With the hope to make healthy snacks for afternoon tea, I try to soak legumes and had kala channa soaked. I must admit that I am not a big fan of it but respect it and eat it for the wealth of goodness it possesses. I had pressure cooked half of it and left another half to sprout. I was wondering what to make with it while thinking of a good breakfast for my wee one and myself too. He likes to have baked beans but I do not like giving him the same food everyday. It then occurred to me that I could sneak kala channa into his breakfast. Normally, I would not give him kala channa or any channa as it is a choking hazard at his age but this recipe calls for grinding the channa making it safe. I wanted it to be a wholesome dish so combined carbohydrates in the form of potato, calcium from cheese and ofcourse protein from cheese and the channa itself. The channa is also rich in fibre and when combined with aromatic coriander leaves which are rich in minerals, it was a superb combination. It was neither too heavy nor too light and helped us keep full until mid morning snack. It is important not to fill a toddler’s tummy with just one meal and better to stagger the intake throughout the day. Same applies to us also but I must admit it is a struggle sticking to that regime while having a house to run and child to care for. I made this recipe very recently and while there are almost a hundred other recipes to be drafted and posted, this has jumped the queue really because I thought it would be a good dish for parents to give their little ones and ofcourse nourish themselves. Sticking the wee toothpicks makes it more attractive to wee ones and helps them gobble the dish!
½ cup cooked kala channa
1 medium sized potato
Handful of coriander leaves
1 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon cumin powder
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder
½ teaspoon chilly powder (optional)
2 heaped tablespoon grated cheese
2 heaped tablespoon all purpose flour
Cooking oil
In a food processor, bring together the kala channa, potato and coriander leaves and blend but do not add any water. The consistency should be such that it forms a ball when held together. To achieve this you need to ensure you drain the channa and potato well to avoid them forming a paste
Add the cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt, cheese, coriander powder and mix well
Make a runny paste by bringing the flour and water together
Make balls of the channa cheese mixture and dip in the flour paste to coat uniformly
Cook with little oil in kuzhi paniyara koodu. If you do not have one, make patties and cook on hot tava with little oil
Serve hot!
Interesting and definitely irresistible..
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