Kachi Dabeli, Edamame, Strawberries dipped in chocolate, cheez-it crackers

Kachi Dabeli : spicy mashed potato stuffing on the whole grains bread.

Add some kachi dabeli masala in some heated oil and add mashed potatos to it. I added peanuts, walnuts and cashews in it. On one slice of bread add the stuffing and decorate it with coconut flakes and pomogranate seeds; ketchup on the other side of the sandwich.

Chocolate dipped strawberries : In a bowl I add some chocolate chips/pieces of plain chocolate bar. microwave it for a minute. dip the strawberries and put in th fridge to cool. Roo loves to make them and eat :)

Edamame : green soybeans cooked in water and salt.

with some cheez-it s: baked snack crackers.

I added a pink love note under the sandwich.

Brown rice, tofu, broccoli in brown sauce with nuts, dates, raisins ladu, blueberries

Brown rice, Tofu, Broccoli in brown sauce :
Brown rice (short grained) cooked in the pressure cooker with some salt.
brown sauce : Soy sauce + sugar + olive oil + honey mustard + sesame oil + salt pepper. whisk it all together and add it to the rice according to the flavor. At PFChangs they serve a kind of brown sauce. but the chili and wasabi is not Ruta's taste. she likes this homemade sauce.
Tofu: I add tofu pieces with some of this brown sauce in a pan and cook it on low heat.
Blanched broccoli topped with brown sauce and sesame seeds.

Nuts, Dates and Raisins Ladu (roll) : Grind Nuts (raw walnuts, almonds, cashews, etc) with dates raisins and roll them with hands. no sugar, no salt.
with some Blueberries.

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad

Whole Wheat Pasta Salad : Fusilli or any spiral pasta with fresh basil, feta cheese, some lettuce, baby spinach leaves, cucumber slices and finely cut yellow bell pepper topped with raspberry vinaigrette.
Pasta salad is a very yummy picnic food.

Raspberry vinaigrette : 1 teapoon olive oil + 1/2 teapoon raspberry wine vinegar + 1/4 teaspoon sugar + drop of honey mustard + salt and pepper.

Jawaar(Sorghum) Bhakri (Flatbread), Jaggery+Ghee, Chatni+oil

Jawaar bhaakri (Flatbread) with Jaggery+Ghee and Chatani+oil - This is my childhood favorite lunch and Roo's favorite too. After taking the picture I added more chatni to the oil.
Roo eats carrots when sliced thin. Carrots, Blanched broccolli, mandarin orange pieces on the side.
Jawaar (Sorghum) is high in carbohydrates and has sweet taste. Bhakri (flatbread) is made very differently than naan, roti's. Flour is mixed with water/milk, made flat with hands (no rolling pin). On the pan while roasting brush the top side with water. Let it roast until it holds the shape and then roast both sides on the fire (stove) flame. It will be puffy dome shaped flatbread.

toasty Sandwich, Sheera, sugar snap peas and fruits

Sandwich made using sandwich maker : Sandwich maker makes warm toasty sandwich. The edges of the bread gets sealed nicely making easy to eat for kids.
Filling : Can vary according to kids choice. I filled it with mixed dry vegetables bhaji(sabji)

Sheera with cashews and keshar (Saffron) : sooji halwa. yummy sweet.

Sugar snap peas (peapods). Apple and apple-pear slices.

Bhel

Bhel with vegetables and sprouted beans : This is the best picnic food. Roo loves it in her lunch box.
Puffed rice is mixed together to eat with -
boiled potato, soaked and sprouted moong and moth (mataki) beans, grated carrots, finely cut cucumber (no seeds) and tomatoes, chopped onions and corriander. I added some peanuts, almonds and walnuts after taking picture and a spoon to eat.
farsan - (sweet and spicy blend of garbanzo bean flour noodles).
topped with sweet and saur (tangy) tamarind chutney (sauce) : soak tamarind overnight, blend it in mixer (blender), strain it and discard seeds and fibers. In a saucepan cook tamarind pulp with sugar (jaggery) and some salt. cook it for 10-15 minutes. I make 4-5 jars of this sauce at a time and keep in the fridge.

Aloo Paratha with vegetables, plum and apple slices

Aloo paratha with added vegetables : I use durum atta for stuffed paratha dough. For 1 cup flour use 1/3 -1/2 cup water and pinch of salt.

Stuffing : heat some oil add grated ginger, turmeric, ajwain seeds(ova), grated turnip, grated kohlrabi (navalkol), green string beans, green peas, boiled and mashed potatoes, lemon juice, salt, sugar.

Apple and Plum slices.

[If you can't make stuffing completely covered with dough ball with hands. Roll the dough a little (by coating it with flour), put the stuffing ball in the middle and fold the dough on top of the stuffing ball. Pinch out the extra dough, make ball and roll it lightly with rolling pin and again coating generously with flour at all times]

Bread Upma, grapes, vegetables

Bread Upma : White bread cut into small pieces (cubes). Mix some lemon juice, salt and sugar with bread cubes.

Heat some oil for tempring (tadka) add cumin seeds, turmeric, grated ginger, finely chopped onion, pinch of salt. let it cook. add peanuts and bread cubes. Mix it all together and turn off the heat.

Brocolli (your kids favorite veggies) with dip.

Grapes.

Methi Thepla, Apple slices, blueberries

Methi (fenugreek leaves) Thepla : It's a great picnic food...and so is for lunch box.
2 cups of whole wheat flour, 2 cups finely chopped fenugreek leaves, 1/2 cup Jawar(millet) flour, 1/2 cup besan [or soak any lentils(I used chana dal here) and grind in the mixer], 1 cup yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, 1 tbs sesame seeds, Ajwain (ovaa) seeds, turmeric, salt, some water/milk to make the dough. I make it like paratha. Cut it into bites.
Unusual dip but Roo's favorite : chutney (almonds+walnuts+flaxmeal+garlic+salt+red chili powder) mixed in ketchup.
Apple slices and blueberries. Thats my 15 month old's sneaky hand.

Croissant sandwich with veggies, apple plum and strawberry slices

Croissant sandwich : can be made lots of different ways. This is Roo's favorite one with maximum veggies.

Thick layer of Basil pesto with spinach, walnuts, olive oil, flax meal, lemon juice and salt then the thick layer of finely grated carrots and grated cheese.
Apple, plum and strawberry slices on the side.