Very often it is being noticed that children are very fussy about their food intakes, especially they aren’t that happy with home- made monotonous food which is essential for them.  kids are normally attracted towards outside junk food which includes fried foods as well as the frozen ones.  parents take lot of pain to convince them to avoid such stuff as it is not always healthy.

But instead of forcing them to have the same old types, certain dishes can be tried in a healthier way as well as interesting and mouthwatering at home itself! this will help them feel as if they are not deprived of it. for instance pakoras or bhujiyas are the one which children mostly ask for, which parents avoid them to eat outside.

Here are a few hygienic and nutritious pakoras specially designed for the younger ones :

1.  sweet pumpkin balls :  grate red pumplins finely.  add crushed jaggery of equal quantity as that of grated pumpkins.  add little saffron-elaichi (cardamom) powder for flavour and mix the batter thoroughly.  now put some atta (wheat flour) slowly and gradually in the above mixture and mix well.  do not add additional water since the pumpkins contain lot of water inside.  add as per required only till a smooth paste.  now deep fry small balls of this batter in oil or ghee (preferred).

2.  banana puffs recipe :  cut bananas (ripe) into thin slices.  make a batter of rice flour and water for pakoras.  add the banana slices into it.  add a pinch of salt and deep fry in ghee or oil till golden brown into fluffy puffs.

3. cucumber bhujiya recipe :  this will add a cooling effect in summer.  cut thin slices (rounded) of cucumbers and add into rice flour batter.  put salt, pepper to taste.  chat masala works well into it.  deep fry cucumbers into delicious pakoras.

Certain variations can be worked out using other healthy vegetables like green gourd, gourd, tomatoes, potatoes, green leaves like spinach, fenugreek, corriander, etc.  flours can be varied as wheat flour, rice flour, corn atta (makai), jowar or bajra flour, soya flour, etc.

so try making the outside stuff in a more healthier way at home and keep your kids happy.  Happy cooking !!! ~ author Sonali Jog