Schools are set to reopen and at least a few parents are bound to be fretting about the lunchbox conundrum. MetroPlus asks a bunch of food vloggers, stylists and moms to pick one quick, yet delicious lunch box idea that could put a smile on the children’s faces and relief on the parent’s. These ideas are largely low-effort, but high on nutrition.
A traditional Kerala lunch box by Sidha Prakash
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Pink PachadiSidha Prakash, a food stylist based in Kochi, says she trusts nothing more than a traditional Kerala meal for her five-and-a-half-year-old daughter’s lunchbox. Of course, she tweaks it in rather cute ways such as adding an egg to fluff up a potentially boring spinach-moringa stir fry. “It not just adds body to the dish, but lifts up the flavours.” And the highlight is that her daughter loves these fibre-laden, vegetable-forward dishes. “Especially the beetroot curd pachadi. I heat grated beetroot in a pan, without oil, and once it is cooked, add a handful of grated coconut, ginger and a hint of green chilli. I then add curd and temper with mustard seeds. The colour is a lovely pink that could tempt any child,” she says. And all of this is served with rice. Pro tip: I always have some boiled channa in the fridge, which could transform into an easy salad with just some chopped cucumber, a squirt of lemon and a pinch of salt. I also have some ready-to-fry nuggets as a rare junk treat.
