Activities for Adi

Things I want to Make for Adi

Blogs are such treasures. Recently came across a lot of blogs with good information about keeping toddlers busy. Since my 19 month old is at home all days with a few one - two hour activities after I get home, these are some fun things that he will love to do when at home.

http://secondstorywindow.typepad.com/home/2011/10/toddler-time-busy-bag-series-part-2.html

http://craftyteacher.blogspot.com/2007/09/107-things-to-put-in-your-sensory-table.html

Shabudana Thalipeeth

Shabudana or sogo is an integral part of Maharashtrian upavas or fasting food. This shabudana is cooked in a few different ways to give variety to the once who really fast and to satisfy the taste buds of the rest. It has always happened that anything made with shabudana is enjoyed by the people who are not fasting rather than the people who are actually fasting and have to eat nothing other than that. This is what used to happen in our house when my mother used to fast. My father, brother and I used to enjoy the khichadi or thalipeeth which was meant for my mother. And so a fasting meal was made for everybody at home on days like Sankashti, Ekadashi etc. The few varieties in which the shabudana is cooked is shabudana khichadi, thalipeeth and vada. The sweeter version being shabudana kheer. Shabudana thalipeeth is a slightly substantial meal and has a crispy twist to it. The thalipeeth with a groundnut chutney, and some tak (buttermilk) and something sweet, like a fruit or shrikhand etc. can keep you going the full day.
Getting on with the thalipeeth now:

Ingredients

Shabudana (Sogo) - 2 cups
Potatoes - 2 medium
Groundnuts - 1/2 cup, Coarsely ground
Green chillies (peppers) - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Salt - 1 tsp
sugar - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Oil or ghee - 2-3 tbsp

Method

1. Wash and soak the shabudana in warm water for 2-3 hours. Leave around 1-2 cm of water on top of the shabudana. Let it become soft. Drain out any excess water after the sogo has become soft.

2. Once the shabudana is ready, peel and grate the potatoes. Add these to the soaked shabudana.

3. Add the groundnut powder, green chillies, cumin seeds, salt and sugar, and mix it well. It will form a soft mass, not necessarily like a dough.

4. In a frying pan, add some oil or ghee. Take a handful of the mixture, and spread it on the pan with your hand. Make it thin and round in shape. It can be made about 1/4 of an inch thick. Make some 3-4 holes in the thalipeeth to let the vapor out.

5. Start frying the thalipeeth on medium heat and cover it till the top looks translucent. It means that the shabudana and the potato has got cooked.

6. Once the lower side is sufficiently browned (golden brown), flip the thalipeeth and let the reverse side be browned. Once done from both the sides, remove from heat.

Serve with coconut or groundnut chutney or just plain yogurt.

I want to enter this recipe for Nupur's RCI: Maharashtrian cuisine.
For details of the event see this page on Nupur's blog.

Pizza Hut at home

Being a vegetarian there are very few options to eat outside other than the Indian restaurants. Among those few options my favorite is the Veggie pizza from pizza hut. Making a pizza at home is not at all difficult, but it never tastes the same as a pizza hut pizza. I attributed the difference in taste to the sauce they make or the way they bake the pizza. So once while shopping in Kroger, I happened to see a can of pizza sauce and pre baked pizza base. I was immediately tempted to try making the pizza at home with the store bought sauce and pizza crust. And believe me the result was great. It tasted like an authentic Pizza Hut Veggie pizza. This is a delicious weekend lunch, when you don't have much time to cook among the usual weekend chores. The preparation hardly takes 10 minutes and the baking takes another 10 minutes.

Ingredients

12" Pizza crust - 1 no.
Tomatoes - 1
Onion - 1 small
Green bell pepper - 1/2
Sliced black olives - 1/4 cup
Pineapple chunks - 1/4 cup
Pizza sauce - 3 tbsp
Pizza/ Mozzarella cheese - 3 tbs
Pizza seasoning - 1/2 tsp
Olive oil - 1 tsp

Method

1. Pre heat the oven to 425 degree F or as instructed to bake the pizza crust.

2. Cut the tomatoes in big pieces. Slice the onion and bell pepper thinly.

3. To assemble the pizza, rub a little olive oil on the crust. This will keep the crust a bit soft, particularly the edges.

4. Spread the pizza sauce on the crust evenly.

5. Spread the chopped vegetables evenly on the crust.

6. Add the olives and the pineapple chunks.

7. Spread the cheese on the pizza. And at last sprinkle the pizza seasoning.

8. Reduce the oven temperature to 400 degree F, and bake the pizza for 7-10 min or till you see a few brown spots on the cheese.

9. Cut the pizza into 8 pieces and serve warm.
As usual soda or juice is the best to wash it down.

One 12" crust serves 2 people. The advantage of making it at home is that you can control the amount of cheese.

Sweet Begnings - Sheera

One of the easiest sweet dish in Maharashtrian cuisine is Sheera. This is also the favorite offering to Gods. With some simple ingredients a great tasting sweet can be made in a matter of minutes. Being so easy, it was one of the first things I learned in my Mother's kitchen. And then I would make it every time when I wanted to eat something sweet and warm. So here is the recipe

Ingredients

Rawa (Semolina) - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 - 1 cup
Ghee - 2-3 tbsp
Milk - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup
Raisins - 1 tbsp
A few cashews cut into small pieces
Saffron - 2-3 strands
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Method

The basic ingredients for the Sheera are the first 5. The rest are to give the Sheera a good flavor and richness.
1. Heat the ghee in a pan and add the cashews. Fry till they become slightly brown.

2. Add the rawa to the ghee and roast it till it gives out a good a good fragrance.

3. Once the rawa is nicely roasted add the milk and water and the raisins, and stir till the rawa gets cooked. Cover and keep for a minute. The rawa gets cooked and becomes slightly transparent. All the water and milk will get absorbed in the rawa.

4. Next add the sugar and cardamom powder and stir. The sugar will melt and get incorporated in the rawa. Keep stirring till the sheera gets a solid consistency

5. Roast the saffron strands in the microwave till they become crisp and can be crushed to fine pieces. Add this to the sheera and stir. The saffron gives the sheera a good color and fragrance.

Serve warm.

Newbie in the Blogging world

Here is presenting to you another Food Blog. I have been an avid reader of all the food blogs for a long time now and these have inspired me to have my own blog. This blog is mostly about food, which is important part of everybody's life. It is a part of life like a slice from a cake. And hence the name "A Slice of Life". Hoping you all will find my posts as sweet and ymmm as a cake.
S0 now starting off by wishing myself All the Best in this new venture.