Hummus with veg sticks & roti chips — a dip that gets a picky eater dunking vegetables (2–5 years)
A creamy chickpea dip with veg sticks and crisp roti chips — the dunking game that gets a picky eater eating vegetables.
Why am I making this?
Children who refuse a plain vegetable will often eat the same vegetable if there's something to dip it in — the dip turns eating into play and hands control to the child. A smooth chickpea hummus is mild, creamy and protein-rich, the crisp roti chips give a familiar safe dipper, and the soft veg sticks ride along. Offered calmly and repeatedly, this is one of the gentlest ways to keep vegetables on the table without a battle.
Ancient text
Gram and pulses are wholesome and sustaining; food made pleasing is eaten willingly.
The classical texts count gram and pulses among wholesome, sustaining foods and teach that food made pleasing is eaten willingly. A smooth, savoury pulse preparation served invitingly reflects that principle of palatable nourishment.
Sushruta Samhita, Sutrasthana — the sections on wholesome pulses (gram) and palatable preparation. Reviewed by the Aayu Ahaar editorial team.
Modern research
Offering vegetables with a liked dip, and letting children dip for themselves, increases vegetable intake and willingness to try — a well-documented, low-pressure strategy.
Research on pairing vegetables with a dip to increase acceptance in young children. Ellyn Satter Institute — Division of Responsibility in Feeding (autonomy at the table). ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables (IFCT) 2017 — protein and fibre values for chickpeas.
How to make it
What you'll need
- 1/2 cup boiled chickpeas (kabuli chana)
- 1 tbsp curd or 1 tsp til (sesame) paste
- 1 small garlic clove, 1 tsp ghee or olive oil, a little lemon, salt to taste
- To dip: soft-steamed carrot and cucumber sticks; 1 whole-wheat roti, cut into triangles and baked crisp
- Blend the chickpeas with curd (or til paste), garlic, ghee, a squeeze of lemon and a little water into a smooth, creamy hummus. Season mildly.
- Lightly steam the carrot sticks so they're soft; leave cucumber raw and soft.
- Brush the roti triangles with a little ghee and bake at 180C for 8-10 minutes until crisp — these are the “chips.”
- Serve the hummus in a small bowl with the veg sticks and roti chips around it.
At the table (the part that matters)
Dipping is the magic — a child who refuses a carrot will happily dunk it. Let them control the dipping; that bit of autonomy lifts acceptance. The crisp roti chips give a familiar, safe “dipper” alongside the new vegetables.
How to feed it
| Texture | smooth hummus; soft steamed sticks; crisp roti chips |
| Portion | a few sticks and chips with a small bowl of dip |
| How often | 2–3 times a week |
| Serve | let the child dip themselves |
What's inside
Grow this recipe with your child
| 1–2y | very smooth hummus, soft (not crisp) roti fingers, well-steamed soft sticks, no garlic if sensitive |
| 2–5y | as written |
| 5y+ | leave the hummus a little coarser, add more raw veg |
| Growing up | offer a wider range of dippers (paneer, cucumber, bell pepper) |
What every mother asks
My child only eats the chips, not the veg
Is hummus too 'adult' a flavour?
No tahini at home?
A few honest notes
- Sesame, dairy and wheat are common allergens — ensure tolerated.
- Steam carrot sticks soft and keep cucumber soft and small; supervise to prevent choking (raw hard sticks are a choking risk for the youngest).
- Keep garlic and salt mild.
- Never pressure; if your child eats a very limited range or growth is faltering, consult your paediatrician or a feeding specialist.
Storage & make-ahead
Hummus keeps refrigerated for up to 3 days in a covered bowl (a thin drizzle of oil on top keeps it fresh). Roti chips keep crisp in an airtight box for a couple of days. Cut veg sticks fresh.
A gentle, honest note — this is one nourishing food among many, not a complete meal on its own. Aayu Ahaar walks beside the doctor's care, never in its place.