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6 Easy & Healthy Recipes To Try With Your Kids

Dr. Sreelekha Daruvuri

6 Min Read

The lockdown due to COVID-19 might be, unarguably, the toughest on parents who have to keep their children indoors, considering this is the beginning of summer vacation!

While there are plenty of activities that can be done within the safety of your home like art, craft, TV, board games, gardening etc, another interactive and fun activity would be to involve your child in cooking up healthy as well as tasty snacks!

As children tend to get bored easily and would like to indulge in junk like chips and sweets, make sure you stock up on these recipes to avoid unnecessary salt or sugar intake.

RAGI LADDU

Laddus are easy to make, and using ragi makes this favourite sweet rich in calcium, iron, protein and fibre.

INGREDIENTS: ½ katori ragi flour, 2 tsp cashew powder (3-4 cashews), 2 tsp sugar, 2 tsp milk, 2 tsp ghee

PREPARATION TIME: 10-20 minutes

COOKING TIME: 5-10 minutes

STEPS:

Heat 2 teaspoons of ghee in a pan and add ½ katori ragi flour. Roast the flour on low flame for 4-5 minutes till a fragrant aroma starts.
Make a coarse powder of the cashews and dry roast it for 2-3 minutes.
Transfer the roasted ragi flour and cashews to a bowl and let them cool completely.
Take 2 teaspoons of sugar, roasted ragi flour and cashew powder and grind to a fine powder in a dry mixie.
Transfer the powder to a clean bowl, add 2 teaspoons of milk to slightly wet the mixture. Take a small portion of the mixture and roll it into small laddu. Repeat till all the mixture is used up, this is where your child can surely help out!
Garnish the laddu with cashews. Serves 3 laddus. You can also store these for up to 3 days.

recipes for kids ragi laddu mfine

OATS KHEER

Oats are a great source of fibre and protein. It is not very popular with children due to its sticky texture, so it’s important to find innovative ways to include this in their diet. Try this version of oats kheer when your child has those mid-day sweet cravings!

INGREDIENTS: ½ katori oats, 2 tsp jaggery, 1 ½ katori milk, 2 tsp ghee, 3 cashews, 1 pinch cardamom powder

PREPARATION TIME: 15-20 minutes

COOKING TIME:10 minutes

STEPS:

Heat 1 teaspoon of ghee in a pan.
Add 3 cashews to the ghee and fry till they turn golden brown. Set aside.
In a clean pan, add ½ katori oats and dry roast on low flame for 3-4 minutes. This prevents the oats from becoming sticky.
Add 1 katori of milk to the oats and stir well. Cook on low flame till milk comes to a boil, stir occasionally.
Add 1 teaspoon of powdered jaggery and cardamom powder to the pan and stir well.
Garnish with fried cashews and serve hot or cold. Serves 1.

oats kheer mfine

LAUKI KI KHEER

It’s so tough to get your little one to eat his veggies! While most mum’s find it stressful to include vegetables in their diet, here’s an easy and nutritious recipe which your child will enjoy!

INGREDIENTS: ½ katori grated lauki/dudhi/bottle gourd, 1 tsp jaggery, 1 katori milk, 1 tsp ghee, 3 cashews

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

COOKING TIME:15 minutes

STEPS:

Heat a pan with 1 teaspoon of ghee, keep medium to low flame.
Add ½ katori of grated lauki to the ghee and cook for 5-6 minutes, till the lauki releases water.
Now add 1 katori of milk to the lauki, stir occasionally so that the milk doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.
Let the kheer simmer for 2-3 minutes and let the milk reduce. Remove from the flame.
Add 1 teaspoon of powdered jaggery to the pan and mix well.
Garnish with cashews and serve warm. Serves 1.

recipes for kids lauki kheer mfine

OATS IDLI

Idlis are easy to digest, nutritious as well as quick-to-make! Be it breakfast, lunch or snack, this recipe is sure to become a family favorite. Your little one can help you stir in the ingredients, fill up the moulds and also help to garnish and serve. A must-try in this lockdown!

