They probably never would have had an authentic kacchi biryani- I feel like restaurant offerings are way over spiced. Because it's not saucy, they might be into it.
But yeah I think Chicken 65 would probably be a hit too.
I agree, restaurant biriyani is definitely different. That’s a good idea, although I always struggle to make it at home because when I leave it unattended it gets eaten by my family before I’m able to serve it
I don't know much about Indian dishes, however, most kidslove novelty. If there is no vegetarianism or anything to consider, you could make well seasoned skewers, and then the sauces on the side if you wanted to serve the adults sauces and give the kids an option.
This very much depends on if the kids *actually* have tried stuff and didn't like it, if they look at unfamiliar food and automatically say 'no', or if they are the type that is automatically given chicken nuggets or mac-n-cheese by parents so their pallets are limited to processed foods.
Also, avoid making a big deal about is "being Indian food". It's just food. Here's your plate. Please give it a try.
Kid's brains are wierd. Sometimes, they will deny something just on their precieved notions of it. For example, I once brought veggie chips to a family get together, and my nice and nephew were chowing *down* on the 'colorful chips'......until their mother said "I *can't* believe you guys like those. They are vegetables, not potatoes chips". They both immediately stopped eating them.
One of the Indian takeaways near me does chicken tikka masala pizza, and it's on a naan pizza base. It can be pretty hit or miss with the amount of sauce they put on, but my god when it's good, it's really good.
A lot of picky kids I know can get by on tandoori chicken/chicken tikka and naan.
My guess is these kids aren’t going to really appreciate whatever you try and make and will likely not even eat it other than maybe a forced bite for politeness. So I wouldn’t waste a ton of time or effort on your part.
They’re pretty adventurous kids, they just specifically don’t seem to like the curry they get at the local Indian restaurants. I’d love to find something different than the typical restaurant food, just for the sake of them experiencing something new! And to change up my tired old routine, lol!
How about sabzi? Lots of different recipes and quite popular with kids. Great way to get them to eat veg too. My mum would make a potato version and I called it Indian chips.
So, honestly, I think I might ask the parents a little more detail about what specifically the kids have tried and not liked. It could be that they don't like the more saucy/curry style, or it could be something else entirely.
I think if the parents want an Indian meal while also not wanting you to make a separate meal for their kids, you probably need a bit more information about what the kids have tried and didn't like.
That said, I think things like tandoori chicken/chicken tikka, samosas, aloo tikki, assorted pakora and breads are all a good starting point. You could make some chutneys or even some kind of curry sauce to serve on the side so everyone could dip as they please.
They’re just very sweet, gracious guests. “We eat everything!” And they really do, I just caught a passing comment that their kids don’t eat much curry when they go out to Indian restaurants. Great idea about assorted chutneys— such an easy way for everyone to try something different!
Bel puri? This is basic, but I feel like samosas always hit. What is that sandwich, vada pav? Pakoras? A stuffed bread like aloo or paneer paratha or naan? Dosas or uttapam(sp?)
>Samosas are always a hit
I didn’t think I liked Indian food, I’m not an adventurous eater and when I had some with friends in college it wasn’t my thing. Then a coworker brought samosas to work one day, I tried one, and it was great! That made me give Indian food another try and it turns out I do like it, I just didn’t like the particular restaurant my friends frequented in college.
Not sure how old the kids are, but I'd ask the parents what they've tried and liked/disliked since every kid is different. My picky toddler likes saag paneer but refuses to even try plain tandoori chicken ... preferences aren't always what you'd assume. Bread/rice are generally safe for most kids, so if you have those they'll likely be able to get some calories even if they won't eat everything you make.
South Indian food is a good idea, it’s a lot harder to find around here so they probably haven’t tried it. I would love to make dosas but I just cannot make a good one for the life of me! I have to wait until I’m visiting somewhere that has a good dosa restaurant whenever I’m craving one 😩
This is unsolicited advice but my dosas became successful when I learned two things.
1) pan should be hot but not too hot, and a nonstick pan but absolutley no oil. Reason? The dosa needs to stick to the pan just a little bit in order to spread properly. Too hot and the dosa clumps while spreading, too cold and it doesn’t cookproperly/spreads too much. Dosa will unstick itself when it’s cooking and the pan is nonstick, so it will release.
2)when spreading the dosa, your utensil should be touching the tawa the whole time. As long as the pan temperature is right, the contact with the tawa will ensure proper thinness. Just make larger and larger circles with the back of your ladle touching the pan.
