Dad ka dabba

Long before Harish Closepet became the 2023 MasterChef India finalist we followed him on Instagram On his handle Harryrsquos Lunchbox the 58yearold showed off the mouthwatering lunches he whipped up for his daughters Isha and VibhaThink dabbas and the image of a steaming variety of nutritious homemade delicacies packed neatly together in a plastic or steel tiffin immediately comes to mind The highlight of our school days was the muchlongedfor recess bell ringing and the excitement of being greeted by our favourite dish made lovingly and thoughtfully by a family member What Closepet didmdashcrafting tempting preparations to ensure his daughters ate everythingmdashis what most parents struggle with dailyldquoI started experimenting with different types of pasta Mexican dishes and Chinese food and they started enjoying their lunchboxeshellip even their friends started snatching their dabbasrdquo says Closepet on a phone call from Bengaluru His love for packing lunchboxes remained long after his daughters were done with their education He continued the obsession on social media platforms with a seriesmdashPack a Lunchbox With Memdashfeaturing unusual yet healthy dishes such as watermelon rice garlic mayo crepes and chickpea gold coinsPasta is a favourite in his family By experimenting with ingredients and researching how the chemistry of food impacts taste he came up with over 20 unique pasta sauces including spinach pesto coconut curry and vegan white sauce ldquoI replace the creamy buttery sauces with nut pastes such as cashew or walnut or cauliflower or bell peppers which give the same richness but with less fatrdquo Various rice meals also find their way on to the dinning table at the Closepet household Mexican spinach rice tofu fried rice and lemon basil riceChartered accountant Dilkhush Shah packs lunch for his two children every day and the lunchboxes are loved equally by friends and teachers at school PicsSatej ShindeClosepet recalls standing behind his mother in the kitchen in their Karnataka home and watching her cook ldquoUnderstanding how food is all about balance is the key to creating healthy mealsrdquo he quips For these responsible dads cooking for their families is an extension of their duty as a parent and a labour of love And itrsquos also a way to connect with their children ldquoMy oldest daughter whorsquos married still comes home whenever I mention Irsquom making something specialrdquo Closepet concludes ldquoItrsquos not just packing a lunchbox Itrsquos a huge social entry into your kidrsquos network of friendsrdquoProduct manager Abhimanhu Lodharsquos children aged 13 and eight also have their dadrsquos lunchbox to look forward to every day The Wadalabased family does it togethermdashoften his daughter and son help him cook the dish theyrsquove requested he make ldquoThey enjoy cooking as much as eating the final productrdquo he addsBecause they like pizza so much Abhimanyu dedicatedly learned how to make it from scratch Making the dough rolling it out and creating sauces But thatrsquos a weekend activity ldquoMy speciality is making batterbased dishes out of premade mixes such as pancakes dosas chilas and uttapamsrdquo he says ldquoYou can make five or six dishes with one batterrdquo He also makes freshpressed juices and fruitbased mocktails their favourite ldquoMy wife Munmun is a great cook and I learned much about cooking from her Her work schedule doesnrsquot allow her time to cook so I took overrdquo he shares During the week hersquos the one cooking and on weekends itrsquos her turn with the meals while he writes poetry in Hindi and attend community reading sessions at BandraReads which he foundedWhile he used to cook on and off before the pandemic it was transitioning to a workfromhome role that gave him the space to share the responsibility Lodha says that teaching the importance of nutrition has helped his children appreciate healthy food ldquoTheyrsquove also become comfortable with the essential life skill rdquo he saysDad of two Abhimanyu Lodha whips up snacksized pancakes and paneer pakoras for their lunchboxes He preps batters to make meals in under 30 minutes PicsShadab KhanFor Vashi resident Dilkhush Shah ensuring his wife could sleep longer in the morning spurred him to take on lunchbox responsibilities The dad of two introduces himself as a ldquochartered account by profession traveller by vocation and a cook by passionrdquo His experiments with food started with transforming meals he didnrsquot like into a new version ldquoI used to cut tomatoes onions and garlic and convert the bhaji my mother made into pav bhajirdquo he recallsAsk him what he likes to make for his childrenrsquos dabbas and he says ldquoNonalcoholic mojitos onion uthappams appams tomato rice and lemon ricerdquo His daughter aged 11 likes to eat pasta in white sauce and cheese fondue while his son whorsquos all of four loves dalriceWhat he likes best is creating innovative meals with leftovers If his children are craving nachos for example hersquoll cut up chapatis into triangles fry the pieces up with masala and pass it off as a healthy substituteThe 2023 MasterChef India finalist Harish Closepet Harryrsquos Lunchbox on Instagram started making healthy delicious meals such as soya upma when his daughters were youngldquoCooking comes from the heartrdquo he shares when asked what tips he would give men who need to learn the life skill to care for their children ldquoItrsquos essential to ask them what they wish for every morning so that they can choose what they eat Anyone can become a chef he feels by listening to their intuition while crafting a dish rather than always depending on the precise measurements of a recipePaneer bread pakoraIngredients68 slices of bread200g sliced paneer1 cup gram flour2 tbsp rice flourWater as neededfrac12 tsp ajwain1 tsp red chilli powder1 tsp chaat masalaSalt to tasteGreen chutneyOil for fryingCoriander leaves chopped for garnishMethodCut the paneer into squares Mix gram flour rice flour ajwain red chilli powder and salt Add water to make a thick batter Spread chutney on bread add a slice of paneer and cover with another slice of bread Cut into halves or quarters Heat the oil dip the sandwiches in batter and fry until golden brown Drain excess oil sprinkle chat masala and garnish with coriander leaves Serve with tamarind chutney or ketchupNacho rotisIngredientsLeftover rotisOil for deep frying or airfryerBasic masalas for seasoningMethodCut roti into triangles and deep fry or air fry them with a brush of oilPlace the these fried chiptriangles in a bowl and sprinkle either peri peri masala or a mix of red chilli powder turmeric coriander powder chat masala and saltCurd salsa dipIngredients1 cup hung curd or mayonnaise2 tbsp red pizza or pasta sauce1 tomato1 onionGreen chillies as requiredCoriander for garnishingMethodCreate a salsa by dicing the tomato onion and green chilli and garnishing with coriander Fold hung curd and pizza sauce into the salsa mix Mix well and your dip is ready You can replace the hung curd with mayonnaise Serve the rotis with the dip and enjoy