Decorated Wooden Bird House | Kids Craft

Hi Friends, sharing a simple craft which little miss and me did. I had this cute little wooden bird house from my US trip long back. We decided to deck it up for my daughters bird theme birthday party.

Painted it with acrylic paints in metallic pink and golden. Loved the combination! Stuck some colored popsicle sticks on the roof and sprinkled some glitter dust on the front side...easy :)

Do let me know how you liked our little bird house. 

Methi thepla | Methi masala paratha

I am in love with Methi in any form and hence try to include it in some way in the diet. 

Methi thepla is a flavoured flat bread recipe from gujarati cuisine prepared with fresh fenugreek leaves. This thepla comes very handy as a lunch box recipe and also for tiffin box while traveling since it has a longer shelf life compared to normal roti’s and can be easily preserved for 3 days in room temperature

while the fenugreek leaves are considered to be bitter in taste, it has several heath benefits to offer. Firstly, it helps in improving digestion and appetite, it is full of antioxidants and fibre, which eventually removes all toxins from our body. Secondly, fenugreek leaves helps in reducing body weight and can be easily included in diet for weight watchers. It is also considered to be good remedy for menstrual disorders especially the pain and the cramps. lastly, it also helps to cure hair loss disorder and helps to retain the glow on skin.

Ingredients

2 cups wheat flour / atta

¼ cup besan / gram flour

½ tsp kashmiri red chili powder / lal mirch powder

1 tsp sesame seeds / til

¼ tsp turmeric / haldi

½ tsp carom seeds / ajwain

1 green chili, chopped

salt to taste

1 inch ginger, grated

1 cup methi leaves / fenugreek leaves, finely chopped

½ cup curd / yogurt, fresh / sour

water as required, to knead dough

2 tsp oil

5 tsp oil / ghee, for roasting

Method

firstly, in a large mixing bowl take wheat flour and besan.

also add chili powder, turmeric, sesame seeds, carom seeds and salt.

additionally, add green chili and ginger.now add finely chopped methi leaves.give a rough mix making sure the spices are combined well.

furthermore, add half cup of curd and combine the dough well.

additionally, add some water and knead the dough.

knead the dough to smooth and soft texture like of chapathi dough.

add 2 tsp of oil and knead the dough for 5 more minutes.

now pinch a medium sized ball dough, roll and flatten it.

also dust with some wheat flour.

further roll it in a thin circle like chapathi or paratha.

now on a hot tawa place the rolled thepla and cook for a minute.

flip the methi thepla also brush oil / ghee and press slightly.

finally, serve methi thepla with raita and pickle.

Tips:

Thepla has to be fried on medium to high flame and not on low flame. on low flame the thepla would turn hard and brittle. 

Adding curd is optional while kneading the dough. however curd helps to make thepla soft

Addition  ajwain or carrom seeds which help in digestion of gram flour.

Washi tape card | Easy card | Kids craft

Hi Peeps

Recently little miss made these cards for her grandparents anniversary. We stuck colorful washi tape on card stock. Cut some balloons, attached strings. Stamped a little fairy which was colored by missy. Inside she wrote lovely message for her grand parents. Do let me know how u liked her simple creation. :)

Healthy Steamed Methi Muthia

Methi being my favourite, I love to include it in any diet possible. Steamed Methi Muthiya is a healthy yet delicious snacks. 

This is also a great way to get children to eat loads of Methi, which they otherwise find bitter.

Steamed Methi Muthia is a delicious and healthy snack from Gujarat made with fresh fenugreek leaves, wheat flour, and gram flour. Enjoy it with a piping hot cup of Masala Chai.

Ingredients

2.5 Cups Fresh Methi (Fenugreek) Leaves

1.5 Cups Atta, Wheat Flour

0.5 Cups Besan, Gram Flour

1 tbsp Sesame Seeds

1 tsp Green Chilli Paste

1 tsp Fresh Ginger Paste

2 tbsp Lemon Juice

1 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1/2 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tsp Sugar

1 tbsp Oil

To Taste Salt

As Required Water

Ingredients for Tempering

1-2 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Rai, Mustard Seeds

1 tbsp Til, Sesame Seeds

A Few Curry Leaves

A Pinch Hing, Asafoetida

Instructions

Making the Dough for Methi Muthiya:

Chop the fenugreek leaves. Wash them and set aside to drain in a colander.

Mix together atta, besan, red chilli powder, turmeric, green chilli paste, ginger paste, sesame seeds, sugar, and salt.

Add the chopped and washed methi leaves. Mix well

Add the lemon juice. Mix well.

Using a little water, mix to create a firm yet pliable dough.

Add 1 tbsp oil. Mix well.

Set aside for 5 minutes.

Divide the dough into 2 halves.

Roll each half into a log about 1.5" in diameter.

In a pressure cooker or steamer, add enough water for a 7-10 minute steam.

Bring the water to a boil.

Place the rolls in a steamer or a flat colander.

Steam the rolls for 7 to 10 minutes.

Turn off the heat and let the rolls cool a bit.

Cut the steamed rolls into 1/2" slices.

Tempering the Methi Muthiya

In a pan, heat the oil.

Add the mustard seeds and wait till they splutter.

Add the sesame seeds, curry leaves, and hing.

Stir-fry for a few seconds.

Add the Methi Muthiya.

With a gentle hand, stir-fry for 3 to 5 minutes till the muthia just start to change colour.

Serve hot with a cup of Masala Chai.

Recipe Notes

Be careful not to over steam the Muthia; otherwise they will become tough.

You could add a pinch of cooking soda or fruit salt (Eno) to the dough. If you do choose to do this, make sure it is just a pinch.

I found that I did not need too much water because the moisture in the washed leaves and the lemon juice is quite sufficient to make the dough.