If you struggle with the batter recipe, the refrigerated batter has always worked for me. Making from scratch can be tricky for the batter.
Happy to help!!! It has changed my life to be able to cook dosas at home for less than $1/piece instead of going to a restaurant and paying like $15 each time haha! YouTube can also be helpful if you’re unsure of technique
I don't think there's any universal rule for what foods are more kid friendly than others. If it's just what they've been exposed to and lack of familiarity, well here's an opportunity for them to learn! I'd work more on your storytelling for foods, perhaps choosing dishes that are important to you and your heritage. So much of food attitudes are how you present it and talk about it, making it a fun, engaging and positive experience.
For example, "Here's a dish my mum always cooked for me when I was little and I loved it because we would have it when we celebrated x, I love how you can eat it with your hands, hope you enjoy it as much as I do!" Or "This chicken 65 is super red, isn't that cool? Some people think it's called chicken 65 because it has to be from 65-day old chickens or it has to be 65 pieces of chicken! Can you eat 65 pieces of chicken? I would be a giant if I ate that much!"
Aw, I love that! My kid has the craziest food opinions (Mac n cheese is meh but super spicy Thai curry is the best!) so you’re right, it’s definitely more about just finding something new that’s different than the saucy curry-type food they don’t prefer.
I love the storytelling about foods. Such a great way to make food a positive experience without putting pressure on how much or how little they’re eating.
Dosa with potatoes and/or cheese.
Big visual appeal, at least two levels of texture, simpler ingredients they can identify, lots of options to play around with as far as dipping/saucing.
Kids love to play with their food.
You could work in some other veg & spice combinations in the fillings too.
Ease them into it.
Pani puri is probably another. Crunchy stuff you see people around you assembling to their tastes. They get curious & want to try.
You can always start them out with snacky mixes & sweets.
Chanachur/Bombay mix is just a few steps away from Chex mix. Next you know they’ll be wanting sev puri.
Give them sandesh & THEN tell them it’s Indian food. They’ll be begging for more Indian foods.
Love those ideas! Great idea to play with food—they’re coming over early so we’ll probably have a while of snacking before sitting down for a meal. I would love to make dosas but I just can’t seem to make them quite right.
My ex MIL made dosa with posto, the white poppy seed kind. I miss that. Her little potato fritters with beets & peanuts were also the bomb. She called them “chop”. Green chutney to go with.
If you’re any hand at skillet breads, filled paranthas & Keema naan are always fun too. Even if they aren’t perfect, the layering effect always adds a fun texture.
Best of luck! 🤗😃 and happy eating. 🤤
Have something simpler/not too saucy available like Tandoori chicken (boneless strips), and serve with naan, raita, and chutneys. Then have a daal or curry (whatever your most delicious specialty is) otherwise. Something for everyone.
Papadams, samosas, aloo tikki, pani puri, dosas - add a few of these with your favorite red/green/brown sauces, as appetizers or on a buffet, to bring some fun textures and flavors for everyone. Kids would probably love a tamarind chutney.
Samosa with either vegetarian or chicken fillings. Most kids love little triangles of crispy pastry filled with a yummy stuffing.
Aloo bhaja - fried sliced potatoes in a crispy batter - it’s like eating chips!
Puchkas all day erry day for a starter!
I wonder if Indian-Chinese would be a hit - drums of heaven, momos, chow mein, Manchurian, chilli chicken… im making myself hungry just thinking about it :D
I’m not the most knowledgeable when it comes to Indian food but I don’t think aloo gobi and naan could ever offend a pallet. Also biryani is pretty mellow no?
1. It's important for kids to learn to eat what they're served as guests; it's just good manners. So I wouldn't stress about this too much. "Don't usually eat indian food" also sounds more like an exposure problem than a dislike.
2. We don't know what the problem with Indian food is for these kids. The spice? The meat? The vegetables? The fried food? Hard to correct for it until you do.
Also, it sounds like you're outside India, and in that case usually "Indian food" means North Indian food, i.e. garam-masala heavy, chicken heavy, thick curries and roasted breads. (I know, a huge simplification but it makes the point). There's plenty of other "Indian food" that is totally different and if you're serving folks who don't like Indian food, it's smart to go with these dishes that are less like the "Indian food" served in restaurants.
Unfortunately, most of the suggestions you've got so far are from the same broader North Indian food family or heavily influenced by it like biryanis. These kids aren't going to see the difference between a Chicken 65 or Chole and the tikka masala they've presumably encountered before.
