There is something so alluring and intense about India. I've always dreamed of going there, but the closest I've been is watching countless hours of Bollywood films while living in Indonesia...because that was the ONLY thing our local TV station would play!
It was easy to become obsessed with the culture: the hair, the dancing, the high-pitched voices...and those mustaches! We loved all of it so much we dressed up as Bollywood stars for Halloween one year. 👇😆
But there's more to India than just theatrics, of course. There's always more...
This is a big reason why I developed PASSPORT KIDS: I wanted my kids to learn more about different cultures without having to shell out $5k on airfare!
Our first trip was to Serbia. And now we're going to India!
Here's what to do:
1) Print off your kids PASSPORT. It's free, it's easy, and it gets them coloring and learning.
2) Make Tandoori chicken, vegetable samosas, and crunchy okra (with naan and basmati rice, of course). These recipes are so good you'll start Bollywood dancing in your kitchen! (More info on the food below.)
3) Sit on the floor and eat with your hands! This made my middle daughter soooooooo happy because she still refuses to eat with a fork. (And she's currently 8-years old.)
4) Watch YouTube videos on India. (Click the image below to access all of the links.)
SIDE NOTE: We didn't intend on talking about the poverty in India, but the "101 Facts about India" video discusses the caste system, so one question led to another until we were having a beautiful conversation about how to help those in need (like Mother Theresa did!) We all took a moment to pray for the people of India too, who are at present, being intensely affected by COVID-19. 🙏
ABOUT THE FOOD
The Indian recipes below are highly involved but SO good. (I'm not kidding - my youngest daughter actually asked for more okra! 😱) If you're not a #foodie like me, or if you don't enjoy cooking, just order in some Indian takeout and watch the videos as a family!
Vegetable Samosas
This is basically Indian mashed potatoes stuffed in a tiny calzone.
I used the recipe from Simply Recipes. It's a bit intense, but worth it!
The potato-pea stuffing makes a TON! Cut the recipe in half, or use the leftovers for a coconut curry the following day.
If you don't want to make the samosa dough from scratch, buy egg roll wrappers. (I didn't try this myself, but I think it could work!)
The mint chutney recipe needed quite a bit of oil and water in order to blend up the ingredients. It's really flavorful, too, so if you like things on the more mild side, cut down the salt, lemon, and garlic in half.
Tandoori Chicken
I adapted this recipe from Savory Tooth by making it DAIRY-FREE. I used dairy free yogurt + mayo instead of the greek yogurt. I know the mayo sounds kind of weird, but it thickened up the sauce and gave it a really yummy flavor too!
I also added in the lime and S & P directly to the marinade which turned out incredible!
Crispy Indian Okra
I used My Heart Beets recipe, and it was divine. No substitutions needed (except I used ground cumin instead. In fact, I used that for ALL of the recipes. And I made my own garam masala.)
Keep living and eating adventurously, my friends! It makes more of a difference in your kids' lives than you think. 🌍
