Thalicha kelangu...Tadke wala tapioca...

Tapioca is a good participant in meals to provide a significant amount of dietary fiber. This takes the path towards providing us a healthier lifestyle. Being low in cholesterol and fats but richer in starch and carbohydrates it helps in healthy weight gain. We include it as a part of our breakfast menu or sometimes in our evening tea-time snack menu. Healthy to eat and using less oil makes me prefer this a lot of times

This recipe is simple and has been the same from my grandmothers time. My mother followed it and now am too in the line

Quesadillas with leftover rajma curry

Rajma curry is a great addition to regular menu and leftover rajma is a greater addition. Guess how?? I love making sandwiches and quesadillas-kind with leftover curry. I feel they taste really good when used as leftovers too. A sense of satisfaction that I did not waste food and a good treat to my tummy in a way that I love. Sometimes I want to eat it so much that I make extra rajma curry to deliberately have extra as leftovers

Making quesadillas with leftover rajma curry saves time and also gives a new taste to the same curry with a gentle and scrumptious twist. Add cheese and a few other toppings to give a refreshing taste

I always preferred quesadillas when opted at any mexican restaurant. I could never just have enough. My H always makes fun of me about eating too much of it. He says "what is in it that makes you love it so much". The simplest answer is "I dont know but i just love it". I dont make it the perfect original recipe way but love this kind-of version which suits better in my menu

I havent added any veggies topping in this post as I made this one for my kid who stays away from fresh cut uncooked veggies. I could not take pictures of my quesadilla... consider excuse #526 ... he he. Anyways try this and enjoy

Chapathi chips ... fun evening snack

Leftover chapathis ??? Try this delicious snack for a cozy evening time. It is a perfect snack for kids and adults too. You might want to munch on these healthy whole wheat chips for your chai time. We make this sometimes when there are leftover chapathis or sometimes I make a few extra chapathis purposefully to make these in the evening. First I used to make tortilla chips with leftover tortillas that we used to buy. Now back in India I use the same idea but make it with leftover rotis

Sweat out time is minimal here so no standing in the kitchen and stirring or mumbling for an evening snack. Just put everything together, then line up on a baking tray and bake till done. Isnt that simple and super quick? Try it and you will love it for sure

Make salsa for the side dip and you will crave for more. Kids love hung curd dip and that combi turns out be their favorite. So we make both dippings always

Bread Pakoda ...

Simple snacks that have been serving us for ages are just great. I always wonder how they thought of cooking. Now its easy ... google it, watch it on tv and try it to get the best. But think of olden days when people had very limited communication but they still they used to cook lot of simple and fancy foods. Hats off to them. I should say hats off to our moms. I specially admire the way my mom learnt cooking over the years - Different kinds of food from different kinds of people. She is great and she is the perfect cook from my perspective of whatever she knows

Bread pakoda is an evening snack that is filling and tasty too. Make it at small get-togethers or kitty parties or just for a cozy warm evening chai. Every time its served its loved by one and all. Sometimes mamma used to pack this to school too and I remember having fun those days

Below is my moms recipe which is the same that I have always followed. I have enjoyed this as a kid and my family enjoys it now

Paneer and Green Capsicum in a silky soft gravy...

Paneer with capsicum is such a lovely combi. I should say, they complement each other really well. I have had so many versions in different restaurants and different places/homes but I have never said no it. It is just my favorite. I like it more when it made with a silky gravy, a little thick which cover everything lightly but doesnt submerge the paneer into the gravy. Its actually that I like the semi-gravy version

This recipe here is simple, nothing too tricky. I follow the rule to cook it on low flame to bring out the flavors and also the silkiness. Its not that you sweat around the stove for hours but just a few extra minutes. No stirring too much, leave it on low flame and let it slow cook

Make this with roti or naan and you are sure to appreciate yourself for a job well done

Watermelon Masti ...

My kid did not like the watermelon juice that I made but that did not disappoint me as I could help him enjoy the same taste with these magical tricks. So whatever juice I made for them was leftover and remade into this recipe

My baby niks doesnt like fruits a lot. So I have to take some extra efforts to get him the goodness in different ways that he would to enjoy natures best creations... fruits. He is a growing kid and he needs all the good stuff of fruits so I have to try my best. Sometimes I try smoothies, sometimes shakes, juices, popsicles, fruit yogurt and sometimes I dont know what ;) but sure a lot more

Watermelon is something he hates as he keeps saying it drips when he eats. I know its just an excuse. Last time I made Watermelon juice for myself (recipe in previous post) when he was running around. I said its strawberry juice and wanted him to try. But no luck, I knew it wont work , he tried and said "no way". He just says he doesnt like the taste. So I wanted to tell him watermelon but with a very fancy name that will lure him. I tried making him watermelon popsicles and called another as watermelon sorbet. Guess what, this time it really worked and there were more than helpings. Kids enjoyed it so much that these fancies were enjoyed many a summer days. So I should say my try was a pure success

Watermelon Juice...

