5 tiffin recipes for your kids

Recess has always been the favourite part of the day for school kids. Not only do they get to go out and play, this is also the time for a tiffin box buffet. Hence, what you pack for your little one in that tiffin box every day, is hard work. However, some kids are picky eaters and hard to please, which is why you see leftovers in their tiffin boxes when they come back home. To make sure this doesn't happen, pack something that is fuss-free, convenient and tasty to eat.

Having said that, do you not often wonder if good tasting snacks suffice to keep up with the long day at school? Maybe not! Hence, tiffin meals require a careful balance of taste and nutrition. You can find that balance - in almonds. These nuts happen to be rich in many nutrients like protein, dietary fibre, vitamin E antioxidants and calcium, among others. They will not only add nutrition to your child’s snack break, but will also leave them enough time for a quick game with friends before the recess bell goes off.

Almonds are also easy and quick to flavour and go with just about any masala/spices. So you can whip up some flavoured almonds to give your kids as a snack, in addition to plain almonds, to make their tiffin tasty yet healthy. You can also try out a few of these tiffin recipes that take almost no time to put together:

 

1.       Almond and Cranberry Poha

 

This poha recipe is easy to prepare and non-messy to eat . They are a perfect snack for your child’s break time.

 

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

 

Ingredients:

 

Almond Flakes – 200 g

Poha – 450 g

Onion – 200 g

Frozen/ dried cranberries – 100 g

Salt – 15 g

Oil – 20 ml

Curry leaves – 15 g

Green chilies – 5 g

Fresh coconut – 100 g

 

Method:

 

Soak poha in cold water, strain it and keep it aside.Soak 3/4^th of almond flakes in water and toast the rest of them. In a pan take oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves, chopped green chilies and sauté it. Then, add soaked pohaand almonds in it and then add seasoning.

 

Add cranberries in it, then add chopped coriander and fresh grated coconut.Add the toasted almonds in the poha.Serve it hot with sprig of coriander as garnish.

 

2.       Toasted Almonds and Tomato Uttapam Pizza

 

Universal truth - kids love pizza!This recipe is a quirky yet healthy take on what a regular pizza should be like. Try this and rest assured that your child will come back home with an empty tiffin box.

 

Serves: 1 person

Preparation time: 8 - 10 minutes

Cooking time: 12 - 15 minutes

 

Ingredients:

 

Uttapam batter - 75 ml

Almonds cut into half(unpeeled) - 15 g

Tomato deseeded and chopped - 10 g

Chopped onion - 10 g

Chopped ginger - 2 g

Chopped coriander - 2 g

Pizza sauce - 5 g

Parmesan cheese grated - 3 g

Salt - to taste

Refined oil - 5 ml

 

Method:

 

Pour the uttapam batter in the centre of a heated non-stick pan. Sprinkle chopped tomato, onion, ginger and coriander, evenly on top. Turn the uttapam upside down to cook it from top for about a minute. Then, turn it back and spread the pizza sauce. Add almond halves and turn it over, once again.

 

Then, remove from the pan and sprinkle grated parmesan on it. Cut it into 4 pieces like a pizza. Serve hot.

 

 

 

3.       Zucchini  Spaghetti with Almonds, Fresh Tomato and Basil

 

We have all grown up with a memory of playing with the long strands of noodles and yet absolutely loving them.  This nutritious take on spaghetti made out of healthy zucchini, loaded with almonds, fresh tomato and basil, will surely be a winner at the tiffin buffet.

 

Serves: 1 person

Preparation time: 8 - 10 minutes

Cooking time: 10 - 12 minutes

 

Ingredients:

 

Green zucchini – 80 g

Yellow zucchini – 80 g

Almonds cut into half (peeled) - 30 g

Tomato blanched and chopped - 60 g

Onions chopped - 10 g

Garlic chopped - 5 g

Salt - to taste

Crushed pepper - 1 g

Parmesan grated - 5 g

Fresh basil leaves - 4 - 5 leaves

Olive oil - 10 ml

 

Method:

 

In a heavy bottom pan, heat olive oil and sauté the onion and garlic. Add blanched and chopped tomato and cook till the tomatoes are done.

 

Meanwhile takeout long, thick shreds of green and yellow zucchini with the help of a thai peeler. Add the zucchini spaghetti to the cooked tomato and toss for a minute. Add grated parmesan, hand-torn basil leaves and almonds. Mix thoroughly. Serve hot.

 

4.       BadamkaParantha

 

Regular paranthas can be boring to eat, so make them interesting and experiment with some new stuffing ideas. This badam stuffing will not only make your paranthas more crunchy and fun but will also be nice and filling for your child.

 

Serves 4

Preparation Time: 20mins

Cooking time:  10mins

 

Ingredients

 

Atta – 350gms

Water – as required

Salt – 1/2 tsp

Ghee – 2 tblspn

 

For stuffing

Almonds – 1/2 cup

Khoya – 120 gms

Haldi – 1/2 tsp

Red chilly powder – 1/2 tsp

Coriander cracked – 2 tsp

Green chilly chop – 2 tsp

Ginger chop – 2 tsp

Salt – 1/2 tsp

 

Method

 

Reserve around 50 gms of atta for rolling out the dough. In the remaining atta add salt and water and make soft dough. Keep aside for resting.

 

For the stuffing blanch the almonds, peel and chop them up finely. Add rest of the ingredients in the chopped almonds and mix well. Now divide the dough equally and shape it round. Take a spoonful of stuffing and stuff the dough and seal it. Now roll out flat using dry atta and give it a round shape.

 

Heat a flat tawa and cook the parantha on both sides. Apply ghee and make it nice and crisp. Serve hot with yogurt.

 

 

5.       Baked Almond Kofta

 

These baked almond koftas donot take a lot of time to prepare and make for a healthy and filling tiffin recipe for your kids.

 

Serves: 4

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Ingredients for Kofta:

Potato, boiled and mashed - 2 cups

Nutmeg - A pinch

Milk - 2 tbsp

Almonds crushed –3/4 cup

Green onions, chopped –1/2 cup

Refined flour - 1 tbsp

Egg – 1 no

Salt –3/4tsp

Pepper –1/2tsp

 

Ingredients for Crumbing:

Eggs – 2 no

Refined flour - for rolling

Dry breadcrumbs - for rolling

 

Method:

Place the mashed potato in a bowl and add almonds, salt, pepper, nutmeg, milk, green onions, flour, and 2 eggs. Mix them well and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Now roll them into equal-sized koftas.

 

Place flour, beaten eggs, and breadcrumbs separately in different plates. Cover each kofta with flour and dunk them in beaten eggs.

 

After which give them a good roll in the breadcrumbs.Preheat an oven to 200c and bake the koftas till golden brown. Serve hot.