I cook and I know that there is nothing gr8 about it!!

     Friends, we have many beliefs and dis-beliefs and I wonder how firm we are with these. Let me share an interesting incident happened to me few years back. I had a lecture at 8 a.m. and it was around 8.30 a.m. and students were still dropping in. Our college location is bit harder to reach with a public transport and few years back it used to be quiet an annoying task to reach college that too in early morning hours.  I am somewhat liberal to my students in case of timings for first lecture as I have seen few students losing their lives while traveling to colleges on bike. I have scary experiences that prevent me to take any action on my staff and students against late arrivals.

     Apart from this, being a teacher and because I was discussing a critical topic in class, I angrily asked them justification or clarification about why they were late.  They defended with their own reasons but I continued saying that what do you all have to do to come to college. Just get up in time and be ready to come. Look at us, being working ladies we get up early in morning, cook food, make our kids ready for school……bla bla….What is your problem? Do you care for grocery…vegetables and all at home? Do you cook? One student calmly answered… Yes mam! I cook. I care for grocery…vegetables and all things that are required at minimum to run a house. I curiously asked him how? He answered that he along with his elder brother stays in a flat. He was from a village in district nearby.  His brother was working. It was hard to spend money on costly food in city like Pune out of limited earnings of his brother. Both of them used to cook according to turns. He said that it is economical and healthier option instead of having spicy food outside.

    Since then I think twice while scolding students on attendance issues. Different incidents have taught me that “LIFE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT EXAM. WE FAIL TO JUDGE PEOPLE BECAUSE WE FORGET THAT EVERYONE HAS DIFFERENT QUESTION PAPER”.   

Kid's tifin Specail-Beat Root-Paratha

Recently, different professional institutions, including the one where I am working supported a noble cause of blood donation that was supported enthusiastically all over the city. I was driven by seeing the tremendous response from the youth about blood donation. I also wanted to join however, knowing that my hemoglobin level has always been a disappointing affair since my childhood. Although I reached the camp in order to join the donation process. I was rejected as was expected due to low HB. I have suffered the consequences of low iron and hemoglobin levels in my blood since my childhood. When I discussed my problems with our family doctor, I realized that I was one of over 10, 00,000 million people in India who experience these consequences of anemia on a daily basis and don't even bother. I further learned that majority of women in the country are victim of anemia. It is shocking fact that, anemic children suffer from learning deficits that they cannot recover from!!

   I realized this fact intensely when I imagined the same for my daughter. Fortunately she does not have HB deficiency but this is the right time for me to prevent anemia at least in her case.  Since then I desperately took up the task of maintaining HB level normal. This has cured my problem too to a great extent. 

  Friends, it is however very difficult to eat beat root on daily basis, that too for children. So I have identified some interesting recipes of beat root. One is “Beat-root Paratha". The paratha looks interesting and tempting because of its unique color. The most important thing is that you contribute greatly to prevent anemia among your children!! 

Beat Root-Paratha
Ingredients	1.    Grated medium size beat roots  (2 in numbers)
	2.    Multi grain / or Wheat Aata (approximately 3 bowls)
	3.   Chat masala / dry mango (Amchur) - 2 tea spoon, cumin powder- 2 tea      spoons, Haldi- 1 tea spoon and salt to taste.
Cooking time	30-40 minutes
Steps	1.	Mix well the grated beat-root and all ingredients well to form a dove.
	2.	Let the dove rest for 20 minutes.
	3.	Prepare medium size bolls and roll the parathas.
	4.	Heat Tawa, spread the rolled out paratha. Flip after well cooked on both sides. While cooking apply some oil. Don’t use too much oil for cooking. Let the paratha be cooked with low oil. It remains soft, so no need of much oil.
	5.	Serve with special Tomato Koshimbir (raita) that is a perfect combination with Beat-root flavor.
	6.	Or you can serve with a chutney / Tomato sauce or any pickle of your choice as well.
Tips		In this paratha I don’t use other flours such as Besan (Gram flour) or Jowar flour as I have chosen a Multigrain Ata only. Like Kaddu paratha, I don’t use Garlic, Pepper and other Masala as I aim to maintain the sweetness of beat-root. To absorb Iron in the beat-root, our body needs some sort of C vitamin source, that can be found in RAITA / KOSHIMBIR made with CURD , TOMATOES and a pinch of Aamchur powder as ingredient in paratha

Special Lunch made for my childhood friends !!

Had an awesome Saturday with my childhood friends. Cooked a special lunch for them The most beautiful reason in treating such a close friends is the pure love, care and informal mode of communication. I am happy that everybody enjoyed the food and liked it !!

Dedicated specially to my childhood friends !!

