Thursday, February 25, 2010

A Home-style Punjabi Dal

In all seasons and every kind of weather, I need my dal-chawal (lentils-rice) fix every few days. The particular hunger for dal-chawal is just not satiated by any other kind of comfort food. Luckily, between the various regional cuisines of India, there are enough types of dal to keep me happy and well-fed for several more decades.

For last night's dinner, I dusted off a long-bookmarked dal recipe from As Dear As Salt, a blog that features some wonderful and off-beat regional Indian dishes but has been sadly dormant for a couple of years. Richa made a very homely Punjabi dal called maa choliyaan di dal. This recipe uses two lentils that are popular in Pujab, split black urad dal and chana dal. If you want to see what these lentils look like, take a look at the first picture on this post.

Richa has a charming way of writing recipes. In this recipe, she says that the use of cinnamon in the dal is optional but goes on to issue a warning.
"...the love affair between chana dal & cinnamon is legendary, not putting it will be akin to separating Heer from Ranjha or Laila from Majnu..."
Oh dear. Far be it from me to keep cinnamon away from chana dal. I made sure I found a cinnamon stick to add in the dal. I followed Richa's recipe quite closely. Here it is, in my words.

Maa Choleyaan di Dal 
(adapted from Richa's recipe, served 6-8)

1. Soak 3/4 cup split black urad dal and 1/4 cup chana dal in hot water for 2-3 hours. Rinse them well, then pressure-cook until tender. Set aside.

2. In a heavy pan, heat 1 tbsp. ghee.

3. Temper it with
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 pinch asafetida
2 Indian bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick

4. Add the following and saute well
1 large onion, sliced thinly
1 heaped tsp. ginger-garlic paste
1 tbsp. ground coriander seeds
2 tsp. kasuri methi
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 tsp. red chilli powder

5. Add 3-4 juicy chopped tomatoes (fresh or canned) and saute well until the tomatoes are cooked.

6. Stir in cooked dals, salt to taste and water if required to make a thick dal. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.

7. Stir in 1/2 tsp. garam masala. Serve with rice or bread.

If you want a very special treat on a weeknight, this dal is it. I can't wait to eat leftovers for lunch today.

I'm sending this post to My Legume Love Affair: 20th Edition, hosted @ The Crispy Cook.

***   ***   ***
This Tuesday, I got to do something fun- I was invited as a guest instructor to teach a 5 hour session on Indian cuisine to culinary arts students at a local community college. My task was to deliver a 1.5 hour lecture on the basics of Indian history, culture and cuisines, and then to help the students prepare a lunch based on "authentic dishes, things your grandmother would make". 

All in all, it was a fantastic experience for me, the students seemed to enjoy it and the executive chef who heads the culinary arts program was pleased with how it turned out. The students were extremely skilled and disciplined, not to mention professionally dressed in starched white aprons and tall hats (in stark contrast, I wore a frilly black and green apron that my sister sewed for me). When they minced garlic, you can bet that every itty-bitty piece of garlic is exactly the same size as every other piece. 

I decided on a fairly typical Maharashtrian menu, with matki bhaat (sprouts pilaf featuring the typical goda masala), tomato saar (a spicy soup with coconut and curry leaves), kakdichi koshimbir (cucumber salad with lemon, peanuts and cilantro), bharli vaangi (stuffed baby eggplants), kobichi bhajji (cabbage fritters/pakodas) and shrikhand (thick sweet yogurt with saffron and cardamom). There were several things that I wanted to illustrate with this menu, including the richness of Indian vegetarian cuisine and the layering of spices in different ways. 

For a home cook, a professional kitchen is like a playground filled with fancy equipment, but translating dishes to this setting can also be quite challenging. There were plenty of things that went wrong that morning, but I know that the only way to learn is to do something, make mistakes and try not to repeat the mistakes. For one thing, I spent hours making a presentation with dozens of colorful pictures. On the computer where I showed the slides, none of the pictures showed up. I have given talks in so many places without such a problem and I guess the law of averages caught up with me. Sigh. Bharli vangi is so dear to my heart that I chose to make it without considering that fresh baby eggplants are not easy to find in Missouri, especially at this time of year. It was difficult for me to supervise all the groups of students working on the different dishes, and half the eggplants were served without being cooked through. I did not specify the brand of yogurt I needed for the shrikhand and the one we used was so incredible tangy that the shrikhand did not turn out the way I would have liked it. But now I know better- that if I do this again, I have to be very specific about brands and ingredients I need, or better yet, shop for them myself. I have to choose dishes where I can find reliable ingredients here. I have to go around and taste everything and make sure it is cooked and seasoned correctly. I have to find a way to test out my slides ahead of time.

