Cook With Kids: Bread Pizza

This is the first recipe I am sharing that can be made easily with kids. Bread Pizzas are so versatile that you can make them interesting in so many ways. Layer them with different vegetables and loads of cheese and it becomes kids favourite instantly.

Ideal to pack for kids lunchboxes, I often send it to Little M's school. Plus its easy, quick and loaded with the goodness of veggies and cheese. What more can a mom ask for? :-)

Involve kids in making these beautiful bread pizzas on weekends and set a happy tone to a dull evening. I have already listed here the benefits of cooking with kids in the last blog post. Have you seen it?

These stove-top bread pizzas are so easy that I didn't feel the need to list out the method step by step. However I will still try to explain the process in detail.

Preparing Time: 10 min

Cooking Time: 5-7 min

Ingredients:

Bread slices

2 tbsp olive oil

2-3 tbsp tomato ketchup

1 cup blanched and chopped baby carrot, baby corn, sweet corn

1/2 cup of finely chopped onion, tomatoes

Cheese strips

See how Little M helped me make this super snack.

I asked Little M to slather tomato ketchup and olive oil on the brown bread slices and then arrange veggies that I had blanched and chopped beforehand.

His favourite part was topping his bread pizza with oodles of cheese. :-)

These bread pizzas can be made on the tawa (griddle).  After Little M finished decorating the pizza, I handed him a plate and ketchup squeezer and told him to make a ketchup smiley (a good way to work on those fine motor skills too).

Meanwhile, I heated the tawa and then put two of these colourful pizzas on top and then covered the tawa by turning a large bottomed bowl upside down on it.

I have seen my mother use this method and now I use it to roast beetroots or make stove top pizzas. Just wait for 5-6 min for the cheese to melt and your bread pizza is ready.

Note: Try and not leave the pizza bread on the heat for a long time as it can make the bread too hard. Keeping it for 5-6 min helps make the bread crispy and soft from top.

Do you like getting kids in the kitchen? What are your favourite recipes to whip up with the kids?

Tell me all. I'd love to read your thoughts.

Thanks for reading! :-)

Bandhgobi matar sabzi / Cabbage-peas stirfry

When we talk about Punjabi cuisine we end up drooling and thinking about the famed rajma chawal or butter chicken. We often forget the simple sabzi-roti combo which is eaten for lunch in most Punjabi households everyday.

Through this blog I want to share my love for all those sookhi sabzi (dry veg stir fry) recipes. So lets begin with one of my favourite bandhgobi matar sabzi. A simple stir fry of onion and tomatoes, seasoned with coriander powder, cooked in mustard oil to give it a pungent aroma. The stir fry is then steamed to let the cabbage and peas soften. It is super healthy from the way it is cooked as this sabzi is prepared on low flame throughout the process. Once again this recipe comes straight from my mother's kitchen with not even a bit of tempering from my side. It is just how my mom makes it.

Preparation time: 15 min
Cooking time: 20 min
Difficulty level: Easy

Ingredients:

2 cups cabbage, shredded or julienne

1 cup peas

1 onion, finely chopped

1 tomato, finely chopped

2 green chilies, finely chopped

3-4 tbsp mustard oil

1 tsp red chili powder

1 tsp coriander powder

salt, to taste

coriander leaves, for garnish

Method:

1) Start by heating mustard oil in wok. Let it burn a little and then turn off the gas.

2) Carefully put chopped onions. Turn on the gas and let it sizzle on low flame.

3) We don't want the onions to be brown. Add finely chopped tomatoes and green chilies when the onion turn translucent and pinkish.

4) Sauté till the tomatoes seem to have a paste-like consistency. You will notice the oil has separated from tomatoes. At this stage add in salt, red chili powder and coriander powder. Sauté.

5) Time for the shredded cabbage to go in. Stir and mix well with the tadka.

6) Add the peas. Mix well and cover and let it steam till it softens, stirring every now and then.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot phulka or chapatti and some pudina chutney or a bowl of curd.

Enjoy this yummy sabzi fresh off the kadhai or wok as a lunch or pack it for office.

You may even make a paratha roll by using bandhgobi matar sabzi as a stuffing into parathas and pack it for kids school lunch box.

What do you think about this bandhgobi matar sabzi?

How do you make your cabbage?

Write your thoughts in the comment section below!

I would love to read what you think!

Thanks for reading! :-)

Pancakes

Now show me someone who doesn't love a warm, mildly sweet and fluffy pancake! Don't we all love pancakes and especially those of us who have a sweet tooth? :-)

This is an American version of pancake, a round and fluffy cake made instantly on a non-stick griddle by spreading a batter made with eggs, flour, sugar, and some raising agent. The British crepe is a slightly thinner version of pancakes.

In India we make pancakes that aren't sweet such as the South India Dosa and Uttapam, the Punjabi besan ka puda. The sweet varieties are malpua and meetha puda. The sweet pancakes in India are mostly sweetened by gud or jaggery whereas the salty or spicy pancakes are made from either rice flour or chickpea flour.

At times when I am running late or not in a mood to chop veggies, these pancakes come to my rescue and wiped off by husband and Little M within minutes. These pancakes are mildly sweet and can be put on the table within 15 minutes. These are excellent to pack for the school or office and the batter can be made the night before and stored in the fridge for finishing up the early morning dabba packing in under 5 minutes.

You can also add fruits like blueberries, bananas by chopping or mashing it into the batter. Many varieties are available on the internet. This recipe that I share here is inspired by this one with a few tweaks here and there.

What more can a mom ask for on a lazy Sunday morning? Sunday is the first working day for us here in the UAE when schools and offices resume after the weekend break. Weekend in the UAE means Friday and Saturday. :-)

Little M loves helping me stirring up the batter and cracking the egg. Of course we have many spills!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp vanilla essence

1 tbsp sugar

1 1/4 cup milk

1 egg, beaten

3 tbsp butter, melted (optional)

1 tbsp oil

Makes: 8 pancakes

Prepping time: 5-7 min

Cooking time: 5-7 min

Method:

1) Take a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and sugar.

2) Using a kadchi or service spoon make a well in the center.

3) Pour in the milk and then the beaten egg and melted butter. Mix until smooth. There should be no lumps.

4) Heat a lightly oiled non-stick tawa or griddle. Pour the batter on it using a round-deep kadchi or service spoon, using approx. 1/4 cup for each pancake.

5) When you start seeing tiny holes on the upper side being formed turn the pancake on the other side. Brown on both sides. Serve hot and drizzle lots of honey on them for a natural sweet taste.

The teddy-face shape below can be made easily by pouring one kadchi of the batter in the middle and then two spoons on the top on each side for the ears. Use blue berries or grapes to make eyes and surprise your kids with a cute bear-shaped pancake! :-)

The heart and flower shapes were cut out by Little M using cookie cutters! 

This is how I prepare my plate of pancakes, with fresh fruits from my fridge, accompanied by dry fruits and nuts bathed in honey!

How do you like your pancakes? 

Do you prefer making the Indian pancakes such as Dosa, besan puda or malpua? If yes, the please do share your recipe with me in the comments section!

Do share your thoughts with me on this simple breakfast made yummy in a jiffy. I would love to read what you think. :-)

Thank you so much for reading!