Raw Mango Rice (MavinaKayi Chitranna)

This Raw Mango Rice called as ‘Mavinakayi Chitranna’ in Kannada is a variation of the usual Mango Rice recipe that I have posted here. In the latter version, all the ingredients are mixed and cooked over the stove top; where as in this version, the cooked rice is mixed along with raw mango paste and then aptly seasoned. Of course, for this version the seasoning plays a very important role and needs to be as strong as possible. This is achieved by using good asafetida, fresh curry leaves and good dried chillies.  I got this recipe from my MIL who…

Eggless Chocolate Chip Banana Pancake for kids

  This time around (yet again) over the weekend we had some overripe bananas lurking on our countertops. I usually do not throw them, but come up with means of using them. I have tried making Eggless Whole Wheat Banana Muffins, Eggless Banana Oats Chocolate Chip Muffins, Banana Halwa (Burfi), Eggless Banana Bread etc before all with good results. This time I did not have the energy to bake, yet wanted to make use of those bananas and try something which DS would enjoy.  Somewhere along I got the idea of making pancakes and decided to try these Chocolate banana…

Kids Lunch Box: Multi Lentil Vegetable Appe/ Kuzhi Paniyaram

Two of my good friends who are also moms, liked this idea of Veggie Dosa triangles that I had posted before and requested to share few more of lunch box ideas. The tricky and challenging part is not only to make a dish kid appealing but also pack in maximum nutrition in it. Also what appeals to one kid does not appeal to the other. The other two friends have shared their food ideas as well. I plan to have a post on LunchBox ideas for kids atleast once a month. I pack lunch for DS everyday in the morning.…

Rava Idli and Potato Saagu/ Bombay Saagu

  Rava Idli or Rave Idli is a variation of Idli, made with Rava/ Sooji/semolina instead of the usual rice and Urad Daal.  It is a specialty of the state of Karnataka and is usually served as a breakfast item. It has been said that the popular restaurant chain, Mavalli Tiffin Room (MTR) of Bangalore invented it. Legend has it that during World War II, when rice (a key ingredient in Idli) was in short supply, they experimented with semolina as a substitute and gave us the now-famous Rava Idli. Rava-Idli translates to semolina-idli in the Kannada language. Rava idli…

Multi-Lentil Crepes/ Lentil Dosa/ Adai

The first time I had these Adai/Lentil Dosa was at my friend Upsi’s place. Her mother had prepared it for evening snack along with Peanut Chutney and I remember tasting them and being floored. Of course, I did get the recipe from her, but not before being extolled the virtues of these special Dosas.  The batter comprises of multiple lentils and hence nutritious. Different types of dried beans can be added while making the batter. After the grinding process is done there is no need to ferment the batter. Gasp, gasp, gasp (the loudest).  Really? How come I have never…

Kids Lunch Box: Veggie Dosa Triangles

One of the challenging part of packing DS’s lunchbox is to come with some healthy and creative ideas. Now to get our 4 year old to eat, right in front of our very eyes is tricky enough then one can imagine what happens when he is provided with a lunch box and is totally out of our sight. Of course, the teachers try their best to coax him into eating, but with mischief and prancing around as his top priority, food gets neglected and takes a back seat. The other things that I have to keep in mind while packing…