Oats Muffin

What better than muffins to take to school for lunch. Even better if they are healthy. This has been in my daughter's lunch box numerous times. She has eaten this as an after school snack with a cup of warm milk (with chocolate powder of course!) so many times. I just hope when she reads this post, it ignites all those memories.

 Ingredients:

- 1 cups rolled oats dry roasted and ground to powder

- 1/2 cup all purpose flour

- 2 eggs

- 1/2 cup oil

- 3 tbsp milk

- 1 tsp vanilla essence

- 1/2 cup sugar

- Raisins/Sultanas - a handful

- 1 tsp baking powder

Method:

- Mix all dry ingredients together.

- In a bowl take 2 eggs and mix in the sugar and oil.

- Beat well.

- Add in the dry ingredients little by little and mix well.

- Add in the vanilla essence and milk and give it a good mix.

- Once the mixture is in right consistency (can make ribbons) add in the sultanas.

- Preheat oven to 170 degrees Celsius and line muffin tray with wrappers.

- Fill each muffin spot halfway through.

- Sprinkle some oats on top.

- Add in chopped almonds and walnuts if you want to. I did not on this one as it was for your school (hence nut free).

- Bake for 20 mins.

- Let cool and they are ready.

Peas Pulao

Something she (my princess) has taken to school a lot of times in Hyderabad. She did not love it. But has eaten it whenever I packed it for her, good girl you see... she is not particularly fond of rice in her lunch box and I used to pack this occasionally.

Ingredients: 

- Leftover rice - 1 bowl

- Cashews - 4-5

- Frozen Peas - 1/2 cup

- Jeera - 1 tsp

- Salt - 1/2 tsp

- Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

- Oil - 2 tbsp

- Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

- Heat oil in a wok

- Add in cumin

- When splutters add in cashews and fry till golden brown

- Add peas and fry till cooked

- Add rice, Salt, ghee and pepper. Mix well. 

Bengali Mutton Curry / Picnic Mutton

This pic above is from a parar (suburb's) picnic in Kharagpur which me and my daughter attended. We were there in Jan 2021 when hubs had just travelled to Sydney for the first time. Don't know if she remembers the taste. I have cooked Mutton curry at home a lot of times but it misses the taste of wood which is used to light up to cook this at picnics around West Bengal.

Ingredients:

- Mutton - 1 kg

- Chopped Onion - 2 big ones

- Cinnamon - 1 stick about index finger long broken into small pieces

- Cumin - 1/2 tsp

- Cardamom - 2-3

- Cloves - 2-3

- Mustard Oil - 1/2 cup

- Potatoes - 2 each cut into 4 pieces

For Marinade:

- Mustard oil - 1/2 cup

- Tomato Puree - 1 cup

- Ginger - 2 tbsp

- Garlic - 1 tbsp

- Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

- Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

- Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

- Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Method:

- Marinade the mutton with the items and leave overnight or at least 5 hours.

- Heat mustard oil in an iron work.

- Put in the potatoes. Add salt and fry till golden. Keep aside.

- To the same oil add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin.

- Add onions and fry till brown.

- Add the marinated mutton and fry till it leaves oil.

- Keep frying for 20-30 mins more once it starts leaving oil.

- At this point transfer the mutton into a pressure cooker and add potatoes and seal it.

- Cook for 4-5 whistles on medium flame. Leave it for 30 mins and open the cooker lid after that.

- Serve piping hot with rice.

Cheese Sandwich

On her birthday here is a simple cheese sandwich recipe that she loves. Happy birthday to the 9 year old big girl!! This birthday was the one we spent in isolation. The pandemic is not over yet.

We have postponed your bday party to the next Saturday. 

Ingredients:

- Whole-wheat Bread - 2 slices (cut off the sides)

- Cheese slice -1 

- Butter - little

Method:

- Apply butter on the breads.

- Put the cheese slice in between.

- Toast on the sandwich maker or the iron pan

And ready to eat with your choice of fruits and berries. :D

 

Chicken Lollipop

These chicken lollipops I had cooked for her during lockdown in 2020. We were in Hyderabad in our apartment. She was 7 years old and was bored of having the same rice and roti everyday. One fine day came your request "Can you cook something special?" Off I went to youtube to search for a recipe.

We ordered chicken wings lollipop cut from the Licious. They were a brand that delivers non veg items to our house in Hyderabad. It used to be a mobile app. 

As soon as it was delivered, I washed it and marinated it with below spices.

 

Ingredients:

- Chicken Wings Lollipop Cut - 10 pieces

- Minced Garlic- 1 tsp

- Soy Sauce - 1 tsp

- Bbq Sauce - 3 tbsp

- sesame seeds - 1 tbsp

- sesame Oil - 1 tbsp

Marinate the chicken and leave for at least 2 hours.

Method:

- Heat up the oven to 200 degrees celcius.

- Place the marinated chicken in for 20 mins.

- Serve hot.

She enjoyed the meal with a side of vegetable sandwich, salad and ketchup!

Purpose of the blog

Going forward this blog is going to be for my darling daughter. So that when she grows up she has all the recipes for food she ate while growing up.

Also, about the places where we had so much fun!! When I am writing this your age is 8 years. Too young! Though you behave all grown up already.

I am sure you have grown up to be a very fine woman - a confident and independent one! I love you Beta, always keep that in mind. These entries in the blog will always be there for you whether I am around or not. We create memories everyday on the dinner table. These are the food you have eaten while growing up. I am sure when you grow up you will be able to find a bit of me in the taste of the food you cook following these recipes.

Love you the most forever!