In spite of the missteps, it was fun to see the students tasting and smelling all kinds of ingredients that they had never seen before- asafetida, jaggery, tamarind, curry leaves, matki sprouts- and to demonstrate a few cooking techniques that were new to them. Everyone was extremely curious and gracious about the dishes we were making.

It is always much easier to do something yourself than to teach something else and let them do it. Teaching is a tough job, but the only way we can spread knowledge and skills, and I'm very grateful that I got to do it even if just for one morning.

***   ***   ***
The cooking classes don't end here. Next month, I have volunteered to teach two cooking classes for kids. These children are part of an incredible after-school program right in my neighborhood that is designed to equip at-risk kids with social skills, life skills and self-esteem so that they can learn to avoid smoking, alcohol and drugs as they grow into teenagers.

I will have a class of about 13 kids ages 9 to 11, and about 1.5 hours to make 2 or 3 dishes that the kids can make and eat together.

The program is geared towards exposing the children to new enriching experiences, so I would like to plan a menu that incorporates some Indian flavors. The most important requirement is that the recipes I plan should involve many prep. jobs (mixing, shredding, slicing, chopping etc.) to keep 13 pairs of hands busy.

I am thinking of making mango lassi (mango pulp, yogurt, milk, sugar, cardamom, ice) because mango is a classic Indian fruit and smoothies seem to be popular with kids. The downside is that lassi blends together in a jiffy and does not involve much prepping.

Vegetable cutlets might be nice: all kinds of shredded and diced veggies held together with mashed potato and breadcrumbs, shaped into cutlets and pan-fried. If I can get my hands on some cute heart-shaped cookie cutters, they might be even more fun to make. I remember I loved these vegetable cutlets as a kid; who am I kidding- I still love them, slathered with ketchup.

Some other ideas: chana chaat (chickpeas tossed with lots of fresh salad vegetables and dressed with tamarind chutney), pulao with nuts and raisins, vegetable wraps (tortillas stuffed with a flavorful subzi)...

If there is down-time while the meal is cooking, they set up a craft table for the kids. Can you think of any simple crafts that are somehow tied to the "India" theme? Something like vegetable stamping with cross sections of bhindi dipped in watercolor paint, like in this pic.

If you have any ideas for kid-friendly food, or tips on how to run cooking classes for kids, please chime in with a comment. I am quite clueless about what kids ages 9 to 11 like to eat and do. Thank you for your advice!

51 comments:

  1. That was one amazing post , Nupur ! Loved the recipe and your picture was simple and very elegant :)
    I think the idea of having cooking classes for kids is simply brilliant ! Kudos to you for volunteering for that..For crafts ...maybe the kids could do something with mehndi or take simple bangles and make them fancy ? Do let us know how that turns out ..

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  2. I'll bet you were a real hit with your cooking students. Thank you for sending over this great recipe to MLLA #20.

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  3. dal looks so yum,..;-)
    kids friendly food can be healthy salad,pastas,...

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  4. Most kids enjoy eating finger foods. I don't know what kind of equipment you will have at your disposal, but how about different tea sandwiches, with mint/coriander chutney (you can get it ready made if the kitchen is not equipped with a blender) and various veggies. Or "Indian-style" egg salad sandwiches. Peeling the eggs and chopping the veggies and slicing the bread and spreading stuff will give them a lot to do with their hands. Also, most kids love samosas. You can make easy ones with wonton wrappers, or quesadilla-style, with tortillas, that they can stuff and bake/pan fry.They will enjoy mashing the potatoes for the filling! They can also do easy pizzas.
    Hats off to you, Nupur for doing such terrific work. My admiration for you grows by leaps and bounds every day! Good luck with this, it is a fantastic project.

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  5. Nice dal!
    Mehendi is always a hit with kids! Both boys and girls. We have done mehendi many times for school fairs and once even at a prom and all the kids were so excited. You could use kid friendly paint and not necessarily the real mehendi cones. The just love the 'Indian tatoos'!
    Waiting to hear how the cooking class with the kids go.

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  6. looks yumm. nice entry for the event..

