Quesbo Little Chefs · Around the world · Destination 17
Follow the fragrant spices.
A little taste of India.
Crisp vegetable samosas, creamy mild butter chicken or paneer, and mango-cardamom kulfi pops. Three discoveries to cook, taste and remember in your tasty passport.
Say Namaste — one of many greetings you may hear in India — and join the next stop in Quesbo’s Cooking Adventures Around the World. Find a grown-up cooking companion, lay out your ingredients and discover that spice can mean fragrance and flavour as well as heat.
These are family adaptations of the recipes in our India chapter. The samosas use ready-made filo pastry, the creamy curry has no added chilli, and the mango kulfi pops use a no-churn shortcut. Choose one recipe today or enjoy the three over several cooking sessions.
Choose your first taste
A little taste of India
India has a vast number of regional, religious and community food traditions. Rice, wheat, lentils, dairy, vegetables, seafood, meat and spices are used differently across the country. These three approachable family recipes offer a small taste of that variety, and show that a mild dish can still have a rich mixture of aromas.
Our menu explores three different pleasures: folding a crisp pastry parcel, making a gentle tomato-and-cream sauce, and turning mango and milk into a frozen treat. There is no single way to cook across such a varied country; these recipes are starting points for a family adventure.
Quesbo’s imaginary passport adventure
Anaya opened a row of tiny jars. Quesbo expected every one to burn his tongue, but cumin smelled earthy, cardamom sweet, turmeric warm and coriander citrusy. Only the chilli promised heat. By noticing the aromas before sprinkling and tasting carefully, Quesbo learned the true size of the word SPICE, which appeared in gold across the passport.
A spice can bring warmth, sweetness or a fresh aroma without making a dish hot. Which scent surprised you most?
First taste 01 / 03
Oven-Baked Vegetable Samosas
Crisp potato-and-pea triangles
Samosas come in many shapes, fillings and pastry styles. This approachable baked family version wraps potato, peas and fragrant spices in thin filo sheets. Folding each long strip into a triangle feels like edible origami.
Ingredients
For the filling
- 500 g potatoes, peeled and diced
- 100 g frozen peas
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- ½ tsp garam masala
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
For the pastry
- 6 large filo pastry sheets
- 40 g melted butter OR 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Cook together
Little hands can- Mash the cooked potatoes once they are cool enough to handle.
- Measure the spices and count out 12 portions of cooled filling.
- Brush the pastry and practise folding triangles beside an adult.
- Peel and chop the vegetables, drain boiling water and use the hob.
- Cut the filo, melt the butter if using, and handle hot trays.
- Check the peas are cooked and the samosas are cool enough to eat.
Saucepan and colander, Frying pan and wooden spoon, Potato masher or fork, Knife and chopping board, Pastry brush, Large baking tray and baking paper, Clean, lightly damp tea towel, Shallow dish for cooling the filling
Let’s cook
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Cook and mash the potatoes
An adult puts the diced potatoes in a saucepan, covers them with water and brings to the boil. Simmer for about 10–15 minutes, until a fork goes through easily. Drain well. Once safe to handle, mash roughly, leaving a few small pieces.
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Make the fragrant filling
An adult heats the 1 tbsp filling oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cumin seeds and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens. Stir in the coriander, garam masala and turmeric, then add the potatoes and peas. Cook, stirring, for at least 3 minutes and until the peas are cooked through; follow a longer cooking time if required on their packet. Stir in the lemon juice.
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Cool before folding
Spread the filling in a shallow dish and let it cool completely before wrapping; allow about 20–30 minutes. Do not leave it out for hours. If preparing ahead, cool and refrigerate within 1–2 hours and use within 48 hours. Divide the cooled filling into 12 equal portions.
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Prepare the oven and filo
An adult heats the oven to 200°C, or 180°C fan, and lines a large baking tray. Cut each of the 6 large filo sheets lengthways into 2 long strips, making 12 strips. Keep unused pastry covered with a clean, lightly damp tea towel. Melt the measured butter if using it; the alternative 3 tbsp oil is for the pastry, separate from the filling oil.
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Fold 12 triangles
Working with one strip at a time, lightly brush it with a little of the pastry butter or oil. Put one portion of filling near the bottom end, leaving the edges clear. Fold the bottom corner diagonally over the filling to meet the opposite long edge, forming a triangle. Fold the triangle up and across repeatedly along the strip, keeping the filling enclosed. Brush the final flap and tuck or press it closed. Place seam-side down on the tray and repeat. Brush the tops lightly with any remaining measured butter or oil.
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Bake and share
An adult bakes the samosas for 20–25 minutes, until the filo is crisp and golden and the filling is hot. Leave space between them; use a second tray if necessary and swap the trays around during baking. Let them cool a little before children taste them: the filling stays hot longer than the pastry.