INGREDIENTS: ½ katori oats powder, ½ katori rawa, ½ katori curd, 1 pinch turmeric powder, salt to taste, chana dal- ¼ tsp, mustard seeds-¼ tsp, curry leaves- few, chopped ginger- ½ inch stick, coriander leaves- a few, 1 tsp oil, 1 pinch of baking powder/eno fruit salt

PREPARATION TIME: 25 minutes

COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

STEPS:

Make a fine powder with ½ katori oats.
In a pan, heat ½ teaspoon oil and add curry leaves, mustard seeds, turmeric powder and chana dal.
Add ½ katori rawa and saute on low flame till the rawa changes colour.
Now add the oats powder to the cooked rawa and saute for 4-5 minutes on low flame.
Remove from flame and transfer to a bowl. Allow to cool completely.
Add ½ katori sour curd to the cooled mixture and mix well. You can then add chopped ginger, vegetables like carrot or any other greens.
Mix well to remove any lumps. The mixture should have a medium-thick consistency.
Cover the mixture and set aside for 6-7 minutes, meanwhile, you can grease the idli moulds with few drops of oil/ghee.
You can add more water to the mixture if required. Add salt and a pinch of baking powder or Eno fruit salt and mix well. Fill the mould immediately.
Steam the idlis for 5-7 minutes.
Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with coconut chutney. Serves 4.

oats idli mfine

OATS DOSA

Same as the oats idli, this dish is full of fibre, protein, minerals and taste! It is an easy way to add your choice of veggies to ensure your kiddo eats it.

INGREDIENTS: ½ katori oats powder, ½ katori rawa, ½ katori curd, 1 pinch turmeric powder, Salt to taste, cumin seeds- ¼ tsp, mustard seeds-¼ tsp, curry leaves- few, onion- chopped 2 tsp, coriander leaves- a few, 1 tsp oil, finely grated veggies of your choice

PREPARATION TIME: 25 minutes

COOKING TIME: 10 minutes

STEPS:

Make a fine powder with ½ katori oats.
Add ½ katori rawa to the oats powder.
Now add ½ katori of sour curd and mix well to remove any lumps.
Add ½ katori water to achieve a thin consistency. The batter should resemble the consistency of rava dosa batter.
Add ¼ teaspoon of cumin seeds and salt to taste to the mixture.
Finely chop a small piece of onion, few curry leaves and any other greens of your choice(coriander, palak, dill etc) and mix into the batter.
To make the dosa, grease a pan with 1 tsp oil.
Pour the batter on the pan and make a nice round shape.
Wait till the sides begin to turn golden brown, and then flip it to cook the other side.
Garnish with curry leaves and serve hot with coconut chutney or ketchup.

oats dosa mfine

PARATHA PIZZA

Pizza is an all-time favourite among kids and adults alike! While many restaurants remain shut and eating out is non-advisable, try this easy pizza recipe at home, using leftover roti/ paratha and any veggies available.

INGREDIENTS: 2 pre cooked Roti/ paratha, 1 katori sauteed veggies of your choice, 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup, oregano/chilli flakes-as per taste, 2 tablespoons grated cheese

PREPARATION TIME: 20 minutes

COOKING TIME: 5 minutes (if roti and veggies are precooked)

STEPS:

Take cooked roti/paratha on a microwave-safe plate to begin the assembling process.
Mix a little bit of the grated cheese with tomato ketchup and spread it evenly on the roti. Then top with veggies.
Add the grated cheese, sprinkle oregano.
Microwave the pizza for 30-40 seconds to let the cheese melt, alternatively you can also cover the pizza with a lid and heat on a tava till the cheese melts.
Cut into slices, serve and enjoy! Serves 2 pizzas.

paratha pizza mfine

Enjoy preparing and relishing these healthy recipes with your children. Please share with your friends and family and also let us know your thoughts. Do stay indoors, stay healthy, stay safe and stay positive.

Note: If you have any health concerns for yourself or your family, you can now speak to top doctors online on our platform. You can also take the free COVID-19 self-assessment to know your risk of contracting coronavirus infection. In case you’re experiencing symptoms like sore throat, cough, fever, or breathing difficulty, get your symptoms assessed by top doctors on your phone on the MFine app.