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  7. Nupur,
    I am sharing some of the art projects, my daughter and I enjoyed during summer vacation -
    Just the way okra is shown, use potato, apple cut in the middle horizontally to get a beautiful star on the paper, celery - dip and color using those ridges.
    We also did glueing on a coloring picture using different daals (especially orange masoor, green pea daal and yellow moong/chana daal) and spices (star anise, clove) to get a fragrant and beautiful design.
    You are doing such a great job.

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  8. That is fantastic Nupur. Eggplants are pesky that way. Kids like rolls nupur, chapati with a filling and rolled.

    The dal looks delicious. Too dals that I don't use to make dal but got to try now.

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  9. I've never cooked urad dal as dal before, have seen a ton of recipes, yours looks yummy, will try soon.
    Good luck with ur kid cooking class. I'm sure you and the kids will have loads of fun cooking.

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  10. You have an easy way of writing which is not too over the top and very approachable cooking. Knitting, cooking, teaching - am unofficially a fan.

    For crafts you can do vegetable carving (Ive seen a lot of it in weddings in south india) or a cloth tie and die.

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  11. Hi Nupur:

    This is Viji again. thanks for taking into consideration my comments and working on it right away. I appreciate it very much. Let me try your captcha again and see how it works for me this time. If it works, then I need to send you short emails rather than long ones....

    Let me quit typing now and send it your way :-)

    Viji

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  12. This daal is so yummy. I will be making it this weekend.

    Instead of lassi, you could make lemonade with keshar and ilaichi. kids will have fun squeezing lemons and stirring.

    Chat sounds good too. Whatever products you use, run the list by parents as there might be kids who are allergic to something.

    As for crafts idea, you can show them to make varli designs on paper with white paint. Better yet on small terra-cotta planters you get in Michael's.

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  13. and yes cutlets are best. They love it.

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  14. Wow Nupur, you are amazing! I loved your post on the culinary class, wish I had the privilege to attend it! I can imagine how creative and inspiring you will be at the kids' classes. I love the idea of vegetable stamping, another idea is designs using dals. Painting glue on paper and then sticking various kinds of dals to make a pretty design.

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  15. How about bhel and batata vada and shira with bananas? lot to do easy to spice up and down and classic kid snack food from india.

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  16. dal looks very thick and healthy!

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  17. Hi Nupur,

    You inspire me with every post! What an amazing way to use yur time!

    Kids won't say no to fries, would they? How about potato/sweet-potato/parsnip fries? Most kids I know snarf down alu, so any dish it features in would be a good option, I'd think.

    For crafts, I used to enjoy (tooth)brush painting as a kid. You could maybe get print-outs of Nataraja, or Ganesha, (Gandhi?), and use them as templates to spray paint.

    Am certainly looking forward to reading about the class. Have pots of fun!

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  18. As always, I bow to thee. You're an inspiration Nupur... the dal is lovely and I shall try it very soon. The cooking classes are just fantastic. I'm imagining you in the class... you;d have so much to teach and tell!

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  19. Wonderful write up ! Dal looks beautiful and healthy.

    And you are gonna have a gala time with kids, I think they should love the cutlet with varied shapes.
    Infact you can also try to prepare some type of chaat - shev puri or canopy, they might love to put varied stuffs and again its quite crispy so normally ppl love it .

    I recollect me preparing different designs with different colors of grains, this might be fun !

    Waiting for the updates :)

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  20. Rachana Kothari- Thanks!

    Chhaya- Thank you for your ideas! I'll definitely let you know how the sessions turn out.

    Rachel- Thank you for hosting this fun event!

    notyet100- Thanks

    Kamini- Oh, goodness no, I only do it because it is so much fun :)
    Thank you for your terrific ideas- I forgot about sandwiches! It would be great to do a sandwich platter. And quesadilla-style samosas are wonderful too. Pizzas are something that they already have done a few times so I won't do that. Wow, thanks so much!

    Sangeetha- Oh yes, mehendi is one of my favorite Indian arts and I can see how popular it will be, but I will keep away from hand-painting because they will be washing their hands and eating right after.

    J- Thanks

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  21. your teaching opportunities sound very exciting! Have fun.

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  22. Meera- What terrific ideas, I think vegetable prints look so cool and also fit in with the theme of eating vegetables. The dal and spice pictures (rangoli) is also a beautiful idea. Thanks for sharing!

    indosungod- Yes, these eggplants sure were pesky, full of black seeds when we cut into them :(
    These two dals are not much used in my kitchen either. In fact, I only started buying black split urad dal when I started making dal makhni. Chana dal would be mostly used for tadka and subzis until I discovered blogger's recipes for using it in other ways!

