Monday, July 18, 2016

Diversion - Breakfast and tiffin items for kids

I am pretty disturbed lately with behavior of some people around me. And there is always a post-argument thoughts whether I was right or should I have just let it go? 

So rather than sulking tonight over these thoughts, I feel that it is better to write something positive. I am not a great writer but I can pen down my thoughts, just like everybody else.

Now tonight's topic can be - breakfast n tiffin items for kids.

I am a working mom and do not have much time to make breakfast. I sleep late (reading books, or reading online books, or reading some article on phone etc.). There is also this new soap that I watch called 'Ratris Khel Chale' on Zee Marathi, but more about that later.

Ok.... working moms too want to give their kids healthy breakfast. In fact, they innovate to make it in lesser time. Arya does not crib to eat plain chapati bhaji for breakfast or lunch, but I still give him some variety. Here are a few items I make in the morning for breakfast cum tiffin.

1) Vermicelli upma or India Maggi - This is Arya's all time favorite dish, guaranteed to bring me an empty lunch box. We call this India Maggi 'cause Arya used to want Maggi from the packet but I thought, it is good to give something home made instead and healthier too. I began calling it India Maggi and he thought that it is no less than the real Maggi. I use roasted Vermicelli (get Bambino roasted vermicelli for saving your time). 
a) For every cup of uncooked Vermicelli, almost 1 cup of water is needed (probably lesser). 
b) Bring this water to a boil and add chopped carrots/french beans/capsicum in this. Go for whichever vegetable is available. Chop veggies overnight for a quicker job. 
c) Heat a wok and add oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, green chilies, onion and fry this, after some time add tomatoes. Let all this lose water. 
d) Now directly add the Vermicelli and some salt. Stir this for some time to coat the semolina with oil and spices. 
e) Use a perforated ladle to pick veggies from the water and add in Vermicelli. Pour water little by little in the semolina to make sure it is not soggy. (Some people boil Vermicelli first ensuring it is not soggy and then do the rest of the stuff. This is also a good method. In fact you can cook semolina overnight and just give a tadka the next day, but we do not like this way of cooking it somehow.)
Done. This dish needs about 10 min of cooking time.

2) Thalipeeth
a) I have prepared a mixed flour of all whole grains (wheat, sorghum, channa dal, moong dal, whole rice, urad dal, little coriander seeds etc.) But you can buy thalipeeth bhajni in any kirana store in Maharashtra. 
b) Before sleeping at night I knead the dough by adding some chopped onions, tomatoes, any green vegetable leaves (methi, palak etc) or coriander leaves, some salt, turmeric, chili powder. Add water and knead. Keep this overnight in fridge. Onion and tomatoes lose water so make sure that you knead using as little water as possible. It is ok if the dough seems to be breaking at places. It will look better in the morning. If you are making it immediately though, you can add more water and make the dough pliable. 
c) The next day take a old plastic bag (milk packet bag, or dal packet bags) and make a square plastic out of it. 
d) Take  a palm sized ball of the dough and pat on this plastic. Make this roti about .5 cm thick. Now lift the plastic and gently remove the thalipeeth on your other palm. 
e) Place this on a hot tava adding a little oil. Cook on both sides. This takes some time to cook. But in the morning you only need to do the patting and roasting, so it is faster. 
Serve with some tomato sauce.


Coming up someday... Green Moong dal dosa, Mixed vegetable parathas, Aloo parathas, thai vegetable rolls, fried rice, and more ;)




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