Potato Green peas kari

Ingredients
Four potatoes
Half cup fresh or frozen peas
One big Onion chopped finely
Four cloves of garlic chopped finely
Oil 1tbsp
Mustard 1/2tsp
Cumin seed 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder 1tsp
Coriander powder 1tsp
Turmeric 1/4tsp
Salt 1tsp or to taste
Garam masala or sombu powder 1/2tsp
Curry leaves
1tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp heeng

Method
Pressure cook the potatoes for five minutes
Cool, peel and cut into half inch cubes. Keep aside.
Heat the oil in a heavy pan.
Put in the mustard and cumin seeds.
When they crackle, put in the curry leaves.
Add the heeng and then the curry leaves.
Stir and add the chopped garlic and then the onions.
Add the masala powders and sauté for ten seconds.
Add the green peas and a tbsp of water. Stir well and cook covered on low heat for a few minutes till the peas are cooked.
Add the cubed potatoes and sprinkle the salt.
Mix gently and let the dish roast slowly on low fire.
Turn it over gently now and then and when the potatoes absorb the flavours, turn off heat.
Add the coriander leaves and mix gently.
Serve hot with rice or rotis.

This can be used for making samosas or cutlets too.

Vietnamese chicken

Half kg boneless chicken
3 garlic cloves minced
1 fresh red chilli chopped after removing seeds
1green capsicum deseeded and cut into cubes
Half cup chicken stock or quarter chicken stock cube dissolved in hot water
Two tablespoons tamarind juice
One tablespoon sugar
Coriander leaves for garnish
Two tablespoons oil

For the marinade: Fish sauce one and a half tablespoons
1tablespoon sugar
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp fresh pepper powder
Stalk of a lemongrass bottom part's inner core sliced thinly

Method:

Prepare the marinade in a large bowl and put in the chicken pieces and mix until well coated.
Cover with a cloth and keep aside for minimum half an hour.
Heat the oil in a wok and stir fry the garlic on medium heat till golden brown.
Add the chicken, chilli and capsicum. Stir fry on high heat till chicken is browned for two minutes.
Reduce heat to medium and add the chicken stock, tamarind juice and sugar.
Bring it to boil and reduce to simmer cooking uncovered for three minutes, stirring occasionally till the chicken is tender and cooked.
Transfer to serving bowl and garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve hot with rice.

Digestive powder, anna podi

Take 100 gm each of the following ingredients:
Pepper
Cumin seeds
Dried Ginger(peeled and chopped)
Thipplili (available in Indian Tamil medicine shop)
Cardamom
Dried Curry leaves
Dry roast all the above mentioned till golden one by one and keep in a bowl to cool. Take the pan off the heat. Dry toast 50gm perungayam (heeng) in the hot pan with the heat off and put in 100 gm rock salt and stir with it. Add these too to the bowl of condiments.
When cool grind to a powder in a mixer grinder and store in an airtight jar.
Take a tsp of the powder mixed with a quarter cup of cooked rice and ghee or til oil  before eating your regular meal at least thrice a week for good digestion.

Chicken fritters, Chicken Fry

Boneless chicken pieces, preferably breast pieces cut into strips, half kg
Cashew pieces 50gm 
Ginger garlic paste 1tbsp
Corn flour 1/4cup 
Rice flour 1/4 cup 
Coriander leaves chopped1tbsp 
Pudhina ,,,,1tbsp 
Green chilli chopped 5
Egg 1
Lemon juice 1
Curd 1tbsp
Salt to taste
Method:
Mix all well.Marinate for an hour.
Heat oil for deep frying.
Deep fry on medium heat for ten minutes till golden brown. (Take care not to overheat the oil as the chicken will burn on the outside and undercooked inside.)

Mutton Masala

Grind to a paste:
2 tbsp roasted coriander seeds, powdered
1tsp roasted and ground jeera
Turmeric 1 tsp
Salt 1 tsp
5 red chillies with the seeds removed
1 cup dahi

In this marinade, put in one kg of washed mutton and marinate for two hours.

Heat 1tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure pan.
Put in 2 bay leaves, 2 cardamoms, 2 black cardamoms, 1 inch piece of cinnamon.
When they pop add ten chopped garlic and saute till golden.
Add four medium sized onion sliced thinly and saute till brown.
Take out the mutton pieces only from the marinade and add to the masala in the pan and saute till brown.
Add the marinade and stir well.
Add a cup of water to the marinade vessel, wash it out and add it to the pan. Cover with the lid and bring to pressure.
Pressure cook for fifteen minutes.
Open lid after the steam cools down.
Simmer for a few minutes with the lid open.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Vazhaipazha paniyaram

Ripe banana 2
Jaggery 1 cup, grated
Atta 1and 1/2 cup
Rice flour 1/2cup
Coconut grated 1/2 cup(optional)
Cardamom powder 1/4tsp
A pinch of salt
Two tsp ghee
Oil to fry

Method
Mash the peeled ripe bananas.
Mix the jaggery and mash till it dissolves.
Add the salt and cardamom. Mix.
Rub in two tsp of ghee in the flours.
Add the flours and coconut to the banana  and mix well. It should be of dropping consistency. Adjust the flour by adding or reducing the flour to get the right consistency.
Heat oil till hot (not smoking hot, just hot) and drop balls of dough gently in the oil.
Deep fry on medium heat, turning gently now and again, to avoid burning. (Any sweet burns easily in oil)
Take off heat when golden.