    Harsha- This urad dal is different from the washed urad dal that we use in idli/dosa though, it still has the skin on. It has a slippery texture and we love the taste.

    Anonymous- Vegetable carving sure is beautiful but needs a certain amount of skill and a very sharp knife so may not be very practical for a kids one-hour craft class. But yes, I love the spring onion flowers and all those cute garnishes :)

    Viji- Glad the captcha worked for you!

    Mints!- The lemonade idea is great, yes, plenty of kid-friendly prep there. But I have learnt that Americans absolutely hate salt in their lemonade the way we add it in India (at least all my friends who sipped Indian style salty nimbu pani and made a face) :)
    I love the idea of the varli designs! Don't know if terracotta planters would fit in the budget but I will certainly look into it. The kids could plant something since spring will be in the air in March.

    Namita- No, in fact, the poor students had to put up with an inexperienced clueless teacher :D

    Anonymous- Good ideas, but I am trying not to use ingredients that need a trip to the Indian store or dishes that need deep-frying. But those are certainly popular with kids!

    Rekha shoban- Thanks

    Shvetha- Ooh, fries is a great idea, especially oven baked fries. Yes, I agree that potatoes are ever popular with kids. I love the toothbrush painting idea, although in this setting, it may just be a bit too messy. Thanks for your great ideas!

    Raaga- Try the dal, it is really tasty and very quick to make. Teaching is so much harder than I ever imagined, I now appreciate my teachers even more.

    Kanchan- Oh yes, sev puri and the like would be popular but the ingredients are really hard to find here. I want to work with recipes that the kids can create from ingredients commonly found in US supermarkets. I'll definitely update the blog with what I end up doing with the kids.

    Lisa- They really are fun and exciting! I get to cook in different settings :)

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  23. Hi
    Nice work.My kids love the chaat that I make with tortilla chips(the tositos scoops).All you would need is some kind of beans/chickpeas,some chopped onions and tomatoes and a little bit of the tamarind chutney..I've seen these in nice squeeze bottles in the Indian store.Maybe you can even substitute with some sort of sweet sour sauce from the asian aisle..If they want they can add some cilantro and some sev or even just crushed chips or cornflakes on the top.This would really give their li'l hands busy work..filling the chips,adding the cilantro e.t.c e.t.c
    For crafts once my kids had made lamps from playdough and painted it ..
    The other snack I can think of is to make a trail mix from cereal,nuts e.t.c and add some roasted cumin,chilli powder, for an extra zing..

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  24. Loved to read thr' your teaching experience in Nupur. It must have been so much fun. Yes, it is so hard to make someone else do something than doing it ourselves. I want to work in a professional kitchen sometime :).
    Love that dal click. I have to make it sometime.
    Ohh, like you, i too don't have a clue about Kid's food. Lot to learn in that category.

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  25. I use to be room-mother in my daughter's KG class room. Once I talked about India, showed Tajmahal's pictures & made kids to paste white urad dal on on their Tajmahal craft & made Indian flag gluing split moong with skin, red masoor daal & white washes urad dal. The projects turned out good. I took few bindis & my daughter put on all the boys & girls forehead. I made batata-vadas which I made using salt only & named the dish "BOUNCING BALLS". I tell u it was a hit with with kids as well as teachers & rest of the mothers too. I took old dupattas & showed them how to put INDIAN SAREES. This was done in 1982, when everything from India was very new to people overhear. We all had a good time.

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  26. hey Nupur!

    amruta here! i was thinking maybe making very basic Kites & glueing/painting them would make a nice easy craft project for ur kid students. Or decorating small handbags/wallets with Indian motif cutouts, etc.
    I am definitely making ur Dal, it looks so rich.

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  27. Hi Nupur,
    came back again to share a few more craft ideas that my daughter and I enjoy.

    1. edible playdough- Refer to the link below - i think, 1 cup flour + 1cup water + 2 cups oatmeal gives a nice playdough. Oatmeal gives nice texture. Addition of turmeric powder for color and some extracts like vanila or even rose/cardamom for tha Indian touch may add fragrance. The idea is kids can make their own things with playdough (roll, make shapes etc) and it's safe if accidentally anything goes in mouth. but make sure it doesnt get dry so carefully wrap it or use some oil.
    http://www.easy-kids-recipes.com/play-dough-recipes.html

    2)Make a simple design on a paper with a gluestick say flower etc. And let kids use rawa to sprinkle using pincer grasp.

