Nutritive Porridge Mix for Kids

A heirloom recipe that is evolved according to the taste and preference of the generations which I learnt from my mom. We as a kids enjoyed and grew up with this and its now by our kids. Mom does it meticulously in batches for our usage here and for my Nephew and Niece abroad.Even though it involves some preparatory works of washing and shade drying the ingredients, roasting them in low flame one by one (to increase the storage capability), its worth doing and stocking as it is a blend of healthy ingredients and a very balanced food for growing kids. My niece takes this alone and go to school and this is filling too. A family recipe of a Kids special Porridge mix with benefits of Ragi and Samba Wheat. Thanks to mom for this nutritive recipe.

Have a Healthy Week Ahead :) 

Whole Black Gram Dosa / Mulu Ulundhu Dosa

Its yet another long pending recipe that was in my bucket list to be shared here. Nothing new or innovative but one of those forgotten recipe/ more I would say the form of Urd Dhall being used I would say. Its Whole Black Gram Dosa Batter. I have seen my grandma and mom using only whole Urd Dhall for Idly Dosa Batter during my childhood days..as years passed by we moved to the polished and deskinned Urd Dhall for the fact that we get more white idlies. For many health aspects, we are getting back to our age old methods and recipes and this is one such which harnesses the benefits of Black Gram completely.

For benefits and nutrition aspects of Black Gram, please check my Karupu Ulundhu Vendhaya Kali Recipe.

Here you go for the recipe of the batter.

Tip: Use Gingelly oil to make dosas as it enhances the flavour and taste and serve with Garlic Chutney or any Spicy Chutneys.

Happy Cooking :) 

Red Rice Horse gram Adai / Sivaparisi Kollu Adai

Adai..a nutritious and filling food for brekkie or even dinner and this gives out a whole lot of variations to play with. I have already posted here Quinoa Brown Rice Adai  and Idly Batter using Red Rice.

In this recipe I have combined the fiber rich Red Rice along with Healthy Horse Gram. For health benefits of Horse Gram / Kollu check out here. This is a very tasty and healthy adai recipe and served hot with butter and Cane Sugar / Coconut Chutney / Avial.

Happy Cooking :) 

Urd Dhall Millet Protein Mix / Ulundhu Samai Kanji

Ensuring that the Kid's daily needs of Protein met is always a biggest challenge for all moms. That too if the kids are allergic to lactose and milk based products, it is even more worrying. We have had a lot of excellent health mix being prepared by our grandparents and we have always relished them where there are no commercial health mix products. For this week's Organic Kitchen am going to share an excellent source of Protein keeping the lactose allergic children and those who are looking for vegan protein supplement to meet the daily protein needs. Made a small change to the mix by enhancing it with Millet which is yet another miraculous food. Yes, It is Urd Dhall Millet Protein Mix, made with Urd Dhall and Little Millet. Kids will love to drink this flavourful Organic drink and it would be a best kick starter of the day in busy mornings.

Urd Dhall 

This dal is one of the richest sources of proteins and Vitamin B. Urad dal is also good for women as it has iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium which makes it a healthy pulse.For those who do not eat meat or fish, have black gram as it is rich in protein which is much required by the body.
Urad dal, also known as white lentil or black lentil that is mostly used in Southern part of Asia. Urad dal is used as a major ingredient in Indian cuisine for preparing a healthy diet. Urad dal has protein, fat, and carbohydrates which is required by the body.
Urad dal is also good for women as it has iron, folic acid, calcium, magnesium, potassium which makes it a healthy pulse. It is extensively utilized in various culinary preparations such as dosa,papad and vada.

Scientifically - Vigna mungo
English - Black Gram
Hindi - Urad dhuli, Urad chilka, Urad sabut , Urad saboot,Kali dal 
Tamil - Ulundu Paruppu 
Telugu - Minappappu
Malayalam - Uzhunnu Parrippu 

It has lots of health benefits
- Excellent Energy Booster
- Rich source of Protein
- Anti inflammatory
- Improves Digestion
- Loaded with magnesium and folate that prevent damage to the arterial walls. In addition, magnesium boosts cardiovascular health through enhancing blood circulation
- Anti Ageing Properties

Little Millet / Samai 

Scientifically - Panicum sumatrense 

Hindi - Moraiyo, Kutki, Shavan
Bengali - Sama
Tamil- Samai
Gujarati - Gajro, Kuri
Telugu - Samalu
Marathi - Sava, Halvi, Vari
Oriya - Suan
Kannada - Saame

It is a miraculous millet which is suitable for all age groups.It prevents constipation & heals stomach related ailments.It improves fertility in both men and women.It also helps for women with irregular periods problems.Its high fiber helps to reduce the fat depositions in the body.In general millet is gluten-free and non-allergenic. A great grain for sensitive individuals.

