7 everyday indian lunch recipes ( for 2+ Toddlers & kids ) Family friendly meals

Recipe #1 – Rice, dal & beetroot fry

• Into a saucepan, add 1 cup rice, 2 cups water, 1/4 tsp salt.
• Cover and bring it to a boil ..
• Once it starts boiling, reduce to low and cook for 25 minutes

Step 2) Make dal:

• Heat a sauce pan and pour 2 tsp oil
• Add chopped tomato anc cook until soft
• Add 1 chopped garlic, 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, pinch of chilli powder, 1/4 tps cumin powder, salt
• Add chopped coriander leaves, 1/2 cup dal and 2 cups water
• Cover and bring it to a boil
• Once it starts boiling, reduce to low and cook for 25 minutes .. ( 15 minutes on pressure cooker ) ..
• If you like to make tadka/garnish, feel free to add once the dal is ready..

Step 3) Make beetroot stirfy:

• Heat 2 tsp oil, add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• Add the sliced beetroot and cook for 1 minute
• Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, pinch of chilli powder and 1/4 tsp salt .. mix ..
• Cover and cook on low heat for 5 minutes ( or until soft )..

To Serve 2 – 5 year kids:

• Take some rice, add some dal, mix and serve.. ( feed the beetroot fry in between)
• If your 2+ year toddler can help themselves, you can serve the beetroot fry first in a palte and then serve rice and dal in a bowl with spoon ( I encouraged this way when my little girl was around 2.5 years )

Recipe #2 – Rice, Sambar and beetroot stirfry

Method:

Step 1) Cook the toor dal:

• Into a pan, add the toor dal, 2 cups water, 1 tomato chopped, 1 garlic, turmeric powder, salt
• Cover, heat on high and bring it to a boil
• Once it boils, reduce to low and cook for 25 minutes .. ( or 12 minutes in pressure cooker )

Step 2) Cook Sambar:

• Heat oil  .. add 1/4 tsp mustard seeds, 2 dried red chillies
• add 1 chopped onion and cook for 1 minute ..
• add 1 tsp ginger paste and some curry leaves ..
• pinch of asafoetida ( hing)
• 1 chopped tomato and cook until soft ..
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp chilli powder, 1/4 tsp cumin powder, 1 tbsp sambar powder and salt .. mix ..
• 1/4 cup tamarind juice( or 1 tsp concentrate) .. mix ..
• 1 chopped carrot and 8 chopped beans .. mix
• Pour 1 cup water, cover, heat on high and bring it to a boil ..
• Once it starts boiling, reduce to medium and cook for 10 minutes ..
• Add the cooked toor dal and bring it to a boil ..
• when boils, reduce to low and simmer 5 minutes .. check salt and add if needed .. sambar ready ..

Step 3) Make Greenleaf stirfry:

• Heat a pan and pour 2 tsp oil
• Add 1 chopped onion, 1 chopped garlic and cook until soft
• Add the chopped greenleaf and cook on medium-heat for 5 minutes
• Add 1/4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp coriander powder, pinch of cumin powder and salt to taste
• Cover and cook on lowheat for 5 minutes ( or until soft ) .. greenleaf stirfry ready..

To Serve 2 – 5 year kids, mix some rice with little sambar and serve..

Recipe #3 – Rice & Fish curry

• Into the blender, add 1 cup roasted coconut
• 8 – 10 shallots(small red onion) or 1/4 cup onion
• 1 tsp pepper
• Spice powders: 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp chilli powder,1 tbsp coriander powder, 2 tbsp fennel powder ..
• 1 cup water .. ( add more while grinding if too thick )
• grind for 2 minutes.. pour into a bowl.. coconut gravy ready

Step 2) Make the fish curry:

• Heat a big pan, add the fenugreek seeds & curry leaves and let the fenugreek (methi) turn light brown ..
• Pour the ground coconut gravy
• Pour 1 cup water to the bowl and pour into the pan ..
• Add 2 cup tamarind juice
• Add 1 chopped tomato, 2 – 3 chillies, salt to taste ..
• Bring it to a boil
• Once it starts boiling, drop the fish, gently stir and boil for 1 minute ..
• Reduce to medium-heat and cook for 25 minutes ..
• After 15 minutes, check salt .. add if needed and (cook for remaining 10 minutes )
• Fish curry ready..

To feed 2 – 5 year kids: take some rice, 2 – 3 fish pieces and just few drops of curry ..  while giving fish, check for any bones (remove if any) and then give ..

If you like to make ‘ easy Salmon fish curry ‘, check this link -> https://www.c4cooking.com/salmon-fish-curry-recipe/

Recipe #4 – Rice & lauki dal (bottlegourd/sorekai)

Method:

Step 1) Get ready with all the ingredients

Step 2) Heat a pan and pour 1 tbsp oil ..

Step 3) Add 1 chopped onion and cook until soft ..

Step 4) Add 1/2 tsp garlic paste and 1 chilli ..

Step 5) Add 1 chopped tomato and cook until soft ..

Step 6) Add salt & spice powders : ( 1/4 tsp – turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp – chilli powder,
2 tsp – coriander powder, 1/4 tsp – cumin powder, 1/4 tsp – garam masala powder ) ..

Step 7) Add 1 cup chopped lauki ( bottlegourd / sorekai) and mix ..

Step 8) Add 1/4 cup chana dal, 1/2 cup moong dal, 2 cups water, cover and bring it to a boil ..

Step 9) Once it starts boiling, reduce to low and cook for 20 minutes .. Add 2 tsp chopped coriander leaves .. turn off the heat

To Serve 2 – 5 year kids:
Take some rice, add some dal .. serve first.. keep some lauki(bottle gourd) pieces in a bowl and serve separately ( or give with rice )

Recipe #5 – Rice & Chicken Curry

• Heat a skillet/fry pan and cook the bottom-side for 40 seconds ( or until light brown spots appear )
• Flip and cook the otherside for 40 seconds ..
• spread some ghee, flip and cook for 20 seconds ..
• spread some ghee, final flip and cook for 20 seconds ..
• ghee paratha ready.. this ghee paratha is a great choice for picky toddlers and kids 🙂

To Serve 2 – 5 year kids:
serve 1 or 2 paratha first.. next, serve some beetroot stirfry

Recipe #7 – Easy Veg Pulao

Step 2) Heat pan and pour 1 tbsp oil ( or ghee ) ..

Step 3) Add 1″ cinnamon stick, 2 cardamoms, 2 cloves

Step 4) Add 1 sliced onion and cook for 2 minutes ..

Step 5) Add 1 tsp ginger-garlic paste .. cook 1 minute

Step 6) Add 1/2 cup chopped carrot, 1/2 cup beans, 1/2 cup peas

Step 7) Add 1/4 tsp – turmeric powder, 1/4 tsp – chilli powder, 1 tsp – coriander powder, 1/4 tsp – pepper powder.. Cook for 4 minutes on medium-heat ..

Step 8) Add 1 cup basmati or jeera(zeera) rice, 2 cups of water and salt to taste .. veg pulao ready ..

This recipe is a good way to encourage your toddlers and kids to eat vegetables 🙂