Luckily my kids have most of my foodie habits! (masha allah) we all are big fans of paratas  - veggie or non veg, any type – any color SO twhen ever i say parata? both of them are ready to eat. The only demand is they want yogurt with it.

Spinach is their favorite veggie and i make it at least 3-4 times a week. Here is a simple parata easy to make and good to eat. This recipe will be going for the Kids Cooking Event – Wheat

Palak/Spinach Paratas

makes 9 medium sized paratas

1 bunch of spinach leaves (only leaves discard the stems)

1 3/4 – 2 cups wheat flour

1/4 tsp cumin and ajwain

salt to taste.

Grind the spinach to a fine paste with very little water. It should be around 1 cup of paste. Mix the rest of the ingredients and knead into a dough.

I make this as normal phulkas. It puffs up and become very soft.  Adding ghee on top of the parata after cooked gives a different taste. But my kids dont like it so i use less ghee  in my cooking.

Green Peas Curry

1 and half cup green peas socked overnight

1 cup each finely sliced onions and tomatoes

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

3-4 tsps of coriander pwdr

1-2 tsp of red chilli pwdr

1/2 tsp turmeric pwdr

1/2 tsp garam masala

1/2 tsp ajwain

corriander,curry and mint leaves – a small bunch

oil for frying

2-3 cups of water

Heat oil in a pressure cooker and add onions to it. Once it is browned add the ginger garlic paste and keep on stirring for 1-2 mts. Then add tomatoes ot it. Once the tomatoes are cooked and well mixed to the onions add the dry masalas, ajwain and mix well. Add sufficient water to it (i added around 3 cups) and pressure cooked for 20 mts. Garnish with the green leaves.

(the water needed and cooking time might vary from pressure cooker and the peas you are using. I dont think mine was a good quality peas and also my pressure cooker has already shown signs or retiring!)

Oatmeal is one of the staple in my home!! My kids love it and i add a lot od flavours to it! After cooking it sometimes i add raisins, or a grinded apple or pear or chopped banana, chopped nuts – walnuts, pine nuts, sunflower seeds (they really love the crunciness) or what ever they insist!

Today we saw a rainbow right in front of my home!!! it was sure beautiful! Now atleast my kids will know its a real thing!! LOL!!

I think there is no need to say for whom i made this!!!! To finish my large tin of cocoa powder many chocolate recipes will be coming up in this blog!!!

I didnt do the frosting but i topped my cupcake with vanilla ice cream.  I followed the exact recipe and it was soft and fluffy!

I have been baking and grilling a lot now a days but unfortunately my camera is dead and my camera phone is not so good in taking pics.. By the time i wait for my hubby to come home to take a pic from his iPhone half of the thing is eaten by mu kids and then i think ok may be i’ll post this next time… i have a lot of drafts and im wondering when im going to post all of this!!!

today my daughter told me lets make a cake together! Its really hard to resist a almost 5 yr old!

Now that i brought an electric oven i have been in a mood to bake n grill… so fa i made choc chip cookies and oatmeal cookies.. both of them have been so fast moving that i didn’t even have time to take a pic and post it! LOL!!

today morning i thought i would make some garlic bread.. But then i thought it would be very light so i decided to cover it up with some eggs.. (my friend Afroze’s idea) so that everyone will get some carb,proteins,fats etc all together!!!!
Blend 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tbsp of olive spread, 1 tbsp of olive oil, 1 small bunch of parsley into a smooth paste.

2 hard boiled eggs cut into thin slices

2 slices of cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Cut the bread half and apply the blended paste on it. Top up with cheese and the eggs.. im sure kids are gonna love it!

Another of my fav rice varities! well actually not mine my picky eater son loves this! He’ll eat this without yogurt!! A rare thing otherwise with any type of rice he needs yogurt!!! This is also easy and packed up with all the vegs. I usually cut the vegs into small pieces so that he wont even notice that he is eating it

You’ll need

Ghee – 2 tbsps
cardamon and cloves – 3-4
cinnamon stick – 1 small piece
bay leaf – 1
onion finely chopped – 1
basmati rice – 3 cups washed and soaked
mix vegs finely chopped- 1 cup (carrots,beans,corn,peas) or what ever u like
turmeric pwdr – 1/4 tsp
garam masala – 1/4 tsp
water – 6 cups
salt to taste

Heat the ghee in a non-stick pan and add the whole spices. When the smell comes out add the onions and fry till brown. Add water to it. When the water boils add the rest of the ingredients and close the pan and cook for 15 mts. Serve with raita, pickle,pappadam.

I usually finely chop all the vegs so that the kids wont notice it.

Another entry for the Rice Mela and Wholesome Lunch Box Event!

Neyichor/Ghee rice is another very famous rice in malabar. And my kiddos love it. I was late today from my daughter school so i though i’ll make this because its easy and fast and i had chicken curry to go with it!!

I usually make neychor and biriyani with kaima or kola rice, which gives an authentic malabar taste! but as didnt have it at home i made it with basmati rice.

Well another reason is i wanted to send this enty for Srivallis Rice Mela!!

All you’ll need for this is–

4 cups basmati rice
4 cardomons
4 cloves
a small piece of cinnamon
1 small onion
2 tbsp of ghee
salt to taste
8 cups of water

Heat the ghee in a nonstick vessel or any other heavy bottom vessel.
Add the spices to it.
When the smaell comes out of the spieces add the onions and saute till brown.
After that add water and salt to it.
Once the water boils add rice to it and cook till all the water drains off.

Its so easy and ur kids will sure love this with or without any curry!

Heres the pic of neyichor with chicken curry.

I have been thinking to make soething sweet for a long time. And when i had a really large Lauki i thought ok then i’ll make Laki halwa today. This is the first time i’m trying it and this is a combination of 3 recipes i got from google!

i made it like this…

3 cups of grated lauki
1 and half cups of milk
1/2 cup milk maid
3 cardomons
2 tbsp sugar
2 tbsp ghee
a pinch of salt

Heat ghee in a non stick and add lauki to it. Once its soft and translucent add milk. And cook on slow fire till the milk reduces. As it reduces all a pinch of salt and milkmaid. Mix well. when it reduces again add sugar and mix till its thick. Garnish with almonds and cashew nuts.

I always cool any desserts and home made halwas coz my kiddos like it that way. I hope u guys will like it!!

im sending this entry for the Sweet Series!! Look out for more halwas and burfies in my blog!