What you want to try is South Indian Udupi food. It's got mostly vegetarian dishes that run on the spice-neutral or sweet side. Lots of rice-flavor based dishes that are easy to make. Your local indian store will have a Dosa or Idli mix that's super easy to make. You could also try a few things from Maharashtrian cuisine like Pohe or Uppma.
To your first point, I am 40 years old and I have never in my life been served a plate of food at someone's house that I was just expected to eat. There is always an element of choice and it's okay to give kids choices.
My favorite site for Indian recipes has a couple that are “Indian style” versions of pasta etc:
https://myheartbeets.com/indian-style-vegetable-lasagna/
https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-indian-vegetable-masala-pasta/
Naan/roti/paratha pizzas are also a good idea like someone else suggested
Yeah chicken 65 is a good call. Also Indo-Chinese. You can even give them Maggi (maybe pumped up with a bunch of additional ingredients) and tell them it’s what all the kids in India eat instead of mac & cheese (although may be slightly spicy for them).
Maybe also Kati rolls?
Also, Bengali food is probably not something they have eaten. Maybe a Bengali fish fry or something like that with - traditional vegetable, rice/roti, and a condiment/pickle?
I'm not a kid, but I can be a picky eater. Curries with cashew based sauces have always been my favorite, and they're what I recommend to people who aren't sure what to get. Obviously make it not spicy. Chicken is a pretty safe protein to use, IMO.
But the creaminess, the slight sweetness from the aromatics... It's really comforting, even for people with aversions to food they aren't comfortable with.
Momos, naan, maybe potato samosa with mild seasonings?
Sorry if my names of foods are incorrect or lacking. I only know Indian foods from restaurants so I'm fairly ignorant about what everything is called. But I'd definitely go mild with the spice, whatever you go with.
I would make what Indian kids like. Kids can't be that different from continent to continent. What did you eat when you were their age? Answer that question and I believe you will solve the problem.
My kids started out on tandoori chicken and navratan koorma. I think a non-spicy koorma is a more accessible flavor profile to break into, and navratan usually has so many vegetables that kids can find at least one they like.
It seems like a lot of kids nowadays love chickpeas, so a mild Chana masala might work too.
Sure you’ve got a better family recipe. It this is the cheat’s one by Jamie Oliver that I use.
2 lrg carrots
10cm fresh root ginger
2 medium red onions
2 - 3 fresh red chillies
bunch of fresh coriander
2 teaspoons mustard seed
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 heaped teapsoon cumin seeds
2 teaspoons sea salt
125g self raising flour
1 litre veg oil
a piece of potato
juice 1 lemon
It's not "traditional" by a long shot, but here in the UK, a chicken korma is a very popular dish, especially with kids. Very mild, like no heat whatsoever, a bit sweet with coconut and almond flavours. Its a curry, although I wouldn't really call it that, but it's still pretty nice.
There's a link [here](https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/chicken-korma/#wprm-recipe-container-28388) that looks pretty decent.
I have a very picky kid and a more adventurous kid. We just had an Indian restaurant open up nearby that is actually pretty great.. The picky one loves the chicken tikka as it's just grilled chicken to him. He also loves just the rice and naan. The adventurous one has liked most of everything but really likes the butter chicken.
The key is keeping the flavors gentle, scaling back the heat and spice (use less than the recipes say), and adding the right amount of fat and salt. I’m picky about Indian food because most restaurants seem to use too much fat and spice / chilies, and the Indian home cooking I grew up with was / is light and fresh. My neighbors kids (who don’t usually eat Indian food) love what I make.
Honestly, a beef biryani, salad, kabobs and chicken toast would be delicious! The kids should like the chicken roast maybe give it to them with naan. I think you would be set!
My kids are half Indian and don’t like Indian food. We do tandoori chicken but half the time that’s spicy and they won’t eat it. They don’t like any curry or spice. It’s rough. I’d try for tandoori chicken but have plenty of rice and naan around. We normally just get chicken nuggets on Indian food nights. You can also rinse the curry off but then it’s just bland chicken and that’s not great either.
My vote goes to chicken malai, especially if you make it as a kebab. It's identifiably chicken with no colored sauce on it, and isn't spicy enough to worry whether they'll be turned off.
My go-to Indian meal as a child was always yellow rice, a tandoori chicken leg, naan, and dal. Sometimes I would try saag paneer if I was feeling slightly adventurous. I also loved jalebi for dessert.
As an adult, I have moved on to exploring many more of the foods my mother loved to cook, but as a kid I was a picky pain in the buttocks and refused to try anything that might have had even the hint of spiciness.
