Recently I got many requests to start a snack box series for
kindergarten as well as primary kids. And I am going to post recipes as and
when possible.
Many complain that their kid does not finish the
snack/tiffin box, here I have a some tips.
1.
Please do not overload the tiffin thinking the kid
will finish it at school.
2.
No one knows the kids appetite better than a
mother so pack the food accordingly.
3.
Do not repeat the same all days, this is being
told as I’ve seen and heard that some kids get standard almost every day like
dosa,bread,chapathi and nothing else. If not everyday try to change the menu
and experiment something new. I know some of you work and do not have time but
you can always do the prepping like chopping the vegetables, cooking pasta
(making the sauce the next day) and such small things the day before.
4.
Do not pack readymade food everyday ! I know
many do not but such treats must be given once
in a while to school not regularly.
5.
Pair the snack/tiffin along with some nuts and
fruits to balance the quantity. In this way they will enjoy eating variety of
food. If your kids school is nut free please pack something suitable.
6.
And lastly just make a weekly planner so that it’s
not difficult to plan the tiffin/snack box.
I am sure these tips will help you create a awesome tiffin!
Both my girls aren’t fussy when it comes to snack box they
eat what I pack (sometimes some tell me that’s because I pack variety ;) ) but
yes I have to admit that few things they do not like for eg. Upma but I add
them in a small portion pairing with something else. s
Today’s recipe is easy to make and can be frozen too and
used within 3 weeks as and when needed! It is a snack box dish as well as a
party snack too, I had seen similar recipe in a random site with paneer but I have just tweaked
the recipe and made it mine J.
Disclaimer: This is
not a advertising of any box shown below, its just written here because some
had asked me where did I buy steel boxes from!
Recently I have replaced most of the plastic tiffin boxes
with Steel ones. The yellow one you can see in the picture I got online from
India. It is from a Brand called Viego and I am satisfied with it as it is lock
system and easy for kids to open for kids. The tiny one I got from Safeer
Market here but the same is available online in India too, but this box has a
plastic lid.
Let’s get making Potato Cheese Poppers
Serves :4
Potato - 200 grams
Cheddar Cheese- 1/4th cup
Finely chopped Garlic -1 tsp
Green chili - 1 make it into a paste or finely chop *
Salt to taste
Pepper powder - 1/4 Tsp.
Saunf Powder- 1/4th tsp, optional
Italian herbs -1/4th tsp
Cornflour or arrowroot powder - 1 Tsp
For the batter
Corn flour or arrowroot powder - 4 Tsp.
Salt to taste
Water to mix.
Saunf powder a pinch, optional.
To coat
Breadcrumbs as needed.
Method:
1.Wash and Cook the potatoes in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles
2. Grate the boiled and peeled potato.
3. Mix potato and cheese gently in a huge mixing bowl.
4. Add garlic, green chilli and Italian herbs, all finely chopped, to the bowl.
5. Season it with salt,pepper and saunf powder.
6. Mix all the ingredients together gently. Taste once to make sure the seasoning is fine.
7. To this, add a tsp. of maida corn flour. Mix well using your hands.
8. Now, take a bit of this mixture and shape it into small balls using your palms.
9. Make similar sized balls out of the remaining mixture.
10. Now, to make the batter, take corn flour in a bowl. Season it with some salt and saunf powder. Mix the ingredients together.
11. Add some water to this mixture and mix well until you get a thick batter, the batter must be slightly thick.
12. Dip the balls in this batter and roll them in the breadcrumbs. Keep them aside.
13. Refrigerate the balls for about 20 minutes or deep freeze overnight or for 8 hours.
14. Meanwhile, heat some oil in a pan.
15. Once the oil is hot, roll the balls once again gently with your palms and gently drop them into the oil (you dont need to roll if frozen).
16. Deep fry the balls on a low flame until they turn a beautiful golden brown in colour and then carefully remove them and drain the excess oil on a kitchen paper/tissue
Serve these delish poppers with some spicy and tangy ketchup or any cheese dip.
Aps Notes:
I have made the green chilli into paste as the kids would not like the bite of green chilli in between. You adjust the heat accordingly.
You can use any kind of cheese that’s available to you
This will be crisp as soon as fried but yes it won’t remain the same after an hour but it will still taste Yum.
Saunf powder gives a different flavor to the poppers, adding is totally optional.
I do not pack fried food often in fact fried food often in my kid's tiffin. But once a while its Ok right?
If your food is hot, then you can place a parchment paper/butter paper in the tiffin box before adding the food this will prevent your food from getting soggy due to the moisture that comes when the lid is closed.
If your food is hot, then you can place a parchment paper/butter paper in the tiffin box before adding the food this will prevent your food from getting soggy due to the moisture that comes when the lid is closed.
These poppers can be made and can be frozen for a week or two.
Try these delicious poppers and pack them in your kids Snack box or make it for your kids party or as a starter for your party.
Enjoy making!
Happy Cooking!
Aps
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