Pack it with love: Here are some ideas of fuzz-free recipes for little ones
KOCHI: Well, the school days are back again. The everyday morning scene of parents, especially mothers, hurrying to send their children off to school is now part of the daily routine. The usual morning breakfast menu of scrambled eggs with toast, a boiled egg with a glass of milk or dosa with chutney/sambar has few takers among the children.
Experts put forth easy-peasy healthy breakfasting for the little ones. According to celebrity dietitian and nutritionist Lekshmy Manish from Thiruvananthapuram, the need for a nutritious breakfast has to be addressed.
“Unlike earlier, every family has working parents. Now cooking traditional breakfasts, which are rich in nutrients, is not possible for all. That is why we need to look for other options to substitute them. It is said that for a five-year-old kid, 20 grams of daily protein is needed and for a 13-15-year-old, it is 30-35 grams. Also, one should eat breakfast within 1-2 hours of waking up,” she says.
Lekshmy adds that children should never compromise breakfast as it will result in poor brain development and growth. The dietician also warns the parents about fad diets circulating on social media, including eliminating gluten. Nutritious breakfast will aid the cognitive ability of children, she adds.
“Protein, iron, calcium and omega should be part of their morning diet. For those who hate boiled eggs, go for omelettes prepared using chopped veggies, leafy vegetables, and a slice of cheese. Fruit smoothies without added sugar is another option. All of these are filling and nutritious. Vegetable soups are also a good choice. Also, avoid sugary juices. Fruit-vegetable juices like watermelon-carrot are also an energising breakfast drink,” she says. Home chef and parent of a 14-year-old, Priya Kolassery says she has made new versions of traditional breakfasts for her daughter.
“I usually give her steamed dishes as tiffin. For breakfast, stuffed ragi dosa is one of her favourites. Salads made from flavoured yoghurt and granola bars are also a good option. As every school has canteens, it would be great if school authorities replace bottled juices with fresh ones or tender coconut water,” she concludes.
Mughlai paratha
Ingredients
Wheat flour: 2cup
Oil/ghee: 2tbsp+extra
Sugar: 1/2tsp
Salt: 3/4tsp
Warm milk: 1/4 cup
Water: 1/2 cup +extra if needed
For filling
Chicken: 250g (minced or
finely chopped)
Oil: 2 tbsp
Onion: 2 (chopped)
Ginger garlic paste: 1 tbsp
Green chilli: 1
Tomato: 2 (chopped)
Chilli powder: 2tsp
Coriander powder: 1tsp
Turmeric powder: 1/4tsp
Pepper: 1/2tsp
Cumin: 1/4tsp
Garam masala: 1/2tsp
Coriander leaves: 2-3tbsp
Egg: 2
Preparation of the filling
Heat oil, add onion and fry till transparent, add ginger and garlic paste. Sauté till the raw smell leaves. Add tomatoes, salt and masala. Add chicken and cook till done. Let it cool. Add coriander leaves, eggs and keep aside.
Method
Combine flour, sugar and salt. Rub the oil into the flour mixture. Gradually add milk and water and knead into a smooth dough. Apply ghee on top. Keep it covered for 1-2 hrs. Knead the whole dough again. Roll out into small puri, apply ghee or oil, and sprinkle some flour. Fold into a square. Roll into big chapattis. Keep 2-3 tbsp filling, and fold the sides to form a square. Cook on hot tawa till done.
Multi grains and millet pancake
By chef Kalesh K S, CROWNE PLAZA
Ingredients
Refined flour: 1/4 cup
Whole wheat flour: 1/4 cup
Oats: 1/4 cup (crushed)
Ragi flour: ¼ cup
Quinoa flour: ¼ cup
Brown sugar: 2 tablespoon
Baking powder: 1 teaspoon
Salt: 1/4 teaspoon
Milk: 1 cup
Egg: 1
Sunflower oil: 2 teaspoons
Optional toppings: Fresh berries, maple syrup, whipped cream and butter
Method
In a large bowl, combine the first eight ingredients. Add milk, egg and oil, and mix well using a whisk. Pour the batter using a ladle onto a greased hot griddle. Turn when bubbles form on top; cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with optional toppings.
Stuffed raggi dosa pocket
By Priya Kolassery, home chef
Ingredients
Raggi powder: 1/3 cup
Wheat flour: 4 tablespoon
Egg: 1
Salt: To taste
For filling:
Ripe banana: 1
Jaggery: as per taste
Grated coconut: a handful
Method
For dosa batter, mix raggi, wheat flour, egg and salt with water till it becomes a liquid consistency. For making the fillings, add jaggery, grated coconut and minced or cut banana pieces, mix well and keep it aside. In a hot tawa, pour the dosa batter and spread it well. Once it gets cooked, sprinkle ghee on top of it and add the filling to the dosa. Now, fold the dosa into the shape of a post cover. Serve hot.
Wheat and oats cupcakes
Ingredients
Atta: 4 tablespoon
Flax seed: 1 tsp
Sugar: 75gm
Egg: 3
Oats: 2 tablespoon
Milk chocolate: 100gm
Butter: 75gm
Vanilla essence: 1tsp
Baking powder:1tsp
Method
Beat butter and sugar in a bowl. Melt the chocolate. Add vanilla essence, flax seeds and oats to the chocolate. Beat three eggs and add the butter mixture to it. Add the chocolate mix. Now add atta, baking powder and mix well to remove the lumps. Pour the batter into the cupcake liners. Dust some oats and flax seed into the top of the batter. Bake for 20 minutes.
Pita chicken wrap
By Mahima Simon, chef and cooking trainer
Ingredients
Pita bread: 3
Chicken: 250gm (boneless)
Salt: 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder: 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon powder: 1/4 tsp
Paprika powder: 1 and 1/2 tsp
Chilli flakes: 1/2 tsp
Onion powder: 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam masala: 1/2 tsp
Garlic: 5
Curd: 3 tbsp
Lime: 1/2
Olive oil: 1 tbsp
For salad filling
Cucumber: 3/4
Tomato: 1
Onion: 1/2
Lime juice
Parsley: 1 tbsp
Method
Marinate the chicken in the above for 15 min. And grill it on a hot tawa for 2-3 minutes on each side. Heat a pita bread. Spread chicken filling and place salad on top,
wrap and serve.