FOOD FOR FUSSY EATERS - NOVEMBER 2014 (WHAT'S HAPPENING IN DAR)

Children  who would eat everything that is set in front of them at the table are virtually extinct…or I think I will be so right in saying that such a species never existed!!  No, No…..never existed.

I remember my mum giving us an ultimatum that we will not be able to move our butts off the dinner table till those greens and veggies we had so conveniently set aside on our plates are not gobbled up.  And gobble up we did, gulping them down with a glassful of water.  I try and do the same to my kid today, and see a stomping of feet and and a river of crocodile tears and I shamefully have to let go. I have to learn some lessons in motherhood I guess.  

However, on  the hindsight to fight with the inefficiency of not being assertive enough (sigh!!) I have to pat myself on my back for having learnt a few tips and tricks that help me give her what I like without her even knowing it, and it is my pleasure to share the same with you.  It certainly takes a little preparation and you will see yourself serving your kids a flurry of dishes that they just love and still manage to retain your own happiness.   So here I am sharing my secret to being a happy mom.

1.  Puree, puree and more puree.  It is time to give the blender a dust.  Be as innovative as you have never been in your life.  Boil up the veggies (anything and everything) and puree them and freeze them in small batches.  Maybe once in 15 days.  Remember, the trick is to keep the colour consistent.  Carrots and pumpkins together, can very conveniently go into pizza sauces, pasta base, soups of their choice, add a tspn to pancake batter, chappati dough or their favourite curry.  Likewise, zuchinni, pumpkin and be done together.  The trick is to retain the original colour of the dish they like but still be able to add these purees here and there.  Meat and mushrooms go very well, add in mushrooms with the ground meat or casseroles, and they sure wont know.   Don’t be over enthusiastic and add  so much that the kids will find out something is wrong!!

2.  Smoothies – These are the best places you can sneak in some fruits and even veggies.  Like add a piece of avocado to that chocolate smoothie.  Half a pear to the banana shake,  or bananas to chocolate milk,  try a grapes smoothie or a beetroot.  A bluberry or a strawberry shake will also camouflage something in a lighter shade like a zuchinni or a white pumpkin or a mix of fruits.  You will have to remember to be patient, have a lot of love and patience at that.  Experiment first, if they like it make it again – but then remember they can change their liking as quickly as they dump a toy right after the toy shop!!!

3.  Bake them in – a carrot muffin can also easily hide a zuchinni or a little pumpkin puree.  A chocolate cake will definitely accommodate a little beetroot which is pureed.  Infact, a chocolate cake will accommodate  a lot of other stuff – applesauce, a little grape puree, avocado, pumpkin.  Anything in moderation will surely blend well . Just remember not to overdo it.

4.  Freeze them out – add fruits and veggies pureed into yoghurt and freeze them into popsicle moulds to serve as a eye catching desserts.  Drizzle them with their favourite chocolate or strawberry sauce.

5.  Mix  and match - Mix a handful of healthy cereals to their sugary cereals.  They really wont mind if their cereals still retain the sweet and sugary stuff.   Make the use of the blender if they are still fussy.  Just grind the good stuff and add into their milk just before the sugary stuff goes in.  Give a slice of white and a slice of wholemeal bread.  Lots of mixing ideas here.

6.  Talk and get them involved.  Kids love to be a part of what you do.  Use them in the kitchen to do tiny bits like brushing the tray, making a few cookies, cleaning the veggies.  When they are involved in cooking they are most likely to eat it too.  Just keep saying how delicious the food they cooked is!!  Make the food interesting….carrots help you have sharp eyes, fish helps your hair to grow longer, greens make you strong like superman.  Talking rather than shouting goes a long way.  Oh, and don’t forget the rewards please.  Always give a reward for finishing a meal.  You need go and buy a whole toystore but a little goes a long way. A sticker, a pencil they like, a lollipop. Anything.

7.  Have the kids eat with you.  Try and merge mealtimes..  You will see a marked difference in the kids eating habbits.  They like to eat what you are eating and this will also teach them in being independent because they will make attempts to eat by themselves.  Kindly cooperate.

Phew.  ….thats a long list of to do !!  If you can even incorporate a few of the above into your  kitchens I am sure you will be rewarded by  having the satisfaction of seeing your kids eat good and healthy food.  Hey, bring your ears closer…..you can even try this with grown up kids who are picky eaters!!!  You really don’t have to tell them.

Am sharing a bread pizza which my kid happily eats and I hope yours will too.  If I say I dont love it, it would be denia.

Ingredients

2 wholegrain bread slices cut into small rounds

For the sauce

2 tbspn tomato paste (cooked)

1 tspn mayonnaise

¼ tspn  mixed herbs

4 tbspn of any veg puree

1 tbspn ketchup

A little mustard for flavour

2 pods garlic (grated finely)

Olive oil

Mix of grated cheddar and mozzarella cheese

Any veggies or ham they happily eat.

