Sabbakki uppittu / Sabudana upma/ Sago Kichadi

Whenever I find something new and interesting to make, I end up googling for the same recipe and check for the consistency in the recipe among different bloggers... what were their experiences, their tips and tricks, and then make my own “kichadi” of those recipes picking bits and pieces I think might work for me(read - easy for me :) ). But then I don’t write it down immediately, I forget, and then beat myself up for not taking notes in time. This sabbakki kichadi recipe is thankfully consistent through many blogs. So I don’t have to worry about which one I followed or what changes I made.

Sabbakki has got to be one of the cutest foods out there... those pearly texture makes it irresistible, at least visually :)

My daughter was so drawn to it that she kept on pestering me to give it to taste even before it was cooked.. "those ball things” as she calls them. 

Apart from soaking time, everything else could be made in a jiffy. So, if you soak sabbakki overnight, then this kichadi is great for quick morning breakfasts. My little one didn’t like the taste of it though, because she thought it was chewy!! God! so many preferences!! 

Turnip Curry

I always cribbed about my inability to make North Indian curries just like North Indians do. Whenever I made any North Indian dish, it tasted more like a mix of North and South Indian cuisine. But that changed with this curry :)

I have to confess, I’d never seen turnip before in my life. My cousin introduced me to this vegetable. She had made palya with it. I was googling for newer ways of using it, when I found this one interesting recipe.

For some reason, instead of using methi seeds, I used saunf in the curry. And there it was, a pukka(this word is actually in English dictionary!) North Indian curry.. I had achieved it! The secret unraveled itself in front of me.... 

“We don't make mistakes, we just have happy accidents” - Bob Ross :)

Mango Ice Cream

One thing that I miss about Indian Summers is “The King of fruits”, Mangoes!!! The smell, the taste, the color, the texture - is there anything wrong about this fruit?

I badly miss mangoes here! The fruit that is available here in Indian stores is just not the same. May be I’m not going to the right stores, I don’t know... 

There are mango trees everywhere in my native place. Eating them was the highlight of our summer vacations. During summer, anything and everything is made from mangoes over there. Mango payasa(kheer), mango panaka(juice), mango in sambar, mango payasa with dosa, mango chutney... the list just goes on.

Somewhere in my childhood, my mom learnt to make mango ice cream, and ever since it has been a regular in my house every summer! My brother and I would finish the whole batch in just one go. 

I had a big can of mango pulp in my pantry for a while. I had brought it to recreate my mom’s mango Ice cream, but somehow never got to it. Now since Father’s day was  coming up, I thought why not make my little one help me make this. She was instantly ready to help(no surprises there!).

Little Miss Grown-up didn’t want me to help her with anything! All the while my heart was in my mouth watching her handle all delicate glasswares! Nevertheless, it was fun having her in the kitchen.  Moreover, she did handle everything carefully and properly.

This ice cream is not as creamy as the store bought ones. The texture is little granular. You need to put it in the mixer many number of times to get a creamy texture. I did it only couple of times and was okay with the texture. My friend suggested to add heavy cream. I need to try it sometime. 

Ade Dose/Adai

Ade Dose is a highly nutritious, protein rich dose. It has four kinds of dals in it. It is also a very good way of giving protein to your child. A great dish for their lunch box too.

This dose/dosa is very familiar in Bangalore, but unheard of in Kota region. So even though I grew up in Bangalore, I never heard about this dose until I came to US.

My cousin Chethana and a friend of mine had given this recipe to me long back. But somehow when I tried it, I found the taste of dals very overpowering and never really bothered to try it again. After I had my daughter, I was on a lookout for new ways of feeding her dal. I tried this dosa again, but she didn’t like it much either. So, I had basically given up on this dosa until my friend Prathibha served this to me at her house. The taste of it simply blew me away!! It was mind blowing-ly delicious! More importantly, my daughter liked it and asked for more! I asked Prathibha for the proportions, and to my surprise it was the same I had tried before. Then she gave me a secret - that the batter should be very coarse! 

I took her advice and voila! I too started making yummy dosa!! Coarse batter makes the dosa very crunchy. Crunchiness subdues the taste of the dal. 

You can add spices to this batter and eat it without any accompaniments. But it is not necessary. You can skip spices and eat it with chutney or chutney powder. My daughter likes to eat it with sugar. 
For her lunch box, I spread some ghee and then sprinkle some sugar and then roll it like a burritto. 

This is a great, healthy, nutritional lunch box recipe. 

Mixed Vegetable Kootu

Tomorrow is Mother’s day! What does or should this mean to a mother? neglecting oneself and being neglected by others whole year and then being celebrated for just one day for being just that? I mean why wait for one day, let everyday be mothers’s day, right? :) Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against celebrating Mother’s day. I like being appreciated and if a day is set aside for that, I’ll gladly accept the honor :) 

But, I’m talking about the way mothers neglect themselves so much more than needed. I am not even blaming them, I blame the society which puts sacrifices that comes with the motherhood on a pedestal and glorifies it to such an extent that mother’s feel guilty to do anything for themselves!

I think the biggest lesson I can teach my daughter is to learn to value her time, her health and her body, herself.. and I can only teach her that by being an example. I don’t want her to grow up seeing a mom who puts everyone else’s needs before hers all the time... 

If my daughter wants something from my plate, I give her a little and then tell her that it’s mommy’s share and then I eat it guilt free :)... If I have to read something, or browse something I tell her clearly that it’s mommy’s time and she should not disturb.. not that she listens, but still I am showing her that my time and my needs are also important... whenever I am taking a meal, if she interrupts, I tell her that she has to wait till amma finishes her food.. because food, tea/coffee is something I want to savor every bite/sip uninterrupted :) 

So, enjoy yourself, enjoy motherhood, learn to trust your husband to take care of your child(this part is difficult, I know:) ) and take a break, buy nice things for yourself, pamper yourself before mother’s day, on mother’s day, and after mother’s day :) 

Happy Mothers Day everyone!  

Coming to the recipe, this Kootu has got to be one of the easiest things to cook.. It is soo tasty that it’s hard to believe that it’s so healthy and easy.. you just need to put all the ingredients in a cooker and let it whistle - as simple as that!

AvarekaaLu Saaru/Surti Lilva Rasam

What is better than your Brother-in-law visiting? - having a BIL who loves to cook! what is better than having a BIL who loves to cook? - a BIL who drags your husband into the kitchen for helping and gives you a day off.. :)

My BIL, Praveen, is a wonderful cook and is an avid learner of South Canara cooking. He follows recipes authentically and what’s more, gives exact proportions of the ingredients; unlike my mother whose proportions are always half palmful, quarter palmful, small tamarind ball, one closed fist.... which I never get right most of the time :)

He cooked avareKaalu Saaru when he visited us last winter. It was so mouthwateringly delicious. And it so happened that, that day god blessed us with perfect weather - rainy and cloudy - to savor this rasam!

This spicy, garlicky rasam is a treat for any day.

Veg Noodles(Malaysian Veg Noodles)

I am a sucker for noodles. Especially Indo-chinese versions. It is a delight to eat hot spicy noodles on cold rainy days. My daughter loves them too(somehow, all kids do). So much so that she doesn’t mind eating vegetables in them!! I couldn’t believe my ears when she said “I love vegetables” while eating them! Which mother wouldn’t like to hear those words, right?!  how I wish all dishes were this kid friendly... 

It is called Malaysian Veg Noodles. I don't know what makes it Malaysian..