Check out these yummy Kid-Friendly Snack Recipes for your kids.
1) Sweet Corn & Spinach Tikki
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sweet corn kernels (fresh or frozen)
- 1 cup spinach leaves (washed and finely chopped)
- One medium-sized potato (boiled and mashed)
- 1 small carrot (grated)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 1-2 green chillies (finely chopped, optional for mild spice)
- 2 tablespoons besan (gram flour)
- 1 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 2-3 tablespoons oil (for shallow frying)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Corn and Spinach:
- If using fresh corn, boil the corn kernels until tender. If using frozen corn, thaw and drain well.
- Coarsely grind the boiled/thawed corn in a food processor. It should be slightly mashed but still retain some texture.
- Finely chop the spinach leaves.
- Mix the Ingredients:
- Combine the coarsely ground corn, finely chopped spinach, mashed potato, grated carrot, and chopped onion in a large mixing bowl.
- Add the green chillies (if using), besan, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt.
- Add chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice to the mixture.
- Form the Tikki Mixture:
- Mix all the ingredients thoroughly until well combined. The besan will help bind the mixture together.
- If the mixture feels too wet, add more besan or breadcrumbs to achieve the right consistency.
- Shape the Tikkis:
- Shape small portions of the mixture into small, flat tikki or patties. Ensure they are thick enough to allow even cooking.
- Cook the Tikkis:
- Heat a non-stick skillet or frying pan over medium heat and add a few tablespoons of oil for shallow frying.
- Place the tikkis on the grill until golden brown and crisp. This usually takes about 3-4 minutes per side.
- Cook in batches if necessary, adding more oil as needed.
- Serve:
- Once cooked, place the tikkis on a paper towel to absorb any excess oil.
- For dipping, serve warm with yoghurt, mint chutney, or ketchup.
2) Vegetable Dosa Rolls
Ingredients:
For the Dosa Batter:
- 1 cup rice (preferably parboiled rice)
- 1/2 cup urad dal (split black gram)
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- Salt to taste
For the Filling:
- 1 small carrot (grated)
- 1 small beetroot (grated)
- 1 small capsicum (bell pepper, finely chopped)
- 1/2 cup cabbage (finely shredded)
- 1/2 cup paneer (cottage cheese, crumbled)
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garam masala
- 1 tablespoon oil
- Salt to taste
- Fresh coriander leaves (chopped for garnish)
Additional Ingredients:
- Ghee or oil (for cooking dosas)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Dosa Batter:
- Wash and soak the rice, urad dal, and fenugreek seeds in water for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Drain the water and grind the soaked ingredients into a smooth batter using a little water. The batter should be of pouring consistency.
- Add salt to the batter, mix well, and let it ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours or until it doubles in volume.
- Prepare the Vegetable Filling:
- Heat oil in a pan over medium heat. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter.
- Add grated carrot, beetroot, chopped capsicum, and shredded cabbage to the pan. Sauté the vegetables until they are tender.
- Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and salt to the vegetables. Mix well.
- Add crumbled paneer and cook for another 2-3 minutes until everything is well combined. Turn off the heat and let the filling cool slightly.
- Garnish with chopped fresh coriander leaves.
- Cook the Dosas:
- Heat a non-stick tawa or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, lightly grease it with a few drops of oil or ghee.
- Pour a ladleful of dosa batter onto the tawa and spread it in a circular motion to make a thin dosa.
- Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee around the edges of the dosa.
- Cook until the edges start to lift and the bottom is golden brown. Flip the dosa and cook for another minute. (For softer dosas, you can skip flipping.)
- Assemble the Dosa Rolls:
- Place a cooked dosa on a flat surface. Spread a generous amount of the vegetable filling along one side of the dosa.
- Roll the dosa tightly around the filling to form a cylindrical roll.
- Repeat with the remaining batter and filling.
- Serve:
- Cut the dosa rolls into bite-sized pieces if desired.
- Serve warm with a side of yoghurt or coconut chutney for dipping.
3) Mini Uttapam Pizza
Ingredients:
For the Uttapam Batter:
- 1 cup rice (preferably parboiled rice)
- 1/2 cup urad dal (split black gram)
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- Salt to taste
For the Toppings:
- 1 small tomato (finely chopped)
- 1 small onion (finely chopped)
- 1 small capsicum (bell pepper, finely chopped)
- 1 small carrot (grated)
- 1/2 cup corn kernels (boiled)
- 1/2 cup grated cheese (mozzarella or cheddar)
- Fresh coriander leaves (chopped for garnish)
Additional Ingredients:
- Ghee or oil (for cooking uttapams)
Instructions:
- Prepare the Uttapam Batter:
- Wash and soak the rice, urad dal, and fenugreek seeds in water for at least 4-6 hours or overnight.