From the table: Samosas are eaten across South Asia and beyond, with vegetable, lentil, meat and other fillings. This filo version is a convenient family adaptation, one of many ways to enjoy a filled pastry.
↑ Back to the recipe menuMain meal 02 / 03
Mild Butter Chicken or Paneer
Creamy tomato curry with basmati rice
Tomato, yoghurt, ginger, garlic and warm spices make a gentle curry without added chilli. Choose chicken or paneer for the whole batch: both use the same sauce, with different marinating and cooking times. A mild dish can still have plenty of aroma.
Ingredients
Choose chicken OR paneer, then add the marinade
- 500 g boneless chicken thighs OR 400 g paneer cubes
- 100 g natural yoghurt
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp ground cumin
- ½ tsp sweet paprika
- 1 garlic clove, grated
- 1 tsp grated ginger
For the sauce
- 25 g butter
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 tsp garam masala
- ½ tsp turmeric
- 400 g passata
- 100 ml water or stock
- 100 ml single cream
- 1 tsp honey
To serve
- 300 g basmati rice
- Water for cooking the rice, as directed on its packet
Cook together
Little hands can- Mix the yoghurt marinade before raw chicken is added.
- Measure the spices and rinse the rice under supervision.
- Notice the colour change when the cream is stirred in by the adult.
- Handle raw chicken, knives, hot pans and boiling rice water.
- Keep raw-chicken equipment separate and check the final chicken temperature.
- Stir in the cream, serve the hot curry and cool children’s portions.
Large mixing bowl, Large frying pan or shallow casserole, Saucepan for rice and fine sieve, Knife and chopping board, Grater and measuring spoons, Plate, tongs and wooden spoon, Clean food thermometer for the chicken
Let’s cook
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Choose your version and mix the marinade
An adult cuts the chicken into even, bite-sized pieces about 2–3 cm across, or prepares the paneer cubes. In a large bowl, mix the yoghurt, marinade garam masala, cumin, paprika, garlic and ginger. Children can do this mixing before any raw chicken is added.
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Marinate in the fridge
For chicken, an adult adds the raw pieces to the marinade, covers the bowl and refrigerates for 30 minutes. For paneer, gently fold in the cubes, cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes. Keep raw chicken, its utensils and its juices away from other food, and wash hands and surfaces after handling it.
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Brown the chicken or paneer
An adult melts half the butter in a large pan over medium heat. Lift the chicken or paneer from the bowl with its coating; discard any marinade left behind. Cook chicken for about 8 minutes, turning, until lightly coloured, or paneer for about 4 minutes, turning gently. Transfer to a plate. The chicken is not yet ready to eat: continue straight on with the sauce and final cooking, without a storage break.
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Build the sauce
Add the remaining butter and chopped onion to the same pan. Cook for about 7 minutes, stirring, until the onion softens. Stir in the sauce garam masala and turmeric for 30 seconds. Add the passata and 100 ml water or stock, stir well and bring to a gentle simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Cook the basmati alongside
Time the rice to finish with the curry. Rinse it in a sieve under cold running water. An adult cooks the 300 g rice with the amount of water and for the time specified on its packet, then drains or rests it as directed. Keep covered briefly until serving; do not leave cooked rice standing at room temperature for later.
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Finish the chicken OR the paneer
For chicken: return the pieces and their plate juices to the simmering sauce and cook for about 8–10 minutes more, or longer if needed. Check the centre of the largest pieces with a clean thermometer: they must reach 75°C and stay there for 30 seconds. Wash the plate and utensils that touched the partly cooked chicken before using them for cooked food. For paneer: return the cubes to the sauce and simmer gently for about 3 minutes, until hot throughout, taking care not to break them.
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Add cream and serve
Stir in the single cream and honey. Warm gently for 1–2 minutes without a fierce boil, until the curry is hot throughout. Serve with the freshly cooked rice, letting children’s portions cool a little before eating.
From the table: Butter chicken is closely associated with twentieth-century Delhi restaurant cooking. Recipes now vary widely in homes and restaurants; this mild family version also offers paneer, a fresh cheese, as a vegetarian choice.
↑ Back to the recipe menuSweet finish 03 / 03
Mango Cardamom Kulfi Pops
A no-churn frozen milk dessert
Mango adds colour and fruit flavour, while a little cardamom brings a sweet, fragrant aroma. Traditional kulfi is made with slowly reduced milk; this quick family version uses evaporated and condensed milk, then freezes in moulds without churning.
