Yet another easy breakfast - Chakkara gothambu (Whole Wheat in Jaggery)

After taking some serious interest in cooking, I found out one bitter truth - more than impressing the husband (who is one pour little soul... hehe...), it is super difficult to impress the kids. I sometimes feel I am at their mercy to get them to each my food!!! My elder one only wants chocolate cake - nothing more will impress her. I can make it anytime and she will gladly eat it. But then, everytime chocolate is boring. Even though I wouldn't mind it all the time, I feel that there are so much varied tastes in cakes that I want to try different varieties. She would eat her peice and then comment, "Ummi, it was good, but still I would have preferred a chocolate cake!" Grrr.... how demanding kids can get these days...

My younger one is another case. She is only 20 months old but then to get morsels into her tummy is real tough job. I have literally given up on her. I have told our help aunty also not to bother herself too much, because when I know I get irritated that she doesn't eat, I don't have to think about how a total stranger would feel. I stock up my fridge with baby carrots, seedless grapes, apples, cucumbers and Mysore bananas because I am guaranteed that even if she has no breakfast or lunch, she would happily dig her teeth into these healthy bites, which is such a relief. Then comes her three feeds of milk which she happily takes, which the doctor has strictly instructed to bring it down to 2. I am seriously worried how she will take it...

I guess pesky kids are one case with everybody... hehe... how much ever we admire them, they still manage to grate on our nerves in some or the other way. But then what are kids for? We were also like that once upon a time... :)

This is one breakfast, which both my kids love to eat, thankfully, without much fuss! Very easy to make and as usual, in a jiffy... I love such quick to make recipes... hehe...

Chakkara Gothambu (Whole Wheat in Jaggery)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup whole wheat (you can even use broken wheat, it will get cooked faster)
1 cup coconut milk or fresh milk
Sufficient water for cooking
200 gm jaggery
1 tsp cardamom
A pinch salt

Method:

Wash the wheat well and soak it in lots of water overnight in a big pressure cooker, so that it becomes soft in the morning. If using broken wheat also, it is better to keep it soaked. Drain the water, wash again. Add the coconut milk, pour water to at least one inch above the level of the wheat, drop in the jaggery (if you want, you can melt it in 1/2 cup water and strain it into the wheat), the salt and cardamom.  Close the lid of your pressure cooker, cook it on high flame till 3 whistles. Lower the flame and let it cook for 15-20 minutes minimum. If using broken wheat, cooking upto 10 minutes should be fine. Let the pressure go off itself. Open the cooker, mix well and serve hot, as it is or with a dollop of ghee.

It's that simple, isn't it? :)