Apple pancakes are great finger foods for baby lead weaning or toddlers. Pancakes are the simple snack or breakfast option that I often whip for son. I experiment quite a lot with different wholegrain flours and fruits to make nutritious pancakes for my child.Ā
The good part about these apple pancakes which makes it great for babies and toddlers is that, it doesnāt contain any leavening agents.
These pancakes are very simple to make. You can literally whip these in 15 minutes with minimal ingredients. All you need is rolled oats, apple and an egg. These pancakes do not require any milk. Moisture from apple and egg will be enough to get the right batter consistency.
If you donāt have rolled oats, you can use wholewheat flour too or any other flour of your choice. I can bet your toddler wonāt refuse this for breakfast
Recipe: makes 4 pancakes
Ingredients
Large Apple: 1
Large Egg: 1
Rolled Oats flour: 5 tbsps (simply grind rolled oats in a grinder)
Rolled Oats: 2 tbsps
Butter/Oil for cooking
Cinnamon: 1/4th tsp
Vanilla extract: 1/4th tsp
Instructions
Peel the apple and grate it in a bowl.
Crack an egg straight in a bowl or you can use a separate bowl and lightly whisk it first and then add to apple. Mix it well.
Tip in cinnamon and pure vanilla extract. Mix well.
Now add rolled oats flour and 2 tbsps rolled oats. This is optional. I like to keep a bite and texture of rolled oats in pancakes. You can grind it if you want. Mix till everything incorporates. Batter consistency is thick.
Heat a nonstick or cast iron pan to a medium heat. Brush it with some butter or oil. Pour 1 scoop or roughly 1/4th cup batter.
Cook till top sets and edges start to leave the pan. Gently flip and cook the other side till golden brown. Cook the remaining batter similarly.
How to serve pancakes?
Babies 6-9 months old: cut pancakes vertically in the size of your index finger. It is easier for babies to grasp.
Babies 9months+: You can cut the pancake to small bite size pieces.
Toddlers: Serve the same way as you would serve an adult. You can also smear pancakes with some nut butter fold them and make a little pancake sandwich.
Variations
You can swap apple with any other fruit of your choice like peach, strawberry or mango.
You can also experiment with different flours- wholewheat flour or different millet flour.
You can also substitute fruit with a vegetable like carrot or zucchini.
Temperatures are literally skyrocketing this year in India. In this unbearable heat, you just canāt ignore the craving for something cold and refreshing. What better way to kick that summer heat off than with Homemade Popsicle made with fresh fruits. They can be your perfect go-to-treat all summer long!
There is nothing better than lounging on a hot summer day with a popsicle in hand. Even though I love all those fancy pants popsicles but sometimes you just want to make something classic and fuss free. These strawberry popsicles are exactly that! They are pretty simple and straight forward: fresh strawberries, lemon juice, salt and sweetener of your choice.
Itās a perfect healthy treat for adults and kids. They are dairy free, gluten free and eggless. They are literally on repeat every summer at my house.
Letās dig in!
Recipe: makes 8 popsicles
Ingredients
Strawberries: 500 grams
Unprocessed Cane Sugar: 4 tbsps
Chia seeds: 2 tbsps (optional)
Salt: a pinch
Lemon juice: 1 tbsp
Strawberry Jam: 2 tbsps (optional, but highly recommended)
Instructions
Wash and quarter the strawberries.
In a large bowl, add all the ingredients mentioned above except chia seeds.
Mix well and let it sit for 10-15 minutes. When sugar comes in contact with strawberry, lemon juice and salt, it will melt and release its natural juice making strawberries juicer, sweeter and more intense.
Pour in popsicle molds and freeze overnight or for 6-8 hours. Leave a little space on top of the popsicle molds because when freezing they will expand slightly.
For unmolding, run tap water over the popsicle mold for few seconds. Unmold carefully.
Variation
If you’re not in the mood for strawberries but still want a sweet summertime treat, this recipe also works great with other fruits as well. You can go for summer fruits like watermelon, mango, pineapple, peaches or most other fruits make for a great popsicle filling.
Sweetener
If you donāt want to add sugar or unprocessed sugar, you can use other sweeteners like, maple syrup, honey, jaggery powder or syrup. I have tried this recipe with maple syrup and it was a huge hit too. If you are not adding strawberry jam then you might have to increase the amount of sugar. However, you can try this easy to make Strawberry Apple Preserve if you donāt want to add any store bought jam.