Posting summer recipes in winter makes me feel guilty but it is like doing homework. This shows how lazy I am. Yes very very lazy. I have fun postponing things infinitely. Same is the case here I kept postponing it so long that my drive space is killing me to get rid of some pictures as soon as I can. The complaint is that my blog work is taking up a lot of space in our home laptop. Planning to post a lot of recipes and create some space in my drive. So this is kinda part of my homework

This juice is sure refreshing for hot summers. It gives you a good boost of energy

Rasmalai ... spongy paneer balls soaked in thickened milk

I love rasmalais and I sure serve myself more than just one serving. Cant help it you see ;) These soft and spongy balls soaked in sweetened milk are a tasty delight. Its something like this which was in an ad "no one can eat just one". Yes its the same funda here. Full high on calories... he he ... but still none can escae it. I love rasgullas and ramalai equally

My H love these too. Nowadays he is cutting down on these looking at the calorie chart. But he still cant keep his hands off if  I make it. So I have reduced  the number of makes in the kitchen these days. Poor H .. I cant keep him watching me when he wants to have too :)

If you are good at rasgullas then nothing new here. Its almost the same recipe except the climax. Soak in milk instead of sugar syrup

Cheesy Bread... a kids favorite... so let them make it

To start with, let me request you to bear with all the messy appearance in the pictures. Yes... the kids were at work and they wanted to do every bit that they could. They wanted to be proud that they did every step. So dont mind the cheese sut-up and the melt-up :) they are the best helpers I could ever have and I could ever ask for. They enjoy it every time they make it. So the pictures could never be better than this. And to add, they should have more cheese than is seen down here... again kiddie kiddie 

This bread recipe is super simple and super fun to make. A few bread slices, garlic, oil and cheese is all you need to get some smiley faces around. Have fun making and enjoy when you see your kids enjoy eating them

Stuffed omelette....

Egg is a very healthy breakfast... atleast I consider it so. I feel that it has so much of goodness filled in it that if it is a part of my breakfast I feel a kick-start for the day. Eating anything the same way ever will make you sick of it. So the best is to try variations. In that list goes in this recipe which is a good alteration. We love to eat this - both being healthy and keeps your filled for quite a while

Adding pepper/capsicum to omelette gives it a fresh taste. Soft omelette on the outside a s slight veggie crunch on the inside makes this very special. You will sure love this if you love capsicum

Mango Rice...

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm mangoes ... yes we can list a thousand reasons why it is named the King of fruits. Do you love mangoes ??? Oh my ... I love it. I love them raw, I love them ripe, I love them in curries, I love them in shakes, I love them in desserts and I love them in what not. They are yummm. Here is a simple recipe not a very rich/royal one though. It is perfect for a pack-up lunch 

Mango Rice is usually made in the early summers when mangoes are fresh in market. Now dont ask me why am posting this now. I am cleaning up my SD card and trying to post as many posts I can. Trying to get stance of some extra space and cleaning up the mess that I have made in my folders trying to put all pics together. Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhh ... its just all haywire. Oops I guess I need a lot of organizing now

Posts to be written are just getting piled up and up. So this is a summer recipe posted in the winter ;) Waiting till next summer might not work for me. So here it goes

Oats n Apple shake.. a healthy drink for a busy morning rush

Sometimes when I dont feel like eating breakfast or sometimes when I am hungry in the evening when  just a cup of coffee/tea would not subside my hunger or sometimes when I just want to drink something which fills up my tummy I rely on such kind of recipes. This is a little more filling than regular shakes. Love such recipes that keep my tummy on the lighter and healthier side plus on the other hand is perfect to combat hunger

A glass of this shake and yes I feel refreshing and am sure if you try it you are going to like it too. 

Rice vadai / cutlet

Leftover rice ... enjoy a delicious treat. Yes rice vadas. A rainy evening, a hot cup of tea and some hot hot vadas.... hmmm yess sounds awesome isn't it?  Bored of regular vadas , try these and you will sure like the change. My mummy makes the best but I think these days I too have managed to make something nearly as good.

I remember the first time I made it for my mother-in-law. She smiled and said "you are good at cooking these days... very nice". Now that was one to make my day. I was happy that she liked it. She liked it so much that she asked me make it again when my sister-in-law came home. Now that is nice right???

Good that you dont have to throw away leftover rice nor do you have to worry about eating it though you dont like it. We all love it so we make it ... not too often as it deep-fried but yes sometimes coz its really tasty. They dont taste very good if made on tawa/pan, so deep-fry would be the best option

Sabudana Khichdi or Javvarisi upma...

A breakfast recipe that keeps you on the lighter and simpler side. This is a recipe that is frequently made in north India during fasting days. I have had it a lote when I was  a kid but after i am into my kitchen this had been a frequent visitor until recently. The reason being very simple that my H is not a big fan of this breakfast. Its nothing to do with the recipe the only thing that is wrong is the name "Upma". Any kind of Upma is not my H's preference ... so I hope now you understand 

 But thank god now I have some new fans for all this upma stuff. My  kids love upma. Good for me as I love it too as a change in the regular breakfast menus. Now that I know their choice i get to make whenever I feel like.

