Methi Murg Tangdi Kebab

It’s the last weekend before school re-opens (Yay!) and I decided to treat Nabeel with his favourite food – Chicken. It’s Ramzaan too so I narrowed down on an Indian recipe this time which would double up as our iftar treat 🙂
On an average, Non-Indian recipes (read baking recipes) out number Indian recipes on my blog, why? Because, I usually am bored cooking up the everyday (& boring) dal, chawal subzi, that’s why the blog recipes are an exclusive affair to keep the interest alive. Therefore, today’s recipe is a sumptuous Indian Grill – Methi Murg Tangdi Kebab.

Before moving onto the recipe here is a bit about why this title. Honestly, this is the very first time I struggled to name my dish. I like my recipe titles to be very clear and straightforward, so that even before you get to the recipe you get a fair idea of what it’s going to be just by reading the title. Methi Murg was incorrect because that name is commonly used for a gravy based dish…so misleading. Since it’s a grill I wanted to use the word kebab, but technically kebabs are made of minced meat and this one is not. I had to fit in the word “tangdi” (chicken drumsticks / leg) any how along with kebab and this is the best I could come up with. I personally find the title a bit too long and if you too, then please bear with me.

Sorry, let’s get back to the recipe.

I made the most of the sun these last few days by drying leafy vegetables in order to preserve them for a longer duration. I dried Methi / Fenugreek, Mint / Phudina and Lemon Grass, it’s so simple to do so; the flavours also intensify giving the dish a very good aroma and taste. Plus, it is very easy to store as the bunch of fresh leaves reduces to 1/4th (or even less) of its original size.
I used part of the dried methi to make khakhras, a snack the family loves. And then, some of it to make this grill.
I have shared a short note on how to dry methi leaves at home. I urge you to do so. But, if you are not in the mood to do so use the readily available “kasuri methi” for the dish.

How to dry fresh methi / fenugreek leaves at home?
1. Separate out the leaves from the stalks and spread them out on a big steel or glass plate.
2. Keep the leaves to dry out in the sun till they wilt. Direct drying in sunlight will take about 6 hrs.
3. Alternatively, dry roast the leaves in the oven at a low temperature of 50C for an hour or so.

Yes, finally coming to the recipe.

Methi Murg Tangdi Kebab is quite simple using few ingredients and requiring even less amount of your time to prepare it. Long hours of marination is the trick here. The succulent chicken legs have a dominating flavour of methi complimented by creamy texture lent by cream and yoghurt. You could even try replacing methi with dried phudina. I grilled few of the drumsticks on the gas stove and tried grilling a few in the oven. The oven ones cook better but lack the look. Choose whichever cooking method suit you. However, a real Tandoor is anyday the best choice 😉

I have compiled the step by step pictures into a video to create an interesting way of browsing through the recipe. Let me know how you like it and if you prefer to see recipes in this format, henceforth.

 

Methi Murg – Tangdi Kebab Recipe

Ingredients

1 kg drumsticks approx 10 to 12nos
1 cup grated cheese
1 cup curd (yoghurt), whisked
½ cup cream
4 tablespoon dried methi
2 tablespoon lemon juice
Pepper powder, as per taste
Salt, as per taste
Butter for cooking

Method
Step 1 – Marinate chicken legs with lemon juice and salt. Keep aside for 30 minutes.
Step 2 – Meanwhile, mix cheese, yoghurt (curd), cream, dried methi, pepper powder and salt in a bowl.
Step 3 – Coat the chicken well with the prepared marinade.
Step 4 – Leave the chicken overnight in the fridge or for at least 6 hours for the flavours to seep in.
Step 5 – To cook the chicken legs, take a pan and sizzle butter in it. Place chicken and cook.
Step 6 – Cook the chicken legs on both sides for 10 minutes or till the meat tenderizes.

Connect with us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Facebook. Follow the blog to get recipes right in your inbox!

Till then, Love Being a Mommy!

Roasted Vegetable Pizza Sauce

Roasted Vegetable Pizza Sauce is my way of sneaking vegetables Nabeel dislikes, into his food. Pizza is something he will never say no to; this way he gets his pizza frequently now, and I am happy that he is eating what I want him to.
This sauce is a super hit in our family and I use it in many more items than just pizzas. It works well as a soup base due to the roasted flavour or as light gravy over grilled chicken. Can be used as a dip or spread for sandwiches & quesadillas.
The base (of tomatoes) remains the same; I change other vegetables depending upon what is available. The recipe I have shared uses bottle gourd / lauki, however, you can use vegetables like cauliflower, potatoes, peas, carrots, brinjals, onions or even spinach as desired. Remember, to roast the vegetables as per their individual texture.