- Drain the water and grind the soaked ingredients into a smooth batter using a little water. The batter should be of pouring consistency.
- Add salt to the batter, mix well, and let it ferment in a warm place for 8-12 hours or until it doubles in volume.
- Prepare the Toppings:
- Finely chop the tomatoes, onions, and capsicum.
- Grate the carrot and boil the corn kernels if not using canned corn.
- Mix all the chopped vegetables in a bowl.
- Cook the Mini Uttapams:
- Heat a non-stick tawa or griddle over medium heat. Once hot, lightly grease it with a few drops of oil or ghee.
- Pour a small ladleful of batter onto the tawa to make mini uttapams, about 3-4 inches in diameter.
- Immediately sprinkle a portion of the mixed vegetables on top of each mini uttapam.
- Drizzle a few drops of oil or ghee around the edges.
- Cook on medium heat until the bottom is golden brown and the vegetables are slightly cooked.
- Flip the uttapams carefully and cook for another minute on the other side.
- Flip back to the original side and sprinkle grated cheese on top. Cover the tawa with a lid to allow the cheese to melt.
- Serve:
- Once the cheese is melted and bubbly, remove the mini uttapam pizzas from the tawa.
- Garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves.
- Serve warm with a side of yoghurt, chutney, or ketchup.
4) Chickpea and Carrot Dip with Veggie Sticks
Ingredients:
For the Chickpea & Carrot Dip:
- 1 cup cooked chickpeas (or canned chickpeas, drained and rinsed)
- 1 medium carrot (peeled and grated)
- 2 tablespoons tahini (sesame paste)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice (freshly squeezed)
- 1 garlic clove (minced)
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- Salt to taste
- Water (as needed for desired consistency)
For the Veggie Sticks:
- 1 cucumber
- 1 carrot
- 1 red bell pepper
- 1 yellow bell pepper
- 1 celery stalk
Instructions:
- Prepare the Chickpeas:
- If using canned chickpeas, drain and rinse them thoroughly under cold water.
- If using dried chickpeas, soak them overnight and cook until tender. Drain and let cool.
- Prepare the Carrots:
- Peel and grate the carrot.
- Blend the Dip:
- Combine the cooked chickpeas, grated carrot, tahini, olive oil, lemon juice, minced garlic, ground cumin, and salt in a food processor.
- Blend until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add water until you reach the desired consistency.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. You can add more lemon juice for tanginess, more garlic for a more robust flavour, or more salt to taste.
- Prepare the Veggie Sticks:
- Wash and peel the cucumber and carrot.
- Cut the cucumber, carrot, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, and celery into thin sticks about 3-4 inches long.
- Serve:
- Transfer the chickpea and carrot dip to a serving bowl.
- Arrange the veggie sticks around the dip on a platter for an attractive presentation.
- Serve immediately or cover and refrigerate the dip for up to 2 days.
5) Oats and Banana Cookies
Ingredients:
- 2 ripe bananas
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1/4 cup chopped nuts (optional; use walnuts or almonds)
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions:
- Preheat the Oven:
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease it.
- Prepare the Bananas:
- Peel the ripe bananas and place them in a large mixing bowl.
- Mash the bananas thoroughly with a fork or a potato masher until smooth.
- Mix the Ingredients:
- Add the rolled oats to the mashed bananas and mix well.
- Add the raisins, chopped nuts, cinnamon powder, and vanilla extract. Mix until well combined.
- Form the Cookies:
- Drop small mounds of the cookie dough onto the prepared baking sheet using a spoon or a cookie scoop. Flatten them slightly with the back of the spoon or your fingers to form cookie shapes.
- Ensure space between each cookie, though these cookies won’t spread much while baking.
- Bake the Cookies:
- Place the baking sheet in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes or until the cookies are golden brown around the edges.
- Keep an eye on them to avoid over-baking, as this can make the cookies too dry.
- Cool and Serve:
- Remove the baking sheet from the oven and let the cookies cool on the sheet for a few minutes.
- Transfer the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Serve the cookies to your toddler once they are completely cooled.