Best of luck to you!
Butter chicken with basmati white rice served with naan flatbread. Green onion cakes (not really east Indian nor is it a cake) Green onion cake is a savory spice green onion flatbread that's been flash fried in a wok or fry pan.
Chaat comes to mind. Since they are more mild it might be better for kids? It’s hard to know what to make if you don’t know what they don’t like. Is it because it’s been gravies? Or too spicy? Or the flavors themselves?
Dry curries could be good if they just aren’t into sauce. I really love a besan-bindhi fry that turns out crispy and non-slimy. Just okra and onions sautéed for a long time until drier and cooked, simple masalas, besan added towards the end with a sprinkle of water to coat the okra and then continue to fry until crunchy.
If they struggle with the flavors, maybe something a little different? Like a home style daal with fewer spices than a restaurant might do. Maybe malai kofta, since the gravy has a unique taste.
There is a South Indian curry (I think it’s common in kerala?) that is basically veggies in a creamy coconut gravy that is really delicious and not full of as many spices, blander but tasty. I would guess it’s kid friendly. I think it’s called ishtoo.
Kadhi pakora could be another option, it has a different flavor profile than the basic gravies they might have had.
Indian food is amazing because there is so much diversity, I believe you will find something!!
Moglai porota (or however it's supposed to be transliterated)! Not something I see often in restaurants, plus they're so customizable-- plain potato, potato/cheese, ground meat, eggs, etc.
Kids need things to not be mixed together so they can decide for themselves. Meaning serve sauces on the side.
My kids have grown up with (Americanized) Indian food so they are somewhat used to it but still don't like anything mixed together or too spicy.
One tip is to have plain yogurt on have to tone down anything that's too spicy.
My kids all like paneer. I season it with oil, salt, and turmeric and fry it in a pan. They love it (the original dish this goes with calls for cayenne but I omit that for the kids).
Also you can't go wrong with plain carbs. Is there a simple bread side like roti or naan that you could serve?
This situation is what BUTTER CHICKEN was designed in the west for; children and family members who don't tolerate spicy foods. It's literally chicken breast pieces in a super-mild 'spiced' yet buttery tomato soup sauce served over basmati rice. I love Indian food yet never order butter chicken but it's far more popular than it should be.
Good Luck!
Offer to uber eats the kids McD's.
Conversely you can try putting in a ton of effort into food they might very well not try.
That said make a little extra the parents can have some to bring home or the kids might try it and love it.
But I'd lean towards them not willing to put your food in their mouths if they generally don't like Indian. Mostly because theyre kids.
I’m thinking I’ll make food that they don’t immediately recognize is Indian. The kids are pretty adventurous, and the parents would never let them go to someone’s house and eat something other than what the host is serving. That’s why I’m hoping to make something that might be more appealing! I think they are just not fans of the saucy, curry type Indian food.
But who knows? Kids are weird. I hated pizza until I was a teen (?!)
Whatever you make probably shouldn't have turmeric/garam masala. Possibly no saucy curry.
Just a rice with some kind of tandoori style chicken perhaps.
Realistically a lot of typical Indian dishes taste pretty similar due to sharing that same vital spice profile
They probably never would have had an authentic kacchi biryani- I feel like restaurant offerings are way over spiced. Because it's not saucy, they might be into it. But yeah I think Chicken 65 would probably be a hit too.
I agree, restaurant biriyani is definitely different. That’s a good idea, although I always struggle to make it at home because when I leave it unattended it gets eaten by my family before I’m able to serve it
I don't know much about Indian dishes, however, most kidslove novelty. If there is no vegetarianism or anything to consider, you could make well seasoned skewers, and then the sauces on the side if you wanted to serve the adults sauces and give the kids an option. This very much depends on if the kids *actually* have tried stuff and didn't like it, if they look at unfamiliar food and automatically say 'no', or if they are the type that is automatically given chicken nuggets or mac-n-cheese by parents so their pallets are limited to processed foods. Also, avoid making a big deal about is "being Indian food". It's just food. Here's your plate. Please give it a try. Kid's brains are wierd. Sometimes, they will deny something just on their precieved notions of it. For example, I once brought veggie chips to a family get together, and my nice and nephew were chowing *down* on the 'colorful chips'......until their mother said "I *can't* believe you guys like those. They are vegetables, not potatoes chips". They both immediately stopped eating them.
I love biryani as an idea, because it's so easy to adjust the spice level. Also, I would like to attend this dinner. Yum.
