Tasty and Easy Paneer Recipes for Kids

Paneer is a powerhouse of calcium which helps in building strong bones and teeth. It is also very rich in protein. If your toddler gives you a hard time when it comes to drinking milk, paneer recipes for toddlers can be a very healthy alternative. This is because it is easy to pair paneer with a variety of veggies, spices, and even grains. Even if you are short on time, you can prepare simple paneer dishes which are nutritious, filling, and taste great as well. Some recipes are detailed below:

Paneer Frankie:

Paneer Frankie is a very good kids’ paneer recipe for school tiffin that has paneer tossed in a spicy tandoori mayo. The roll is a whole wheat flour roti which is stuffed with some crunchy and fresh lettuce leaves. This can be an after school snack or a great option for a Sunday afternoon kid’s party too.

To make this a high protein, vegetarian snack, cook whole-wheat parathas in oil or ghee. Heat oil, and cook onions and red capsicum until they are tender. You can toss paneer in tandoori mayo now. Do not overcook as it will make the paneer rubbery.

Spread the paratha on an aluminium foil and place the shredded lettuce on it. Now add two tablespoons of the paneer filling on one side of the paratha and roll it tightly. Fold the ends of the frankie and pack it tightly with the aluminium foil. This way, you can easily take the frankie to picnics or parties too. And your child will definitely love it for school lunch.

Paneer tikka:

Paneer tikka can be served as a very tasty starter and is also one of the best paneer recipes for kids’ lunch box. Add red chilli powder, tandoori masala, salt, kasuri methi and thick curd or yoghurt to diced paneer pieces and mix well. Set it aside for half an hour. Take a tawa and heat it after applying oil evenly. Shallow fry the paneer cubes on both sides.

Meanwhile, in a pan, take some oil and deep fry the capsicum and onion separately. Arrange paneer, capsicum and onion alternatively on wooden skewers and serve hot.

Paneer cutlets:

These can make for a yummy evening snack and are very convenient to carry to school too. To make paneer cutlets, mix paneer and boiled potatoes and mash until there are no lumps. Sauté the onions, with red chilli powder, turmeric, salt, and ginger garlic paste, until the raw smell is no more. Add the potato paneer mixture, mix it well, and turn off the gas. You can add some garam masala and coriander leaves and let the mixture cool down. Roll the mixture into balls and flatten them into any shape that you want. You can also use a cookie cutter to cut them into interesting shapes like a human, star, flower etc.

Drizzle oil on a hot pan and place the cutlets on it. Flip them and cook until the cutlets look crisp and golden brown on both sides. Serve them hot with tomato sauce or mayonnaise.

Paneer pancakes:

Paneer pancakes are packed with protein and are an innovative recipe for kids. First, whisk three eggs, one cup of paneer, a teaspoon of vanilla extract, and two tablespoons of honey in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk half a cup of flour, one teaspoon of baking powder, and salt. Mix this with the previously whisked mixture.

Heat a pan and coat it with oil or butter. Pour about one tablespoon of the mixture on the pan to make one pancake. Cook for two minutes until both the sides become golden and serve with honey or maple syrup.

Paneer apple mess:

Stir together peeled and cubed apples, coconut oil, brown sugar, and cinnamon in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave the mixture for about 2 minutes until the apples are soft. Mix the ingredients well and serve it in a bowl with diced paneer, and top it off with chopped walnuts and honey.

While getting kids to drink milk every day might be a task, they usually love the creamy and subtle taste of paneer. And these recipes are creative and delicious enough to tickle their taste buds. Plus, you can use locally available ingredients to make them in a short time.