Cooking Savoury Meals with Kids

I have to start by saying that the photos I have taken absolutely don't do these foods justice as they taste (and smell) amazing but just turned out looking not so great - probably because I soaked the rice for too long and it ended up going a bit mushy.

I've been watching the odd episode of Waitrose Kitchen when I get the chance (I usually have to record it and then catch up when I have time) and a couple of the recipes that jumped out at me were the ones done by Vivek Singh quite a few weeks ago. 

So I looked up the recipes online. The recipe for Vivek Singh's Chicken Malai Tikka skewers can be found here. And the Lucknow-style Chicken Biriyani recipe is here. 

As a few of the herbs and spices used in each of the recipes are the same, I bought what I needed and then made both recipes on consecutive days. 

The Luck-now style biriyani just smells beautiful with the ghee, cardamom, saffron and rose water. All ingredients that my mum used to use in her cooking so the aromas brought back some lovely memories of my childhood.  

Lucknow style chicken biriyani

 I added a few chopped almonds to serve as I liked the little bit of crunch they added to the dish.

Lucknow style chicken biriyani

I have since used the same spices in cooking rice to liven it up. By following the ingredients list and instructions for the 'saffron mix' on Vivek's recipe, I made the mixture using the 100ml milk warmed up, with some saffron strands, 50g ghee and a couple of spoons of rosewater (I also added a piece of mace, and a bayleaf) and poured it over my rice with some boiled water. I then did my usual pop it in the microwave for 20 minutes and it added that beautiful flavour, colour and aroma to the rice which we then ate as part of a different meal.

Then we made the Malai chicken tikka skewers and I didn't skewer them or put them on the barbecue so mine turned out looking really pale - but again the taste was awesome!

You might think that with recipes like these for savoury meals that there is little scope for getting the kids involved but Miss T loves grinding up herbs and spices with the pestle and mortar.

When I passed her the Mace (which we have NEVER used before in cooking) she took it from me and said really enthusiastically 'Oh Wow, Mace!' It was sooo cute!

She was also great at helping to weigh out ingredients.

And one of her favourite jobs in the kitchen...Mixing!

So next time your little ones ask to help in the kitchen, remember there are always jobs they can help with.