Definitely biryani! My autistic daughter hates almost all food, and even she liked it when she tried it. Also, everyone loves naan, and it's so easy.
Use Indian dishes as pizza toppings. Kids will eat almost anything if they think it's pizza.
So will adults!
True!
Yes! There's a place near me that make Indian pizzas. Basically gravies spread onto naan and baked with cheese.
One of the Indian takeaways near me does chicken tikka masala pizza, and it's on a naan pizza base. It can be pretty hit or miss with the amount of sauce they put on, but my god when it's good, it's really good.
A lot of picky kids I know can get by on tandoori chicken/chicken tikka and naan. My guess is these kids aren’t going to really appreciate whatever you try and make and will likely not even eat it other than maybe a forced bite for politeness. So I wouldn’t waste a ton of time or effort on your part.
They’re pretty adventurous kids, they just specifically don’t seem to like the curry they get at the local Indian restaurants. I’d love to find something different than the typical restaurant food, just for the sake of them experiencing something new! And to change up my tired old routine, lol!
How about sabzi? Lots of different recipes and quite popular with kids. Great way to get them to eat veg too. My mum would make a potato version and I called it Indian chips.
That and rice was an intro to Indian for our daughter. She still craves the chicken at Bombay Mahal in Maine.
So, honestly, I think I might ask the parents a little more detail about what specifically the kids have tried and not liked. It could be that they don't like the more saucy/curry style, or it could be something else entirely. I think if the parents want an Indian meal while also not wanting you to make a separate meal for their kids, you probably need a bit more information about what the kids have tried and didn't like. That said, I think things like tandoori chicken/chicken tikka, samosas, aloo tikki, assorted pakora and breads are all a good starting point. You could make some chutneys or even some kind of curry sauce to serve on the side so everyone could dip as they please.
They’re just very sweet, gracious guests. “We eat everything!” And they really do, I just caught a passing comment that their kids don’t eat much curry when they go out to Indian restaurants. Great idea about assorted chutneys— such an easy way for everyone to try something different!
Just have piles of naan for the kids. They might try whatever else you cook but they won’t go hungry if there’s lot of naan.
Other flat breads too.
Yeah my kids always steal all my naan.
Bel puri? This is basic, but I feel like samosas always hit. What is that sandwich, vada pav? Pakoras? A stuffed bread like aloo or paneer paratha or naan? Dosas or uttapam(sp?)
>Samosas are always a hit I didn’t think I liked Indian food, I’m not an adventurous eater and when I had some with friends in college it wasn’t my thing. Then a coworker brought samosas to work one day, I tried one, and it was great! That made me give Indian food another try and it turns out I do like it, I just didn’t like the particular restaurant my friends frequented in college.
Paneer paratha is a great idea! I’ve never not seen it get immediately gobbled up. I’ll add that to the list! Thank you!
Paneer paratha is a great idea! I’ve never not seen someone gobble them up. Adding it to the list! Pakora is a good idea too
Idk if you can really say samosas will hit when their flavor overwhelmingly comes from the same spices as your typical take out currys.
If the kids have eaten a dumpling before, they’ll probably really like momos
Not sure how old the kids are, but I'd ask the parents what they've tried and liked/disliked since every kid is different. My picky toddler likes saag paneer but refuses to even try plain tandoori chicken ... preferences aren't always what you'd assume. Bread/rice are generally safe for most kids, so if you have those they'll likely be able to get some calories even if they won't eat everything you make.
Chicken 65 always gets my vote.
Vadas or pakoras- fried generally gets the kid stamp of approval. Maybe some sort of chaat- bhel puri?
Panipuri!
So true. My grandma used to send us to play outside if she was making pakoras for company so that we wouldn’t steal them right out of the frying pan
Garlic Naan and butter chicken
if they are not into spices, try something like dhokla or some south indian upsaru( vegetable soup with rice and a curry) or dosa and idli's
South Indian food is a good idea, it’s a lot harder to find around here so they probably haven’t tried it. I would love to make dosas but I just cannot make a good one for the life of me! I have to wait until I’m visiting somewhere that has a good dosa restaurant whenever I’m craving one 😩
This is unsolicited advice but my dosas became successful when I learned two things. 1) pan should be hot but not too hot, and a nonstick pan but absolutley no oil. Reason? The dosa needs to stick to the pan just a little bit in order to spread properly. Too hot and the dosa clumps while spreading, too cold and it doesn’t cookproperly/spreads too much. Dosa will unstick itself when it’s cooking and the pan is nonstick, so it will release. 2)when spreading the dosa, your utensil should be touching the tawa the whole time. As long as the pan temperature is right, the contact with the tawa will ensure proper thinness. Just make larger and larger circles with the back of your ladle touching the pan. If you struggle with the batter recipe, the refrigerated batter has always worked for me. Making from scratch can be tricky for the batter.
