9 Healthy Parathas (indian Breads) For Your Kids – You Don’t Want To Miss.

At times, Kids can drive you nuts or rather most of the times, when it comes to feeding them. Once these little Munchkins start to  run around your weight is definitely going to reduce because you are continuously behind them, holding one morsel in hand and bribing them  – “Yeh Khale to Chocolate Dugi” (Eat this and I will give you chocolate) or the hard way – “Eat This or else I will call the Tiger”. Don’t you think after becoming mums we discuss only one question – “My kid doesn’t eat, what  should I do? What should I feed ? I feel like running away.

Hey! Hang on…before you plan to run a marathon just because your kid didn’t  eat the breakfast properly or the tiffin box has come back from the school without being opened and admired. This is an age-old problem which we, mums face almost every day. We want to feed our kids greens and veggies but can we really feed them “methi aloo sabzi” ? NO, A big NO! I think the reason behind it is that these tiny sweet devils are so busy running in the house that they would never sit at one place and eat.  But that doesn’t mean that we mum should not feed them methi (fenugreek) and spinach. So the best way is to hide it in parathas (Indian Bread) and give it to them. When I roll the paratha in aluminium foil my daughter thinks that it’s a chocolate and runs toward it.

As a mom, I always want to make things in a jiffy and yet healthy so my recipes would be mostly 3 ingredient recipes and which would not take more than 5 minutes to make, because this is the only time which my daughter would give me in the kitchen so no elaborate recipes!!

Here are 9 secret parathas which I am going to share with all the super moms and I take the guarantee that your kid will come running to you to enjoy these parathas – Of course if they don’t then it’s your turn.  While making these parathas, be creative and experiment, mix and match the ingredients and you will come out with something new every time.

• Methi Paratha(fenugreek Indian bread): I would puree everything because kids are lazy to chew a lot of leaves.

Steps:

1. Take a bunch of Methi (fenugreek leaves), 3-4 almonds soaked overnight, garlic and puree it in the grinder.
2. Add this puree to 2 bowls of wheat flour and 1 tsp of salt and make the dough.
3. Make Parathas by applying ghee nicely.

• Palak Paratha (Spinach Indian Bread): The process is same as Methi paratha but I love experimenting so, this time, I added Cashew nuts. Cashews are good for kids and some times spinach may taste bitter so adding cashew gives a creamy texture and removes bitterness.

I have also added roasted cumin seeds powder which I would usually roast and keep it handy in my kitchen as adding this simple ingredient always changes the flavour.

Step:

1. Take a bunch of Palak, handful of Cashew nuts and boil it.
2. Make a puree in the grinder and add this puree to 2 bowls of wheat flour and 1 tsp of salt, 1 tsp of roasted cumin seeds powder and make the dough.
3. Make parathas.

• Beetroot Parathas: This is my favourite because of its vibrant bright red colour. It will just attract the kids. Nowadays a lot of seeds which have been forgotten in past few years have made a comeback and adding them to your diet plan has extra benefits. So I usually keep all of these seeds as powder and add it while making paratha. I have powdered flaxseeds  and kept in the fridge. So here is the recipe:

Steps:

1. 1 medium size beetroot, peel, wash and boil it in a pressure cooker. You can use the same water to knee the dough.
2. Puree it in the grinder and add 1 tsp of flax seeds powder, add this puree to the wheat flour and knead the dough

4. Dry Fruits Parathas: Healthiest of all, Dry fruits paratha is so quick to make that whenever I am running out of time or don’t feel like boiling and making a puree. I just take all the dry fruits kept in my fridge and pound them in the mortar pestle and just stuff it in paratha.

    Steps:

1. Take 5-6 almonds, 5-6 cashew and 3-4 kernel of walnut, 1tbsp melon seeds powder( I hope you remember that I keep all these things in my fridge,
2. Pound then in the mortar and pestle, add a pinch of salt and use this as stuffing to put in the paratha.
3. Make the paratha.

5. Malai Paratha : If you are running out of veggies and yet want to add some nutrition, try this simple paratha. Add the fresh cream ( Malai) which you get after boiling the milk and knead the dough with milk and hence you are adding the required calcium in your kid’s food.

           Steps:

1. Take one bowl of wheat, ½ cup of the milk and 5 tbsp of malai(fresh cream), Add salt and pepper too. Knee the dough and make the paratha.

You can use this step for rest of the parathas also but doing too many things is always a challenge and kids would also not so variety is the key.

6. Carrot and cabbage paratha: I prefer Cabbage leaves to be chewed, so have never thought of making the puree out of it. I am not even sure whether it is possible. So I use the hand blender and chop cabbage and carrot together.

   Steps:

1. Take one carrot and Put Salt in this mix and keep it for 15 mins, cabbage will leave water so squeeze it with your hand
2. Add Roasted Cumin seeds powder and pinch of Chaat masala.
3. Make the paratha by stuffing the mixture in the dough.

7 ) Sweet Potato Paratha:  With the health benefits of sweet potato which is definitely a win over potato and has a sweet taste too. This paratha would be loved by your kid.

Steps:

1. Boil sweet potato and peel it. Mash it with your hand and add salt, pepper and chaat masala, dry Kasturi methi.
2. Make the paratha by stuffing this mix in the dough.

8) Sprout Paratha:  Fresh homemade sprouts are the boon for vegetarians. Hence, always try to make your own fresh sprouts and avoid buying from outside. I would make them over the weekend and then use them  for the  whole of the week in salads, tikkis and parathas. I make sprouts from Moth, Kala channa and Whole Green Moong. Just soak overnight and tie it in a cotton cloth the next morning within 24-hour it would be ready.

  Steps:

1. Boil the sprouts so that they become mushy.
2. Add Salt, pepper, Ajwain (carom seeds)
3. Stuff this mixture in the dough and make the paratha

9 Nutella Paratha:  why have paratha always salty when your sweeties have the sweet tooth. Try this Nutella paratha and kids would love it for sure.

Steps: 

1. Take the dough and stuff 1 tbsp of Nutella and roll the paratha. It might come out a bit but its ok.
2. Once the paratha is ready, garnish this with chocolate sauce.

There are two ways to make any paratha:

1. When we mix all the ingredients with the wheat flour to make the dough and then roll the paratha.
2. When we stuff the ingredients mixture into the dough and then roll the paratha

Don’t forget to apply ghee generously, it’s we who should count our calories and not kids. In fact desi ghee helps in digestion hence, it should be given to the kids.

Here is the Cheat-sheet which you can print and stick it on your freeze so that you don’t forget them when you are want to make it quickly.