And a very special post today from a very special guest – my only younger daughter! Kanch was always curious about what went on in the kitchen – not from a culinary sense, but more from a purely gustatory curiosity – “WHAT’S FOR LUNCH TODAY? was a question that loomed large in her life! Her athletic career and her penchant for fitness make her adapt everything to healthier options!
Over to Kanch:
“I was about 4 years old, and took it into my head to ‘make up a recipe’ all by myself (anyone who has had any experience at all with 4 year olds can see where this is headed).
So, I determinedly march into the kitchen and grab bread, curd and Gems (no, it really did make sense to my semi-formed 4 year old brain), assemble them together and ta-da! I’m ready with my very own creation that I proffer to the unsuspecting members of my family. Arch and Appa take one look at the plate I eagerly hold out and very quickly make their excuses (and who could blame them!). My mother, however, is cut from a different cloth. An altogether kinder cloth; the kind that doesn’t let her refuse her rather pesky 4 year old’s humble offerings. This is just another reason why I’m not hung on becoming a parent; having to taste the rather disastrous cooking experiments of a runt AND pretending to like it? Uhh, no thanks!
(pic courtesy: internet)
Anyway, cut to several years and several such ‘experiments’ later, and I’ve actually turned out to be a pretty decent cook. (I stay away from Gems now).
Here’s one of my more successful recipes:
Homemade frankies
For the cutlet:
I like using a mix of vegetables that are NOT potato (this is a good way to get a whole bunch of veggies into your diet)
So I use
Beetroot
Carrot
Beans
Paneer – grated – and don’t boil it!
Cauliflower
Use any/all of the above, depending on your personal preferences, and on what’s your fridge! Boil about 2 cups of these and mash them along with minced green chili (1), minced ginger (1/2 tsp), chopped fresh coriander and mint – (1 tbsp each), chili powder – (½ tsp), a squeeze of lemon and salt.
A little boiled mashed potato to act as a binding agent.
For the salad:
Fresh chopped or grated cucumber, radish and onion tossed in vinegar and salt and chat masala.
Again, use any/all of the above.
For the wraps:
Chappatti
Topping: – Grated cheese – optional
Recipe:
Assemble!