Lemon peri peri chicken and Mashed potatoes

There are many versions of making a perfect mashed potatoes. Most of the recipe do not add cheese but  I have added my twist to it with a cube of grated cheese. It makes the mashed potato cheesy and yummy for kids to eat!
I have used griddle pan to cook the chicken. Alternatively you can cook the chicken by preheating an oven at  200°C. Brush a baking tray with olive oil to grease. Cook for 1 hour or until the chicken is golden and the juices run dry when the thickest part is pierced with a skewer.

Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
4 medium size potatoes
2 tbs butter
1 cheese cube (grated)
4-5 tbs milk
fresh ground pepper
salt as per taste

Method

1. Wash the potatoes and pressure cook them till they are completely cooked. It may take about 5-6 whistles to cook the potatoes (depends on the kind of potatoes you are using)
2. Warm the milk and butter together in a microwave or pan on the stove. Peel the potatoes and put them in the pan. Use a potato masher to mash the potatoes. Add milk to achieve the proper desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and grated cheese. Mix well. Serve with Lemon Peri Peri Chicken

 Lemon Peri-Peri Chicken
Ingredients
1/2 kg boneless chicken breast (2 pieces)
olive oil to grease and for marination- 4 tbs
6 garlic cloves coarsely chopped
1 inch ginger coarsely chopped
Lemon juice 1/4 cup
coriander leaves or parsley leaves 1 tbs cup chopped finely
chilli flakes 1 tsp
pepper and salt as per taste

Method

1. Wash the chicken under running water. Cut the breast pieces into small bite size pieces.
2. To make the Lemon Peri Peri marinate mix all ingredients (olive oil, garlic, ginger, lemon juice, chilli flakes)  in a food processor. Blend well. Transfer this to a mixing bowl. Add pepper, salt and chopped coriander or parsley leaves. 
3. Marinate the chicken pieces by adding the Lemon Peri Peri. Keep for marination for 2 hours.
4. Heat a griddle pan. Brush the pan with olive oil. Add the marinated chicken pieces and change the sides of the chicken so that it is cooked evenly from all sides. This will take about 1/2 hour to cook. Serve with mashed potatoes.

Tri Colour Pasta in homemade white sauce

You can use any pasta of your choice. I particularly used this one because my little one likes the colors of this pasta. The sauce is made from wheat flour, therefore I call it 'healthy pasta'. I have added shredded chicken in the pasta to make it more yummy for kids! If you do not want to add chicken, try mushrooms, broccoli or corn to make it more colourful!


Ingredients
3 tbs wheat flour
1 tbs amul butter
1/2 tsp of pepper powder
milk 2 cups
Amul cheese cubes 2 (grated)
mixed herbs 1/2 tsp
boneless chicken 150 gms
tricolor pasta 2 cups (or any pasta of your choice)
salt as per taste

Method

1. Cook pasta as per the instructions on the packet. Add little salt and oil to the boiling water so that the pasta does not stick to one another.
2. Cook the chicken with little salt and shred it into bite size pieces. Keep is aside.
3. White Sauce-
   Heat a pan and add the butter. After the butter melts add the wheat flour and stir for a while till the color changes to light brown. Add milk and stir continuously. See to it that no lumps are formed in this process. Add salt, pepper powder, mixed herbs and grated cheese. The sauce will start thickening after sometime. Keep stirring continuously so that the sauce is not burnt from the bottom. If any lumps are formed you can use a hand mixer or blend the sauce by using a mixer. The white sauce is ready.
4. Take a microwave safe cookware and add the pasta, chicken and mix well. Add the sauce. Preheat oven at 180 degrees and cook the pasta for 10-12 minutes.
   
   * The white sauce can be stored in deep fridge for about a month

Wheat Ladoos

Is your kid a fussy eater? These wheat laddos are the best option to give them as a mid day snack. Wheat is a healthy option to use in making ladoos. I have also added **'dinka', almonds powder to make it more healthier for kids. My little one loves to take these ladoos to her school or eat it as a mid day snack

Ingredients
1 cup of wheat atta
1/2 cup of desi ghee  (clarified butter)
3/4 cup of powdered sugar ( as per the sweet taste)
dinka 1 tbs
15 almonds

Method

1. Take some ghee in a kadhai,  add the wheat atta and roast till wheat changes colour to light brown or till you get that heavenly smell of the atta getting roasted.
2. Make almond powder by using a mixer grinder. Add this powder to the roasted atta. Mix well.
3. Take the remaining ghee in a small pan and fry the 'dinka' till they popup and become crispy. Cool the 'dinka' and crush well using back side of a 'katori'. Add the ghee to the roasted atta, add the 'dinka' powder, powdered sugar to the atta and mix all the ingredients well.
4. Make small ball shape ladoos. Can store the ladoos till a week.

