Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Rainbow Chapathi - Kids Lunch Box Special!


I know, I know.. its been 2 weeks since I posted anything. I just can't figure out how two weeks passed so quickly. I was busy doing nothing! You all must have been tired of seeing my Mocha picture for several days when you open my page. I actually sat down to write this post three times last week and everytime there were distractions in some way, but nothing I can remember. My thoughts were cloudy and immature. But I've been blogging in my mind :) One thought leads to another when I'm alone, but I just let it go and can't remember anything when I sit to write. This post has been sitting in my drafts for more than a week now. And, after receiving a yell from my sister today, I finally was able to post it today.

Not too long ago, I received an email asking if I would like to participate in a "Cooking for Kids" contest and my reaction was, boy that's tough! Though I didn't have time to participate, ever since I saw that email, I've been constantly thinking about making something different that can be healthy and nutritious and my daughter can actively participate. Cooking for kids - I realize lot of us have this challenge in our day-to-day life. I pack her lunch box everyday and very often I run out of ideas for her lunch box. So everyday a considerable amount of my time goes for planning my daughter's lunch. If I can't pack just one lunch-box, I sometimes really wonder how mom used to pack 4 lunch boxes, well actually 5 including dad, lunch boxes everyday. Well, I think the answer is quite clear. We were never fussy with food. While growing up, like many of us, we had only two choices - eat or leave. There were never any meals customized for any of us in the family and its usually mom's choice of menu for the day.

But now, whining and complaining in the dining table is a very usual scene in my place. As far as food goes, it takes really hard to please my daughter. Her list of favorite foods is very small. If she likes something, then it has to be *really* good. I can never get her to try new foods and partially I should be blamed too for not being strict as mom, but I keep complaining that she has adopted this fussy nature from her dad! The good news is she's getting better these days and is willing to try some new recipes once in a while. Well, however she is, there's no doubt she brings a bundle of joy to my life. And I adore her as always. No matter what.

So, wanting to try a different lunch dish for her lunch box I tried this rainbow chapathi for my daughter last week. Mild and colorful, this dish naturally appeals to kids and has nutrients bundled in one meal and, most importantly, my little one loved it! This may be a little time-consuming recipe for some of us (for me, it is!), but to save time you can prepare the batter over the weekend and store it in freezer and leave it outside the night before making it.

This recipe also goes to SriValli's Monthly Mingle - Kids Lunches event. The Original Event
was hosted by Meeta.

Ingredients

  • Spinach - 1/2 cup (tightly packed)
  • Beetroot - 1/2
  • Carrot - 1/2
  • Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
  • Ginger/garlic paste - 1 tsp
  • Chapathi flour - 3 cups
  • Butter
  • Whipped cream - Optional

Procedure:

  • Peel and finely chop the beets and carrots.
  • Cook the spinach, beets and carrots separately with a pinch of chilli powder, salt and little water. I microwaved each of them for 3 - 5 mins.
  • When they are completely cooked blend each of them separately to a paste.
  • To one cup of chapathi flour, add the spinach paste, a little bit of ginger/garlic paste and knead to a soft dough. Add little water if required. Repeat this step with beats and carrots too. You will now have 3 different dough as shown in the picture.


  • Make each of them to a long string dusting them with flour as shown here:

  • Cut them in equal sizes (approximately to 3 pieces) and roll them to a flat ball as shown here:

  • Now make chapathis out of them by frequently dusting them with flour. You will get a colored pattern like this:

  • Heat a pan and cook the chapathis well by applying little butter on each side. Serve with whipped cream on the top!

39 comments:

Cham said...

Haha, If we have only one, we never say eat or leave. To pack my son lunch pack, I am battling too! Wow, what a creativity, definetly it will attract any kid even adult!

Sujatha said...

That's right Cham. With one kid, we automatically customize our menu for their choices.. :)

Kitchen Chronicles said...

Very creative. My four year old son is sitting beside me as I read post and without even reading the name of the dish is asking me, Amma will you please make me this Rainbow Chapathi.