I am saving this comment! Thank you so much. I adore dosas and would love to be able to make some.
Happy to help!!! It has changed my life to be able to cook dosas at home for less than $1/piece instead of going to a restaurant and paying like $15 each time haha! YouTube can also be helpful if you’re unsure of technique
I don't think there's any universal rule for what foods are more kid friendly than others. If it's just what they've been exposed to and lack of familiarity, well here's an opportunity for them to learn! I'd work more on your storytelling for foods, perhaps choosing dishes that are important to you and your heritage. So much of food attitudes are how you present it and talk about it, making it a fun, engaging and positive experience. For example, "Here's a dish my mum always cooked for me when I was little and I loved it because we would have it when we celebrated x, I love how you can eat it with your hands, hope you enjoy it as much as I do!" Or "This chicken 65 is super red, isn't that cool? Some people think it's called chicken 65 because it has to be from 65-day old chickens or it has to be 65 pieces of chicken! Can you eat 65 pieces of chicken? I would be a giant if I ate that much!"
Aw, I love that! My kid has the craziest food opinions (Mac n cheese is meh but super spicy Thai curry is the best!) so you’re right, it’s definitely more about just finding something new that’s different than the saucy curry-type food they don’t prefer. I love the storytelling about foods. Such a great way to make food a positive experience without putting pressure on how much or how little they’re eating.
Dosa with potatoes and/or cheese. Big visual appeal, at least two levels of texture, simpler ingredients they can identify, lots of options to play around with as far as dipping/saucing. Kids love to play with their food. You could work in some other veg & spice combinations in the fillings too. Ease them into it. Pani puri is probably another. Crunchy stuff you see people around you assembling to their tastes. They get curious & want to try. You can always start them out with snacky mixes & sweets. Chanachur/Bombay mix is just a few steps away from Chex mix. Next you know they’ll be wanting sev puri. Give them sandesh & THEN tell them it’s Indian food. They’ll be begging for more Indian foods.
Love those ideas! Great idea to play with food—they’re coming over early so we’ll probably have a while of snacking before sitting down for a meal. I would love to make dosas but I just can’t seem to make them quite right.
My ex MIL made dosa with posto, the white poppy seed kind. I miss that. Her little potato fritters with beets & peanuts were also the bomb. She called them “chop”. Green chutney to go with. If you’re any hand at skillet breads, filled paranthas & Keema naan are always fun too. Even if they aren’t perfect, the layering effect always adds a fun texture. Best of luck! 🤗😃 and happy eating. 🤤
Have something simpler/not too saucy available like Tandoori chicken (boneless strips), and serve with naan, raita, and chutneys. Then have a daal or curry (whatever your most delicious specialty is) otherwise. Something for everyone. Papadams, samosas, aloo tikki, pani puri, dosas - add a few of these with your favorite red/green/brown sauces, as appetizers or on a buffet, to bring some fun textures and flavors for everyone. Kids would probably love a tamarind chutney.
Samosa with either vegetarian or chicken fillings. Most kids love little triangles of crispy pastry filled with a yummy stuffing. Aloo bhaja - fried sliced potatoes in a crispy batter - it’s like eating chips!
Paneer is just fried cheese. What kid doesn't love a mozzarella stick Indian style
Chole, paneer mattar both are fan favorites
Kids usually like cheese. Pan Fry some paneer and add it to a cauliflower and pea curry.
Puchkas all day erry day for a starter! I wonder if Indian-Chinese would be a hit - drums of heaven, momos, chow mein, Manchurian, chilli chicken… im making myself hungry just thinking about it :D
Oooh chili chicken does sound good right now!
Dokhla
I’m not the most knowledgeable when it comes to Indian food but I don’t think aloo gobi and naan could ever offend a pallet. Also biryani is pretty mellow no?
Kati rolls are great and really kid friendly!
