Cheese Parantha

When Tanishk was toddler and was not on GFCF diet, I used to make stuffed paranthas with various things - veggies, paneer, cooked beans, cooked lentils, tofu and cheese. He was good at eating at that time. Everyday, I tried to give him different type of parantha. Sometimes, I used to make masala parantha (stuffed with spices). Now, when he is on GFCF diet, I have to struggle daily mentally and physically both. 

Mentally struggle is to find the way to cook food with variety and having nutrition too. And also for minimizing the chances of rejection as Tanishk doesn't easily put the new food in the mouth. Physically struggle is for to prompt him to taste the new food and then prompt him to eat it. If he didn't like it, he won't eat it at all. If he liked it, he will eat it but still I have to prompt him.

Still, I make stuffed paanthas but with only gluten free flour. Till few days back, I normally used Sorghum Flour (Jowaar Atta) for Paranthas. But recently I found a recipe on internet for gluten free flour mix for rotis and paranthas. I tried that mix for my paranthas, and it was perfect. Gluten Free Flour Mix 

I didn't have Amaranth Flour (Rajgira Atta) and Cornstarch, so I replaced them with Ragi flour and Potato Starch respectively. It worked. I make the mix in advance to use it later.

So, today I made Cheese Parantha. Cheese means Dairy free Cheese and I used Daiya Cheese.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Gluten Free Flour Mix

1/2 cup Daiya Cheese

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Salt

1 tsp Dry Mango Powder

2 tsp Dhaniya Powder

Water to knead the dough

Oil for cooking

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients in the mixing bowl. If dough is dry, add some more water (1 tsp at a time). Make soft dough.
2. Cover the dough with damp towel for 10 minutes.
3. Take a straight plastic and put some oil on it. Make one small ball from dough and roll it on the plastic. Oil will prevent it to stick on the plastic. Roll it like chapatti.
4. Heat the non-stick pan and put it on the pan.
5. After 1 min. turn it and put some oil on both sides. Cook it until both sides are light brown.
6. Serve hot with chutney, dip, curry, curd, pickle or you can eat it without anything.

Gajar Ka Halwa

I like Gajar Ka Halwa very much and I was very sad that my son can't have it as it has lots of milk. I remember when my mother used to make it as it takes so much effort. 

One of our servants used to grate the carrots. My father was a very knowledgeable man. He was on the government job and had good knowledge in every field. He was used to give new ideas to my mother. In the night, when all the servants are gone to their homes, my parents start to cook the carrots in milk on low / medium flame. When carrots absorb milk, they pour more milk and continue to cook. It happened 2-3 hours. Next night again, same thing happens. This process goes on till carrots become very soft and tender.

After that, they mix the sugar, cashews and pistachios in the cooked carrots and cook for some more time to mix sugar evenly. I remember that taste until now.

Some people make it by boiling the carrots and mix sugar in it. I don't like that. I never forget the taste of Gajar Ka Halwa made by my parents and I didn't get the better taste any where else. I never tried that myself so I don't know exact recipe. 

I thought that I should try Gajar Ka Halwa with coconut milk as it has lots of cream. I tried it in a very small quantity. I don't know if someone has tried it but its my original recipe.

Ingredients:

2.5 cup grated carrots
1 can (13 oz) Creamy Coconut Milk
1/2 cup sugar
Cashews and Pistachios for garnishing

Method:

1. Mix sugar and grated carrots and cook on low flame till all the water burns.
2. Put 1/4 milk in and cook it. Let the carrots absorb all the milk and then again put in some more milk and cook. Continue doing so till the carrot become very soft and tender. It will take almost 1 -1.5 hours.
3. Serve in the bowl garnished with cashews and pistachios. 

I & my husband both liked it very much. But, Tanishk, as usual he didn't try to taste it. But I know he will like it definitely.

Maakhan Chor

What is Maakhan Chor? Maakhan is hindi word and Maakhan is called as Butter. Chor is thief who steals the things. Lord Krishna was being called as Maakhan Chor (Butter Thief) in his childhood, as shown in the following video. Maakhan Chor Krishna Kanhaiya

But that butter was made from cow's milk and it was not GFCF. Our kids are on the special diet - GFCF diet. We don't give any dairy products to them. Our elders haven't seen this kind of diet. 

They say, how will he grow without milk? How will he get strength without butter and cheese? He has become so weak. Give him milk and he will be OK. When all others are eating ice-cream, chocolate, cakes, cookies - give him a little bit, it won't harm him.

Anyways, I was talking about butter thief (maakhan chor). Our kids also drink milk and eat butter, cheese, yoghurt but all GFCF. I use Smart Balance butter for Toast. Tanishk likes the butter very much. That's why I call him as maakhan chor. I can explain it in the detail.

If there is butter in food, he will eat it definitely. He eats toast with butter, roti with butter, dosa with butter, waffles with butter etc. and he eats only butter too. He eats jam, jelly, peanut butter too but not so much. He can refuse these things, but butter - no way. He asks for more butter when it's finished in his plate. He says - "I want more butter" and gives stress on "more".

Dosa is only the thing he can eat without any thing. When I give him roti with vegetables, he refuses because of the texture. But I put butter with vegetables, he eats it with easily. When he eats himself, he doesn't eat roti with butter, he eats butter with roti. He uses roti as a spoon and takes a big slab of butter and puts in the mouth. :) If I put the box of butter in front of him, he dips his roti or toast like a spoon and takes out butter himself. He will keep eating if I don't remove the box.

That's why, I call him maakhan chor. He is my GFCF Maakhan Chor. :)