    3) coloring pages always keep kids busy of all ages. some indian themed coloring pages stack with crayon can be kept.

    4) story time with indian theme if there is some free time while food is getting cooked. I like "No dinner" by jessica souhami, which is nothing but our good old "chal re bhoplya tunuk tunuk" - do you know that one?

    sorry for the long comment. i definitely got a little carried away!;-D

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  28. You could try rangoli, fabric painting or knitting and embroidery or lamp decoration (painting the brown diwali 'pantya')

    The dal looks fab, by the way. It's on my lunch menu tomorrow. Isn't 2 tsp kasuri methi a lot? I mean it has a really overpowering taste and smell, so wanted to know

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  29. LOVELY daal! must try.. when I saw the title, I thought it would be a combo of urad and garbanzo, just goes to show how poor my interpretation of Punjabi is.
    I am sure the cooking class was a wonderful learning experience for the students and for u as well. Addressing a big batch is daunting ( for me) I am sure U will do well every time.
    Good luck with the kids classes.
    My 2 cents: how about Puff pastry s'wiches ( the monginis typesor with a potato filling) kids usually like those.
    Tri color s'wich ( Hirvi chutni, cheese and ketchup)
    U can use the everyday daals for craft work like making flowers on paper ( the daals toor / chana make the petals)and black peppercorn in the middle, curry leaves stalks.
    If u have any Brown or Polson ( or similar brand) custard powder, u can make a fruit custard.

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  30. The kids are lucky to have you! I'm emailing you a link for some recipes for healthy snacks which I received in a newsletter subscription recently.

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  31. I live on dal, and this surely is a healthy recipe!!!

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  32. One last idea, i promise!!

    Getting small pots with soil where students can plant coriander seeds/dhane to get kothimbeer (they take it home & take care of the plants).
    hopefully, you are not bored/tired of me!:-D

    I tried to use your comment form, but it didn't go through.

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  33. I'm so impressed with all you're doing, Nupur. I cant imagine standing in front of a bunch of people and talking!

    What I'm really grateful for, however, is that your posts are generally blissfully long and a good "meaty" (or should that be "tofu-y", being as we're vegetarians) read! :) Long live!

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  34. Hi Nupur,

    My kids love aloo paratha where they can mash aloo , make balls so on so forth

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  35. Nupur,
    If the cooking class for kids will include both boys and girls, I might skip the heart shaped cookie cutters;) I recently saw a bunch of cute cookie cutters (actually sandwich cutters) at Williams Sonoma but I'm sure you can find something similar at Jo Ann Fabrics or Michael's.

    Remember, simplicity is key. And many of them may not have used a knife yet...eek, I know. You're going to have so much fun! What a cool opportunity!

    Bethany

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  36. What fun Nupur !! How did you find such a class. I would sign up S for one and maybe even volunteer if there is such a kid thing here.

    You already have a great menu lined up but For more ideas:

    Vegetable Balls -- exactly like cutlets but rolled in a ball and with tooth picks of their own. My older one loved it at a party.

    Egg Salad -- Someone said that already I think. Easy, non messy, easy to eat too.

    Fruit Chaat -- For that healthy fruit addition ;-) You can use apple wedges and canned pineapples to make it easy

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  37. Hi......Nupur
    Such a lovely post from you....
    Hats off to you for volunteering to teach cooking.... It is seriously a great idea...and if kids are encouraged at young age and they develop interest in cooking then, its great for their overall development too...
    I think there is some problem with my comp as this time too I tried to post my comment twice and its not coming thr.....
    I read some wonderful ideas suggested by fellow bloggers for art and craft.....rangoli is one...mehendi and bangales is also lovely idea.... what abt embrodairy on hankies or something or lace to dupattas..... i remember we did something like that for our doll wedding when we were kids :))

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  38. Hey Daal is looking yummmm!!!! My today night's menu is Tandoori roti & this daal:)

    I think
    Veg Lolypop, just like cutlet but in lolypop shape.
    And
    American sev puri-
    http://khaugiri.blogspot.com/2009/03/american-sev-puri.html
    will be nice options.

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  39. I am impressed Nupur! Its great you are teaching... Have fun!
    BTW your Maharashtrian menu is mouthwatering :)

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  40. Anonymous- Thanks for the ideas. Yes, trail mix would be fun to make.

