Chicken tikka masala (CTM) is a mild Indian curry dish of bite-sized chicken chunks (tikka) marinated and cooked in a tandoor oven, then added to a spicy sauce (masala). This is one dish I must order whenever I dine in an Indian restaurant. It has such a perfect blend of spices and flavour that goes well with either naans or rice.

After reading more about this dish, I was quite surprised to learn that it was not exactly an authentic Indian cuisine. Both the Indians and the Brits lay claims on it. But, till now, its origin is still in dispute. More detailed explanations can be read at these links: The Sun and Menu Magazine.

Regardless of its origin, CTM has become so popular in the UK that the former Foreign Secretary Robin Cook proclaimed CTM as “British’s true national dish” in 2001. Now, it is served in restaurants all over the world.

Being a noob in Indian cooking, I didn’t have the guts to make CTM even though I had bookmarked the recipe for almost a year. Am I a coward? Well, maybe. Last month, I picked up the courage and did it!! Not once but several times! Proud and satisfied.

To start, I marinated the chicken chunks overnight. On the next day, I cooked them and made the sauce. Easy and fun, I must say. I followed largely the recipe from Annabel Karmel’s “Kids Can Cook” cookbook. Along the way, I had also modified certain steps and improvised some ingredients. This recipe is kid-friendly and not spicy at all. Though the ingredients seem a lot, they are readily available in the supermarket. They lend a distinctive flavour to the dish and also make my kitchen smell so fragrant and aromatic during cooking! This recipe will give you plenty of sauce. So, feel free to add some greens such as cauliflower, eggplants and lady fingers to make it more nutritious, and served with rice, chappati or naan to complete the meal.

I don’t know how much my CTM version would fare against those served in Indian restaurants. But, it really made my day seeing how my hubby and son polished up the leftover sauce. If you have never tried CTM or Indian food before, this dish is probably a great introduction to the world of spices.

>> Get the recipe and step by step photos for CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA at PAGE 2 BELOW.

Did you notice some recent changes in my blog layout? I had changed my logo and hope you will like it. Recently, my site had been featured by several media as follows:

1. The New Age Parents (online magazine) Apr/ May 2012 Issue
2. Essential Parenting (a website by the Family Education Department, Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports, Singapore) March 2012>
3. Young Parents Magazine (a Singapore parenting magazine) May 2012 Issue – In their article titled “10 STEPS TO A HAPPY BELLY”, 10 websites and blogs by mums around the world were mentioned. Food For Tots is one of them!! Click on the image for a larger view.

Beside apples, oranges are the most common imported fruit that my mom usually used to buy for the family when I was a child. But, I disliked oranges then, as more often than not they weren’t sweet but rather sour. I thought I was the only one who had this bias against oranges until I discovered that my hubby also disliked oranges. Maybe, we might also have influenced our son who also didn’t show much interest eating this fruit. So much for parental influence! But, we knew that it’s a good source of vitamin C and need to change our mindset on oranges.

Luckily, I came to know an honest fruit seller at the nearby wet market. He would tell me if the oranges he was selling are sweet or otherwise. Not surprising, freshly cut orange has since become our number one choice as a thirst quencher. Our son, with parental influence and encouragement, has also learned to accept oranges as well. He can eat a few thinly sliced oranges without fuss, which is really a great improvement for him.

Now, getting back to this Middle Eastern inspired pilaf which I bookmarked from my son’s bi-monthly school magazine, I was intrigued by the use of orange zest and orange juice that give the dish a taste of “sunshine”. Infused with the scent of orange, the rice itself is so aromatic and flavourful. The black and golden raisins, as well as almond flakes used in the dish greatly compliment the basmathi rice. We love basmathi rice because of its fluffy and not starchy texture. All said, the combination of ingredients made the rice dish look so eye-pleasing and appetizing! Every time I cooked this orange pilaf, my husband and son would ask for an encore. In fact, I cooked it a couple of times during the recent June school holidays. My son enjoyed this rice dish so much that he didn’t mind to have it for lunch and dinner.

