Lunchbox Series: Pasta cooked with vegetables and soy chunks
I cook the pasta and rice in a pressure cooker. This saves lot of time and gas. I will write a separate post on how to cook the pasta in a pressure cooker. You can buy and store pastas of different shape so kids don’t get bored with what we send them for lunch. I have shell, penne, macaroni pasta and spaghetti at home all the time.
I always aim to make his meal complete with carbohydrates like rice/roti/bread/pasta, protein like chicken,egg, tofu or soy chunks, vegetables and dairy like cheese/milk/yogurt. It should be a one pot meal where the child gets all the required nutrients in one shot. Today I am sharing the recipe for a vegetarian pasta dish made with vegetables like carrot, beans, peas, zucchini, cabbage and soy chunks. I love soy chunks. It’s meaty and chewy. I flavored the pasta with ginger, garlic and green chilly pasta and tossed in some vegetables and curry power / chaat masala (whichever your child likes). I sprinkled Parmesan cheese to give a creamy texture.
Vegetarian Pasta Dish
Ingredients
For the pasta
- 1 cup raw pasta (whole wheat) | quinoa or brown rice pasta for gluten free kids
- Enough water to cover and cook
For the vegetable base
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
- 1 green chilly, minced
- 1/2 cup red onions, finely chopped
- 1 cup vegetables ( carrot, beans, peas, cabbage, zucchini) – cubed
- 1/2 cup soy chunks ( soaked in hot water, excess water squeezed and cut into small cubes)
- 1 tbsp milk or water
- 1/4 cup parmesan or cheddar cheese or any cheese of your choice (optional)
- 1 tbsp cilantro
- Salt and Pepper to taste
- 1 Pressure cooker with whistle
- 1 Large cooking pan
Instructions
- Pressure cook the pasta with excess water for 1 whistle. Let the pressure settle down. Open and run through a colander. Set them aside.
- As the pasta cooks, simultaneously work with the vegetable base. Heat oil in a pan. Once hot, add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for a minute. Then add green chilly and onions. Sprinkle little salt to sweat the onions. Cook for 5 minutes.
- Add the vegetables & soy chunks,and cook covered for 10-12 minutes.
- Add curry powder or chaat masala and little milk or water to bring them together as a sauce, about 5 minutes.
- Mix in the pasta. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cheese can be added at the end. That’s purely optional. Garnish with cilantro for a desi touch.
- Pack lunch with a fruit for dessert and little cheez-it to snack at 3.00PM
Advika is a talented Indian cook with a passion for sharing her culinary expertise with others. Born and raised in India, she has spent years mastering traditional recipes from across the country, as well as putting her own unique twist on classic dishes. Her recipes are easy to follow, with step-by-step instructions and helpful tips for cooks of all levels
