BEETROOT MOONG DAL

INGREDIENTS
1 medium sized grated beetroot (grate from small sized holes)
1 cup moong dal (yellow lentils)
4 cups water
3-4 tbsp ghee or oil
1/4 tsp hing (Asafoetida)
1 tsp turmeric powder(haldi)
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 chopped onion
1 cup grated tomato
1/4 tsp kasuri meethi
salt to taste
some chopped coriander leaves for garnishing)

NOTES:
1. IF MAKING THIS DAL FOR BABY DON'T ADD ONION AND TOMATO AND OTHER SPICES, JUST GIVE SIMPLE TADKA OF GHEE WITH HING AND CUMIN SEEDS (JEERA)

2. YOU CAN ADD CHOPPED OR GRATED GINGER-GARLIC.

3. MAKE SURE TO GRATE THE BEETROOT FROM SMALLER HOLES FOR FINE TEXTURE.



METHOD
Grate one beetroot and keep aside.

Take 1 cup dal and wash it at least 5-6 times. Keep aside.


In deep pan add 4 cups water, let it boil, add salt and turmeric powder, grated beetroot and washed dal. After one boil, reduce the flame to low and cover with lid. Let it cook. It takes around 15-20 minutes for dal to cook.

By the time dal is getting cooked, let's make tadka. If you are using this dal for baby, take out 1/2 cup or desired ratio aside before adding tadka to dal.

In pan, heat ghee, add hing and jeera. Let it turn brown.

Add chopped onion, saute till it becomes golden in colour. Add grated tomato. Add coriander powder and let it cook till it start leaving oil.

Turn off the flame. Pour this tadka in cooked dal. Add some crushed kasuri meethi. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.


Pictorial:










1. Grate beetroot and keep aside.











2. Wash dal. Boil 4 cups of water for 1 cup dal in deep pot. Add grated beetroot and dal with salt and turmeric powder.

3. Bring it to boil.

4. After one boil, close the lid and let it simmer on low flame till the time dal is cooked.

5. It takes around 20-25 minutes for dal to get cook.

6. Heat oil or ghee in pan, add cumin seeds and hing.

7. Saute onions till golden in colour.

8. Tomato paste. Once it start leaving the sides of pan add in cooked dal.

9. Add tadka and top with kasuri meethi.

10. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.

RED SAUCE PASTA

INGREDIENTS
250 gm pasta
2 large or 3 medium sized tomatoes
1/2 tomato puree
3 tbsp tomato sauce
1 medium sized chopped onion
1 tsp chopped garlic or garlic paste
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp oregano
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1/2 cup grated cheese (processed or Parmesan cheese)

METHOD
Boil pasta with 1 tsp salt in it, till soft and cooked. Drain the water and keep aside.

By the time pasta is getting cooked. Boil water in pan, add 3 tomatoes and boil it on high flame till the skin of tomatoes start leaving skin. As soon as it start leaving skin immediately drain the water and let tomatoes come down to room temperature. Peel the skin of tomatoes, chop it and keep aside.

Now let's start to make red sauce. In a pan, heat some olive oil, add chopped onions and saute, add chopped garlic or garlic paste. Add chopped blanched tomatoes. Cover with lid let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add tomato puree, cook for more 2-3 minutes. Now add tomato sauce, salt, sugar and oregano. Cook till it start leaving the sides of pan. Add some water (if required). Mix well.

Add cooked pasta mix well add grated cheese and cook for more 2-3 minutes.

Garnish with cheese and serve!


Pictorial:

1. Boil pasta with some salt in till it become soft and cooked.




2. Wash under normal temperature water and keep aside.

3. By the time pasta is cooking. Boil water and blanch tomatoes by boiling it.

4. As soon as the skin start to come out keep aside to cool down.













5. Peel the skin and chop and keep aside.














6. Heat olive oil in pan.

7. Add chopped onion, saute, add garlic.

8. Let it become golden in color.

9. Add chopped blanched tomato.

10. Cover it and cook.

11. Add tomato puree. Mix well. Cook again for 5 minutes.

12. Add tomato sauce.

13. Add sugar.

14. Add salt.

15. Oregano.

16. Mix well and cook till it leave oil.

17. Add some water to give it smooth consistency (about 1/2 cup) and add pasta.

18. Finally, add grated cheese and cook for 2-3 minute. Mix well.

19. Garnish with grated cheese and serve!

BABY FOOD - HOMEMADE CEREAL

INGREDIENTS
1 tbsp Rice
1 tbsp Yellow moong dal
1 tbsp Oats 
1 tbsp Poha (beaten rice) (optional)
1 tbsp Dalia (broken wheat)








 2-3 almonds (optional)
1 tsp Ghee (clarified butter)
salt and cumin powder to taste

METHOD
Wash rice and moong dal separately or together properly. Soak rice and dal for 30minutes or 1 hour. Drain excess water and spread it on plain paper or kitchen towel, let it dry completely.  Lightly roast dalia (optional). Blend together dried rice, dalia, dried yellow moong dal, oats, almonds and poha to make a smooth powder. Use a fine sieve and sift the mix. After sieve, if you get lots of coarse mix, blend it again and sieve it. Sifting mix is completely optional as it gets cooked when boiled or cooked in water. Only thing is it takes little more time and water.



Heat 1 tsp ghee, take 1 tbsp of this powder saute for just 1 minute, add water, salt, jeera and mix. Cook till it forms medium consistency or desired consistency.

Feed your little angels.

PORRIDGE BECOME THICK AFTER GETTING COLD.

YOU CAN STORE THIS POWDER IN AIR-TIGHT CONTAINER IN DEEP FREEZER FOR 2-3 MONTHS OR IN FRIDGE FOR 1 MONTH.

ALWAYS PREFER TO MAKE FRESH MIX.

I STARTED CEREALS AT THE AGE OF 9 MONTHS BEFORE THAT I USED TO GIVE BOILED, MASHED OR PUREED VEGETABLES AND FRUITS.