Kara pori - Kids friendly

Ingredients:

1. Pori(Puffed rice) - 4 cups
2. Peanuts - 2 fistful
3. Pottu Kadala (fried gram) - 3 tbsp
4. Oil - 4 tsp
5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
6. Chilly powder - 1/4 tsp
7. Dried Red Chilly  - 2
8. Hing - a pinch
9. Salt and chilly to taste
10. Curry leaves- a string

Method:

1. Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan and fry peanuts and gram separately. Keep aside.
2. Heat 2 more tsp of oil in the same pan , add red chilly, hing and curry leaves and fry for 2 seconds.
3. Add Pori, turmeric powder, salt and chilly powder and fry for 2-3 minutes until the pori is crisp.
4. Mix in the fried peanuts and gram and enjoy the snack!

Note: I didnt add chilly powder as my baby girl doesnt like spicy snacks. :)

Ghee Rice

Ingredients

 Basmati rice - 2 cups
 Onion - 1 big , finely sliced
 Ghee - 4 tbsp
 Cardamom - 2
 Cloves - 5
 Cinnamon stick - 2 pieces( 1 inch each)
 Star anise - 1
 Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
 Bay leaf - 2
 Cashew nuts - 10
 Raisins - 15
 Fried onion  - 1/4 cup
 Salt to taste
 Thin Coconut milk - 2 cups
 Water -  2 cups

Method:

1. Wash and soak rice for 15-20 minutes. Drain the rice and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel . Add cashews and saute till golden brown. Add raisins and saute for few seconds. Keep both cashews and raisins aside.
3. Heat 2 tsp of ghee in the same vessel. Once hot add cinnamon, cardamon, cloves,star anise, bay leaf and fennel seeds. When they splutter, add onion and saute till it turns golden.
4. Add the drained rice and saute it for for another 4-5 minutes. Then add water, coconut milk and salt.Cover and bring to boil.
5. Reduce the flame to low and cook till all the water gets absorbed completely and rice is soft.
6. Garnish with cashews, raisins and fried onion.

Mango Lassi

Ingredients:

1. Mango Pulp  - 1 cup
2. Thick Yogurt - 2 cup
3. Water - 1/4 cup
4.  Sugar - 4 tablespoon


Method:

1. Put all the ingredients in the blender and blend on high for 2 minutes.
2. Serve cool.

Peanut butter cookie

Ingredients:

1. Peanut butter crunchy - 1/2 cup
2. Peanut butter creamy - 1/2 cup
3. Egg - 1
4. Sugar -1 cup
5. Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon


Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F. Grease a large baking sheet.
2. In a mixing bowl , combine both the peanut butter and sugar. Then add egg and vanilla. Stir well with a spoon.
3. Roll the dough into balls and place it on the baking sheet. With a fork , press crisscross design on each cookie.
4. Bake for 12 minutes. Cool slightly before removing from the sheet.

Macaroni and cheese - Kids favorite

Ingredients

Elbow shaped Macaroni - 1/2 cup
Cheddar cheese - 1/4 cup
Any Processed Cheese - 2 tablespoon
Whole Milk - 3 tablespoon
Butter - 1 teaspoon
Water - 2 cups
Salt to taste

Method:

1. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Wash and add macaroni to the water and cook it till tender, for about 10-12 minutes.

2. Drain the excess water and return the drained macaroni to pot.

3.Mix in the Cheddar cheese, processed cheese(I used Mozzarella cheese), milk and butter .Stir till the cheese melts and you get the desired consistency.

4. Serve hot.

Paneer Mutter Masala

Ingredients:

• Paneer - 1 packet (200 gms)
• Green Peas(Mutter) - 1 cup
• Butter - 2 tbsp
• Onion - 1 chopped finely
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Tomato - 2 medium sized(pureed)
• Cashewnuts -10
• Milk -  1/4 cup(for soaking cashew)
• Cream - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:
1.Soak cashews in hot milk for 10mins and grind it to paste, set aside.Though this is optional it gives a richness and nice flavour to the gravy.

2.Chop paneer into cubes and place it in hot water so that it stays soft .

3.In a non stick pan ,add butter, allow it to melt. Add onions and fry till golden browned. Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for 2mins.

4. Now add all the powders and fry for a minute. Then add tomato puree and fry until raw smell completely leaves, this will take atleast 5mins.

5. Add peas and paneer cubes and about 1 cup of water and salt and simmer for about 10 minutes till the gravy starts thickening.

6.Now add the cashew paste and then simmer for another 5 minutes.The gravy would be thick and mixed well at this stage.

7. Add cream and mix well. Serve hot with rotis or naan.

Marble Cake

Ingredients

All purpose flour - 2 cups
Eggs - 3
Baking powder - 2 tsp
Sugar  - 1 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/2 cup
Vanilla extract - 1  tsp
 Dark chocolate - 5
White chocolate - 5

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease an 8 x 8 inch pan with butter.
2. Mix all-purpose flour and baking powder. Keep aside.
3. Melt dark and white chocolates and keep aside.
4. Pour the butter, sugar , eggs and  vanilla extract into a bowl. Mix well to make it soft and fluffy. If using an electric mixer ,beat it for 2 min or if using hand, mix it for 5-10 min.
5. Now add the dry ingredients(all purpose flour and baking powder) and milk to the wet ingredients and mix together to form the cake batter.
6. Divide the cake batter into 2 parts. Stir in the melted dark chocolate into one of the parts and melted white chocolate into the other.
7. Pour the white and chocolate cake batter alternatively till all the batter has been used up. Now using a knife/fork make swirls in the batter .
7. Bake the cake for 45-55 minutes until a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.