KIDS LUNCH BOX #3 - Carrot Rice + Cucumber + Fruittella
I am sure there are a lot of parents out there looking for quick, healthy meal ideas for their kids lunch box. So, I’ve decided to start a weekly series where I share some of the meals I’ve been feeding my daughter Dhwani.
Disclaimer: I am not a nutritionist or a dietician, I am doing what is best for my kid to create a balanced lunch.
Carrot Rice is a healthy recipe that you can prepare for your loved ones on lazy weekends or for lunch box for both kids as well as adults as it is an easy-to-make recipe that can be made within minutes. Carrots are a particularly good source of beta-carotene, fiber, vitamin K, potassium, and antioxidants. Carrots have a number of health benefits.
- Keep eyesight sharp: Vitamin A protects ocular health.
- Strengthen the immune system: Vitamin A also helps cells grow.
- Promote regularity: The fiber fills you up and contributes to good digestion and absorption.
Some kids school lunch box ideas to try…
- Spinach Corn Sandwich + Orange + Almonds & Pistachios
- Tomato Rice using Coconut Milk + Carrot Raita + Red Grapes
- Chole Paratha + Onion Raita + Mixed Fruits
- Broccoli Paneer Paratha + Pistachios & Raisins + Veggie Straws
Here is what I packed for school lunch…
LUNCH - Carrot Rice - Simple, healthy, delicious & quick carrot rice recipe for busy days. To make Carrot Rice (Click on the highlighted link to get the detailed carrot rice recipe). I followed the same recipe but made half of this recipe which is good for 1 person.
Carrot Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 3 cups cooked basmati rice or any rice (from 1 cup raw basmati rice)
- 1 cup carrot grated
- ½ cup onions thinly sliced
- ½ cup green peas fresh or frozen
- 2 green chillies slit lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
- 2 tablespoons coriander leaves chopped
- few curry leaves
- few cashew nuts roasted
- a pinch asafetida (hing)
- 2 tablespoons oil (or ghee)
- salt to taste
Whole Spices
- 2 cloves
- 1 green cardamon(elachi)
- ½ inch cinnamon(dal chini)
- ½ teaspoon mustard seeds
- ½ teaspoon cumin (jeera) seeds
Dry Spices
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon red chilli powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala powder
- 1 teaspoon sambhar powder
Instructions
- Heat oil/ghee in a Kadai. Add whole spices, and saute for a few seconds or till aromatic.
- Then add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Let them splutter.
- Add green chilies, curry leaves, and hing (asafetida). Saute for a few seconds.
- Next, add onions, and ginger garlic paste. Saute till the onions are light brown.
- Then add green peas, and grated carrot. Cook for 2 minutes.
- And then, add turmeric, red chili powder, garam masala, sambar powder, and salt—Cook for another minute.
- Add cooked basmati rice, mix everything well and turn off the gas.
- Garnish it with coriander leaves & roasted cashews. Serve this South Indian-style carrot rice hot with raita or yogurt.
Notes
- Other Veggies: You can also use sweet corn instead of peas.
- Spices: You can skip sambhar powder and add an extra ½ teaspoon of jeera and coriander powder each OR add more garam masala, pav bhaji masala, or Bisi Bele bath powder for variation.
- Carrot: You can also add finely chopped carrots instead of grated carrots.
- Ghee: If you prepare this carrot rice for kids, use ghee instead of oil.
- Other Grains: Substitute white rice with brown rice, quinoa, or millets.
- Leftover Rice: You can even use leftover rice for this recipe.
- Nuts: You can add roasted peanuts or cashews to get crunch in the rice recipe.
Nutrition
Snack - Cucumber - Star-shaped cucumber slices. Peel the cucumber and cut it into round slices then using a star-shaped cookie cutter cut it into a star shape. Note: Taste cucumber before packing into the box sometimes cucumber can be bitter.
Snack - Fruittelas - Sometimes I like to pack some candies or chewy sweets like fruittelas as some surprise treats
Prep Work For The Previous Evening
1. Remove the peel and grate 1 large carrot about [½ cup] and refrigerate in an air-tight container.
Notes
- Packed in a stainless steel tiffin box called Lunchbots which is Eco-Friendly, Dishwasher Safe, BPA-Free, and easily available on Amazon.
- 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 ♥
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