For the sauce

Add a tspn of olive oil and first saute the garlic, then heat the tomato paste and one by one add in the ketchup, mayo, mustard and the herbs.  Let this cook for a minute or so, but not too much

On a slow flame heat a pan.  The flame should be really low.

Butter one side of the bread and on the other side spread the sauce liberally.

Top with cheese (I used a mix of cheddar and mozzarella slices just torn roughly).  Add whatever else your kids fancy.

Now carefully place this pizza on a pan with a very low flame

Use a lid and let that crisp from below and the cheese melt on a low flame it will take about 5 minutes.

Drizzle a little olive oil and serve to kids.

BAND GOBHI KE PAKODE - CABBAGE FRITTERS

In my whole life I have never seen cabbages as big as I have seen in Africa.  I mean really huge ones. Some of them are big enough to make 4 different curries for a family of 4!!!   And my experience of the eating habits of people here has revealed that they really love cabbage. My househelps favourite food is Ugali and Cabbage.  They can eat cabbage three times a day, seven days a week!! Thats how much they love cabbage. I think another reason is that it is available so abundantly and cheaply.  In India we had avoided cabbage because of rumors of cabbage spreading some infections to the brain.  I had to sadly quit the lovely vegetable.  But after coming here, it became a permanent in my grocery shopping and am happy to include it. I feel its quite versatile with a number of dishes that we can cook, and also low cal and full of health benefits.

I am sharing with you here a very simple snack made with cabbage.  It has a very unique taste and texture, and I really love these.

Prep time - 5 minutes
Cooking time - 20 minutes
Serves - 4-6 people

Ingredients

250 grms - finely shredded cabbage
100 grms - gramflour / besan
a pinch - hing / asofetida
1/4 tsp - turmeric / haldi powder
2 - green chillies (finely chopped)
a bunch - corriander leaves (washed and finely chopped)
1/4 tspn - ajwain / carrom seeds
1 tspn - amchur powder
1/4 tspn - saunf / fennel seeds 
salt as per taste

Method

In a big bowl Mix in all the ingredients and add just enough water to make a thick batter of dropping consistency.
Heat oil and drop these one by one not crowding the wok too much.
Let them turn a deep gold brown on a medium flame
Serve with chutney or ketchup or are good on their own.

I love them with chappatis and some daal

MATAR KACHAURI

Last week I had a surplus of peas in my freezer. I somehow like using fresh peas instead of frozen, but for sure frozen one's save one a lot of resources.   Fresh peas always have a sweetness to them that frozen ones dont.

However, I had to use the same and wanted to use them in a snack form so as to ensure no leftovers (I believe that snacks do not have any leftovers!!)  Isint that correct?

Well those peas reminded me of the matar kachauris at haldiram and I headed into the kitchen with the determination to try them.  And the following was the result.  Believe me, the raves at home were Haldirams were not that good!!! :)   Wasnt I supposed to smile?? Yes I was.  And truly I too believed it was correct -  since they are loaded with a lot of garam masala and the sweetness of the peas is lost in them.

Wont keep you waiting for the recipe.

Ingredients :-

For the kachauri -

2 cups - maida

1/2 tspn - salt

1 tbspn - oil

1/4 tspn - ajwain

For the stuffing :-

250 grms - boiled and coarsely mashed peas ( I gave a swirl in the blender - just one tiny swirl)

1 - big onion

1/2 tspn - fennel or saunf

1/4 tspn - garam masala

1/4 tspn - sugar

1 tspn - maida or atta

Salt to taste

I left out the chillies for my daughter but you are free to add them as per your taste.

Recipe :-

For the kachauri

Just mix the dry ingredients and add enough water bit by bit to make a stiff but pliable dough.  Cover it with a wet cloth and keep it aside for at least 1/2 hour.

For the stuffing

In a kadai / wok add a tspn of oil and saute the chopped onion.  Dont let it turn brown but it should have turned soft.  Do this on a slow heat.   Add the sugar at this stage and also the salt.

Add the saunf and fry for about a 5 secs and add the peas.  Lastly add the garam masala.

Saute this mixture till no moisture is left. In the end just add the maida and fry again for about 3-4 mins.

Ensure that the stuffing has cooled down.

Before working on the dough just show your muscle strength to it, and do a bit of kneading once again (not too much please)

Make lime sized balls and with your finger make a indentation in it the way you do for parathas .  Now make this into a katori with your hands.  Just ensure that the dough is spread equally.  Too thin a layer with burst open when the filling goes in.

Now slowly press in the stuffing.  

You have to be very patient and careful

Now seal the edges very delicately to ensure they are covered completely and also sealed properly.  You could use a dash of water on the tip and just rub it on the seal to ensure complete closure.

Now slowly press it down and pat it into a kachauri.  I didnt use the rolling pin.

Heat oil slowly.  Dont let it get too hot and add the kachauris. 

Let them cook slowly on a medium flame

The outer covering was crisp and the matar was sweet and soft.

Loved them.

Do try