Recipes For Picky Eaters: Snacks That Are Easy To Make & Eat

Three simple recipes that are so packed with goodness that they will get the approval of mums and their hard-to-please kids.

“I love picky eaters!” said no mama ever! If every meal time is a struggle for you, you have my deepest sympathies. What I have found is that the time that you offer food plays a big role. An easy to grab and bite snack served right after the kids are back from school or after-school sports goes down well. So wouldn’t you want to grab that golden hour and find a way to feed your kids something nutritious and delicious? These are three recipes that are sure to be winners. And with them, I hope you get to sip your evening coffee while it’s still hot!

Read More: How To Get Your Picky Eaters To Fall In Love With Food

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Snacks For Picky Eaters: Cheesy Corn Parcels

I like to call this the marriage between the Mexican Street Corn and the Indian Masala Corn. The star of this match made in heaven is the cheesy mix. And when all packed up, it makes for a wonderful complete meal that looks good enough to entice fussy eaters.

Ingredients for Cheesy Corn Parcels:

• Roasted (or boiled) corn/sweet corn, shaved off the cob – 1
• Four cheese mix – 3 tablespoons
• Cream cheese (at room temperature) – 1 tablespoon (optional)
• Minced garlic – 3
• Lime juice – 1 teaspoon
• Coriander leaves, finely chopped – 1 tablespoon
• Himalayan or Rock Salt – 1/2 teaspoon or as per taste
• Paprika/Red chilli flakes – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
• Chaat masala (optional)
• Rice paper rolls (to be used as per package instructions) – 10

Method for Cheesy Corn Parcels:

The “parcel” consists of fire-roasted corn (you could use boiled corn as well, but make sure to drain all water), shaved and sprinkled generously with a cheese mix (I used a store-bought one with mozzarella, cheddar and provolone, but any variety will do) and a dash of cream cheese. Add paprika if you’re making this for adults and skip it for kids. Some minced garlic, lime and freshly chopped coriander will bring an explosion of flavours. Want it tangier? Go ahead and add some chaat masala (get it at your neighbourhood Indian grocery store). There is no right or wrong way to do it, just play around with flavours of your choice and wrap it all up. Not sure how to use rice paper? When you get these (again, visit a grocery store that specialises in Vietnamese or Thai ingredients), all you need to do is a quick dip in warm water to make it pliable enough to roll and wrap. Easy-peasy!

Read More: Indian Grocery Stores And Supermarkets In Hong Kong

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Snacks For Picky Eaters: Mutton Keema Cutlets

Every now and then, I preach cruelty-free eating to my kids and try to bulldoze them into eating more vegetarian fare. But then, with them being the meat-lovers they are, I sometimes feel this forced abstinence is probably cruel as well! So my next recipe is for those kids who, like mine, love their meat.

These Mutton Keema Cutlets requires some effort to prepare, but they are completely worth it. Marinating makes all the difference. I marinate the meat overnight though even four hours would do. Other than the marination was matters most is procuring good quality mince. Is your family vegetarian? Don’t worry! This is equally easy to make (if not easier) with mock meat or soya chunks. Vegetarian keema cutlets need just an hour of marination or “standing”.

Below is my recipe for how I make these cutlets but you can of course tweak the ingredients based on your personal taste.

Ingredients for Mutton Keema Cutlets:

• Mutton (goat meat) minced – 500gm
• Medium-sized boiled potatoes – 2
• Medium onion, chopped fine – 1
• Green chilli, chopped fine – 2 (optional)
• Coriander leaves, chopped fine – 4 tablespoons
• Grated ginger – 1.5 teaspoons
• Minced garlic – 2 teaspoons
• Coriander powder – 1 teaspoon + 1 teaspoon
• Cumin powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Garam Masala – 1 teaspoon + 1/2 teaspoon
• Asafoetida (hing) – 1 pinch
• Cumin seeds – 1/4 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder – 1/2 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder – 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
• Salt – 1.5 teaspoons or to taste
• Bread crumbs – 1 cup
• Egg, beaten lightly – 2
• Oil – 6 tablespoons for shallow frying

