With the Christmas season nearly upon us (again? already?), your kids will soon be getting excited, if they aren’t already! Get the whole family in the mood for Christmas with these festive easy cooking recipes for kids.
For both of these recipes, an adult will need to deep fry the treats, but the youngsters can help out with mixing the ingredients, kneading the dough, and shaping the pastries.
Kulkuls
Children love an excuse to make a bit of mess and to play with their hands. For this reason, Kulkuls from the Goan region are a great recipe for them to help you bake.
Ingredients:
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 cup semolina
- 4 tbsp. sugar
- 4 tbsp. vegetable oil
- 2 medium-sized eggs
- 1 cup coconut milk
- A pinch of salt (optional, to taste)
Preparation:
In a large bowl, mix together the flour, semolina, sugar, and eggs.
When the mixture resembles breadcrumbs, gradually add the coconut milk in portions. Knead the mixture into dough – add a little bit of oil to ensure a smooth and very pliable consistency.
After kneading for several minutes separate a marble-sized ball of dough. Flatten the small ball onto the back of a fork, then gently roll it off to give the distinct ribbed kulkul shape.
Kulkuls can also be folded into a shell using the same amount of dough. Smaller children might find that a more difficult task, however.
The kulkuls are then deep-fried in oil until lightly golden brown, when the oil is drained off them on a piece of kitchen paper.
Chakalis
Chakalis are a common festival food – especially around Diwali. If your family needs a break from all the sugary sweet treats that are eaten around Christmas time, then the savoury Chaklis are the answer.
Ingredients:
- 2 cups Rice flour
- 1 cup Gram flour
- 1 tbsp. Carom Seeds
- 1 tbsp. Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp. Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tsp. Tumeric Powder
- 1 tbsp. Coriander Powder
- 1 tbsp. Sesame Seeds
- 3 tsp. Vegetable oil
- 1¼ cups of water
- Salt (add to taste)
Preparation:
Crush the carom and cumin seeds, and then mix all the other dry ingredients together. Add hot vegetable oil and water, and then knead to create a dough.
After letting the dough sit covered for 30 minutes, use your chakali maker to form the star-shaped threads. Shape these into the circular spirals and deep fry until light brown (remember to turn over and fry both sides).
After frying, allow the chakalis to cool on a piece of absorbent kitchen paper to remove all the oil.