Pudhina Chutney

This is my version of the traditional south indian style pudhina(mint) chutney. Pudhina is a part of our herb garden. We are big fans of pudhina at our house.(One of Chula's very early words, after 'amma' was 'podhana' :) ) So I try to incorporate pudhina in to lots of my dishes.

What is different?
I use coconut sparingly in all my cooking. Couple of reasons - because it is not very healthy and the dish spoils very soon if made with coconut.

Instead I use roasted channa daal and few almonds to provide the creamy consistency and to compliment the taste of pudhina.

Ingredients
Pudhina - 1 bunch
Corriander Seeds - 1 tbsp
Urad Daal - 1tbsp
Dry Red Chilli - 2 nos.
Roasted Channa Daal - 2 tbsp
Almonds - 5 nos.
Tamarind Paste - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Directions:

1. Clean and wash pudhina.


2. Heat oil in kadai.


3. Add corriander seeds and fry well.


4. Add urad daal.


5. When uraad daal is brown add dry red chillies.


6. When chillies are done, add asafoetida and washed pudhina.


7. Remove kadai from heat and add salt, tamrind, roasted channa daal and almond.


8. Let cool and grind well.

Shapes Upma

This is rice rava upma modified for a kidde lunch box.

Ingredients:
Idli Rava - 1 cup
Toor Daal - 1 tbsp
Jeera - 1tsp
Black Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 1 no.
Curry Leaves - 5 nos
Salt - 1 tspWater - 3 cups
Olive Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Directions:

1. Coarsley grind toor daal, jeera, black pepper.
2. Mix with idli rava.
3. Heat oil in a kadai.
4. Tamper with mustard seeds, asafoetida and curry leaves.
5. Add water and let it come to a boil.
6. Add salt to boilng water.
7. Slowly add the idli rava. Stir continuously to make sure that there are no lumps.
8. Turn the heat down and cover the kadai with a lid.
9. Let the upma cook till all the water is absorbed.
10. Now turn off the stove, remove the kadai from heat and let the upma cool.
11. Once the upma is cool enough to handle, make it in to shapes using cookie cutters.
12. Place in a steaming vessel and steam cook for 7 min. I usually place them on idli plates and steam them in a pressure cooker(without the weight).
13. I usually serve this with pudhina(mint) chutney.

Make ahead

I always have a gallon sized ziploc full of idli rava + ground (toor daal,jeera, black pepper, red chilli) + sitting in my fridge. Idli rava is the standard ones available in grocery stores.

Story behind the food

Shapes upma excites Chula so that it slows down her usual-strong-anti-reaction to food. The first time I tried this, I made some basic shapes – circle, square, triangle and a star. I was so proud of my fun dinner, I put it on a plate and offered it to Chula with a blanket statement, "I do not want to see any circle/square/triangle/star. I want it all gone". She took one bite out of all the shapes and claimed that technically the shapes do not exist any more L . So now a days I put a small plate in front of her and start with a story, ‘Once upon a time there was a little girl’ -> put down the appropriate shape and ask her to finish the piece -> ‘she had a little teddy bear’ -> Give her the teddy bear shape…so on and so forth.

Fun games

1. You can put the alphabets that form your child’s name and prompt child to spell the name and then ‘AAA-ABAAK’ the upma.
2. You can make upma in geometric shapes and make it a part of a theme. For example pick the week’s theme as shapes. Upma for day one, squre sandwiches for day two, circle parathas for day three etc.
3. Make a story out of the shapes.
   

How to make it a complete meal?

Chula has no problem with spice, so I usually serve it with mint chutney and a glass of salted buttermilk seasoned with mustard seeds and asafoetida.

For the tiffin box, pack along a container of flavored yogurt/hand full of grapes/hand full of dry roasted nuts.