Method for Mutton Keema Cutlets:

In a deep glass bowl, mix 500gms of minced mutton with 1 teaspoon of coriander powder, ½ teaspoon of cumin powder, ½ teaspoon of garam masala (a staple in Indian households), ½ teaspoon of turmeric and ½ teaspoon of red chilli powder. Mix well, cover and let it sit in the refrigerator for a minimum of four hours. Marinating is a great way to get the flavours going even before the actual cooking. It also helps kill the smell of red meat which some find unpalatable.

When ready to cook, place a heavy bottomed skillet on high flame, add one tablespoon of oil. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds and asafoetida. Reduce to medium heat as soon as the seeds start to crackle. Add grated ginger and minced garlic and stir until fragrant. Then add onions and cook until translucent. Add minced meat, 1 teaspoon each of coriander powder and garam masala and mix well. Add half-cup water and cover, cooking on a medium-high flame. Stir occasionally until the water dries up and the meat is cooked through. At this point the meat starts to look crumbly and dry.

After a while, add the potatoes, chopped coriander and remaining seasoning. Mix well. Once cool enough to handle, form the mixture into medium sized balls and flatten between your palms into discs. Cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for 20 minutes to stiffen it up a bit.

Now, spread the breadcrumbs on a flat surface and place the lightly beaten eggs right next to it. Add 5 tablespoons of oil to a non-stick pan on high heat. One by one dip the discs into the beaten eggs, next, coat evenly with breadcrumbs and then shallow fry till both sides have browned well. Serve hot with a side of ketchup or coriander-mint chutney.

Read More: Finest Butcher Shops In Hong Kong For Meat, Steak, Lamb And More

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Snacks For Picky Eaters: Beetroot Tikkis

I know what you thinking! Most kids turn up their noses at beetroot. I’ve tried and tested this – you can use the lovely purple colour to your advantage and entice even the pickiest of eaters. They don’t need to know what went into the gorgeously coloured discs until they have polished them all off!

Ingredients for Beetroot Tikkis:

• Medium sized beetroots – 4
• Medium sized potato – 1
• Bread crumbs – ½ cup
• Ginger-garlic paste – 1.5 tablespoon
• Coriander powder – ½ teaspoon
• Amchoor (raw mango powder) – ½ teaspoon
• Garam masala – ½ teaspoon
• Whole coriander (coarsely ground) – 1/4 teaspoon
• Red chilli powder (optional) – 1/4 teaspoon
• Chopped green chillis (optional) – 2
• Finely chopped fresh coriander leaves – 2 tablespoons
• Himalayan or rock salt – 1.5 teaspoon or to taste
• Oil for shallow frying – 4 tablespoons
• Chopped nuts – A handful (optional)

Method for Beetroot Tikkis:

Boil the beetroots and potatoes just until they are soft and grate them on the fine side of your vegetable grater.

Sassy Mama Tip: Do not over-boil and make either the potato or beetroot mushy or frying the tikkis will be difficult. You could also choose not to boil the beetroot at all, but a light boil makes a lot of difference to the taste.

So, this is your base and now we build. I typically add raw mango powder (available at Indian grocery stores), basic spices like coriander power and garam masala. You can add chopped nuts if your kids like a crunch in their snacks. You could add lemon juice too if you do not have raw mango powder handy though I feel the raw mango powder gives that lovely tangy kick.

Next, add finely chopped coriander leaves. Bring it all together, throw in some bread crumbs to bind, make into a disc with greased palms and shallow fry these on a medium flame flipping after 5 to 7 minutes on one side.

You could also deep fry these, but you will need to add a lot more bread crumbs and dip the discs in a corn starch slurry before coating with bread crumbs again. Shaping them into small oblongs also helps in a quicker deep fry.

Enjoy your evening snack with the kids and put an end to the mealtime fussiness!

Read More: Money Saving Tips – How To Cut Your Family Grocery Bills

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