Читать книгу Indian Cooking For Dummies - Monisha Bharadwaj - Страница 41

With so many of us having access to international cuisine, it’s only natural that our children will be eating more and more world cuisines earlier in their lives. Still, you may not know how to introduce Indian food to children. In the West, babies are weaned on what’s appropriate for their age, so you wouldn’t feed a baby steak, for example. Similarly, with Indian food, think of Indian baby food and not curry. Indian babies are introduced to gentle spices quite early. Warm teas are made with fennel (it helps to keep colic away) and ajowan or carom seeds (to help the digestion).

Soft, slightly overcooked white rice is the traditional weaning food all over India. By the time babies are a year old, many are ready for a little lick of a mild curry.

Here are some tips for introducing your kids to Indian food:

 Start them early. If you’re keen to get your kids to eat a variety of foods, it’s a good idea to begin early when their tastes and habits are forming. They’ll probably get used to variety if they’re introduced to it as soon as they’re ready to be weaned.

 Start babies with a gently spiced drink. Even before weaning begins, you can gently teach babies to enjoy spices. Boil 1 cup of water with ¼ teaspoon of fennel seeds. Cool the drink to a safe, drinkable temperature, and offer it to your baby once every few days.

 Cook a chile-free curry for toddlers. There are plenty of flavors that children can enjoy in an Indian meal, but chile is not at the top of that list! Instead, you can let them enjoy the tastes and aromas of cumin, ground coriander, cinnamon, and nutmeg, none of which is pungent.

 Feed young children yogurt and rice. Lots of Indian children love this creamy combination. Add a spoonful of a mild curry or even a mild mango chutney on the side, and you may find that it becomes a much-loved dinner. If your little one accepts and appreciates yogurt and rice, try adding some vegetables to the rice — I added cooked peas and finely diced cucumber and tomatoes to my children’s meals.

 Get older children to help with the cooking. Rolling out naans, pounding spice seeds in a mortar and pestle, whisking a batter, and sprinkling in spices can all be fun! If you get your kids involved in the kitchen and give them tasks that are safe and playful, they may want to eat the fruits of their labor!

 Eat together and eat the same meal. With my children, I found that they accepted whatever was on the table because we were all eating the same thing, together. The meal was full of flavor, and they were encouraged to try everything. I don’t ever remember making separate meals when they were old enough to eat at the table.