What I like the most about this sauce is the roasted tomatoes. Tomatoes, when roasted impart classic, smoky flavour to the dish they are being used in. The mature, concentrated flavours of all the roasted vegetables together bring out a very romantic taste and feel to the sauce. Besides, the sauce is so simple to make all you have to do is throw in vegetables on a tray and pop them in an oven, and then the oven takes over. No sautéing, slow cooking, sweaty foreheads while making this sauce. It’s a breeze and the resultant flavours sweep you off your feet.
Now, let’s get to the Roasted Vegetable Pizza Sauce Recipe, shall we?

Roasted Vegetable Pizza Sauce
Makes 1.5 cups

Ingredients
5 big ripe tomatoes
1 big capsicum
6 garlic cloves, peeled (sliced or crushed)
1 medium green chilli (optional)
1 cup bottle gourd cubes
Oregano, as required
Chilli flakes, as required
Salt, as required
Oil, as required

Method

Step 1 – Cut tomatoes and capsicums into big pieces and place on a greased baking tray. Add garlic and green chilli. Sprinkle salt and oregano. Drizzle generous amounts of oil.

Step 2 – Place the tray in an oven and roast vegetables at 250 C for 25 to 30 minutes.
Step 3 – Remove tray from oven and cool.

Step 4 – Meanwhile, place bottle gourd cubes on a greased baking tray. Sprinkle salt, oregano and chilli flakes. Drizzle generous amounts of oil. Roast in an oven at 250 C for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove and cool.

Step 5 – Blend all the roasted and cooled ingredients together to a smooth sauce. You can also leave it a little chunky, if desired. Store in a container with lid and refrigerate. Can be stored in the fridge for a week or in the freezer up to a month.

Connect with us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Facebook. Follow the blog to get recipes right in your inbox!

Till then, Love Being a Mommy!

Mini Peanut Butter Cupcakes

The cupcakes are basic and light with chocolate beautifully complimenting the peanut butter flavour. 

And so, Nabeel is currently enjoying his summer break in full swing, ensuring I am on my toes 24 hours, or at least till he is awake. His constant needs to play, eat, read, and have fun sucks out all my energy and time. I am enjoying no doubt, but the everyday dilemma of “how to keep him busy? is tiring me completely. This year am adopting “no summer class” policy (hope to stick to it till the end) which means all me time will be converted to only mommy time..phew!

So, yesterday, we spent time in the kitchen baking cupcakes…something both of us thoroughly enjoy. We baked these cutsie mini cupcakes flavored with Peanut Butter and slathered with chocolate. Peanut butter gained entry into my kitchen for the first time and soon it was used in a baking recipe…something I generally do with all my new found ingredients :-).

We spent our evening snacking on these beauties while watching our 100th session (no exaggeration, really) of Kung Fu Panda.

Heading to the park now, please find this simple recipe of Mini Peanut Cupcakes, below. I adapted it from here.

Do try them with your kid..super fun and messy too 😉

Mini Peanut Butter Cupcakes
Makes 24 mini OR 12 regular sized cupcakes

Ingredients
Refined wheat flour – 1 cup
Baking powder – 1 teaspoon
Salt – a pinch
Creamy Peanut Butter – 1/2 cup
Butter – 1/3 cup
Castor Sugar – ½ cup
Eggs – 2 nos
Vanilla Essence – 2 drops
Milk – 3 tablespoons
Melted Dark Chocolate – ½ cup , for the frosting

Method
Step 1 – Sift flour, baking powder and salt together. Keep it aside.
Step 2 – In a bowl, put peanut butter, butter and sugar together using an electric beater till fluffy and white in colour.
Step 3 – Lightly mix in eggs, one by one. Add Vanilla essence.
Step 4 – Fold in the dry ingredients with a light hand.
Step 5 – Mix in milk to adjust the batter consistency.
Step 6 – Pour the cupcake batter in moulds and place in a pre-heated oven at 180 C for 25 minutes, to bake.
Step 7 – Once the cupcakes have risen, remove and cool before serving.
Step 8 – Top the cupcakes with melted dark chocolate.

Connect with us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Facebook. Follow the blog to get recipes right in your inbox!

Till then, Love Being a Mommy!

Dual Berry and Yoghurt Lollies

Lollies are the perfect summer treat for kids. Delicious, healthy, easy to make using handful of ingredients they are a great way to give kids fresh fruit and yoghurt.