Here you go for the recipe :

Have a Healthy Week :) Welcome your feed backs :) 

Red Rice Idly Dosa Batter

Red Rice is a variety of unpolished rice which has a nutty flavour and has lot of health benefits. It is proven to reduce the cholesterol levels and is a great replacement for Polished White Rice. The color is imparted by the high amount of phenolic compounds called Anthocyanins. It is rich in fiber, Vitamin B1, B2, Iron and Calcium. Due to the rich fiber content it is highly recommended for heart patients and diabetic. It is also included in weight loss programs and loved by fitness freaks.

It also helps in fighting asthma, lowers the risk of obesity. It has anti ageing properties and prevent premature wrinkles of skin.

I make sure that I include this as a Idly Dosa Batter or as Rice to diet very often. Rice as such steamed may not be palatable for kids, wherein this Red Rice Idly or Dosa due to its colour and flavour will be loved by them.

It goes well with Coconut Chutney or any Spicy Chutneys. The duration of soaking the Rice and Urd Dhall and grinding of Urd Dhall to a fluffy consistency are the key for Softy Idlies.

Cook Healthy :) 

Healthy Neer Kozhukattai

Am happy to write this post as the recipe what am going it share is one which is treasured by my mom as she learnt this from her Mom. I want this to be passed on to my further generations as it has bountiful benefits. Even though I have never seen my maternal grandmother (Her Name is Chinthamani) except for a single photograph of her in my maternal uncle place, I feel she lives through the recipes of her I learnt from mom. My mom belongs to Mayavaram - Kuthaalam and her style of cooking inspired by her Mom is typica Thanjavur Style with many signature recipes which am keep learning till date. I wish I could learn all and keep them documented here. As my motto of this Blog is to have a repository of my family recipes, both from my Paternal Grandma who is an excellent cook by herself (all my Rasam Series are from her) from Velankanni-Nagapattinam and my Maternal side. This one recipe is made often by Mom whenever I suffer from Back Pain due to continuous working on system. Also it is very good for the girls who just attained puberty as it gives strength to back bones. Thanks to mom for sharing me the awesome recipe. This one differ from the usual Neer Kozhukattai as it has Urd Dhall in it.

Try this out and you will sure fall in love with this healthy recipe. :)

Happy Cooking :) Keep up our traditional recipes as they can never be replaced by modern day foods :)

Palm Jaggery Aapam / Karupatti Aapam

My new year resolution is to reduce amount of white sugar and go organic by replacing it with Palm Sugar and Palm Jaggery wherever possible. Needless to say that Palm Jaggery / Karupatti has innumerable health benefits. It has 60 times more minerals than White Sugar and a excellent source of natural sweetener. It increases Hemoglobin levels in our body and it aids in digestion. The higher potassium levels in it aids in weight loss. Its a great medicine for Cough and Cold or any kind of respiratory disorders. It is believed to reduce the Migraine Pain as well.

Here I have used this Palm Jaggery in our Regular Aapam batter which enhances the nutritional value and the recipe credit goes to my beloved mom. I made variations by adding Tutti Frooti to make it a delicious recipe for kids. Tastes best when taken hot. Plain Karupatti Aapam with Gingelly Oil is best combo as per Mom's recipe.

Would love to hear your feed backs :)

Healthy Breakfast Series - Lauki/ Bottle Gourd Wraps and Lettuce Cream Soup

Its a resolution for this year that I should make a completely balanced and healthy breakfast for my hubby to kick start the day and am experimenting on few Healthy Breakie Combos. In that series, today it is Lauki Wrap in my Wonder Wrap Series which I made both Sweet and Savory Versions and Lettuce Cream Soup.