Pirandai drumstick kozhambu

Sauté quarter cup each of drumstick leaves, curry leaves and pirandai one after the other in 2 tsp oil. Grind all together to a fine paste. Keep aside.
Grind 1 inch piece of ginger, 6 cloves of garlic and keep aside.
Grind 1tsp each of pepper, cumin seeds and aniseeds with a handful of sambar onions separately and keep aside.
Peel 12 garlic cloves, 12 sambar onions and keep them whole.
Chop three tomatoes.
Method:
Heat 3tbsp of sesame  oil in a kadai.
Put in 1tsp each of mustard and methi seeds.
When they splutter add the whole sambar onions and garlic along with 12curry leaves.
Sauté till transparent and add the ground pastes.
Stir and add the tomatoes.
Ad salt and saute till it is cooked in the oil.
Add 4tsp of chilli powder and 1/2tsp of turmeric powder.
Saute and add 3 cups of tamarind water made with a lemon sized ball of tamarind.
When it starts boiling add two drumsticks cut into two inch pieces.
Simmer till drumsticks are soft.
If you can't get pirandai or drumstick leaves make it with curry leaves and drumsticks only. The medicinal masala is good for relieving cold symptoms.

Tahini paste and Hummus

1 cup sesame seeds (white)
2 tbsp sesame or olive oil
Method:
Dry roasted the white sesame seeds on low heat till they give out nice flavor and pop, taking care  not to burn it.
Grind the roasted sesame seeds in a blender.
Add the oil and make into a smooth paste. Tahini is ready.
Add two pinches salt and 1 tbsp water and blend further if it is to be used as a dip.

HUMMUS

Ingredients:
1 and a half tbsp Tahini
3tbsp lemon juice (more if you like it sour)
2 cloves of garlic chopped
1/2tsp salt
2 tbsp olive oil
Method:
Take 1 cup of chickpeas (kabuli channa) soaked overnight, washed and pressure cooked with 2 cups of water. Cool, drain water and keep the water for use later.
Put in the tahini paste and run the mixer for a minute. Add the lemon juice and blend for a minute. Add the garlic and blend for half minute.Add the oil and blend for a minute. Add the salt and chickpeas and blend till smooth. Check for salt andand lemon. Add the saved water if needed for thinner consistency.
Place in a serving bowl adding a tsp of virgin olive oil as garnish on top, making an indentation to spoon in the oil… Garnish with chopped parsley for added flavour.
Serve with pita bread or as a dip for wraps or rolls.

High Calories food for toddlers

Basically, one day's meals should have at least one item from all the four groups. Serving size should be increased to get at least 1000 calories a day from the day's menu.

1. Eggs, fish, poultry or meat
2. Dairy products like whole milk, cheese, yoghurt
3. Fruits and vegetables
4.Whole grains like rice, bread, pasta etc.,

Breakfast items:

French toast made with cream and eggs.

Lots of oatmeal, made with whole milk liberally sprinkled with powdered almonds, cashews.

Scrambled eggs and cheese with toast

Idli or dosai with sambar made with tur dal and vegetables.

Pancakes made with whole milk eggs and multi grain flour and ghee

Peanut butter sandwich, topped with che

Kichadi made with dhalia and mixed vegetables using ghee

Pongal made with rice and moong dal and ghee

Rawa Upma  made with vegetables and ghee

Broken Raw rice and moong dhal kichadi made with ghee and vegetables

Adai made with eggs and topped with butter

Lunch:

Rice or bread or rotis
With
Sambar or fish or chicken curry
With any vegetables

Snacks:
Fruits and milk together. Can be made into milk shake for banana or mango
Fried gram laddus and milk
Sesame seed cakes (calcium rich and calories filled)and milk
Flavoured Yoghurt with fruits
Mashed potatoes with cream and cheese

Dinner:
Same as lunch or any breakfast items.

Fish Cutlets

1/4kg fish
1cupbreadcrumbs
1egg beaten
1 onion, 6clovesgarlic and 1/2 inch piece of ginger, 3 green chillies, all minced finely
1/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2tsp roasted cumin seed powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
Salt to taste
Method
Steam the fish for five minutes and remove the bones.
Mash and crumble it with a fork.
Mix all the other ingredients with the fish, except oil.
Make small balls and flatten into cutlets.
Deep fry till golden in color on medium heat.
Serve hot with salad and ketchup.