The recipe that you find in page 2 was modified to cater to my family’s taste buds. I substituted ground cinnamon with cinnamon stick, as well as reduced the quantity of cloves and cardamom pods used. I also didn’t crack the cardamom pods. By doing so, the smell and taste of these spices were not too overpowering and more kid-friendly. The addition of chicken meat and green peas made it a perfect one-dish meal for the family too. It can also be packed well into lunch boxes so your kids can have a delicious and healthy meal at school.

>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for orange pilaf recipe ……………

My son was playfully nicknamed “Chapati” (Chapathi) by my Indian friend, Mrs R because of his chubby face. Hearing her constantly calling out for my son’s “nickname” has led me wanting to learn how to make chappati from her. After some discussions, she suggested teaching me her kid-friendly paratha instead.

So, you may ask what’s the difference between chappati and paratha. A check on Wikipedia revealed that chapati is a plain flatbread like Mexican tortilla, whereas paratha is a stuffed flatbread.

However, do not expect the paratha recipe featured here as authentic. Mrs R’s paratha is a simplified modified version created out of her 15 years of experience making her version of paratha for her family. The ingredients used in this recipe is based on Mrs R’s estimation. So you need to do some experiments when making them.

Today let me bring you to her kitchen to take a peek on how she makes her paratha. I always thought that making paratha at home would be difficult and time consuming. But after watching her making them, I realized that it is incredibly easy (and cheap) to make fresh, hot and nutritious parathas at home. All she did was mashed her cooked cauliflowers, and then kneaded it with flour before rolling them into a flat disc. According to her, this method produces paratha that has a smoother texture as compared to those original stuffed paratha without compromising the taste.

I love the way how she “sneaks” the vegetables into her parathas. It’s definitely a brilliant idea if you want your picky eaters to have some greens. The recipe is also very healthy as very little oil is used when pan-frying the paratha. Also, melted butter is used as a substitute for the greasy “ghee” commonly used in authentic paratha recipe as my Indian friend’s family members preferred the buttery taste of paratha. If you prefer a healthier choice, then you can use ghee or olive oil instead. Surprisingly, even though100% whole wheat flour (atta) is used to make the paratha, it’s texture is not hard at all, but a little bit chewy instead. As the recipe is without any Indian spices, I’m sure it will be well accepted by most toddlers. You can either eat it on its own or dip in any sauce or soup. It can even be used as a wrap like tortilla. Be creative and enjoy!

Update:
This post was featured in The Kitchn - Today’s Delicious Link (Top 4) 14 June 2010

>>> Click on PAGE 2 below for recipe and step by step photos for cauliflower paratha……………..

UPDATE:
Did you notice that Food For Tots had created a new fan page on Facebook to replace the old one? Please follow this new link if you wish to join me or reconnect with me on Facebook. Thanks for your continuing supports and hope to see you there!

I discovered moong dal (mung bean, 绿豆) through my Indian friend who introduced me to Indian cuisine some time ago. The husk of moong dal is green in colour, but the bean itself is yellow after de-husking.  It is commonly used by Chinese in making dessert (such as green bean soup and sweetened green bean paste). Amongst all the beans and lentils, split moong dal is the easiest to cook as it do not need pre-soaking or pressure cooking. It is also an excellent source of high quality protein that is easier to digest as compared to meat. Hence, the Indian ancient medical science Ayurveda recommends moong dal for children and the elderly.

This recipe is my own concoction. Although I uses very little mild Indian spices and herbs in this recipe, you are free to adjust the amount to suit your toddlers’ liking. It requires very minimum time and effort to create this dish. As this is a very versatile dish, you can easily recreate this recipe using any kind of lentils or beans such as green lentil, yellow lentil, red lentil, cow pea, chick peas etc. It is also a wonderful dish which you can hide include in your kid’s diet  a variety of vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, brinjals, beans, cabbage, raddish etc. Or, if you have to clear your leftover vegetables in the kitchen, this dish can be your solution. You can choose to make this curry either thick or thin, depending on whether you want to serve it with rice or chappati.