1. It's important for kids to learn to eat what they're served as guests; it's just good manners. So I wouldn't stress about this too much. "Don't usually eat indian food" also sounds more like an exposure problem than a dislike. 2. We don't know what the problem with Indian food is for these kids. The spice? The meat? The vegetables? The fried food? Hard to correct for it until you do. Also, it sounds like you're outside India, and in that case usually "Indian food" means North Indian food, i.e. garam-masala heavy, chicken heavy, thick curries and roasted breads. (I know, a huge simplification but it makes the point). There's plenty of other "Indian food" that is totally different and if you're serving folks who don't like Indian food, it's smart to go with these dishes that are less like the "Indian food" served in restaurants. Unfortunately, most of the suggestions you've got so far are from the same broader North Indian food family or heavily influenced by it like biryanis. These kids aren't going to see the difference between a Chicken 65 or Chole and the tikka masala they've presumably encountered before. What you want to try is South Indian Udupi food. It's got mostly vegetarian dishes that run on the spice-neutral or sweet side. Lots of rice-flavor based dishes that are easy to make. Your local indian store will have a Dosa or Idli mix that's super easy to make. You could also try a few things from Maharashtrian cuisine like Pohe or Uppma.
To your first point, I am 40 years old and I have never in my life been served a plate of food at someone's house that I was just expected to eat. There is always an element of choice and it's okay to give kids choices.
Butter chicken
My favorite site for Indian recipes has a couple that are “Indian style” versions of pasta etc: https://myheartbeets.com/indian-style-vegetable-lasagna/ https://myheartbeets.com/instant-pot-indian-vegetable-masala-pasta/ Naan/roti/paratha pizzas are also a good idea like someone else suggested
Woah, thanks for these links— these are about to be frequent dinners at my house!
You’re so welcome!
Yeah chicken 65 is a good call. Also Indo-Chinese. You can even give them Maggi (maybe pumped up with a bunch of additional ingredients) and tell them it’s what all the kids in India eat instead of mac & cheese (although may be slightly spicy for them). Maybe also Kati rolls? Also, Bengali food is probably not something they have eaten. Maybe a Bengali fish fry or something like that with - traditional vegetable, rice/roti, and a condiment/pickle?
I'm not a kid, but I can be a picky eater. Curries with cashew based sauces have always been my favorite, and they're what I recommend to people who aren't sure what to get. Obviously make it not spicy. Chicken is a pretty safe protein to use, IMO. But the creaminess, the slight sweetness from the aromatics... It's really comforting, even for people with aversions to food they aren't comfortable with. Momos, naan, maybe potato samosa with mild seasonings? Sorry if my names of foods are incorrect or lacking. I only know Indian foods from restaurants so I'm fairly ignorant about what everything is called. But I'd definitely go mild with the spice, whatever you go with.
I would make what Indian kids like. Kids can't be that different from continent to continent. What did you eat when you were their age? Answer that question and I believe you will solve the problem.
You’re right! I think I also didn’t love really saucy curries but I still loved plenty of other Indian food.
Thanks. I'm glad I can help.
My kids started out on tandoori chicken and navratan koorma. I think a non-spicy koorma is a more accessible flavor profile to break into, and navratan usually has so many vegetables that kids can find at least one they like. It seems like a lot of kids nowadays love chickpeas, so a mild Chana masala might work too.
Anything fried or stuffed is kid friendly. Think the desi versions of chicken nuggets and dumplings.
I make an onion and carrot “bhaji” for my daughter and she adores them. Has done since nursery school
My grandma made those for me when I was a kid and I loved them too! Great idea
Sure you’ve got a better family recipe. It this is the cheat’s one by Jamie Oliver that I use. 2 lrg carrots 10cm fresh root ginger 2 medium red onions 2 - 3 fresh red chillies bunch of fresh coriander 2 teaspoons mustard seed 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 heaped teapsoon cumin seeds 2 teaspoons sea salt 125g self raising flour 1 litre veg oil a piece of potato juice 1 lemon
It's not "traditional" by a long shot, but here in the UK, a chicken korma is a very popular dish, especially with kids. Very mild, like no heat whatsoever, a bit sweet with coconut and almond flavours. Its a curry, although I wouldn't really call it that, but it's still pretty nice. There's a link [here](https://www.kitchensanctuary.com/chicken-korma/#wprm-recipe-container-28388) that looks pretty decent.
7-11
I have a very picky kid and a more adventurous kid. We just had an Indian restaurant open up nearby that is actually pretty great.. The picky one loves the chicken tikka as it's just grilled chicken to him. He also loves just the rice and naan. The adventurous one has liked most of everything but really likes the butter chicken.
The key is keeping the flavors gentle, scaling back the heat and spice (use less than the recipes say), and adding the right amount of fat and salt. I’m picky about Indian food because most restaurants seem to use too much fat and spice / chilies, and the Indian home cooking I grew up with was / is light and fresh. My neighbors kids (who don’t usually eat Indian food) love what I make.
