginger piece
(or just take 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste)

Then...
take a heavy bottomed pan (anything works – wok, pressure pan bottom)
heat 1 ½ tbsp oil
dunk in the ginger garlic paste with
¼ tsp turmeric powder
¼ tsp chilli powder &
1 tsp cumin seeds

Stir for 2 min. till ginger garlic paste turns colour
add the raisins
give it 10 sec. and then add onions and a little salt
AND 1 tsp of sugar
Stir briskly for 5 min.

Add carrots, stir for 30 sec., sprinkle water, add a little more salt, cover and cook for 2 min.

Now drain the rice (it should 20 to 30 minutes since u soaked it),
add to pan, pour 1 ½ cups water, salt to taste, cover and let it cook.
(this takes roughly 8 – 10 mts).
Check once in a while and add a little more water if needed.

Back to the potatoes...

Take out the potatoes and slice thickly (do not peel)

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a flat bottomed pan
season the oil with salt & turmeric
place potato slice/slices and shallow fry for 4 mts on each side, till nice and golden

Place potato slice on flat surface
cut an ‘o’ out of the middle, gently without breaking the ring.

Place ring on plate, fill the middle with any raita. Put the rice around the ring!