Lollies are definitely better than giving readymade ice-creams to kids plus children can prepare lollies on their own making them forget the store bought ones.
I have used 2 berry flavours; Strawberry & Blueberry but any combination is possible.

Dual Berry and Yoghurt Lollies
Makes 8 lollies (as seen in image)

Ingredients
2 packs Danone Blueberry flavoured yoghurt (80gms pack)
1 pack Danone Vanilla flavoured yoghurt (80gms pack)
½ cup chopped Strawberries
1 tbsp honey (might need more in case the fruit is sour)
A pinch of salt

Method

Step 1 – Mix strawberry, salt and honey in a bowl. Lightly mash to make pulp yet retaining few fruit chunks.

Step 2 – In another bowl, empty the yoghurt packs and whisk them well.

Step 3 – Mix the strawberry pulp with the whisked yoghurt.

Step 4 – Pour the mixture into lolly / kulfi moulds and freeze overnight or for minimum 6 to 8 hours. If you don’t have moulds you can make lollies in paper or plastic cups, insert wooden candy sticks and then tear the outer covering once the lollies have frozen.

Here’s another fresh fruit summer treat for kids that you could try Real Strawberry Pops 

Connect with us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Facebook. Follow the blog to get recipes right in your inbox!

Till then, Love Being a Mommy!

Snack on Yoghurt

Snacking has become a way of life for kids these days given their rigid schedules. Kids rarely have time to savour and gain from the basic meals of the day, their 3 full meals are essentially broken down into 5 to 6 quick snacky meals out of which 2 are usually grab and go kind of meals.

For most kids’ breakfast is just a glass of milk before heading to school followed by a light Tiffin snack during a short timed break, mostly packaged and lacking good nutrition.
For the after school, after play, before activity class, TV time munching, etc kind of snack breaks kids usually enjoy quick fixes in form of semi-prepared convenience foods or chips and other packaged stuff which tastes delicious but satisfy for a short period.
Lunch and Dinner might be nutritious home cooked meals but they are consumed in small portions because of the many breaks that precede and follow them.

To sum it up, kids eat a lot during the day but does it help them in anyway? Was the consumed food nutritious along with being yummy and convenient? You may prepare the best of and the healthiest stuff for lunch and dinner but are you ensuring their other meals are nourishing, too?While a child may not ask such questions with regards to food, we as mothers need to.

Snacks can be healthy too and nothing like freshly prepared homemade snacks to munch on. However, preparing something fresh every time is not very practical and one does have to rely on food stuffs outside of the kitchen. Nuts, fruits, yoghurt, dried nuts and fruits, etc are great snack options which are very healthy and convenient, one of my past article lists all such healthy snack options that one could consider.

It is important to concentrate on the snacks kids consume during those little hunger breaks as it makes a lot of impact on their overall daily consumption.

Yoghurt as a Healthy Snack

The Indian consumer has quite a few variety of packaged yoghurt to choose from. Danone India has fruit flavoured yoghurts on offer and it recently launched a healthier version called “Greek style Yoghurt”. Danone’s Greek Style Yoghurt is one of its kinds for the Indian consumer. It has higher protein content, low fat and is much creamier. The protein is almost double and is ideal accompaniment for the carbohydrate rich Indian diet.

We were at the product launch of the same and there were some unknown insights shared by Nutritionist Naaznin Husein on yoghurt and how it can be a great snack option.

• Yoghurt has been a traditional food item and every Indian household consumes in it some form of the other for its wonderful benefits
• Yoghurt is great for your gut and helps aid digestion, something very much needed for our kids who eat so much during the day.
• Young and adults alike need to consider snacking on pre-portioned yoghurt packs as a replacement to unhealthy options like chips or fried food with empty calories.
• Yoghurt is high in proteins and helps curb hunger while keeping the calories at minimum.
• Yoghurt works wonderful as a low fat dessert, late night snack or T.V time snack.
• Yoghurt adapts well to recipes and there are many ways you can use it to create mouth-watering dishes.
• Yoghurt packs are ideal as on the go snacks and can be carried in lunch boxes.
• Yoghurt based smoothies are the ideal breakfast item for kids.

 

Chef Varun Inamdar demonstrating few recipes using Danone Yoghurt

I found one of the breakfast recipes interesting for kids, below is an image of the recipe card as shared by Danone.

Connect with us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Facebook. Follow the blog to get recipes right in your inbox!

Till then, Love Being a Mommy!