Ingredients
For the kulfi
- 400 ml evaporated milk, chilled
- 397 g sweetened condensed milk
- 200 g mango purée
- ¼ tsp ground cardamom
- 1 tsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp finely chopped pistachios, optional
Cook together
Little hands can- Whisk the milk and mango mixture away from electrical blades.
- Pour with help, count the moulds and label the flavours.
- Mark the freezing start time and work out when six hours have passed.
- Operate the blender, open tins and prepare fresh mango if needed.
- Check ingredients and prevent allergen cross-contact.
- Support the moulds in the freezer and help release the frozen pops.
Mixing bowl and whisk, or blender operated by an adult, Measuring spoons, Pouring jug, 8 ice-lolly moulds of about 125 ml each, or 10–12 smaller moulds, Lolly sticks and a tray that fits in the freezer, Labels for the flavour and preparation date
Let’s cook
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Check the moulds and chill the milk
Chill the evaporated milk in advance. Check that your moulds have enough room for roughly 900 ml of mixture, allowing a little space for expansion: use 8 moulds of about 125 ml each, or 10–12 smaller moulds. Set them upright on a freezer-safe tray.
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Mix the mango base
Whisk the chilled evaporated milk, condensed milk, mango purée, cardamom and lime juice together until smooth. If using a blender, an adult operates it. Use ready-to-eat mango purée, or have an adult peel and blend ripe mango to make the measured 200 g.
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Taste and pour
Taste a little with a clean spoon, then pour into the moulds, stopping below the fill line or leaving a small gap at the top. The source suggests a little extra mango for stronger fruit flavour; this is optional and will make extra mixture, so have an additional mould ready.
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Choose plain or pistachio
Leave the pops plain or divide the optional finely chopped pistachios among the moulds for people who can safely eat nuts. For very young children, grind the nuts finely instead. If catering for a nut allergy, make the whole batch without nuts using suitable ingredients and clean equipment; a label alone does not prevent cross-contact.
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Freeze until firm
Fit the mould lids or insert the sticks as the mould manufacturer directs. Label with the flavour and date, then freeze upright for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight, until solid. Larger moulds may need longer.
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Unmould and enjoy
Briefly dip the outside of each mould in lukewarm water, keeping water away from the kulfi, or release it according to the mould instructions. Gently pull out the pop and serve immediately. Return unused, still-frozen pops to the freezer promptly.
From the table: Kulfi is a frozen milk dessert with many flavours, including pistachio, saffron, rose and mango. Slowly reducing milk creates a concentrated base; this no-churn recipe takes a shortcut with tinned milks.
↑ Back to the recipe menuYour tasty passport · Destination 17
You’ve tasted India.
Discover the world of spice.
Open your cooking notebook and make a new passport page. Write INDIA at the top, draw a dish you tried and add the date and your cooking companion’s name.
- Give it a taste score. Rate each dish you tried from 1 to 5. Everyone can have a different favourite.
- Choose your next step. Would you cook it again? Write “Yes”, “Maybe” or “Not yet”.
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Remember three discoveries.
- Samosas have many shapes and fillings; potato-and-pea versions are especially familiar.
- Butter chicken is closely associated with Delhi restaurant cooking and is now interpreted in many ways around the world.
- Traditional kulfi uses slowly reduced milk to make a dense frozen dessert. Our quick version uses evaporated and condensed milk.
- Earn your SPICE stamp. With a grown-up, gently waft the aroma of cumin, coriander, cardamom or turmeric towards you. Keep your nose away from the powders and avoid inhaling them. Choose a word such as earthy, sweet, fresh or warm. Remember: a spice can add plenty of flavour without adding chilli heat.
Food detective: Smell cumin, coriander, cardamom and turmeric separately. Which one seems earthy, sweet, fresh or warm? Ask an adult to place a little of each spice in separate dishes and gently waft the scent towards you, without inhaling powder. You might describe cumin as earthy, cardamom as sweet, coriander as fresh or citrusy, and turmeric as warm or earthy. Your own descriptions count too.
A word for your journey: Namaste — one of many greetings used in India. At the table: Shukriya — Thank you in Hindi and Urdu.
Your next destination clue: The compass crosses the Bay of Bengal to a country where coconut rice shares a plate with cucumber, egg and sambal.
Food and discovery notes for grown-ups
Adapted from Quesbo’s India chapter, pages 129–136, with clearer preparation, supervision, timing and storage guidance. These are family home-kitchen versions; Indian recipes and methods vary across cooks, communities and households. The filo samosas and no-churn kulfi are family shortcuts, and the curry includes separate chicken and paneer methods. Freezing and cooling take extra time; allow suitable mould capacity for the kulfi mixture. Recipes have not been kitchen-tested. Food images are AI-generated serving illustrations.
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