Lauki/Bottle Gourd is a Vitamin C and Antioxidant Rich Veggie and it has lot of water content in it. It hydrates the body and a best remedy for Urinary Infections during Summer season. Also it helps in Weight loss and help in digestion. Being a Zero Cholesterol Veggie it helps in preventing Heart Ailments. Including this veggie in a Wrap with Paneer is a best way for making kids to eat this veggie. I made the sweet version with Iron Rich Gulkhand (Made of Rose Petals and Jaggery / Honey).

Lettuce is a well known Low calorie green leafy vegetable which is why it is included in diet by Weight Watchers. Mostly taken as Salad. It is rich in Omega 3 Fatty Acids and Protein Content. It also has lot of Vitamin C and Beta Carotene and is good for healthy heart.

Here I have given a easy Soup recipe with lettuce which can be made in less than 10 minutes and it is a fulfilling one for the breakfast.

Thinai Koozh / FoxTail Millet Porridge

Thinai or Fox Tail Millet are the best choice if you are looking for a millet which is gluten free, rich in protein and good amounts of Iron and Calcium. It is also rich in dietary fiber and hence serves as a boon for diabetic patients. It releases glucose steadily without affecting the metabolism of the body.

Having Thinai in your diet will definitely paves way to a healthy life and its proven that the incidence of diabetes is rare among the population which consumes foxtail millet diet.

Koozh or Porridge with Millets are our authentic food and it has its own health benefits. 

Here's an easy and delicious way of including Fox Tail Millet as breakfast..Truly filling and healthy start of a day :)

Wonder Wraps Series III - Three More Wraps

In my WonderWraps Series..here you go with another three variants to try :)

Would love to hear your feed backs :)

Red Rice Flakes / Red Poha Delight

An easy recipe which needs no cooking and can be made in a few minutes which is a wholesome food anytime..be it a breakfast or evening snacks for children or a filling dinner..Red Poha being rich in fibre and Iron makes it a nutritious food..

Instead Red Rice Flakes, you can also use White Rice Flakes (the regular ones). If you use thick type of flakes..soak with water for few minutes and then mix all ingredients..

Wonder Wrap Series II - Quick Reference Cards

And here's two more interesting spicy variations of the wraps that you can try and they tasted yumm and got good appreciation from my master :)

Red Rice FlakesPaniyaram / Sivapu Aval Paniyaram

Red Poha or Red Rice Flakes are the flattened red rice which is more nutritive when compared to White Poha. Rich in Iron and Easy to Digest. I have it in stock all time so that I can make some quick and healthy break fast and dinner. This is something I tried out and it tasted yummy and filling too.

All you need is this Poha and little left over idly batter. Hope you like this recipe which wont take you more than 10 minutes to make. When you have to make something in a jiffy when some guests are there or as evening snacks for kids, you can go ahead and make these golden delights which are absolutely healthy.

Would love to hear your feed backs :) 

Wonder Wrap Series I

Having a fuzzy eating kid at home is what make moms tensed up in early mornings..Getting them to eat their breakfast and giving them a healthy and palatable lunch box is always challenging..For my son who is a fuzzy eater too, I found Wraps are the best way to make him eat all veggies and its almost 6 years by now..his lunch box is mostly Wraps.. My Wonder-wrap Series are the time tested ones with my Son and are obviously approved by him by showing his empty lunch boxes and in fact he gives many ideas now a days on fillings...I have a good number in this series for which I shall start sharing the recipes in the form of a table..as the method of wrapping remains the same except for the filling and wrap base.

Here comes my first set of recipes...

1. Choco Almond Wrap - Completely Power Packed and Yummilicious Wrap with the goodness of almonds and Kids Favorite Choco Syrup drizzled generously

2. Spicy Ridge Gourd Wrap - Wraps are the best way to include Desi Veggies into our Kid's Lunch Box..and this spicy filling with a dash of Oregano is truly a tempting one

3. Cabbage Olives Saucy Wrap - Cabbage and Olives with a dash of Oregano is an exotic blend with tomato ketchup to get the tanginess

The Recipe Table is here...

I will keep updating other recipes as similar sets :) Happy Wrapping :) Would love to hear your feed backs and see your wraps too :)