From Our Readers’ Kitchens: Tasty And Nutritious Recipes You’ll Love To Try

Ragi Papris with Apricot Jam

CONTRIBUTOR: SHELLY JINDAL

Alright, here's my recent recipe, tried and tested by my 5.5-year-old kid who loves jams and wafers. To make him eat healthier, I developed a fresh fruit, no-preservative jam to serve with ragi papris.

For the papris

 Makes 10 

• 1 cup ragi flour
• 1 tbsp wheat flour
• 1 tsp semolina
• 1 tsp sesame seeds
• 3 tbsp desi ghee or groundnut oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp baking soda or Eno
• I cup water or a little less (to make the dough)
• oil (for deep frying)

METHOD

1. In a mixing bowl, sieve the three flours. Add salt, baking soda and sesame seeds to it, and mix well.
2. Rub the ghee into the flour mixture with your fingertips. Then add water and knead to get a soft dough (make sure it's not too soft).
3. Cover the dough with a wet cloth for about 15 minutes.
4. Divide the dough into small balls and roll them out gently.
5. Deep-fry the papris in hot oil until golden. You can put 2 to 3 papris at a time. Make sure you reduce the flame after 1 minute. The papris will be well cooked in 7 to 8 minutes. You can store them for three weeks in an airtight container.

For the apricot jam

 Makes 1/2 cup 

• fresh apricots 8 to 10
• 100 ml water
• 2 tbsp jaggery powder or brown sugar

 METHOD 

1. Peel, pit and crush the apricots. Soak the apricots in water for about an hour.
2. Take a flat pan. Pour in the soaked apricots with water and start boiling them. Stir occasionally. Reduce flame after 4 minutes to let the fruit cook and soften.
3. Add the jaggery powder or brown sugar and keep stirring until you get a pasty consistency. Let it cool.
4. Put the apricot mixture in a blender and blend for less than a minute. Let the jam cool down. Serve it with the papris.

Sabja Choco Milkshake

CONTRIBUTOR: VINO PRIYA MURUGAN

Children don't enjoy eating as much as they enjoy drinking beverages in summer. This healthy milkshake is fun to make and very delicious. Kids of all age groups will love it!

 Makes 1 glass 

• 1 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 tbsp basil (sabja) seeds, soaked overnight
• 2 tbsp cane jaggery powder
• 1 cup milk
• 5 ice cubes

 METHOD 

1. Take a glass and put the cocoa powder, basil seeds, cane jaggery powder and milk in it. Mix well with a spoon.
2. When your child comes to you with "Can you give me something to drink?" add the ice cubes and serve!

Potato Kebab

CONTRIBUTOR: MURUGAN SENTHIL

I enjoy treating my children to homemade snacks. Here's one of our favorites.

 Makes 6 

• 3 large potatoes, boiled, peeled and mashed
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
• 4 tbsp rice flour
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 6-8 ice-cream sticks
• 1 tbsp crushed cornflakes
• 3/4 cup water
• salt, to taste
• 1 tbsp oil (for frying)

 METHOD 

1. Mix well the potatoes, chili powder, ginger-garlic paste and salt. Add 2 tablespoons of rice flour and combine well.
2. Mix the remaining rice flour and the cornflour in a bowl. Add the water and mix to make a thick batter.
3. Shape the potatoes into egg-shaped balls and flatten them to form kebabs. Insert the ice cream sticks into the kebabs. Dip the kebabs in the batter and then coat them in the crushed cornflakes.
4. Heat a nonstick pan and add the oil.
5. Place the kebabs on the pan and wait for the bottom side to turn golden brown. Flip and let the other side cook.
6. Repeat to cook both sides well. Once all the kebabs turn deep brown, remove and set aside.
7. Serve the kebabs with chutney or tomato ketchup.

Oats Jaggery Fudge

CONTRIBUTOR: ANAYARA BEGUM

My elder daughter is 6 years old and I must go the extra mile to get her to enjoy healthy food. So, I made this fudge with oats and jaggery, which she absolutely loves.

 Makes 12 

• 2 cups rolled oats roasted dry and coarsely powdered
• 1 cup jaggery powder
• 2-3 tbsp milk
• 3 tsp ghee

 METHOD 

1. Heat a pan and add the ghee. Now add the powdered oats and fry it a little.
2. Add the jaggery powder and mix well.
3. Lastly, add the milk little by little to make the mixture moist. Mix well for a few minutes.
4. Transfer the mixture to a tray and let it cool.
5. Once cooled, cut it into small pieces and serve.