Lajina Masala
Lajina Masala is the creator of Masala Spice Blends, and a teacher of Indian cuisine from corporate clients to adults, children and famillies.
Lajina’s Veg Curry
Lajina Masala
Effort:
Complexity:
Cost:
In season now
Serves: 8
Prep time: 15 mins
Cook time: 30 mins
Ingredients:
2 small onions, finely chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
1 small white cabbage, roughly chopped
a couple of handfuls of brussels sprouts, peeled and quartered (you can use other vegetables but try and get an even amount of all 3)
1 tablespoon of tomato puree
1 tsp of ground turmeric
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chilli flakes
1/2 tsp sea salt
1 inch cube fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
oil, for frying
1 tsp garam masala
Veg Portions / Serving: 1
Recipe donated by Lajina Masala for Veg Power.
Lajina Masala shares an easy vegetable curry packed with loads of flavour for a fun way to eat plenty of veg.
Method:
After cutting the vegetables to size, rinse and leave in separate bowls.
Put a good splash of oil into a large frying pan and add the onions. Cook over a high heat until soft and golden use a splash of water if needed to help with cooking. Add the garlic and ginger to the onions and continue to fry. Add the carrots with salt and a splash of water and cook until softened. Make sure to stir the carrots frequently.
Add the curry spices and a splash more water, along with a tablespoon of tomato puree. Add the sprouts and cabbage to the carrots and stir well.
Turn down the heat, cover with a lid on and cook until the vegetables are as soft as you like them – I prefer them with a little more ‘bite’. Serve with naan or pitta bread.
Engaging Kids
Kids who engage regularly with veg through veg-themed activities, such as arts and crafts, sensory experiences, growing and cooking are shown to be more likely to eat the veg they engage with. Encouraging kids to engage and play with veg is the handy first step to them developing a good relationship with veg and life-long healthy eating.
Kids in the kitchen
Show the kids how to measure out the spices and help them add ingredients carefully to the pan. Help them scoop the curry into bowls to serve and let them sprinkle with some fresh chopped coriander.
Activities
While getting kids to interact with veggies for real and using their senses to explore them is best, encouraging hands off activities like arts & crafts, puzzles & games or at-home science experiments can be a great start, particularly for those who are fussier eaters or struggle with anything too sensory. Use these veg-themed activities as a stepping stone to interacting with the veg themselves. We have loads of crafty downloads here, puzzles here, and quirky science with veg here.
Sensory
Once you feel your child is ready to engage a little more, you can show them how to explore the veg you have on hand with their senses, coming up with playful silly descriptions of how a veg smells, feels, looks, sounds and perhaps even tastes. Find ideas, videos and some simple sensory education session ideas to get you started here.
Serving
The moments before food is offered can be a perfect opportunity for engagement that can help make it more likely a child will eat it! Giving children a sense of ownership in the meal can make a big difference to their feelings going into it and the pride they take in it. You know your child best, but if you aren’t sure where to start, we have some fun and simple ideas for easy roles you can give them in the serving process over here.
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