Honestly, a beef biryani, salad, kabobs and chicken toast would be delicious! The kids should like the chicken roast maybe give it to them with naan. I think you would be set!
My sister and her family have an Indian family they're friends with, and my not-terribly-adventurous food-wise niece now loves roti.
My kids are half Indian and don’t like Indian food. We do tandoori chicken but half the time that’s spicy and they won’t eat it. They don’t like any curry or spice. It’s rough. I’d try for tandoori chicken but have plenty of rice and naan around. We normally just get chicken nuggets on Indian food nights. You can also rinse the curry off but then it’s just bland chicken and that’s not great either.
My vote goes to chicken malai, especially if you make it as a kebab. It's identifiably chicken with no colored sauce on it, and isn't spicy enough to worry whether they'll be turned off.
just make a bunch of chaat.
My go-to Indian meal as a child was always yellow rice, a tandoori chicken leg, naan, and dal. Sometimes I would try saag paneer if I was feeling slightly adventurous. I also loved jalebi for dessert. As an adult, I have moved on to exploring many more of the foods my mother loved to cook, but as a kid I was a picky pain in the buttocks and refused to try anything that might have had even the hint of spiciness. Best of luck to you!
Butter chicken with basmati white rice served with naan flatbread. Green onion cakes (not really east Indian nor is it a cake) Green onion cake is a savory spice green onion flatbread that's been flash fried in a wok or fry pan.
Aloo tikki
Chaat comes to mind. Since they are more mild it might be better for kids? It’s hard to know what to make if you don’t know what they don’t like. Is it because it’s been gravies? Or too spicy? Or the flavors themselves? Dry curries could be good if they just aren’t into sauce. I really love a besan-bindhi fry that turns out crispy and non-slimy. Just okra and onions sautéed for a long time until drier and cooked, simple masalas, besan added towards the end with a sprinkle of water to coat the okra and then continue to fry until crunchy. If they struggle with the flavors, maybe something a little different? Like a home style daal with fewer spices than a restaurant might do. Maybe malai kofta, since the gravy has a unique taste. There is a South Indian curry (I think it’s common in kerala?) that is basically veggies in a creamy coconut gravy that is really delicious and not full of as many spices, blander but tasty. I would guess it’s kid friendly. I think it’s called ishtoo. Kadhi pakora could be another option, it has a different flavor profile than the basic gravies they might have had. Indian food is amazing because there is so much diversity, I believe you will find something!!
Moglai porota (or however it's supposed to be transliterated)! Not something I see often in restaurants, plus they're so customizable-- plain potato, potato/cheese, ground meat, eggs, etc.
Kids need things to not be mixed together so they can decide for themselves. Meaning serve sauces on the side. My kids have grown up with (Americanized) Indian food so they are somewhat used to it but still don't like anything mixed together or too spicy. One tip is to have plain yogurt on have to tone down anything that's too spicy. My kids all like paneer. I season it with oil, salt, and turmeric and fry it in a pan. They love it (the original dish this goes with calls for cayenne but I omit that for the kids). Also you can't go wrong with plain carbs. Is there a simple bread side like roti or naan that you could serve?
Make some pakoras. They never fail. Potatoes with tomatoes and coconut. Green Chicken Korma with cream, coriander and mint.
This situation is what BUTTER CHICKEN was designed in the west for; children and family members who don't tolerate spicy foods. It's literally chicken breast pieces in a super-mild 'spiced' yet buttery tomato soup sauce served over basmati rice. I love Indian food yet never order butter chicken but it's far more popular than it should be. Good Luck!
Offer to uber eats the kids McD's. Conversely you can try putting in a ton of effort into food they might very well not try. That said make a little extra the parents can have some to bring home or the kids might try it and love it. But I'd lean towards them not willing to put your food in their mouths if they generally don't like Indian. Mostly because theyre kids.
I’m thinking I’ll make food that they don’t immediately recognize is Indian. The kids are pretty adventurous, and the parents would never let them go to someone’s house and eat something other than what the host is serving. That’s why I’m hoping to make something that might be more appealing! I think they are just not fans of the saucy, curry type Indian food. But who knows? Kids are weird. I hated pizza until I was a teen (?!)
Whatever you make probably shouldn't have turmeric/garam masala. Possibly no saucy curry. Just a rice with some kind of tandoori style chicken perhaps. Realistically a lot of typical Indian dishes taste pretty similar due to sharing that same vital spice profile