Kids making Aloo Paratha

My kids have developed a love for cooking.  Just yesterday as I was teaching in the evening they decided to cook their own dinner. I heard clinking and clanking. When I was done teaching, dinner (part dinner), was ready. They had cooked a pot of rice, and later scooped it out, mixed it with a dash of vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, salt and wrapped it in seaweed. Simple Korean food. Wonderful isn't it?

I believe these are important skills that allow a child  to feel empowered. Seriously, it's not always about math and science you know (although yes they are important too). Life skills enable a child to feel confident as they are able to do stuff usually done by adults, they are able to contribute to household duties and responsibilities and feel proud about it.

Ok, before the ramble gets longer, here's today. Back in the USA, I lived with a wonderful roommate who's Indian/Ceylonese. I recall days when I would cook Chinese cuisine,she would do Indian cuisine, and we'd sit down and have a feast! I wanted my children to experience making Paratha today. Something I learned back then. I know, my recipe may have been greatly warped by my failing memory *grin*....but whatever, here's close to what I remember, and what we did today. Well, actually the kids did everything, except the dhal.
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1) First we boiled some potatoes, mashed them and added Indian spices and salt. We also made dough out of wheat flour, mixed with a bit of olive oil and yoghurt. Kneading is always great fun for kids, and therapeutic I think. We let the flour sit for about 15 minutes. In the mean time, I cooked some dhal. I wanted to make Chickpea curry, but the grocery shop nearby had no chickpea so we settled for dhal.

Potato balls and dough

2) Then kids took turns in rolling their own dough out. I only had one instruction for them, keep turning the dough to create a nice round shape.

3) They then added a ball of potato in the center, and pinched the dough up, adding just a touch of olive oil on the top.

4) Again, they rolled this out, so now there's a nice flat bread with potato on the inside.

5) Nel and Jo fried their own parathas on the pan....not perfect or beautiful as the ones you find on cooking sites, but I think, great achievement for them. :)

So here, above and below for lunch was our version of Aloo Paratha with home made dhal. :) This dhal recipe, I learnt by watching my friends cook (lots of tomatoes, onions, some dhal, spices, cilantro and yoghurt.)

Yup, so lunch was delicious. . :)

@poundthegarlic.blogspot.com 2012

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