Boneless Fish Fry

Half kg boneless fish cut into medium sized pieces
1tsp lemon juice
2 beaten eggs
1tbsp garlic paste
1 tbsp ginger paste
1tsp turmeric
1 cup flour
1tspchilli powder
1tsp cumin seed dry roasted and powdered
Salt to taste
Oil for frying

Wash the fish, apply lemon juice and salt. Refrigerate for an hour.
Rinse and dry with paper towels.
Apply the beaten eggs.
Make a paste of the masala  powders and flour with a little water and salt to taste.
Apply on the fish pieces and mix till coated evenly. (Mix should not be too watery)
Deep fry the pieces.
Drain on paper towels.
Serve hot with tomato ketchup as starters.

Chicken Jeeraga Samba Rice Biriyani

Ingredients:
Jeeraga Samba Rice 1 kg(5 cups) (Use Basmati rice if you want a traditional Biriyani look)
Chicken pieces 1 kg
Prepare the following and keep separately:
Ginger garlic paste 4 tbsp
6 green chilies and 6 red chillies, ground to a paste
Mint leaves, 1 cup and coriander leaves 1 cup ground to a fine paste
Sambar onions 6 pieces, ground to a fine paste
2 Big Onions sliced into long thin pieces
2 Tomatoes, chopped into big pieces
Ghee 100 ml
Oil 100 ml
Grind to coarse powder:
Cinnamon 3 inch pieces
Cloves 8 pieces
Javitri (jathi pathri) 2 tsp
Cardamom 6
(You can substitute 1tsp garam masala for this)
Salt  to taste(approximately 1tsp for 1 cup measure of raw rice)
Bay leaves 8
Curd 1 cup
1tbsp each chopped mint and coriander leaves
Turmeric1tsp

Method:
Soak washed rice for 20 minutes.
Heat the oil in a pressure cooker
Put in the ginger garlic paste and fry till golden.
Add the masala powder and bay leaves and stir.
Add the onion paste. Stir.
Add the sliced onions and saute. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute.
Add the mint coriander paste. Stir well.
Add the chicken pieces and stir well till the masala is absorbed in the chicken.
Add the curd, chopped mint and coriander leaves and turmeric.
Add 8 cups of water for 5 cups of rice and salt.
When it starts boiling add the washed rice.
When it boils again, wait till water starts reducing and cook on medium heat, closing the cooker with the lid. Don't put on the weight.
After 5 minutes, open the lid and add the ghee.
Stir well and close the lid and put on the weight.
Cook on very low heat for 5 minutes.
Turn off the heat.
Open the cooker after 5 minutes.
Biriyani is ready.
Serve hot with onion raitha.

Fish Curry

4 slices of fish
2 onions,(Or a handful of sambar onions preferable) chopped into big pieces
3 tomatoes, chopped fine
5 cloves of garlic chopped into big pieces
tamarind lemon sized, made into juice with two cups of water.
1tsp methi seeds
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaves
1 tbsp sesame or any vegetable oil
1tbsp chilli powder (or Aachi kolambu milagai thool)
2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp  turmeric powder
1 and a half tsp salt

Grind to a paste: 4 dried red chilli, a tsp of turmeric, a clove of garlic, a quarter inch piece of ginger, 1 tbsp grated coconut, half tsp of salt and a tbsp of tamarind water.

Method:
Wash the fish pieces in water with a tsp of turmeric and a tsp of salt dissolved in it to get rid of the fishy smell. Drain and apply the ground paste. Keep aside till the sauce is getting ready as below.

Heat the oil on a thick bottomed vessel.
Put in the mustard and methi seeds.
When they pop, add the curry leaves, then the chopped onions and garlic.
When they are sauteed till transparent, add the tomato and salt. Saute till it is mushy and blended into a thick paste.
Add the masala powders and saute for a minute.
 Add the tamarind water and bring to boil. Simmer till the raw smell of the masala goes off.
Add the marinated fish pieces along with the paste and bring to boil again.
Simmer on very low heat till the fish is done. (About five minutes). Check for salt.
Take off heat.
Sprinkle 1/2 tsp of aniseeds powder (1tsp dry roasted and powdered coarsely) on top.
Rest for 15 minutes in a serving dish before serving with freshly cooked rice.

Coconut Burfi

 Coconut Burfi
Ingredients:

Coconut
Sugar
Ghee
Cashews
Almonds
Cardamom

Take 1 coconut grated finely. Measure the grated coconut.

Take one and a half times sugar for one measure of coconut.

Heat one tbsp ghee in a thick bottomed vessel.

Fry 2 tbsp coarsely chopped cashewnuts and almonds till golden brown and keep aside.

Add the coconut gratings and sugar with one tbsp water and keep stirring on medium heat.

Coconut will become watery and syrupy soon. Keep stirring so that it doesn't burn.

When it starts bubbling and frothing white you can see it leaves the sides too. Add a tbsp of ghee, the fried cashew and stir well. Switch off the stove or else it will start browning.

(If you like the cardamom flavor add a tsp of powdered cardamom too. But the coconut itself is so flavorful you can skip it.)

Immediately pour onto a square rimmed dish greased with ghee.

Make horizontally and vertical cuts to make small squares of the burfi when it is still hot, with a greased knife.

When cool, gently nudge the pieces out with the flat end of a knife.

Enjoy! You can keep them outside in an airtight container for a week.