    Shilpa- It was a lot of fun, and a great learning experience for me too. Professional kitchens are wonderful, with all that high-quality equipment, but scaling up recipes needs a little tweaking.

    Anonymous- Great ideas, thanks. I bet the Taj Mahal pictures turned out beautiful.

    amruta- Those are cute ideas! The dal is totally worth trying.

    Meera- Thanks so much for taking the time to share so many ideas! You are so creative.
    I wish we had time for stories- folk tales from India are so entertaining. The rawa pictures are a great idea too.
    I love the idea of painting pots, and then planting seeds in them. Let me check if we have the budget and time to get pots.

    Preeti- The amount of kasuri methi seemed fine to me, but feel free to reduce it to suit your taste.

    Manasi- You are not too far off- garbanzo is just the intact form of chana dal, no? Addressing a big batch, more than daunting, it is just hard to keep your eye on everything :)
    Love the sandwich ideas, and yes, fruit salad with custard was my favorite as a kid. Thanks for all the ideas.

    Diamond and Pearl- Thanks!

    ARUNA- Thanks

    Shyam- I am quite shy (if you can believe it) but over the years, have become more and more comfortable with speaking in front of a group of people.
    And thank you for actually reading my blissfully long posts :D I need me an editor!

    shanti- Aloo parathas are kid favorites indeed, but perhaps not practical to make one by one in that setting for so many kids.

    Bethany- Oh, the kids are not too young and they are taught kitchen safety and knife skills. They are allowed to do most kitchen tasks, with close adult supervision. Thanks- I am excited!

    Bong Mom- I am quite sure there is such a group where you live! What I love is that cooking classes teach kids much more than cooking, it is about math and measurement, reading recipes and being methodical, teamwork etc. I love your ideas! I have so many recipes collected now to put a nice menu together.

    Rujuta- Thanks for your great ideas, I would love to do embroidery and lace but that's quite difficult to fit into just one hour :)

    Khaugiri- Thanks for the ideas!

    Cooking Foodie- Thank you!

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  41. The daal looks so comforting! I love the cooking class idea!

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  42. Hi Nupur,
    I've been reading your blog for a few months so far and I enjoy your posts about food, knitting and life.
    I have 4 kids myself and have been very involved in their schools. I have often volunteered in the kids' classrooms to talk and do stuff about India.
    The most successful craft I have done is one using Model Magic (available at JoAnn Fabrics or Michael's). I get a big tub of white Model Magic (good for about 20 kids) and tear off a hunk for each child. They then make a pinch pot out of it (most schools teach how to make a pinch pot in 1st grade art class). Depending on their age, the children decorate their pots with stickers, markers, sequins (bindhis). Model Magic dries overnight by itself.
    At home, we've used our many pinch pots in our puja area as home-made dheeyas with tealight candles. They last for years.

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  43. This is sooo good Nupur! I could have big bowlful with some paratha and ghee.

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  44. wow what a fantastic post!! Dal looks lovely and I loved reading about your culinary class experience. Your range of interests and abilities really impress me! Keep up the goodwork and have fun with the Kids class!

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  45. The menu you lined up for the kids cooking class looks great and so are all the suggestions.. my two cents worth would be danyache or murmuryache ladu, cheerios/rice krispies cha chivda etc.. basically take known ingredients and give it an indian twist.. Cheerios cha chivda went over phenomenally well when I took it to an office event recently.

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  46. Lovely dhal!

    I love your ideas for cooking classes with kids. Hey, I'd love to take part in the class myself! :)

    How about making roti with them? The basic one, as well as one with different flavourings, e.g. masala roti, roti with coriander & garlic, etc.

    Would samosas be too difficult, do you think?

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  47. Nupur,

    I made this dal today -

    http://i236.photobucket.com/albums/ff225/siri_me/DSC00402.jpg

    ..and I loved the silky taste of it. :).. I am planning to blog about it later.. but wanted to thank you for revisiting such lovely favorites!

    Hugs,
    Siri

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  48. This dal recipe sounds fascinating---I've never heard of black dal. This recipe goes to the top of my cooking list this week. The menu for the kids sounds quite elaborate. I bet they really got a good taste of Indian cooking!

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  49. hi Nupur, how have you been? so glad you enjoyed the dal, it is one of may fav's :) I went back and re-read my post for the heer-ranjha simile ;) see ya around!

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  50. Thank you for posting these recipes. They were super helpful.

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