** 'Dinka' is edible gum in English or popularly known as 'Gond ' in Hindi. It is very good source of calcium and growing bones

Soya Chunks Rice

Ingredients
1 cup of Soya chunks
2 cups of Basmati rice
4 cups of boiled water (for rice)
2 green chillies
Garam masala ( 5-6 peppercorns, 4-6 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1 star anise,1 inch cinnamon stick)
Biryani masala 1-2 tsp (as required)
Salt as per taste
Fresh Pudina leaves 1 tbs (alternatively use pudina chutney)
3 medium size onions (pureed)
2 medium size tomatoes (pureed)
Ginger garlic paste 2 tsp
Oil 3 Tbs
Coriander leaves for garnish

Method

1. Soak Basmati rice in water for about 1/2 hr. Drain out water and keep it aside for later use
2. Cook the soya chunks as per the instructions on the packet. Add little salt while cooking the chunks. Drain out the water from the chunks
3. Make onion puree by grinding the onions in a blender.
4. Boil the tomates and peel the skin and make puree using a blender.
5. Heat oil in a kadai and add the whole garam masala and and slit green chillies. After it starts leaving the aroma add ginger garlic paste and onion puree. Saute for 5-8 minutes or till onion starts leaving oil from sides. Add the tomato puree and saute it for 5 minutes. Keep stirring continuously and do not let this masala burn. Add soya chunks and pudina leaves (in case you are using pudina chutney add it at this stage) and stir well. Add the biryani masala.
6. Add rice, salt, four cups of water and stir well. Cover and cook until the rice is done on slow flame. Stir once a while . (If you are using a pressure cooker to cook the rice, wait till 4 whistles, seam the flame cook till 2 more minutes)
7. After the rice is cooked well add coriander leaves as garnish. Serve with boondi raita

Gul Poli (Jaggery roti)

'Gul Poli' or Jaggery Roti is made in Maharashtra on 'Makar Sankrant' day. This is a festival of harvesting. It is called as 'Lohri' in North India, 'Pongal' in South India. Many people celebrate this festival by flying kites. 


Ingredients
For the filling
Jaggery (melted) 1 cup
Khus khus (poppy seeds) 3 tbs
Til (Sesame seeds)  2 tbs
Peanut powder (roasted) 1/4 cup
Besan 1/3 cup
Ghee 2 tbs (for roasting besan)
Cardamom powder 1 tsp or Nutmeg powder 1 tsp (any one of the powder)
pinch of salt (if the jaggery contains salt then do not put salt
Ghee or oil for roasting the rotis

For the roti (outer cover)
2 cups wheat atta (not heapful)
1/4 cup maida
salt ( a pinch)
Oil 2 tbs for mixing the atta
Water (as needed for kneading the dough)

Method

1. Put a double boiler and melt the jaggery. Measure it for a cup. Keep aside.
2. Dry roast khuskhus and make powder using a blender. 
3. Dry roast til and keep as is. (Do not make powder)
4. Roast peanuts and remove the skin and make powder.
5. Heat ghee in a small non stick pan and roast besan till it starts to leave aroma.
6. Mix all the above ingredients in step 2 to 5 in melted jaggery. Mix well. Add cardamom powder or  nutmeg powder
7.  knead the dough by mixing the wheat atta and maida and rest it for more than an hour.
8. Take a small ball of dough and take proportional filling and make paratha like rotis.
9. Roast with very little oil or ghee. 
10. Serve with ghee.
    
    Gul Poli  is always served with ghee. As Jaggery known to have lots of heat in it, it is recommended to eat this roti with ghee to balance the flavors with jaggery!

Carrot Halwa (Gajar ka Halwa)

My most favourite Indian sweet dish that I relish in winters is Carrot halwa or most popularly known as 'Gajar ka Halwa'. This is one of the most popular sweet dish in North India.

Ingredients
5 cups of grated carrot (1 kg Delhi carrots)
4 cups of boiled milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup khova (or 2 malai pedha if khova is not available)
10 almonds (blanched and cut in long pieces for garnish)
Cardamom 2-3 powdered (Optional)
pinch of salt
2 tbs of desi ghee (clarified butter)

Method

1. In a non stick pot heat the desi ghee and add the grated carrots. Cook for about 8-10 minutes. Add boiled milk and cook on low flame for about 1 hour stirring occasionally.
2.  Add sugar and mix well and cook till the sugar has dissolved and all the milk has been absorbed.
3.  Add the khova after milk has been absorbed. Stir well. Add blanched chopped almonds and powdered cardamom.
4. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Herbed Chicken

Ingredients

1/2 kg boneless chicken cut into bite size pieces
Ginger-Garlic paste 2 tbs
salt as per taste
Mix herbs- 2 tsp (Rosemary, Thyme, parsley, oregano, basil-easily available in stores)
red chilli powder- 1 tsp
wooden skewers- 10 pieces (according to the number of chicken pieces)

Method

1. Wash chicken and cut into bite size pieces. Marinate the chicken with all the above ingredients. Keep it for marination for 2 hrs.
2. Put the pieces of chicken in wooden skewers. The skewers help the small pieces from falling down on grill or barbeque stand
3.  Preheat the grill or barbeque stand. Grill the pieces for 10 minutes or till the chicken is cooked well. Serve with a dip or pudina chutney