
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a dietician, I am doing what is best for my kid to create a balanced lunch.
KIDS LUNCH BOX #17 - Chole & Jeera Rice + Cucumber-Carrot Salad + Kale Chips
Some kids school lunch box ideas to try…
- Spinach Corn Sandwich + Orange + Almonds & Pistachios
- Carrot Rice + Cucumber + Fruittellas
- Palak Chapati + Jeera Aloo + Orange
- Potato Spinach Pancakes + Sprouted Moong & Corn Salad+ Grapes
- Mayonnaise Veggie Pasta + Strawberries + Peanut Chikki
Here is what I packed for school lunch…
LUNCH - Chole & Jeera Rice
Here is the Recipe Link for Chole Masala (Chickpea Masala)
Instant Pot Chana Masala (Chole Masala Recipe in Pressure Cooker)
Equipment
Ingredients
Measuring cup used 1 cup = 250ml
- 1 cup dry chickpeas (chole/garbanzo beans) soaked overnight
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
- 1 bay leaf (tej patta)
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 1 green chilli finely chopped
- 2 large tomato (i made tomato puree about 1 cup)
- 1 teaspoon amchur powder (dry mango powder) or juice of half lemon
- 2 tablespoons cilantro (coriander leaves)
- 1 tablespoon dried kasuri methi (optional)
- 1.5 cups water
- salt to taste
Spices:
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon chana (chole masala )
- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Soak Chole (chickpeas) for at least 4+ hours or overnight. Then, drain water and keep it aside.
- Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Add oil to the POT. Once the oil is hot, add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and let cumins splutter.
- Then add onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, and saute until onions turn light brown for 3-4 minutes.
- Next, add tomato puree and the spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, chole masala powder, coriander powder, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Lastly, add soaked chickpeas, salt, and water. Stir well.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 30 minutes.
- Once the pot beeps, do a NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR).
- Remove lid away from you, add amchur powder (dry mango powder), Kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) and garnish with cilantro. Mix well.Note: Don't worry if the curry is a too liquid consistency. Turn on SAUTE mode again and boil the curry for 5 minutes or until you get the desired consistency.
- Chole Masala is ready, serve hot with bathura, pooris, chapatis, roti & parathas.
Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:
- Take a Pressure cooker, add oil to it. Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds, bay leaf, and let cumins splutter.
- Then add onions, green chilies, ginger-garlic paste, and saute until onions turn light brown for 3-4 minutes.
- Next add tomato puree and the spices like red chili powder, turmeric powder, chole masala powder, coriander powder, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Lastly add soaked chickpeas, salt, and water. Stir well.
- Close the lid, place a whistle and cook for 4-5 whistle on medium-low flame.
- Switch off the flame and let the pressure from the cooker release naturally.
- Open the lid and add amchur powder, Kasuri methi, and garnish with cilantro. Mix well. Don't worry if the curry is too liquid consistency. Just turn on turn on the gas again and boil the curry until you get desired consistency.
- Chana masala is ready, serve with hot with bathura, pooris, jeera rice, chapatis, roti & parathas.
Video
Notes
Tips & Variations
- If you want thicker gravy you can mash chickpeas a bit.
- If you do not have amchur (dry mango powder) then replace it with 1 tablespoon of lime juice for this chole masala recipe.
- You can use any Chole masala brand available in the Indian grocery stores or amazon. I always use Everest Chole Masala.
- Some people also add baking soda (I generally don't do this) while pressure cooking to fasten the cooking and get softer chickpeas.
- I have prepared this dish in my electric pressure cooker, Instant Pot DUO60 6 QT
- 1 tablespoon Dry Pomegranate Seeds (Anardana) (optional)
- 3 tablespoon Coriander powder
- 1 tablespoon Cumin seeds (Jeera)
- 6 Green Cardamom
- 2 teaspoon Black pepper
- 10 teaspoon Cloves
- 3-4 pieces Cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Black salt (kala namak) .
Nutrition
Here is the Recipe Link for Jeera Rice (Cumin Rice). I have used a pressure cooker (Instant Pot) to make jeera rice. When I pack jeera rice for my kids box I just handpick whole spices like cinnamon, and cardamom so that it doesn't come into my mouth while eating.
Instant Pot Jeera Rice (Indian Cumin Rice)
Ingredients
Measuring cup used [1 cup = 250 ml]
Whole Spices
- 1 teaspoon cumin (jeera) Seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 green cardamom
Other Ingredients
- 1-2 tablespoons oil or ghee
- 1 cup basmati rice rinsed
- 2 green chilies split lengthwise
- 1.5 cups water
- salt to taste
- 2 tablespoons coriander (cilantro)
Instructions
Instant Pot Method
- Press Saute on Instant Pot. Add ghee or oil and once it's hot add cumin/jeera seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, and cloves. Saute for 30 secs (till aromatic).
- Then add green chilies. Saute for another 30 secs.
- Add Basmati Rice, water, salt, and give a stir.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once the pot beeps, Do a Quick Pressure Release (QR) Manually.
- Lastly, remove the lid away from you, garnish with fresh cilantro/coriander leaves.
- Jeera Rice is ready.
Indian Pressure Cooker Method
- Heat ghee in a pressure cooker on medium heat and once it's hot add bay leaf, cinnamon sticks, cardamom, cloves, cumin/Jeera. Saute for 30 seconds (till aromatic).
- Then add green chilies. Saute for another 30 secs.
- Add basmati rice, water, salt and stir well.
- Close the lid of the cooker, Pressure cook it for 2 whistles on medium heat.
- When rice is cooled, fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
- Jeera Rice is ready
Stovetop Pot Method:
- To make jeera rice recipe or pulao on a stovetop pot, follow the steps as above until adding water and then cook covered on a low heat until the water is absorbed and then turn off the heat. Allow it to rest for some time and then open the lid and fluff the rice.
Notes
- Use good quality basmati rice for making the fragrant Jeera Rice. However, you can use any premium quality rice.
- To make non-sticky, fluffy peas pulao adjust water correctly, as it depends on the quality and type of rice used. I have used basmati rice in this recipe.
- Use ghee (clarified butter) to get the best flavors in the Jeera Rice. But Vegans can use either coconut oil or any cooking oil.
Nutrition
SNACK - Cucumber-Carrot Salad - I just mixed together grated carrot with some finely chopped cucumber and sprinkled some salt, pepper, and lime juice.
SNACK - Kale Chips - I got these from Costco and are a healthy variety of chips.
Prep Work For The Previous Evening
- Soak Chickpeas/CholeChanna previous night.
Notes
- Packed in a stainless steel tiffin box called Lunchbots which is Eco-Friendly, Dishwasher Safe, BPA-Free and is easily available on Amazon. Do not use plastic lunch boxes to your kids, they are toxic.
- You can increase or decrease quantity based on your child's appetite.
♥ We LOVE to hear from you If you make this recipe, please share your food photo with hashtag #indianveggiedelight on Facebook or Instagram, so we can see it and others can enjoy it too! Thank you ♥
Subscribe to my Youtube Channel for healthy & tasty video recipes.
Leave a Reply