Santa Crunch – Christmas Treats

Continuing with our Popcorn mania, Nabeel and I rustled up a new Popcorn dish called Santa Crunch, keeping in mind the festive season. This one’s a colourful mix of sweet and salty ingredients which is very alluring and fun to make..maybe that’s why Nabeel christened it Funfetti 🙂

Santa Crunch Recipe

Ingredients
2 tablespoons popcorn kernels
2 tablespoon + 2 tablespoon butter
½ cup + ½ cup marshmallow bits
½ cup green and red M &M’s or Gems
Christmas sprinkles or colourful cake sprinkles

Method
Step 1 – Heat 2 tablespoon butter in a pan, add one or two corn kernels to check if the butter is hot enough and they pop instantly.

Step 2 – Once popped, remove the kernels and add in the remaining corn kernels. Mix them well with the butter. Cover the pan with a lid while the corn kernels pop.

Step 3 – After all the kernels have popped, uncover the pan and let the popcorn cool.
Step 4 – Spread the popcorn on a dish, preferably over butter paper.
Step 5 – Mix in the green and red candies and spread them evenly.

Step 6 – In a heavy bottomed pan melted 2 tablespoon of butter. Stir in ½ cup marshmallows and melt them on low heat to make a sauce.

Step 7 – Once melted, remove from flame and pour over the popcorn mix, evenly.
Step 8 – Let the marshmallow sauce cool then transfer the mix to a serving bowl. Mix in the remaining ½ cup of marshmallows and top with Christmas sprinkles.

Connect with us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Facebook. Follow the blog to get recipes right in your inbox!

Till then, Love Being a Mommy!

5 fun breakfast ideas for kids

Breakfast is an important meal of the day for both adults and kids. Kids, in particular, need to eat a wholesome breakfast to face the challenging day ahead. We all know about the cold war between food and kids and how difficult it is to get the right thing in their system; unless of course the food is presented in a very attractive manner to them or when they whip up treats on their own. Here are some fun ways kids can make their own breakfast, with little help from parents, and relish it too.

5 fun ways to involve kids in making their breakfast and eating it too!

Read through the 5 fun breakfast suggestions involving kids to bring a stop to all your kids breakfast woes.

Chocolate Pancake Pizza

1) Chocolate Pancake Pizza – Want kids to eat pancakes in a fun way? Let them convert pancakes to yummy chocolate pizzas. Kids can layer pancakes with maple syrup, sliced fruits and then grate oodles of chocolate over it before lightly baking it. The goodness of wheat pancakes, fruits and chocolate will make your child happy and ready to face the day.

Rainbow Toast  (Image credit:  www.learnplayimagine.com )

2) Rainbow Toast – I found this incredibly good looking breakfast idea on the net. With some edible rainbow food colours, the humble bread slice can be turned into something so appealing that kids will always look forward to breakfast. Mix some edible colors with milk and paint a rainbow on a bread slice, toast the slice and enjoy. For detailed procedure read here.

Flavored straws are a great way to perk up a boring glass of milk

3) Strawesome Milkshake – Have you bought flavoured straws for your kids, yet? Yummy flavoured straws from Sipahh are a wonderful way to spike up a boring glass of milk at the breakfast table. All that the child has to do is rip open the individual straw packet, dip it in milk and sip through to enjoy instant delicious milkshake. Available in 10 exciting flavours, kids get to indulge in a different milkshake every day.

4) Assembling Quesadillas – Mexican quesadillas stuffed with vegetables and kidney beans make for a wholesome breakfast that will keep the child full for hours. Let your child build his own quesadillas by laying out its ingredients in different bowls on the breakfast table. Things required are tortillas, sautéed mixed vegetables or boiled shredded meat of your choice, mashed kidney beans, grated cheese, herbs and seasonings. Once the quesadillas are layered, help the child lightly toast or grill them in a pan.

Fruit Skewers for breakfast – artistic & fulfilling

5) Fruit Shashlik – Fruits are the most ideal thing to consume for breakfast. Lay an array of fruits at the table and ask kids to arrange them in an artistic way on skewers to make Fruit Shashlik or Fruit Kabobs. Instead of diced / cubed pieces of fruits use special cutters to cut fruit and make the entire breakfast activity interesting and fulfilling. Honey or maple syrup can be drizzled on the fruit skewers for added flavour.
Do try these simple yet interesting breakfast ideas involving kids this holiday season and let me know how your kids enjoyed them. Do you have any breakfast idea involving kids? If yes, then please share in the comments below.

Connect with us on Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram & Facebook. Follow the blog to get recipes right in your inbox!

Till then, Love Being a Mommy!