Rice noodles - with an Italian twist

My 3 year old loves noodles. Just like his mom. Both of us can eat noodles 365 days. I love maggi but I dont trust it enough to give it to my son. So we have south Indian maggi - akki shavige / rice noodles. :) I've managed to convince him that this is the real maggi! :p

I know it won't be long before he figures that akki shavige and maggi are not the same thing...but till then, this is what he's going to get every time he asks for maggi.
A local brands of roasted akki shavige (anil) is what I use. They also have a ragi shavige which is a regular in my kid's snack box. And its so versatile. ..it goes with any flavor, seasoning or gravy. And takes 3-5 minutes to make.

Today the wanted to eat pasta (yea he's born to foodie parents!) And we'd run out of pasta at home. So akki shavige came to the rescue.  And one more trick..I boiled it in milk instead of water so he had his share of milk as well! You've got to be clever with kids.

1 cup milk
Salt to taste
Chilli flakes
Any veggies that you may want to add (I didn't add any)
A pinch of garam masala
Any herbs that you might want to add
1.5 cups roasted akki shavige
A blob of butter

Put milk in a pan, add salt and and other ingredients and allow to come to a boil. Then add the rice noodles and allow it to simmer. After a minute , turn off the stove, add butter and cover with a lid. Let it rest for a few minutes befor serving.

My son enjoys spicy food. You can omit the chilli flakes and garam masala if you wish.

Note that the liquid should just cover the noodles so that you get separate strings. If theres too much water, it'll just be sticky and will look like one large ball of something.  Not noodles, for sure.

You can add shredded spinach and corn or peas or geated carrot to this right in the beginning. 

My son loved the twist and wasnt sure if he was eating pasta or noodles! :) served the purpose for me!

What do your kids enjoy eating?

Sabudana Khichadi

Sabudana = Sago (Eng) = sabakki / seeme akki (Kan)

The Sabudana Khichadi is a typical Maharashtrian dish prepared either for breakfast or evening snacks. Considering that my family has a very strong Maharashtrian influence anf also that I've lived in Mumbai for most of my life, i've been feasting on this ever since I remember. It takes some planning and preparation but otherwise, it's a simple and easy to make breakfast.

Ingredients

• 2 cups of Sabudana - soaked overnight / for 12 hours (would serve 3 people)
• 1 cup diced potatoes (you can leave the skin on but make sure that the potatoes have been washed very well before cutting)
• 3-4 green chillies - finely chopped
• 2 tbsb roasted and coarsely ground peanuts (roast and grind with the skin)For the seasoning - Curry leaves (whole or chopped), Jeera / cumin seeds, Finely chopped coriander 
• Oil for cooking
• Salt to taste.

Method  

Put Sabudana in a large vessel and fill with water. Just mix gently once and drain out the excess water. Leave the moistened sabudana in the vessel (covered) for 12 hours.

Heat enough cooking oil in a  deep pan. Add jeera and finely chopped green chillies. Once the chillies are done with spluttering, add the curry leaves. Put in the diced potatoes and allow them to cook well. Then, add the sabudana into the pan and mix well. Close the pan and allow it to cook till the sabudana becomes transluscent. Ensure that the sabudana is not sticky or it'll make the khichadi rubbery. Once cooked, add the peanut powder (roasted and coarsely ground) and mix well. Allow to cook for one or 2 mins more.

Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve hot. One of my favourite accompaniments for this khichadi is curd with sugar!