Karnataka style coconut dosa (Thengai dosai in Tamil) is a flavorful, yummy dosa variety. It is prepared with rice, poha and coconut as the main ingredients.
This dosa is so delicious. The texture is spongy, super soft and totally melt in mouth. Coconut adds a very refreshing taste to this dosa and takes the regular dosa to a whole new level. This is a healthy and a filling breakfast dish which takes only minutes to cook. Adding flattened rice, poha as we call it, makes it fluffier and softer than traditional dosas.
This is my childās favourite breakfast meal. The first time I made this dosa some 3 years back, my child literally gobbled 4 of these. I made extra batter to last me 2-3 days and in those 3 days all he took was coconut dosa in his school lunch box too. š Even today whenever I make this for breakfast, I see the same excitement on his face.
Traditionally, this is made without adding urad dal, but I added some to add more protein. You can skip it if you like. The softness in this dosa comes from natural fermentation. There is no need to add any leavening agents to it. Fermented dosa offers a wealth of nutritional value, thanks to the fermentation process. When the batter undergoes fermentation, all the beneficial micro-organisms convert sugar and carbohydrates from rice and dal to lactic acid. One of the significant benefits of fermentation is the increased bioavailability of nutrients. Also, the final product becomes easy to digest, making it an ideal choice for those with sensitive stomach or digestive issues.
Batter consistency is the key to the success of this recipe. It should be pouring consistency batter, neither too runny nor thick like idli batter.
Recipe:
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 3 minutes
Fermentation time: 8-10 hours
Serving: makes 10-12 dosas
Ingredients:
1 cup raw Rice
1/2 cup thin Poha/Flattened Rice
1 tbsp Methi/Fenugreek seeds
1/4th cup white split Urad dal
3/4th cup grated fresh Coconut
1 tsp Rock Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt
Table Salt to taste
Oil or Ghee to cook dosa
Instructions
Wash and soak all the ingredients mentioned above except coconut for 5 hours.
Now, drain all the water. Add grated coconut and blend the batter to a smooth consistency. Add a little water at a time. Do not make too thin or a thick batter. Make sure everything is well combined.
Transfer the batter to a large bowl. Make sure there is some room in the bowl because the batter will rise during fermentation. Add a tsp of rock salt and mix well. Cover and leave the batter for fermentation in a warm place for 8 to 9 hours.
After the fermentation the batter will become very frothy. Add salt to taste. Now you can add regular table salt. Mix it very gently till it is well combined. Do not over mix the batter.
Heat dosa tawa on a medium heat. Add a ladle full of batter. Spread slightly. Drizzle some ghee or oil around the edges and cover it with a lid for 2 to 3 minutes.
Steam the dosa till top has set and the edges have browned.
Take it out on a plate and serve it with coconut chutney or sambar.
FermentationTips
Add rock salt to the batter before fermenting. Rock salt or Himalayan pink salt helps in fermentation. Do not use table salt.
Do not skip fenugreek or methi seeds. It is the main ingredient that helps in fermentation.
Do not add water in one go. Keep adding little by little to get right batter consistency.
Mix the final batter with your hands for 2 to 3 minutes and keep it in a warm place. The warmth of your hand will help in fermentation.
If you stay in a dry or cold place, fermentation may take more than 9 hours. You can place the batter in a pre-heated oven.
Storage
Securely seal the container and store the leftover batter in the refrigerator. The lower temperature will slow down the fermentation process, allowing you to use the batter for several days. While fresh batter tastes the best, but you store the batter for 2 to 3 days without compromising on the taste. Beyond that I do not recommend storing the batter. Freezing idli or dosa batter is not recommended. Freezing will lead to change in the texture and taste. Before using refrigerated batter give it a gentle stir to redistribute the ingredients.
Kids have limited appetite. Give your child the best nutrition in that little food that they eat. The biggest struggle for vegetarians or vegans is to fulfill their child’s iron needs. While balanced diet here is the key but we all know how balanced it gets with the children especially the ones who are picky eaters.
So, I am going to share with you a simple recipe which has a great balance of protein and iron.
We all make BESAN CHEELAS at home. Sharing with you a simple way wherein you can make the best out that one Cheela that your child eats. š And trust me it comes out delicious and packed with flavours. Also, this makes a great lunch box recipe too.
