Mushroom Spinach Cheese Square Paratha | Kids’ Lunch Box Recipe

Category: Breakfast / Dinner / Tiffin
Preparation Time: 10–15 mins 
Cooking Time: 2-3 mins per paratha
Servings: Makes around 4-6 parathas, depending on size and thickness

Packing lunch boxes every morning always makes me look for recipes that are simple, quick, kid-friendly and easy to customize. This Mushroom Spinach Cheese Paratha is one of those recipes I make quite often for my kids’ lunch boxes.

Mushroom Spinach Cheese Paratha

I usually make a simple filling with mushrooms, spinach and cheese, seasoned with Italian herbs and black pepper. The combination is mild and flavorful, and the melted cheese makes it something the kids really enjoy.

Instead of making the usual round stuffed paratha, I like to make these square-shaped and neatly closed. For my younger one, I make them mini-sized, which makes them easy for little hands to hold and perfect for lunch boxes.

What I love most about this recipe is that I don’t always make the exact same filling. I customize it depending on what I have in my refrigerator that morning.

If I have spinach, I add it. If I don’t, I simply make mushroom and cheese parathas. I sometimes add finely chopped bell peppers or sweet corn as well. And on especially busy mornings, I may use a cheese slice instead of grated cheese to make things even quicker.

The seasoning can also be changed. I usually like Italian seasoning and black pepper with mushrooms, spinach and cheese because it gives the filling a mild, pizza-like flavor that my kids enjoy. If you prefer Indian flavors, you can use simple Indian spices instead.

So there really isn’t a strict combination for this recipe. Mushroom + cheese, mushroom + spinach + cheese, mushroom + bell pepper + cheese, or mushroom + corn + cheese — they all work beautifully.

That’s what makes this such a useful lunch-box recipe for me: one basic paratha, but so many easy combinations depending on what I have on hand.

Ingredients

For the Paratha Dough

• Whole wheat flour – 1 1/2 cups
• Salt – as needed
• Oil / Ghee – 1 tsp
• Warm Water – as needed
• Oil or ghee – for cooking

For the Filling

Quinoa Adai Dosa / Quinoa Lentil Crepe

Category: Breakfast / Dinner / Tiffin
Preparation Time: 10–15 mins + soaking time
Cooking Time: 2-3 mins per dosa
Servings: Makes around 10 - 12 dosas, depending on size and thickness

This is one of those recipes I’ve been making at home for the last few years. I started making this Quinoa Adai Dosa as a wholesome variation of our regular adai, and over time I’ve made it in a few different ways depending on what my family likes.

I use quinoa along with a combination of chana dal, toor dal, masoor dal, whole green gram and urad dal. With a few simple spices, it makes a filling and flavorful dosa that works well for breakfast or dinner.

Quinoa Adai Dosa

Since my kids enjoy a softer, dosa-like texture, I usually grind the batter smooth and make it like a dosa. But if you prefer a traditional adai, you can simply grind the batter a little coarser and keep it thicker. It tastes just as delicious that way.

Over the years, I’ve also started making this as an Egg Quinoa Adai Dosa for busy mornings. Adding an egg is an easy way to make it even more protein-rich and filling.

The amount of quinoa can also be adjusted depending on the texture you prefer. I use 1/2 cup quinoa when I want a crispier dosa, and 1 cup when I want it softer.

So, this is really one recipe with a few possibilities — make it smooth and thin like a dosa, keep it slightly coarse and thick like an adai, or add an egg for an extra protein boost.

This has been a regular in my kitchen for years, and I hope you enjoy making it for your family too! ❤️

Ingredients

• Quinoa – 1/2 cup to 1 cup
• Use 1/2 cup for a crispier dosa
• Use 1 cup for a softer dosa
• Chana dal – 1/4 cup
• Toor dal – 1/4 cup
• Masoor dal – 1/4 cup
• Whole green gram – 1/4 cup
• Urad dal – 1/4 cup
• Fenugreek seeds – 1/4 tsp
• Cumin seeds or fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies – 2 (can skip for small children)
• Ginger – a small piece, optional
• Asafoetida / Hing – a pinch
• Salt – as needed
• Water – as needed
• Oil – as needed for making the dosa
• Optional Add ins: Finely chopped onions, coriander leaves, spinach or carrot

Green Lentil Dal with Spinach

Category: Dal / Lunch
Preparation Time: 10 mins + soaking time
Cooking Time: 20–25 mins
Servings: 3-4 servings

Dal is something I make quite regularly at home, and usually toor dal is my go-to dal for everyday cooking. After moving to the US, I started noticing different varieties of lentils that are easily available here. One of the ones I really liked after trying was green lentils.

