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Home » Cuisine » Indian

Indian

Don’t leave Indian food for take-out only! Bringing this cultural food into your home is not only easy, but also packed with flavorful recipes that are easy for parents to make at home! 

Indian cuisine is known for its complex flavor profiles, generous use of spices, and great sauces. Most Indian cooks adhere to an Ayurvedic principle that says that every dish should contain six key elements of taste – sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent. Indian cooks are masters of creating balance with tastes, textures, and flavors. Which means that each meal is a fantastic opportunity to explore the world of flavor!

Is Indian food spicy?

Spices are a big part of indian cooking, but that doesn’t mean that every dish will make you feel like your insides are melting. Not every dish is super spicy! 

Tips to Make Indian Food Kid Friendly:

Indian food is totally kid friendly – after all, kids in India eat it everyday! Here are a few simple ways you can help your family learn to love Indian food.

  • Include known favorites! Make sure you are also serving foods that you know your kids will like and eat on the side. This is a great time for simple side dishes and fruit, so even if they only try a bite or two they still have plenty of food on their plate to eat!
  • Rice and Bread! Most Indian meals can be served with basmati rice or a flat bread (either naan or roti). Or you can go carb-crazy and serve both! Either way, its a good neutral flavor to add to your meal, and are great for soaking up extra sauce.
  • Go easy on the spices. Indian food does include a LOT of spices. Talk with your kids about the differences between heavily spiced and spicy-hot. If it is the first (or even the second) time you have made a new dish, I often recommend using half the called for amount of spices as an easy way to introduce the flavors to your kids. Then as your family gets used to the recipe you can increase the amount of spices you use.
  • Yogurt! Stirring in some plain yogurt is a great way to cut down on the intensity level of flavors. Serving some cooling riata on the side is great, too! And if its a tomato based dish, you can add in some extra tomato paste or puree to diluate the strong flavors as well.
  • Get them involved and interested! Check out books from your local library, ask them to help you pick out recipes, and help you prepare the meals. The more involved and interested they are, the more likely they are to eat it!
  • Dipping Sauce. Indian cuisine has a great array of dipping sauces like chutneys, riatas, and more. Food is always more fun when you can dip it in something! You can even pull out some of the sauce of each recipe and use that as a dip.

Other resource you might need:

  • Raising Adventurous Eaters
  • Teaching Kids to Love International Food 

Typically, Indian recipes are quite labor intensive and the focus is put on the quality of the taste, not on how quicky it can be made. The following recipes are not “authentic” in that they have been created for busy families to enjoy on weeknights – they are quick, they are easy, and they are meant to capture the spirit of the cuisine and help be a “gateway” to traditional, authentic Indian cuisine.

graphic image with images of foodie family passport kits and the words

Kid Friendly Indian Food Recipes:

Indian Recipes for Kids

Indian Recipes for Kids

overhead view of bowl of palak paneer with cream and onions on top, flatbread beside

Instant Pot Palak Paneer

close up of rice with serving spoon in bowl

Jeera Rice

white bowl on wooden board filled with indian lemon rice

Indian Lemon Rice

three glasses with mango lassi beside pitcher

Simple Mango Lassi

grey bowl filled with cucumber raita with sliced cucumbers and cilantro beside.

Easy Raita Recipe

chicken curry with papaya next to book

Kids Chicken Curry with Papaya

A white wooden table with two bowls of chicken tikka masala and rice, with naan on the side

Super Easy Chicken Tikka Masala Recipe

naan pizza with chicken tikka masala and cheese

Chicken Tikka Masala Pizza

Indian spiced grilled chicken thighs on white platter

Grilled Tandoori Chicken

chicken tikka masala on plate with rice and topped with chopped cilantro

Easy Chicken Tikka Masala

stack of sourdough naan on cutting board

Sourdough Naan

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