A baingan masala, Aloo-dum, Frid-Dal, Peas-Carrot Pulav, Gulab-jamun, Amras-Puri, A special mango delight drink and Dahi-vade !!

Kid's tifin Specail- Kaddu / Lauki / Bottle-guard paratha

Dear all,

Now the schools are open and all parents (especially moms ;) have become busy !! The major headache is to choose the best possible recipe that kids will like and the ultimate expectation is their empty (finished) tifins !!

However there are many interesting stories about how kids f...i...n...i....s...h their tifins or how they manage to finish it !! So friends this month FOODITIVITY presents recipes that kids love or may like to have. Please try and give feedback.

Lets start with sequence of parathas !! Today's speciality is "Kaddu-Paratha" or "Bottle-guard -/ Lauki-Paratha". I have seen people hardly liking Kaddu / Bottle guard. However its health benefits can not be overlooked. 

Ø  Helps the liver function.

Ø  Helps cure jaundice and reduces graying of hair. 

Ø  Reduces fatigue 

Ø  Helps fight constipation, 

Ø  Recommended in the treatment of acidity, indigestion and ulcers.

Ø  Best weight loss foods 

Ø  It is rich in, thiamin, vitamin C, zinc, iron and magnesium

Ø  Prevents tooth decay.

Kaddu / Lauki / Bottle-guard paratha
Ingredients	1.    Garted medium bottle guard / Kaddu / Lauki  (400-500 grams)
	2.    Aata / Wheat flour (approximately 2 bowls)
	3.    Jowar flour ( approximately 1 small bowl)
	4.    Besan / gram flour ( approximately 1 small bowl)
	5.    8-10 garlic buds, small piece of ginger, Green chilies, fresh coriander            leaves, curry leaves for fine paste.
	6.   Chat masala / dry mango (Amchur) - 2 tea spoon, cumin powder- 2 tea      spoons, Haldi- 1 tea spoon and salt to taste.
Cooking time	30-40 minutes minutes
Steps	1.	Mix well the grated bottle-guard / lauki / kaddu and all ingredients well to form a dove.  Don’t add water while mixing.
	2.	Let the dove rest for 20 minutes.
	3.	Prepare medium size bolls and roll the parathas.
	4.	Heat Tawa, spread the rolled out paratha. Flip after well cooked on both sides. While cooking apply some oil. Don’t use too much oil for cooking. Let the paratha be cooked with low oil. It remains soft, so no need of much oil.
	5.	Serve with a chutney / Tomato sauce or any pickle of your choice.
Tips		Green masala paste, can be replaced by red variation with red pepper powder, haldi etc.

Stuffed potatoes / Bharle batate / Aloo Bharwa

Here is a similar dish to the earlier one but quite an interesting and tempting one. I am sure you will definitely try this. A potato stuffed with paneer, tomato, and .........a bit of tangi masala.
Friends, one important ingredient in every recipe is ......nothing but lots....and lots....of love...care....for the people who are eating the food. So the most important thing to add in every dish is ...LOVE !!

My mother used to say that prepare every thing in remembrance of the ALMIGHTY ! and serve everything as if you are presenting it before the almighty GOD !

Stuffed potatoes / Bharle batate / Aloo Bharwa
Ingredients	1.     Medium size potatoes  (250 grams)
	2.    Mashed boiled potatoes and chopped tomatoes approximately 1.5 small             Bowls each.
	3.     Grinded paneer 1.5 small bowls
	4.     Finely chopped onion (2 medium size)
	5.     Green chilies, fresh coriander leaves, curry leaves for paste
	6.   Chat masala / dry mango (Amchur)- 2 tea spoon, cumin powder- 2 tea      spoons, Haldi- 1 tea spoon and salt to taste.
Cooking time	30 minutes
Steps	1.	Take equal size fresh potatoes. Boil them, peel off the skin and cut them into half. Next scrap out the flesh to hollow them into shells.
	2.	Fry the chopped onion to golden brown and add to it, scrapped mashed potato, panner and green paste made from green chili, curry leaves and coriander.  Add salt, chat masala and cumin powder to taste. Mix well and stuff the potatoes with the same.
	3.	Stuff the grinded “masala” inside potatoes.
	4.	Pour oil to a pressure pan. After “Tadka”, shallow fry all stuffed potatoes by covering the pan with lead. Let the potatoes be sufficiently steamed and crispy.
	5.	Don’t overcook it. Just make sure that tomatoes remain in shape with sufficient crispiness.
Tips		You can use different ingredients for stuffing. Green masala paste, can be replaced by red variation with red pepper powder, haldi etc.

