Tiffin around our house is a dreaded word – because it either means I’m asking my pre-teen what she’d like for it or asking her if she’s put it for washing since coming back from school. She’d like to answer neither. As mums, the one thing that is constantly on the back of our mind is how to get them to eat whatever is packed for recess.
When researching for tiffin ideas – please note that I have been making her tiffin for 8 years now and still need to scrounge for ideas – I found a lot of sites with some delicious ideas, but quickly realised that once it cools down, they wouldn’t taste that good! Idli, dosa, maggi, grilled sandwiches, poha, upma, pasta – the difference in taste when served hot vs cold is quite a bit! Now, insulated tiffins are an option, but they’re expensive and kids lose stuff, that’s a given!
So I zeroed in on a few things that I thought might taste good even if not hot or warm and figured I’d share it here! These can be a bit polarising so do a trial run before you pack it up for school. I did my trial runs by telling her that I made it just for me since she wouldn’t like it. Of course, how dare I assume anything! She tasted it, loved it, and now I’m a happy mommy!
Almond butter and fruit sandwich
If your child is a bit picky about eating almonds, its butter is the next best thing. Spread a bit of it on bread and top off with thinly sliced bananas. Delicious. There is one economical brand that I usually buy that doesn’t skimp on quality. You’ll want to make one for yourself and set aside to relish as breakfast.
Nut Butter and fruit
Any crisp, crunchy fruit will go well with a nut butter. Citrus and mushy fruits typically don’t taste too good when paired with say almond butter. Chop up the fruit into bite-sized pieces and pack a small container with the butter. Healthy snack done!
Walnut, apple salad
A lot of children would baulk at a salad but there’s no harm in giving this a shot. Crisp (red or green) apples chopped up to bite-sized bits, lettuce (optional), finely chopped walnuts, almond slivers (optional), dried cranberries or plump raisins, a tablespoon of mayonnaise and pepper. Combine everything nicely for a hearty mid morning meal. Chop up the walnuts real fine if your child is picky and use minimal mayonnaise. You just want enough to bring everything together. You don’t need to add salt at all. The flavour balance without it is pretty good. The sweetness of the apples and the tartness of the cranberries, combined with the nuttiness of the walnuts and almonds makes for one healthy meal.
Salted biscuits and cheese
Choose Monaco biscuits, Top biscuits or even the Unibic or sunfeast potato crackers. All of these go really well with cheese. Amul cheddar cheese is a sure winner. Go for the block and not the pre-diced one. I find that the block tastes much, much better. It’s economical and not too robust – just right for kids. Their Gouda cheese is also a good option. If you want a stronger flavoured cheese, Nutaros is the next best thing.
Fruit and cheese
You could fancy-pants it a bit here. Grapes, pineapple, apples, pear are some of the more easily available fruits that you could pair with cheese. Chop them thick enough to push a toothpick through and alternate cheese and fruit on it.
Apple cinnamon stew (dry)
This will take some prep and cooking but is a great option. Peel, core and chop red apples into small pieces – this will ensure it cooks fast. Add about half a cup of water to it and heat it on the gas. The apple will start cooking in the water and its juices. Sprinkle just a bit of cinnamon powder on it or boil it with a piece of cinnamon. The flavour will remain the same. The only difference will be in the darkening of the apple. Cinnamon powder will lend a speckled look to the apple pieces, which actually appears quite appetising. You could add half a teaspoon of sugar or one teaspoon of blackstrap molasses to the simmering pot. Within ten minutes on medium flame the apples will have cooked through and come to a lovely spoonable consistency. Great to eat as is or in a crepe.
Gur chana
This won’t suffice as a mid-day meal by itself, but is a nutritious addition to your child’s tiffin. Check out how to make it here.
Wedding rice
This is made primarily during East Indian weddings and so the name has stuck. You could make fresh rice or make it with leftover rice. But since mornings are generally rushed, leftover rice is most probably what you’d be using. If making an exact portion for your child, heat some ghee in a pan and add a half inch cinnamon stick, one bay leaf and two cloves to the ghee. You can adjust this depending on your preference. If using cinnamon powder use less than 1/4th teaspoon. Immediately add the rice and mix well. Keep the flame on low, sprinkle some water and cover the pan. Heat two-three teaspoons of ghee in another small frying pan and add a thinly sliced onion to it. Keep the flame on medium low and stir the onion so it doesn’t burn. It will brown nicely in about 5 minutes. Move the onion to the side of the pan and add a few chopped or halved cashews and raisins. Keep the flame on slow since this can burn quickly. The raisins will plump up and the cashews will brown. Switch off the gas and add this to the rice. You could fill the tiffin with rice and then sprinkle the onions and dry fruits on the top, or mix everything and pack the tiffin so your child won’t have to!
Veggies and Dips
Admittedly, this is an acquired taste. A bit of garlic sauce on the side could help. There are some good brands like saucery and wingreens that have a wide range of dips and hummus. A little trial and error should do the trick. Avoid adding salt to the cucumber so they don’t release water.
Cheesy corn
The sweetness of the corn mixed with saltiness of cheese and maybe a little bit of white sauce, and black pepper is an absolute winner. Melt a tablespoon of butter and add less than a teaspoon of maida to it. It’ll cook in seconds. Add about 5-6 tablespoons of milk and stir vigorously. You don’t want the maida to lump. Add one cube cheese or its equivalent of grated cheese; add more if your child enjoys cheese! Stir for ten seconds. Add one cup of corn. I’ve mostly used frozen corn. Ensure it’s defrosted and washed before adding. Add some more milk to adjust the consistency. It should be just right for your child to eat it with a spoon. Do all of this on the lowest flame. I prefer adding salt and pepper at the end to suit the taste preference.
Bread and cream toast
Now this one is a family favourite. It’s basically malai and sugar on bread, lightly cooked in a pan. To make this you’ll need 2-3 big tablespoons of malai either fresh or tetra pak. Add about 2 teaspoons of sugar to the malai and mix it up real good. Put half a teaspoon of ghee in a hot pan and use a silicone spoon to spread it nicely. Apply half the cream on one side of two slices of bread and place them cream side down on the pan. Reduce the flame to medium low. It’ll sizzle but it won’t stick because of the ghee. Apply the rest of the cream and sugar mixture to the top of the bread slices. The sugar will start to caramelise and you can lift the edge of the slice to see if it’s cooked. On low heat this shouldn’t take more than 2-3 minutes. Flip it and cook the other side. Take it off the heat and wrap it in foil as soon as you can.
