Russian Kabab

Vegetable Chowmin

Strawberry Lassi

Vegetable Salad

Paalak ke Parathe

Green Chana Curry

Ingredients for Green Chana Curry:
Hara Chana (fresh or frozen) – 2 cups
Potatoes – 2 medium
Whole garam masala – 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves) – 1 tbsp
Chana Masala – 3/4 tbsp
Cashews – 2 tbsp (powdered)
Ingredients for gravy:
Onion -3/4 (pureed)
Tomato puree – 1 cup
Ginger paste – 1 tbsp
Garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Green chili – 1 tsp (finely chopped) [Optional]
olive oil – 2 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Method:
1. Wash dry fresh or frozen hara chana a couple of times and keep them aside.
2. For gravy, heat olive oil in a pan. Add whole garam masala. Let it crackle. Then add pureed onions and sauté it, till turns light golden. Add ginger paste, garlic paste and chopped green chilies (optional). Cook for 2 minutes.
4. Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, coriander powder in the gravy. Add cashew powder to the gravy and let it simmer for 5-6 minutes on medium-low heat.
5. Peel and cut potatoes in medium size chunks and keep aside.
6. In the pressure cooker add washed hara chana, potatoes, prepared gravy, salt and 1.5 cups of water. Cook it for 15-20 minutes on medium heat.
7. Finally, add chana masala and kasoori methi and let it simmer for 2 more minutes.
8. Garnish Hara chana with freshly chopped cilantro and serve with halved lemons.
9. Enjoy green chana curry with fresh naan, paratha or steamed basmati rice. 

Chicken Pasta

This easy pasta recipe is sure to be your newest lunch box hit for both school and office lunch!

Ingredients

• 8 ounces uncooked pasta
• 6 slices chicken, cut crosswise into ½ inch thick slices
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 medium avocados, peeled and sliced crosswise OR 4 baby tomatoes, sliced, seedless
• ⅔ cup chopped fresh parsley (optional)
• ¼ teaspoon lime zest
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• ½ cup shredded cheese of your choice
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Cook the pasta according to the package directions. Drain and set aside, reserving ½ cup of the pasta water and the pot that was used to cook the pasta.
2. While the pasta is cooking, cook the ½” thick slices of chicken on medium-high heat.
3. Cook until almost crisp, then add the garlic and cook for 1 minute more.
4. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chicken and garlic to the pot that was used to cook the pasta along with the avocados/tomatoes, parsley, lime zest, lime juice, cheese, salt & pepper as desired and the reserved pasta water.
5. Reduce the heat to medium-low and gently cook the pasta until all of the ingredients are warmed through.
6. Let it cool down, then refrigerate or freeze for the lunch.

Serves: 4

Pack for the lunch

In the morning, reheat the pasta in the microwave, add 1-2 tbsps water before microwaving to prevent dryness.  And pack the yummy warm lunch in the thermos.

How to warm thermos

Boil water and fill it in the thermos and cover, wait 5 minutes, meanwhile, reheat the lunch. Empty the thermos, fill with food and close. 

Banana chips

Bananas are known to build strong bones and make you smarter and help with learning by making you more alert. Hence, this is a great and quick snack for the kids, and also the perfect addition to any lunch box!  Instead of buying packet chips for the kids, make these easy and nutritional banana chips for them; they will forget about buying other crisps in school lunch break.

Ingredients

• Bananas
• Lemon juice
• Water
• Cinnamon (optional)
• Salt (optional)

Instructions

1. Slice bananas very thin (1/8″), brush with lemon juice mixed with just a little water. Sprinkle with cinnamon and salt..
2. Bake at 250F for about 2 hours, turning after 90 minutes.
3. Let the chips cool (the longer they cool the crispier they become).

Aaloo, Chana & Papdi Chaat

Ingredients for Aaloo, Chana & Papdi Chaat:

Tortilla scoops (chips) – ½ packet
Potatoes – 2
Sweet Onions -1
Tomatoes- 2 (optional)
Cilantro -1/2 cup
Garbanzo beans – 1 can
Green Cilantro chutney – 1 cup
Imli sweet chutney – 1 cup
Thin sev – 1 cup
Yogurt – 1 cup
Sugar – 1tsp
Chaat Masala – 1 tbsp
Red chili powder – 1 tsp
Roasted Cumin seeds – 1 tsp (powdered)
Salt as per taste

Method:

1. Blend yogurt into smooth consistency by adding a little milk (not to runny). Add salt, sugar and half chaat masala to it. Keep aside.
2. Prepare green cilantro and Imli chutney and keep ready.
3. Boil, peel and mash potatoes. Finely chop sweet onions and tomatoes. Clean and chop cilantro finely as well.
4. Take the garbanzo beans in a colander and wash thoroughly.
5. In a plate, arrange the tortilla scoops evenly. On each scoop add potatoes and garbanzo beans. Now add one big spoon of beaten yogurt on the filled scoops, all over the plate.
6. Then add green and imli chutney over it. Top it off with fine sev, chopped onions, tomatoes (optional), chopped cilantro, chaat masala, red chili powder and salt.

Serve this aaloo, chana & papdi chaat immediately and enjoy this lip smacking snack anytime 

“No Bake” Healthy Nutty Bars

These bars require no baking, so you can easily whip them up the night before. Plus, as the winters are here, the nuts and seeds can be a good and healthy choice for your kids. These bars are not only delicious and nutritious but also easy to make.

Ingredients

¼ cup raw sunflower seeds
¼ cup unsalted roasted peanuts or almonds
¼ cup raw pumpkin seeds
¾ cup rice krispies or any rice cereal
¼ cup dried apricots, sliced thinly
¼ cup dried cranberries
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup nut butter
¼ cup honey

Makes 6 to 8 bars.

Instruction

1. Toss all the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl.

2. In another medium mixing bowl, combine the nut butter and honey. Heat in the microwave for 30 seconds until warm and soft.

3. Pour the nut mixture into the bowl with the peanut butter and stir until everything is well-incorporated and sticking together.

4. Put the mixture into a shallow pan and flatten it down without crushing the crispies. Make sure the mixture is even and compact. Cover the whole pan with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours, or overnight.

5. Cut the granola into 8 or so bars, trimming the edges if you like. Wrap the individual bars in parchment paper to take with you throughout the week, or store in a Tupperware container until ready to eat.