Most of the mothers face trouble in feeding healthy food to the kids. Spinach and green vegetables are the most difficult nuts to crack. Here are two delicious recipes.
1. Soupy Noodles: Serves four
Component:
Tomato – 4
Lauki: Half a small bottle gourd
Carrots: 2. Small and tender
Spinach – 8 leaves (remove the stem)
onion – one
Garlic: Half round (8-10 cloves)
Clove – 2
Salt and pepper to taste.
Whole cumin seeds. (cumin) – one table spoon
Noodles*: 400 grams (instant or other)
Instruction:
• Peel the onion, garlic, bottle gourd and carrot.
• Wash the spinach thoroughly.
• Wash all other vegetables including tomatoes.
• Cut the vegetables into small pieces of about one to two inches.
• Place all the vegetables and cloves in a pressure cooker.
• Add 250 ml of water.
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker and after one whistle reduce the flame.
• Keep it for ten minutes.
• Meanwhile cook or boil the noodles as per the directions.
• In the case of instant noodles, it is only two minutes; While other noodle may take longer time and need to be drained.
• Add flavor and spice with instant noodles.
• In case of other noodles, drain the water after boiling and add salt, red chili sauce and vinegar to taste.
• Once the noodles are done, keep them aside.
• Switch off the gas, wait for the steam to go out.
• Open the lid of the pressure cooker carefully.
• In case of using a steel blender, blend the hot vegetable thoroughly; If using a mixer, grinder or plastic blender, wait until the vegetables have cooled, then blend well.
• Take a large strainer and strain these mixed vegetables.
• Use a spatula to crush and push the vegetable through the sieve.
• Take a large pan and add noodles and mixed (and strained) vegetables to that pan.
• Fry cumin seeds on a hot griddle.
• Grind these roasted seeds and make powder. (I keep them on a wheel and roll them with a rolling pin).
• Add this powder to noodle and soup mixes.
• Add salt and pepper to the soupy noodles.
• A very nutritious, low fat meal is ready for winter evenings.
This soup can be garnished with a boiled egg while serving in a bowl.
*Pasta/macaroni can be used instead of noodles.
2. Tacos for Tiffin: Two Tacos
Component:
Whole wheat flour: 100 grams
Hot water: 200 ml
Salt: a pinch
Ajwain*: a pinch
Pure butter/ghee: 1 tablespoon
for filling:
Potato – 1 boiled
Paneer – 50 grams grated
Green peas – 50 grams boiled
Fenugreek (Methi) green leaves – 2 sprigs, (washed and very finely chopped)
salt and pepper for seasoning
Oregano – a pinch
Sandwich spread – optional
Instruction:
In a broad plate/pan, add refined flour, salt, carom seeds and pure butter.
Knead a soft dough by adding lukewarm water gradually.
Make 2 balls from this dough.
Set fire to the iron girdle.
Roll the dough balls into wide circular pancakes. (one quarter plate size)
Once cooked on one side, cook these pancakes on a hot griddle by turning them one by one.
Mash together potatoes, paneer, peas and fenugreek leaves.
Add salt, pepper and oregano.
One by one spread a thin layer of sandwich spread on the pancake. (optional)
Also spread vegetable, cheese mash on pancake/taco.
Roll up the taco and use toothpicks at the ends to keep it closed.
Grill these rolled tacos in the waffle maker’s grill plate.
Serve hot with green chutney or sauce.
# Any dry cooked vegetable can be used for stuffing, like cauliflower, cabbage, carrot etc. or fried eggs can be used.
*Ajwain is also known as Carom, Carum copticum/ Trachyspermum copticum/ Trachyspermum ammi or Bishop’s weed.
Source by Charu Narang Thakur
