Party treats for children

PREPARING quick, nourishing meals for your child is not difficult; even for a busy mother. The food should be easy to handle, and soft to eat. Simplicity is the key to a successful children's party.

Kiddy casserole

Ingredients:

Mixed vegetables - carrot, potato, beans 2 cups Butter or pure ghee 3 tblsp Vegetable stock or water 1 cup Tomato puree 1 cup Tomato ketchup 2 tblsp Salt, pepper and sugar to taste Wheat flour 3 tblsp For topping: Bread crumbs 4 tbslp Grated cheese 4 tblsp

Method:

Melt two tablespoons of butter and saute the vegetables for five minutes. Add vegetable stock. Cook until vegetables are almost cooked. Add puree, ketchup and seasoning. Simmer for a while.

Melt the remaining butter and stir in wheat flour. Roast until the flour is golden. Add it to the vegetables and mix well. Take out the mixture in a greased casserole. Sprinkle bread crumbs and cheese. Bake for 15 minutes at 200'C until melts meets or grill for five minutes until cheese melts.

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Junior risotto

Ingredients:

Butter 1 tblsp Ghee 1 tblsp Chopped onion 1/4 cup Green peas and corn 1/2 cup Copped tomato 1/4 cup Rice, washed 1/2 cup Salt to taste and dash of pepper or chilli powder

Method:

Melt butter and saute onions until soft. Add peas, corn and washed rice. Saute for a few minutes. Add enoughhot water to cook. Add salt, pepper or red chilli powder. Simmer and cook. Add tomato pieces and ghee when the rice is almost done. Serve warm.

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Baked or grilled gold coin

Ingredients:

Salt biscuits 12 Mashed potatoes 10 tblsp Grated carrot 2 tblsp Finely grated cheese 2 tblsp Cream from the top of the cold milk 2 tblsp Salt to taste Tomato ketchup 1 tblsp A few green peas A little melted ghee

Method:

Take mashed potato, carrot, grated cheese, cream salt and tomato ketchup in a bowl. Mix and beat to make a fluffy mixture. Put a spoonful of the mixture on each biscuit. Arrange two or three green peas on each topping. Add a dot of ghee on top. Grill for five minutes and serve.

Note: If your child likes cold gold coin, then omit grilling and the ghee.

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Campfire potatoes with creamy corn

Ingredients:

Potatoes medium sized 3 Oil 2 tblsp Cuminseeds, roasted and powdered 1 tsp Salt to taste Cream style corn from tin or boiled and crushed corn 1/2 cup Drained curd 1/4 cup Coriander leaves finely chopped 1 tbslp

Method:

Wash and clean potatoes. Cut each into half. Apply oil on each surface. Sprinkle salt and cuminseed powder. Arrange on the well greased baking tray. Bake at 200'C for 35 minutes or until cooked.

Mix corn, curd, salt and coriander leaves. Serve with potatoes.

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Moongdal squares

Ingredients:

Moongdal paste 1 cup Thick buttermilk 1/2 cup Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp Asafoetida, a punch Salt to taste French beans and carrot, chopped and boiled 1/4 cup Oil 1 tblsp

Method:

Mix all the ingredients in a pan. Cook on slow heat and stir continuously. It will not stick to the sides. Take out on a plate. Spread out and cool. Cut into squares.

JYOTI N. PAREKH

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