It’s already May and, so far, the year has literally passed in a haze. All significant dates, celebrations, and both ups and downs have been nicely hampered by the gnawing shadow of the coronavirus pandemic. And while this has been quite an anxious time, it has also come as a blessing in disguise for some of us. I, for one, have been home and on a food high since March 2020, courtesy Maa ke haath ka amazing khaana! I seriously have zero cognizance of how half a year has already passed and I was almost going to forget that it’s Mother’s Day on Sunday had it not been for my Insta fam and their commendable preparations for the same.
Now, as I sit homebound, stuffing my face with mum’s delicious food, I have been thinking of doing something that she does for us every single day with all the love and sans any complaints – cooking, of course. And while it is almost impossible to whip up some mom-level recipes, I have zeroed down on four of them that are super fun, easy to make (important!), and mom-friendly. Care to join me for a cooking spree this Mother’s Day? Read on.
Summery Sorbets
Don’t we all love listening to fun, carefree tales from our parents’ childhood? That twinkle in their eyes, that content smile while they reminisce about their childhood is just priceless. And here’s a super easy healthy food recipe that is sure to remind them of all the childhood fun and the good, old summer days.
This is actually a really fun recipe which also happens to be super versatile. While we have used watermelons for our recipe, you can pick any seasonal fruit that your mom likes and use it in the recipe. You can even combine more than one fruit, basically, the world is your oyster here and you’d be surprised with how amazing this sorbet turns out to be with the least effort possible.
Ingredients
Watermelon 3 Cups (Cubed and deseeded)
Milk powder 2 tbsp
Sugar syrup 2 tbsp
Lemon juice 3-4 tbsp
Ice 1 cup (Crushed)
Mint leaves (For garnishing)
Shot glasses (To serve)
Method
- Take all the ingredients together in a bowl, mix, and then transfer the contents to your mixer jar.
- Blend the mixture till smooth.
- In each glass, pour equal quantities of the mixture and keep in the freezer for 3-4 hours.
- Serve with a topping of crushed mint leaves, a light drizzle of lemon juice, and some chat masala.
Palak Patta Chaat
I have seen few Indian moms who lack a passion for chaat. The sweet mom of mine, for one, keeps telling me that she just had paanipuris while she was pregnant with me. True story, folks! Now, with the current pandemic and the consequent lockdown situation, we are sure that both you and your mom must be missing some tangy chaat. And while making chat is not always fun and games, here’s one that’s surprisingly easy to make. Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
Gram flour 1 Cup
Spinach leaves (Medium to large-sized)
Curd 1 Cup
Onion 1 (Medium-sized, finely chopped)
Tomato 1 (Medium-sized, finely chopped)
Green chilly 2 (Finely chopped)
Tamarind or Amchoor Chutney (½ Cup)
Coriander ½ Cup (Finely chopped)
Carom seeds 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder (To taste)
Turmeric ½ tbsp
Salt (To taste)
Oil (To fry)
Method
- Take the gram flour, carom seeds, salt, chilly, and turmeric in a bowl and mix. Now, add some water to the batter and whisk well. Add enough water to get a yogurt-like consistency. Keep it aside for 10 minutes.
- Now take the spinach leaves and ensure that they are clean and absolutely dry. Dip them in the batter and aim for a nice coat.
- Immediately after coating the leaves, fry them in a thick bottomed pan. Make sure that the oil is sufficiently hot before the frying process and then turn the heat to medium once you start frying.
- Neatly spread the fried leaves on a plate and then top it with curd, onions, tomatoes, chilly, coriander, and any other topping of your liking. Finish with a drizzle of the tamarind chutney. Serve hot.
Paneer Pockets
From the heady aroma of Butter Paneer Masala to crispy paneer pakoras, Indian moms sure have a way with epic paneer recipes. Well, this might be your chance to surprise your mom with some paneer sorcery from your end. Our Paneer Pocket recipe is fun, yum, and all that it takes to leave your mom sufficiently impressed with your culinary skills. Here’s what you need to do for the recipe:
Ingredients
All-purpose flour 1 Cup
Baking powder 1 tbsp
Garlic 3-4 Cloves (Chopped)
Onion 1 Medium (Chopped)
Peas 1 Cup (Optional)
Capsicum ½ Cup (Finely chopped)
Tomato ½ Cup (Finely chopped)
Carrot ½ Cup (Finely chopped)
Potato 1 Large (Boiled and grated)
Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Paneer 1 Cup (Grated)
Mozzarella cheese 1/2 Cup (Grated)
Salt (To Taste)
Oil
Method
- Take all-purpose flour, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and mix them well. Add ½ cup oil to the flour and mix again. Now add enough water to make a dough out of the mix. Remember to roll with soft hands so that the dough doesn’t end up getting too tight. Keep aside.
- Heat oil in a pan and add garlic and onions together. Saute till the onions turn golden brown. Now add carrots, capsicum, peas, and tomatoes to the mix. Add salt and cook for five minutes. Finally, add grated paneer, potatoes, and cheese to the mix, saute for two minutes and keep aside to cool.
- Now, take the dough in sections and roll them out with a rolling pin. Make huge chapatis out of the dough balls and cut them into 8’’ X 3’’ inch rectangles. Now take every rectangle separately and spread the veggie mix of the bottom half of the same. Take the top part and fold it in a way that it covers the bottom and the masala. Think of it this way: we are making rectangular dim sums here that close at the edges. Now, with the help of a spoon, press all the sides of your pockets so that it is tightly packed. Deep fry and serve hot with ketchup.
Sweet Mango Curry
It’s May and it would be a shame if we conclude this article without any mango recipes. In fact, we have a rather epic one for you. This Kerala style Mango Curry is as rich as it is simple to make and would surprise your taste buds.
Now, we always love when moms play with the recipes and whip up something nice and interesting out of the blue. This Mango Curry, which remains quite an underappreciated South Indian gem, is sure to hit her in the exact same way. Intrigued? Here’s what you need to do:
Ingredients
Ripe Mango 2 large (Finely Chopped)
Jaggery ½ Cup (Powdered)
Ghee ½ Cup
Coconut Milk 2 Cups
Curry Leaves 1-2 Sprigs
Mustard Seeds 1 tbsp
Dried Red Chillies 2-3
Method
- Boil 2 cups of water in a pan and add mangoes. Let it simmer till the water evaporates.
- Once the water’s gone, add jaggery and ghee to the mangoes. Cook for 7-8 minutes. Add coconut milk to the mix and simmer for another 7-8 minutes.
- Once cooked, temper the curry with ghee, curry leaves, mustard seeds, and dried chilies.
- Serve with rice.
So guys, ready to give your mom a gastronomical surprise this Mother’s Day?
Featured Image: Instagram