Stuffed tomatoes / Bharle Tomatoes / Tamater Bharwa

Friends, today I have an interesting stuffing recipe for tomatoes. I have found that its a best loved dish by my family members with delicious curry or dal along with phulka or paratha. The best thing about this is that you can have a basic set of stuffing ingredients and you can add / enhance / modify them each time you prepare a new one !  

This is how tomatoes look after stuffing ! Generally stuffing s with spicy masala are not preferred by kids and elders who are health conscious, but this recipe is specially liked by them.After such stuffing you can either microwave them or cook in a shallow pan.

Steps:

   1. Take equal size fresh tomatoes and scrap out the seeds, core and flesh. Now keep this aside to use in stuffing.           I don't prefer waste this. Sometimes I use it for another gravy. Now we will use the remaining tomato as a shell to             hold the stuffing.  Tomatoes are thick-walled, hollow and relatively juice-free. Look at the pic. This is how tomatoes 

          shells look.

    

    2.  Next, Fry the chopped onion to golden brown and add to it, mashed potato and green paste made               from green chili, curry leaves and coriander.  Add salt, chat masala and cumin powder to taste. Mix 

        well and stuff the tomatoes with the same.

Ingredients	1.     Medium size tomatoes  (250 grams)
	2.     Mashed boiled potatoes approximately 2 small bowls
	3.     Finely chopped onion (2 medium size)
	4.     Green chilies, fresh coriander leaves, curry leaves for paste
	5.    Chat masala / dry mango (Amchur)- 2 tea spoon, cumin powder- 2 tea spoons,    Haldi- 1 tea spoon and salt to taste.
Cooking time	30 minutes
Steps	1.	Take equal size fresh tomatoes and scrap out the seeds, core and flesh.
	2.	Fry the chopped onion to golden brown and add to it, mashed potato and green paste made from green chili, curry leaves and coriander.  Add salt, chat masala and cumin powder to taste. Mix well and stuff the tomatoes with the same.
	3.	Stuff the grinded “masala” inside tomatoes.
	4.	Pour oil to a pressure pan. After “Tadka”, shallow fry all tomatoes by covering the pan with lead. Let the tomatoes be sufficiently steamed.
	5.	Don’t overcook it. Just make sure that tomatoes remain in shape with sufficient softness.
Tips		You can use different ingredients for stuffing with bell pepper / paneer instead of mashed potatoes as well. Green masala paste, can be replaced by red variation with red pepper powder, haldi etc.

Stuffed Bhindi / Stuffed lady finger

Bhindi or lady finger has been a favorite sabji of kids. I have never seen a kid who doesn’t like bhindi. Apart from easy availability of the overall ingredients, cooking time and liking from kids to elders it contributes many medicinal and health values! Known as Okra in medicinal domain, it has interesting health benefits. 

These can be listed as:

            1.      Rich in nutrients, vitamins and minerals
      2.      Reduces bad cholesterol
      3.      Controls blood sugar level
      4.      Improves digestion 
      5.      Good for conception and during pregnancy 
      6.      Improves Immunity 
      7.      Lowers anemia problems

Doctors recommend including Bhindi in our regular veggie diet. I normally prefer simple recipe for lunch box which is:

            1.      Clean Bhindi, dry it.

            2.      Cut into small pieces.

            3.      Make TADKA with mustard, Cumin seeds, finely chopped garlic and green pepper.

For dinner and especially if you have guests then stuffed Bhindi Masala is quiet a better option. Continuing with my previous posts this too presents a similar dish with stuffing. I hope you like it as it is ready within reasonable time. 

Bharli- Bhindi, Stuffed lady finger
Ingredients	1.     Fresh Bhindi of average size  (250 grams)
	2.     1 small sliced and roasted onion
	3.     Grated dry coconut (grated)- approximately 1 small bowl
	4.     Powdered roasted peanuts approximately 1/2 small bowl
	5.     Roasted sesame seeds (Til) 1 tea spoon
	6.     fresh curry leaves approximately 7-8
	7.     Garlic buds (7-8)
	8.     Ginger (Adrak)- 1 small piece
	9.   Garam masala- 2 tea spoon, Red pepper powder- 2 tea spoons, Haldi- 1 tea spoon and salt to taste.
Cooking time	15-20 minutes
Steps	1.	Clean and dry the bhindi. Give one cut (length-wise).
	2.	Grind roasted onion, roasted coconut, roasted powdered peanuts with all ingredients to a fine paste.
	3.	Stuff the grinded “masala” inside all the bhindi  .
	4.	Pour oil to a pan. After “Tadka”, shallow fry stuffed bhindi (lady fingers)  by covering the pan with lead. Let the bhindi be sufficiently steamed and cooked.
	5.	Garnish with fresh cut coriander leaves before serving.