My Rainbow Breads

Very often my friends complain of their kids’ fussy eating habits – their love for junk foods and complete hatred of all that is healthy (and unattractive). Vegetables seem to be their eternal foes, while crisps and fries are welcome at any hour of the day – or night! But why blame kids – after all, fussing is their birth right….didn’t we all go through this when we were little? Yet it is for the mummies to weave their magic in the kitchen and make healthy meals appealing to these little monsters.

My love for healthy food, mostly comprising of fresh vegetables and fruits, encourages me to experiment with new ingredients in my regular dishes. And so I decided to try out some ‘attractive’ versions of my daily staple – the Indian bread or roti (also called chapatti). I prepared green, red and rainbow (red and green) rotis (in fragrant and non-fragrant variations) which not only looked attractive on a plate, but were rich in nutrients as well. On recommending these to my friends who in turn tried them out at home for their kids, I was really pleased to know that their little ones loved the rainbow rotis. They were even impressed by the fact that the superhero Popeye used to have such rotis (since spinach is used in the rotis) to build his strong muscles!!

If you want your kid to be as strong as Popeye as well, and ensure a nutritious meal everyday without their regular fuss, you could try my various coloured roti recipes:

• Green Roti with Spinach (non-fragrant)

Cut fresh spinach leaves and leave in boiling water for a couple of minutes till the leaves wilt, then remove the leaves from water and make a paste (in a mixer or simply by crushing with your hand). Take wheat flour (atta) in a bowl and add the spinach paste, mixing them well so that the mixture is a uniform green colour. Now add enough water to make a roti dough. Divide into small balls, roll into rotis and cook on a flat pan (tawa). Your green spinach roti is ready.

• Green Roti with Mint or Coriander Leaves (fragrant)

If you want a fragrant, mint or coriander flavoured green roti, take some fresh green leaves of mint or coriander. Make a fine paste of the leaves and add to wheat flour (atta). Mix well for a uniform colour, then add enough water to make the dough. Divide the dough into balls, roll into round rotis and cook on your flat pan for aromatic green rotis!

• Red Roti with Tomatoes (non-fragrant)

Choose some ripe, red and juicy tomatoes and make a paste/puree. Add this to wheat flour (atta) and mix well for a uniform colour. Then make a smooth dough by slowly adding enough water. Divide the dough into balls, roll into rotis and cook on your tawa/pan. Red rotis rich in vitamin C is on your plate!

• Rainbow Roti – Red and Green (fragrant/non-fragrant)

The rainbow roti is a red and green coloured roti, which combines the goodness of tomatoes (which give the red colour) and spinach/mint/coriander (which gives the green colour). Make 2 separate roti doughs – 1 red and 1 green (based on the recipes given above for red rotis and green rotis). Once the 2 doughs are ready, take a small amount of red dough and another small amount of green dough. Stick them together so that you get a round ball – half red and half green. You could also roll the coloured dough between your palms so that the colours make some artistic pattern J Roll this dough into a roti and cook on the pan. This rainbow roti is sure to impress your kid!

You could try out various combinations of pureed vegetables (like beetroot for a dark pink colour or mashed butternut squash for a vibrant orange) which can give bright colours to your daily staple – the humble roti/chapatti – while ensuring a high level of nutrition without too much effort. Enjoy the rainbow J