What I particularly love about green lentils is their texture after cooking. Unlike some dals that become completely mushy, green lentils still hold their shape a little even after they are cooked. They become soft and tender, but you can still see and feel the lentils, which I really enjoy.

Green Lentil Dal with Spinach

This dal can be made as a simple plain dal, or you can add spinach or any greens you have on hand. Whenever I have spinach, I usually add it to the dal like I did here. Otherwise, I simply make the same recipe without spinach.

Of course, you can make this recipe with other dals too. I have made a very similar version with toor dal, which used to be my regular dal recipe before I started making it with green lentils.

The combination of tomatoes, ginger, cumin, kasoori methi and spinach gives this dal a lovely flavor without making it too complicated. It is a simple, comforting dal that goes well with rice as well as roti or chapathi.

Ingredients:

• Green lentils - 1 cup
• Spinach, chopped - 2 cups or as needed
  (I used baby spinach leaves)
• Tomato - 2 small or medium, finely chopped
• Fresh ginger, grated - 1/2 Tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp, adjust according to spice level
• Asafoetida / Hing - a pinch
• Ghee - 1 Tbsp, divided
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 Tbsp
• Kasoori methi / dried fenugreek leaves - 1/2 Tbsp, crushed
• Salt - as needed
• Water - as needed

Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu / Stuffed Brinjal Kuzhambu

Category: Kuzhambu Varieties / Lunch
Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cooking Time: 25–30 mins
Servings: 3–4 servings

Enna Kathirikkai is one of the popular spicy tangy dish using brinjals. Small brinjals are stuffed with a freshly roasted masala and then cooked slowly in a tangy tamarind-based kuzhambu.

Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu

The freshly roasted stuffing masala is what makes this kuzhambu special. The combination of coriander seeds, dals, sesame seeds, red chilly and dry coconut gives a wonderful aroma and flavor to the gravy.

This is a great side dish for hot rice, especially with a little gingelly oil. I also like to let the kuzhambu rest for some time before serving, as the brinjals absorb all the flavors from the gravy.

For this recipe, choose small tender brinjals which are firm and fresh. We need to slit them without cutting them completely so that we can stuff the masala inside.

Ingredients:

• Small Brinjal / Kathirikkai - 7–8 nos
• Small onions / Pearl onions - 10–12 nos, peeled
• Garlic - 5–6 cloves
• Tamarind - small lemon-sized ball
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
• Sambar powder - 1 to 2 Tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Sesame oil / Gingelly oil - 2–3 Tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Water - as needed

To Roast & Powder:

• Coriander seeds - 1 Tbsp
• Channa dal - 1 Tbsp
• Toor dal - 1/2 Tbsp
• Whole Urad dal - 1/2 Tbsp
• Dry red chilly - 2 nos
• White sesame seeds - 1/2 Tbsp
• Shredded Dry coconut - 2 Tbsp (can use fresh grated coconut as well)
• Salt - as needed

Beetroot - Manathakkali Vathakuzhambu (Beetroot - Sun-dried Black Nightshade Berries gravy)

Category:  Kuzhambu Varieties
Preparation Time: 15 mins  
Cooking Time: 20 -30 mins 
Servings: 4 servings

Vathakulambu, a name that evokes nostalgia for many of us, especially when we’re away from home, where we crave these home-style kulambu varieties.

Beetroot Manathakkali Vathakuzhambu

Vathal refers to sun-dried vegetables or berries. Kuzhambu, a tamarind-based gravy, is typically served with rice in Tamil Nadu, South India. Manathakkali, the black nightshade plant, produces berries which were then sun dried and used in this kuzhambu.  It might look daunting to make these kuzhambu varieties but trust me this is one of the easy preparation and you can store this even for few days in refrigerator. 

Usually, I make vathakuzhambu with dried vathals alone. However, since I had extra chopped beetroot, I decided to add it to the kuzhambu. Initially, I was a bit skeptical about how it would turn out, but it turned out surprisingly delicious. The combination of spiciness, tanginess, and a slight bitterness from the vathals, along with the sweetness of the beetroot, created a perfect harmony. This dish would pair excellently with rice and a kootu, which is a vegetable, coconut-dal-based curry. I served this with boiled matta rice and keerai kootu. Papad or appalam would complement this delightful combination perfectly.

Ingredients

• Beetroot – 1 small to medium, peeled and chopped
• Small pearl onions – around 10, peeled
• Garlic – around 10 cloves, peeled
• Manathakkali Vathal - 2-3 Tbsp / as needed
• Tamarind – lemon-sized
• Vatha Kuzhambu powder / Sambar powder - 2-3 Tbsp / as needed
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt – as needed
• Jaggery – a small piece, optional
• Water – as needed

For Tempering

• Sesame oil – 2–3 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 Tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 2
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - a few