Despite its name, this dish is not spicy at all. Cooked with a variety of herbs and spices, the moong dal is infused with delicious flavour. The cooked pumpkin and tomatoes give it a velvety texture as well as enhancing its taste.

I love to cook this super-fast dish now and then as my son never seems to get tired of eating it over and over again. 

It’s good to start exposing your toddlers to cuisines from different culture so as to widen their choice of food  and they can grow up to be cultural rich.

Healthy food doesn’t need to be expensive. If you are looking for a quick and easy, healthy, hearty, meatless yet tasty meal without having to burn a hole in your pocket, this dish is just perfect for you.

Other reading reference: Click here

>>>>>>> Click on PAGE 2 BELOW for lentil and vegetable curry recipe and step-by-step photos…………

My Legume Love Affair is created by Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook. This month, MLLA 22nd addition is hosted by Sowjanya of Ruchikacooks. You can participate by submitting an entry before 30 April 2010. Click here for the host line-up.

Lentils

I like to thank  Ligia Menezes, a Brazilian journalist for selecting my photo for her recent article featuring masala chai. Her article, written in Portuguese language, was published in VivaMais magazine (N1) at end May 2009 and is about how to lose weight by drinking masala chai. If you are interested to find out more about her article, you can use this Google translate tool for translation.

Ligia was kind enough to email me a soft copy of her article so that I can share it with my readers.  She even sent me a hard copy of the magazine for my record.

If you are interested to make your own chai masala, refer to this post for step-by-step guide.

< Click to view for larger version. I had highlighted my photo and website respectively with red borders for your easy indentification. >

According to Wikipedia, masala chai is a beverage from the Indian subcontinent made by brewing tea with a mixture of aromatic Indian spices and herbs. There is no universal recipe or method used for preparing masala chai. It varies among each household based on their taste and preferences.

I had my first cup of chai latte at an English coffee house many years ago. It was like “love at first sight”. The strong and intense flavour of the mixed spices had produced a warm and soothing effect to my body, making me difficult to resist a second cup. Although I didn’t have this kind of indulgence for quite some time, it has stirred up my interest when I chanced upon a masala chai recipe. When I mentioned this matter to my close friend Mrs R over a casual conversation the next day, she had immediately invited me to her house for a cup of chai! Without a second thought, I happily accepted her kind offer. On that day, she even demonstrated her own method of making chai. Here, I share with you a simple and easy recipe for making masala chai with the courtesy of Mrs R:

Ingredients:
½ cup water
½ cup fresh/ UHT milk
1 piece of fresh ginger
2 cardamoms
2 tsp Indian tea leaves
Sugar (to taste)

Note: My preferred variation: add 1 cinnamon stick (break into pieces) and use a larger piece of fresh ginger.

Methods:
1) Use a rolling pin, pound the ginger and crush the cardamoms.

2) Add water into a small pot/ saucepan and bring it to a boil.
3) Add ingredients in step(1) into the boiling water.
4) After 5 seconds, add in tea leaves.
5) Let it simmer for 1 minute. Then add in milk.

6) Before the milk starts to boil, turn off the heat.
7) Strain the tea and spice residues into a teacup and serve.

Other reading references:
- Chai! Spiced milk tea
- Culinary Teas – Masala chai
- Drink your health with chai tea

Lentil is a good source of protein but I had never seen it in the Chinese cuisine. Thus, I had decided to cook a non-spicy version of dhal for my family especially my son to try it out. With much help from an Indian friend, recipes from the internet and many personal attempts, I had finally derived at the following recipe.

