7 Indian recipes that engage the inner child in you
Cooking is indeed a pleasure to most of us. Moreover, now that we are confined to home and don’t travel a lot, we spend it fruitfully in cooking a variety of dishes. When we delight others through our well-prepared food, our joy knows no bounds. Well, have you ever thought of some foods that delight the inner child in you and make you think cooking as an easy process (besides preparing that frightening bisibelabath or vegetable rice or milagu kuzhambu or Neer Dosa or paruppu usili or Gobi Manchuri or chicken momo or soan papdi or paruppu sambhar)? Here we go! If you have some to add, you are welcome.
Bhel Puri
Well, nobody can deny the childish pleasure when preparing ingredients for Bhel Puri. It is such an easy recipe that kids can also do it in a jiffy. Buy some puffed rice and add onion, carrot, coriander leaves and aloo Bhujia from a nearby supermarket. Add some vatha kuzhambu or pudhina chutney you prepared in the morning. And here you go! Your evening snack is ready!
Bread Upma
Bread upma! Don’t be frightened by the term “upma” here. All you have to do is just cut the fresh bread slices into small cubes. Then add ½ tsp mustard and ½ tsp urad dhal and wait until it turns golden (this is the mistake we all do sometimes; we divert our attention while tempering that we fry it too much). Roast the bread till it becomes crispy. It is only optional to add onions, tomatoes, cashews, etc. It will be still tasty!
Noodles
No wonder noodles has gained a special place in the hearts of children due to its simplicity in preparation. Though it has also got its share of criticism for being high in fat and sodium, it is much loved by people for its convenience factor, especially instant noodles. Watch the joy in a child’s face (or the adult’s face!) when doing it instantly and eating it! How can one deny such a yummy thing? But here I give you a difficult option and not make noodles so easy. After all, the health factor is also important, right! Just add some vegetables to it and make it healthy, instead of eating only the instant noodles along with the masala provided for it.
Chilli Paratha
Ha ha! Don’t scold me when I say that you have to use yesterday’s leftover chappathi for preparing this dish. Yes, this also requires preparation, but for the present day, it is not much of inconvenience. I remember my mom just using the leftovers of chapathi by cutting them into diamond shapes and getting the help of the ever-helpful onions and tomatoes along with the routine chilli powder and green chillies. Wow! Such a delightful dish!
Rasam
Rasam is one my favorite dishes. Actually, certain people are so fond of it that they even treat it as a soup. The key lies in adding pepper and cumin seeds to the usual rasam. You can also add tomato if you wish. When you are not keeping well, people recommend having rasam rice mainly due to its immunity-boosting capacity. In fact, rasam along with tamarind and garlic is said to be highly healthy. So give a big credit to rasam which tempts us to have it more and more again without being detrimental to our health.
Fruit custard
Wah re vah! The sheer imagination of tasting mixed fruits with yummy creamy custard makes my mouth water! And yes, it is a very simple recipe that pampers the inner child in me. You just have to purchase a readymade good-quality vanilla custard powder and seasonal fruits. Use milk and sugar accordingly. The key lies in avoiding lump formation while stirring the milk. .
Lemon rice
Well, I needn’t stress on the beauty of this lemon rice. You just have to squeeze lemon juice in rice and temper it with mustard seeds, urad dhal, green chilli and turmeric powder. And your instant lemon rice is ready! This dish is preferred by me so much that when I have cold and advised not to eat lemon, I give a frown!
I gain pleasure in cooking from the heart. Whether it is difficult or easy, the passion and dedication you attach to cooking tell stories about your love for cooking. It can be both a childish pleasure and the joy of a grown-up. Enjoy cooking!
Now I am hungry! Haha