Raks said...

Cool looking chappatis....idea is superb!!

Unknown said...

Cool and innovative idea....Its soo colorful though lil time consuming for lazy people like me :)

Anonymous said...

Sujatha,thanks for this lovely idea..am sure this will click with my daughtie too..yummy

Lavanya Raj said...

WOW Sujatha..Chapathi's are so attractive!

FH said...

WOW!! What great gorgeous colors. I bet kids will be very happy to see that in their lunch boxes. Good job! :)

Vani said...

What a great idea! the chappati looks so pretty :)

Anonymous said...

very creative... i am sure kids will live it...

Priya Suresh said...

Very creative...got hooked with this rainbow chappathi...its will surely attract any kids, even me too..

Deepthi Shankar said...

it happens to me too, one thing leads to another & i just can get myself together & blog .. that chapathi is a totally cool idea .. Iam sure kids will love it

Manju said...

wow! wow! any kid would love that!! so colorful!!

Anonymous said...

awesome... very creative... looks very delicious :)

A_and_N said...

That is one of the more innovative things i've seen in a long time. Thats a great way to make kids eat their vegetables...and its colorful....just the way kids like it....lovely post Sujatha :)

vandana rajesh said...

Packing lunch for my daughter is one of the toughest tasks. Racking my brains for interesting recipes that please her palette. That's probably what drove me to have a lunch box event on my blog some months back. Very attractive chapathi with all those colrs, kids surely won't be able to say no.

Sanghi said...

Very colourful and great idea..! Not for kids, even i'm getting crazy over them..! Will make for my hubby, he wud surely love the colour..!:)

Premyscakes said...

Wow superb idea, hats off.

Sia said...

sujatha, i am pinching myself coz i made same coloured chapatti last week and it's lying somewhere in my over flowing draft ;)

wishing u and ur loved ones a very happy Ugadi :)

Laavanya said...

What a fabulous idea Sujatha... i can see what an instant hit this will be with kids and can't wait to try it for my daughter.

Dori said...

Wow, kids would love that... Who am I kidding, I love that!!!

Bhawna said...

Wow.. what a nice colorful recipe for kids, healthy too. why kids..even i love to eat rainbow chapati. Thanks for sharing. Pics are too good.

Bhawna said...

I like ur picture on top too. Nice use of glasses.

Mahimaa's kitchen said...

oh my god!! cute chapathis. looks so colorful. this will be loved by adults too..not only kids :)

Srivalli said...

Thats really very innovative chapati..thanks for sending it along!

mona said...

Kids will definitely love this. Very creative idea for a healthy chapati Sujatha. Keep it up!

Vidhya said...

wow... what an invention. looks perfect. I will be trying this pretty soon... thanks for sharing the recipe.

passionforlife said...

wow! thats innovative!

EC said...

Thats so very innovative..even I would love to have such chapatis

Lakshmi said...

Very creative way of making chapathi. I am glad my son eats anything made at home. I have absolutely no problem feeding him Veg and Fruits.

Sujatha said...

Hi LG! You're so lucky to have such a nice son.. Mine drives me crazy on the dining table..:)

Pavithra Elangovan said...

wow i too do the same ...nice blog..missed all these days..Great space for u. I will visit regularly. Pictures are perfect.

Jaya M said...

excellent way to give healthy nutrients to kids ..looks so well prepared :)..
hugs and smiles

saffronapron.blogspot.com said...

Wonderful idea. Nice recipe and the pic looks great too.

Unknown said...

heyyy this is nidhi...ur recipe sounds nd looks awesome... hope my 2 yr old son loves it...gonna try dis weekend....grt wrk ladyyyy...

Home Cooked Oriya Food said...

thats creativlity at its best! Looks beautiful...

soumya_cooking blog said...

looks good and tastes too good! thanx

Smita said...

very Creative!!!!!

Your blog header is also nice & catchy..

Anonymous said...

excellent idea to tackle kiddies....thanks a lot