Mild Desi Food for Children

Many Pakistani parents end up cooking two meals: one for the adults with proper heat, and a separate, plainer one for the children. It doesn’t have to be that way. Most desi dishes can be made mild without becoming bland, and a few are naturally gentle enough for the whole family.

Flavour isn’t the same as heat

Children usually object to chili heat, not to flavour. Cumin, coriander, ginger, cardamom, cinnamon and garam masala bring warmth and aroma without burning, and most children enjoy them. The trick is to reduce or remove the red and green chilies while keeping the rest of the spices.

Naturally mild dishes

These Pakistani dishes are gentle enough for most children as they are:

• Khichdi: rice and moong daal, soft and comforting. Often a baby’s first desi food.
• Yakhni pulao: rice cooked in chicken stock with whole spices; flavourful but with no chili.
• Chicken corn soup: a favourite with almost every Pakistani child.
• Malai boti: creamy grilled chicken without chili.
• Kheer, firni and custard for dessert.
• Plain daal with rice, before the chili tarka is added.

Cooking once for everyone

The easiest approach is to cook a mild base and add heat for the adults afterwards:

1. Cook the curry with little or no chili. Use Kashmiri chili for colour without much heat.
2. Take out the children’s portion.
3. Add heat for the adults: a chili tarka on top, slit green chilies simmered for a few minutes, chili flakes, or a spoon of green chutney at the table.

This works for salan, daal, karahi, keema and most vegetable dishes.

Other ways to soften the heat

• Yogurt and raita on the side cool any dish down.
• Remove the seeds from green chilies; most of the heat is in them and the membranes.
• Add chilies whole and remove them before serving, so they flavour the dish without overpowering it.
• Increase the tomato and onion, which add sweetness and body.
• Serve with plenty of plain rice or roti, so each bite is less concentrated.

Dishes children often love

In many Pakistani homes, these are reliable crowd-pleasers with children:

• Aloo matar and aloo paratha: potatoes win most children over.
• Sweet and sour chicken and chicken fried rice from the desi Chinese menu.
• Shami kebabs and aloo cutlets in a bun.
• Chicken pulao, chicken corn soup and macaroni-style desi pasta.
• Mango shakes, lassi and falooda in summer.

Building tolerance gradually

Children’s tolerance for spice grows with exposure. Many families start with mild food and add a little more chili every few months. Letting children add their own chutney or chili sauce at the table gives them control, and they often surprise you by going for more.

The aim isn’t to make children’s food bland forever, but to give them the flavours of desi food from the start, with the heat coming in gradually.