Ingredients:
200g pumpkin (cut into chunks)
50g yellow lentils (moong dal)- washed and soaked for ½ an hour
1 tomato (chopped)
½ red onion (sliced thinly)

Seasonings:
1 tsp mustard seeds
½ tsp cumin powder (I prefer powder than seeds because the smell is milder)
½ tsp tumeric powder
10 curry leaves (I used 20 leaves because I love the aroma.)
Coriander leaves (coarsely chopped)
Salt to taste
Squeeze of lemon juice (about 2 tbsp)

Methods:
1) Heat 2 tbsp oil in a pan over medium fire. When hot, stir-fry mustard seeds and curry leaves until the seeds pop.
2) Add in onion and fry until translucent, then add in ground spices (cumin and tumeric powder) and stir to mix well.
3) Add in pumpkin chunks and chopped tomato. Stir-fry for 2 min.
4) Add in enough water (including water used to soak the lentils) to slightly cover the ingredients. This should be about 1 cup.
5) Cover the pan and simmer for 5 mins until the pumpkin is half-cooked.
6) Add in lentils and simmer until lentils turn mushy. It takes about 15 mins.
7) Season with salt. Add in coriander leaves and lemon juice. Cook for another 1 min and turn off the heat.

Notes:
1) The time required to cook pumpkin varies. Eg Japanese & local pumpkin takes longer time as compared to Australian pumpkin. Hence, cut the size accordingly.
2) Lentils (Moong dal) can be cooked easily. Hence, soaking is optional. Previously I used yellow split peas (tun dal) which required longer cooking time to turn mushy ie 1-2 hours.
3) For step (6), alternatively, you can boil the lentils with water in a pot until they turn into puree. Then pour all the ingredients in step (5) into the lentils puree.
4) You can add a variety of vegetables (ie eggplant, cauliflower, potato, carrot) to the dhal based on personal preference.
5) You can also add in chickpeas to substitute some amount of lentils for a variance.

Cooking this one-meal dish is not as difficult as I thought after cooking for several times. Thanks to the advices and guidance from an Indian mother whom I met in my son’s playschool and the recipes and cooking tips from here.

Below is the modified recipe I used:

Ingredients:
120g Basmati rice (long grained rice)
240g water
1 medium size onion (red, sliced thinly)
¼ cup green peas (frozen)
¼ cup french beans (chopped)
¼ cup cauliflower (chopped into tiny florets)
¼ cup carrot (chopped)
½ cup golden raisins
¼ cup halved cashew nuts

Seasonings:
2 cardamom pods
2 cloves
2 small ½ inch long cinnamon sticks
½ tsp tumeric powder
1 bay leaf
Oil for cooking (I used olive oil instead of ghee)
Salt to taste
Pinch of sugar

Methods:
1. Wash and drain rice on a kitchen towel. When it is slightly dry, heat 2 tbsp oils in a large pan and splutter cardamon, cinnamon sticks, cloves and bay leaf. Add in rice and tumeric powder and stir continuously for 2-3 mins in low heat and keep aside.
2. Heat 2 tbsp oil in the same pan and stir-fry the raisins until they turn plump or look like golden grapes and keep aside.
3. Fry the cashew nuts in the same oil until they turn into golden colour. Drain both the nuts and raisin in a kitchen towel.
4. With the remaining oil, saute all the veggies for 2-3 mins in low heat, add in salt, and stir-fry until they are well-coated with the oil and cooked slightly.
5. Remove the veggies and add more oils to the pan to fry the thinly sliced onions until they turn into golden brown. then add a pinch of sugar to the onion while frying so that it will give a taste of nice caramelised onions.
6. Remove the fried onions and drain them on kitchen tower.
7. Keep a spoonful of fried nuts, raisins and half of the fried onions for garnishing later.
8. As I used AMC cooking pot, I mixed everything together and add in water. Cook with medium high heat. When the timer showed 2 o’clock, use a fork to gently separate the rice so as not to get stickly to the bottom of the pot. Cover the lid again and continue to cook with medium heat until the timer hit 3 o’clock. Off the heat and wait until the timer moved back to 12 o’clock (so that the rice will be fully cooked)
9. Garnish with the rest of the nuts, raisins and & onion and serve.

Note: For microwave method and stove-top method, you can follow the steps from here.