This recipe requires no elaborate preparations, so donāt need to plan ahead either. Just stir together the ingredients to make a batter, pour it on a hot griddle & cook up a delicious healthy meal.
What is Cheela?
Cheela is a sweet or savory Indian Pancakes made using lentils, cereal or grain flour. They are often made without any leavening agents, so they are considered to be healthy.
What is Besan?
Besan is a Hindi word which means “gram flour”. It is a pulse flour made using channa dal or chickpea flour. So besan cheela is gram flour pancakes. These pancakes are Gluten Free, vegan and nutritious. Gram flour is a fabulous source of protein, iron, magnesium, potassium, vitamin B6. Just 100 grams of gram flour can give you 22 grams of easy to digest natural protein. You can make these pancakes with basic ingredients as well but when you add green leafy vegetables to it, it not only enhances the taste but also makes it wholesome and an amazing source of iron for your kids.
Also the vegetables I have added are all homegrown. If you donāt have enough space, grow them in small pots. Itās no rocket science. Just get a few pots or grow bags, potting soil and seeds from any nursery near your house. Engage your children while planting it. The satisfaction of eating your homegrown organic vegetables is unmatchable. Try it!
Ingredients
Prep time: 5 mins
Serving: makes 3 Pancakes
Cook time: 5 mins
Besan/Chickpea flour: 1/2 cup
Sattu/Roasted Gram flour: 1/4th cup
Semolina/Suji: 1/4th cup
Cumin seeds/Jeera: 1/8th tsp
Bishop seeds/Ajwain: 1/8th tsp
Garam Masala: 1/4th tsp
Roasted Cumin powder: 1/4th tsp
Turmeric: 1/4th tsp
Salt & Black pepper to taste
Chat Masala to taste (optional)
Coriander powder: 1/2 tsp
Water as required
Chopped Methi (Fenugreek), Spinach, Radish leaves, Mint leaves, Curry leaves & Coriander leaves: 1 cup
Onion: 2 tbsp, finely chopped
Ginger: 2ā long, grated
Ghee or Oil as required
Method
1 Take Besan/Chickpeas flour, Sattu or Roasted Gram flour (great source of protein) and Semolina/Suji (for crispiness) in a bowl.
2. To this add turmeric, cumin seeds, ajwain/bishop seeds, garam masala, roasted cumin powder, black pepper, salt, chaat masala and coriander powder. Mix it well. Add enough water to make a thin but not a runny batter. Start with 1/4th cup water and the gradually add more as required. Continue whisking until the batter has a smooth, flowing consistency. There shouldnāt be any lumps, so make sure to break those up while mixing the batter.
Tip: Use a wire whisk to whisk the batter. This will ensure that your batter is lump free.
3. Now add chopped methi (fenugreek) leaves, spinach leaves, onion, grated ginger (fabulous food for digestion), curry leaves, coriander & mint leaves. Use the leaves that are in season. All the green leaves are a great source of iron and this is one of the best ways to incorporate this in your child’s and your diet.
4. Keep the batter aside for 10 minutes. Heat a cast iron tawa on a medium to low heat. I have made it on normal tawa in which we make rotis but if you canāt make it on tawa then you can use a non stick pan as well.
5. Brush the tawa with desi ghee or oil. Add generously to avoid dry cheelas because besan tends to soak ghee/oil. Take a ladle or Ā¼ to ā of a measuring cup full of the batter and pour on the pan. Spread the batter evenly with the back of your ladle to make thin cheelas.
6. Then continue to cook the chilla on a low to medium-low heat until the top begins to set. You can drizzle some more oil or ghee along the edges for a crispy cheela.
7. You can flip the chilla once or twice for even cooking. Once the base gets golden brown, itās time to flip the cheela. Cook the other sides till you see golden spots on cheela. You can flip the cheela once or twice for even cooking.
8. Finally, fold it and then serve it mint chutney, homemade ketchup or the way your child likes it.
Enjoy!! š
Notes:
If some of the spices mentioned above are not available, feel free to skip them.
Incase you don’t find sattu or roasted gram flour, feel free to skip it and add more besan or chickpea flour. However, sattu is a great source of protein and iron, so it’ll be great if you can get your hands on it.
