One of my express breakfasts – very nutritious and loved by my kids. I like to make whole grain breakfasts with calcium and proteins that will give them all the energy for a busy day. As most of the Kerala breakfasts are made of rice and rice products i usually make them only during weekends or holidays.

All you need is 1/2 cup daliya soaked overnight

2 cups milk

a pinch of salt

sugar to taste – i add around 1/2 tsp to 2 cups of milk.

Nuts, berries and raisins – optional

Pressure cook the soaked  daliya till soft. In a skillet simmer the milk add the cooked daliya, salt and sugar to it. Cook till it becomes thick or till the consistency you want. I make it thick like porridge.  Add nuts and raisins and serve warm.

You can give a ghee and shallot tadka if you like. BUt mine is usually plain, no oils in the morning. I eat it with lots of walnuts and almonds, sometimes berries too.. but my kids prefer just plain.

Sometimes i cook the daliya in advance and refrigerate it and just mix with milk in the morning. it makes cooking easier!

This recipe is for Cooking for kids Event – Wheat

When ever i make a light meal i always make something sweet to accompany it. It makes everyone happy especially my hubby who has a very very sweet tooth!

Basmati rice – 1/3 rd cup

Milk – 4-5 glasses

Sugar – 3/4cup add more as your taste

cardamom powder– 1/4 tsp

Finely sliced Pistachios, Almonds, cashew nuts – for garnish

water – 4 glasses

Pressure cook the rice with water until it is very soft. Mash the rice well and transfer it to a heavy bottom vessel or non stick vessel. Add milk and sugar and cardamom. Keep on stirring on ad off. Make sure there are no lumps and the should be cooked in a very low flame. If you want you can add more milk. Keep on stirring for at least 15 mts.  Turn off the stove and add the dry fruits. After the kheer comes to normal room temperature refridgerate it if you like cool desserts. My family like cooled ones so i cool almost al the sweets!

Im sending my Kheer for the Sweet series event.

Soups, salads, juices, and milk shakes comes to my rescue when im lazy to cook dinner or when we are having lazy weekends! Here is one of them!

I was really surprised when i had this form my friends place. I really couldnt believe that this is really beetroot! It doesnt have the beet taste at all.  Sometimes i put some whipped cream on top of it to make it attractive for the kids!!

one small beetroot – pressure cooked and blended without water into a fine paste

2 cups of chilled milk  - i use 0% fat

sugar to taste – can be substitued by honey

milkmaid (optional – use only if u have a sweet tooth)

nuts to garnish – cashew nuts, pista, badam, (Optional)

Blend together milk, 1 tbsp of beetroot paste and sugar.

You can freeze the rest of the beetroot paste and use only what you need.

This milk shake goes to Light Meal Event Sweet Series and Guilt free Snacks

Ramadan Day 4

Have i ever mentioned that i cant pass a day in Ramadan without Tarikanhi?? It really gives me the strength to move on to the next day! It is nutritious as well as it has semolina and milk in it.

We usually have it after our Tarawih namas when we were in Calicut.  I remember i used to drink 2-3 glasses of it right after the prayers!

This recipe is dedicated to my grandma. Because she tried her best to make me drink it when i was little. But i was a stubborn child and would never drink it. But she proved to be really my “Naani” LOL! One day during Ramadan she put lots of nuts and ghee in this and told me its Payasam! the greedy me grabbed the glass and finished it off in a gulp! From that day onwards i and Tarikanhi have been inseperable during Ramadan!

The moral of the story : You never know how it tastes until you try!

1 glass milk

1 tbsp semolina

2 elaichi or 1/4 tsp elaichi or cardamom pwdr

a pinch of salt

sugar to taste

cashews and raisins for garnishing

1/2 tsp ghee

Boil milk, semolina, elaichi together. Keep on stirring while its boiling or else it will get burned.  Turn of the stove as soon as soon it boils. And add sugar and salt to it.

Heat ghee and add the cashews and raisins fry for some time and add to the milk.

Serve Hot!

** If you want a porridge drink let the milk boil for some more time.

Ths entry goes to Lubna’s Ramadan Event and Sanghi’s FIL Milk Event.

Ramadan Day 1

Badaam Milk is very refreshing during Iftaar. Those who have gastric problems and heart burn due to fasting can try this to reduce it. Its very easy to prepare and you can make the mix in large amounts  and refrigerate it and use it when ever you need.

A handful for badaam or Almond socked in water and peel the skin.

3-4 elaichi or cardamom seeds

Grind both in a dry mixer. Sieve it till its clear and no grains and refrigerate.

Blend 2 cups of milk, sugar to taste and the badaam mix. Chill and serve.

This post goes to Lubna’s Ramadan Event.

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!

This is something my mom always used to make when we make biriyani at home. I dont make this often now a days but i got nostalgic when i made biriyani last week. I thought i’ll give a try in my electric oven (my friend Safia gave me this idea). But hers burned a lot on the top.. I think my oven is much more bigger than hers so may be thats the reason mine didnt get burned that much.

This is one of easiest puddings i have ever made! Even if i have an unexpected guest i can make it with in half n hour!!! And its so yummy!!! and my kiddos love it! And most of the ingredients you need for it will be at home all the time!

The recipe..

5 white bread with the sides trimmed off
1 ltr of milk
11/2 tbsps of china grass pwdr
sugar to sprinkle
3/4th tin condensed milk (if u want to make it sweeter u can add the whole tin)
butter to apply on the bread
2-3 drops of vanilla essence (optional)

Boil milk and china grass pwdr together.
Mean while butter both the sides of the bread and sprinkle sugar on both sides.
Arrange it in one layer on a flat dish.
Pour the boiled milk on top of it.
Let it cool and then refridgerate it.
Serve cool…

This entry goes for the Sweet Series hosted at Paajaka