Its simple and quick to make so should help you set up a different breakfast for a change from the regular.

Sugar chapathi... a little bribe to my fussy little eaters...

At ages of 5 and 3 I see my kids being very picky about what they eat. They are sometimes too choosy about the gravies they have with their rotis too. I dont like to force them to eat nor do I like to run around behind them to stuff their mouth when they are busy playing. I am not a mamma who would force or stuff into my kids mouth and ask them to gulp it down. I dont remember forcing them even at restaurants or outings.

I feel they will eat what they want and when they want. Instead of forcing and complaining I like to follow their own style but with a little trick here and there. I like them to sit and eat on their own making them wait for their special surprise which walks in at the end. Sugar chapathis are a special treat for my kids which helps them eat their dinner. It is an addition but not the main. I tell them that if they finish their whole bowl of curry with the first chapathi then I will treat them with one special sugar chapathi, believe me dinner job gets over in no time. Also I get to see happy faces at the dinner table 

Baby pizzas... the way niks named it...

We all love pizza in my family. Nobody says no whenever there is a chance to eat :) Last time when we went to a restaurant for my last year bday dinner we got a chance to eat these mini pizza-style appetizers which my kids fell in love with. It was cute to look at and yummy too. They had made it out of french bread loaf. We sure ate a lot of servings of this beauty. 

Niks, my elder kiddo wanted me to try it at home. He laid it out simple - just cut some bread, put some veggies, top with a lot of cheese and finally bake it. I was watching his cute style of explaining when we cornered me to make it for snack that day. It has been on our snack list ever since. I feel there is not much to work on and my kids get to help me a lot on this one. They love to keep popping it in their mouth till all the minis disappear from the plate. I guess it is a fun snack so I let them enjoy it quite often.

I am sure french loaf tastes best but we dont buy it very often. So for us regular bread suits best. A few slices and we have a little pile to eat.  It serves wonderful at kids-party as appetizers

Paneer stuffed paratha...

Paneer paratha is a simple and wholesome meal for a night that looks in for a change in the usual menu at dinner table. Just a conventional addition of curd and pickles for the sides makes it a perfect dinner to be enjoyed right. 

Making this doesnt need too many ingredients nor does it involve too much prep work. Start with milk boiling on one side and making chapathi dough on the other side and dinner shall be served in no time. I have paneer almost all the time at home so making these parathas is never a task.

Try this for a change and you are sure to like it. Kids will enjoy it too. Makes a perfect pack for school bags too :)

Paneer gulab jamun

My hubby is a very huge gulab jamun fan and so is my little one. So making gulab jamuns doesnt need any special occasion. A request from either of them and yes its made :)  My little one prefers this one over the other ones coz they taste more like dry jamuns and so he doesnt need too much syrup. He loves to pick jamuns with his tiny little fingers and roam around without having to sit and eat with a bowl and spoon. Something he really hates ;) (sitting) other than meal times.

Paneer gulab jamun is also as yummy as the regular gulab jamuns. They are soft and juicy and lip-smacking too. Making these doesnt take too much time if you have home-made paneer ready. Make some for yourself and enjoy

Home-made Paneer

Making paneer at home is always a better option. In my home I need scrambled paneer for many recipes which makes it even simpler to have homemade paneer at hand. They tend to turn out soft

 This can be used in a lot of recipes. Crumbled paneer can be used to make bhurji, sabji, cutlets, rasgullas etc. Block paneer can be used in gravies, rice, tikkas etc

I have many friends asking me how to make paneer at home and this recipe is for them. Not that this is the first recipe ever but i just want to have a link of my own to point to it

Achu Murukku / Flower Murukku

A sweet murukku which can get you into a bad habit of continuous munching is this friend. Sweet but not very sweet makes it perfect for those extra bites that you might take. Festivals in south India find this murukku very popular and its made in almost every household. There are many a recipes that people follow but as I always I love my moms version than any other. And yes it turns out perfect every time

My mom makes the eggless version using just maida and sugar and I too prefer the same. Preparing it is easy and you can stack 100's in just an hours time. With kids at home there is no way saying a NO to this special murukku, be it a festival or not. Yes I made it this Diwali too and sure enjoyed each one of it.

Sabudana vada / Javvarisi vadai

Vada is an important player in south Indian kitchens especially during festival times. Ulunda vada, paruppu vada are the most special among others. I too make these on festival days but not usually otherwise coz there are so many festive days and auspicious days when we make them. I prefer the other versions we make, say moong dal vada, keera/palak vada, javvvarisi /sabudana vada, chickpeas vada and few others.

These vadas are unlike the paruppu vadai and ulunda vadai. They are neither too crispy nor too soft. Following a style of its own this vada has a simple crispy crust to it followed by a slightly chewy and soft texture on the inside. Have to admit they taste perfect when they are hot or atleast warm. They tend to get chewy when they get cold. So out of the fryer they should find comfortable places in serving plates and then out of sight ... I meant into your tummies.

Kids will love this for sure as they look very pretty and appealing. Enjoy making them and enjoy eating them too.