Traditional South Indian Baby food that is very healthy and tasty for the infant kids.

INGREDIENTS:

• Boiled Rice – 4 cups
• Ajwain seeds – 1 tbsp
• Dry ginger powder – 2 tsp

PREPARATION:

• Thoroughly wash the rice and filter the excess water and keep it aside for an hour.

• Heat the kadai, dry roast the rice until it gets slightly puffed and golden color. Keep it in the low flame. [Important: - Roast the rice in multiple smaller amounts and make sure not to burn the rice].

• Keep it in a dry plate and let it cool.
• Thoroughly wash the Ajwain seeds (make sure mud particle are cleaned and removed). Filter the excess water and dry roast until nice aroma comes. Keep it aside and let it cool.

• Grind the roasted rice, ajwain and dry ginger powder. Make them into fine powder form using a mixie.

• Sieve the ground powder. Grind the coarse particle left on the sieve and sieve it once. Repeat the process until all the powder is completely fine.

• Store the powder in a dry box.

Note:

• You can add 1 spoon of Roasted Channa Dal (Pottu Kadalai) and 1 Spoon of Wheat Rava and roast it along with the Rice before grounding. Do it only when the baby is more than 8 months old.

SERVING SIZE – 4

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower Florets- 2 Cups
• Green Peas – 3/4 cup
• Currey Leaves – 1 to 2 sprigs
• Tomato (big size) – 1 (chopped into small pieces)
• Onion (big size)- 1 (finely chopped)
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Chilli Powder – to taste
• Jeera – 1/2 tsp
• Oil – 3 tbsp
• Ginger – small piece finely chopped
• Garlic – 2 cloves finely chopped (you also get a Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp)

For Creamy Paste:

• Cashew Nuts – 3 tbsp
• Grated Coconut – 3 tbsp

Preparation:

• Soak the Cashew Nut in warm water for 15 min.
• Wash the Cauliflower florets and peas in clean water. Semi cook them in a vessel with enough water for 5 min. Then immediately drain the water and put the veggies in cold water for 2 min. Drain the water and keep the veggies aside. The above process is called Blanching.
• Grind the soaked Cashew Nut with grated coconut into a fine creamy paste by adding very little water using the mixie. Keep it aside.
• Grind the onion and tomato into a smooth puree and keep them aside. You can do them together or seperate (seperate is better).

• Take a Kadai, add the oil and heat it. Add the ginger garlic paste and fry it until raw smell is gone. Add the Jeera and curry leaves and saute it.
• Then add the ground onion paste and fry until raw smell is gone. If you had done the tomato puree seperately, add them now and cook for 5 min.
• Add the Cauliflower, Peas into the cooking contents. Add turmeric and salt and mix it well and cook it on low flame. Cook until the Cauliflower is fully cooked.
• Add coriander powder, chilli powder, cashew nut paste along with little water and mix the contents well. Cook on low flame for few min until the Kurma is blended together.
• Garnish the Kurma with coriander leaves.
• Serve it hot with Roti or Naan.

Note:

• This Kurma doesn’t come with the usual Masala items like kasakasa, bay leaf and cinnamon sticks.

SERVING SIZE – 3 to 4

INGREDIENTS:

• Poosanikkai/ Ash Gourd – 2 chopped
• Curd (beaten) – 1 cup
• Salt – to taste

For Grind:

• Channa Dal – 1 tbsp
• Coconut – 3 tbsp
• Green chilies – 2 nos or to taste
• Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

For Tempering:

• Coconut oil/any cooking oil – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
• Urad dal (Broken) – ½ tsp
• Asafoetida – 2 pinches
• Curry leaves – 1 sprig

PREPARATION:

• Remove the skin from the Poosanikkai/ Ash Gourd and cut into small cubes.
• Take a heavy bottom pan add the chopped Poosanikkai/ Ash Gourd and add little water (approx. ¼ cup, do not add more water). Add enough salt, mix it well and cover it with lid. Let it cook until it gets tender. If needed add some more water.
• Soak the Channa dal for half an hour. Grind it with coconut, green chilies and cumin seeds to the paste consistency.
•  After Poosanikkai/ Ash Gourd cooked well, add the ground paste and mix it well. Let it cook for 2 minutes and finally add the curd and mix it well. Switch off the stove.
• Heat the oil, add Mustard seeds. When it splutters add Urad dal. Finally add the asafoetida and curry leaves and mix it well. Pour it into the gravy.
• Serve it hot with rice or as a side dish for spicy dishes.

Note:

• If the gravy is too watery add 1 tbsp of rice flour and mix it with little water and pour it in to the gravy, let it boil for 2 minutes.
• Poosanikkai has lot of water content so it doesn’t need lot of water, while adding water add carefully.

SERVING SIZE – 3 to 4

INGREDIENTS:

• Potato (Large) – 1
• Chick peas (Channa) – 1 can
• Onion (medium) -1
• Tomato (medium) – 2
• Ginger – 1 inch piece
• Garlic – 2 pods
• Turmeric powder – 2 pinches
• Red chili powder – 1 tsp
• Coriander powder – 1 tsp
• Garam Masala – 2 pinches
• Asafoetida (Hing) – 1 pinch
• Coriander leaves – few
• Salt – to taste
• Lemon/Lime juice – to taste

For seasoning:

• Oil – 2 tbsp
• Cumin seeds – 1tsp

PREPARATION:

• If you don’t have a pre-cooked readymade Chick Peas Can, soak 1 cup raw chick peas overnight in water. Then Cook it for 3 whistles and drain the excess water.
• Grind onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic in to the fine paste using blender.
• Pell the skin of the potato and cut it into cubes. Cook separate until it becomes tender. Keep it aside.
• Heat the oil and add cumin seeds. After it splutters, add the ground paste. Sauté until the raw smell is gone. Then add the Asafoetida (Hing) and turmeric powder and give it a quick mix.
• Add all the spice powders and little water. Mix it well.
• Then add the cooked potato, chick peas and salt. Cook it for 2 minutes.
• Finally add the lemon/lime juice and mix it well. Garnish it with some coriander leaves.
• Serve it hot with Roti, Poori and Rice.

A healthy Milkshake that is rich in protien and good for the Kids (Adults too).

INGREDIENTS:

• Banana – 2
• Peanut butter – 1 tbsp
• Honey – 2 tsp
• Whole Milk – 1 cup (Weight watchers can use 1% or 2% milk)

PREPARATION:

• Grind all the ingredients using a blender until its mixed together. Pour the mixed content into the serving glass.
• Serve it cool as is or with any topping.
• Oh, it’s the easy way to have the children’s eat Banana and it’s healthy too.