2 minute Dish with 4 minutes of teaching Science of Plants

How do we teach children about parts of a plant and how they grow? The kitchen presents a beautiful opportunity. Here is a 2 minute dish - tasty, packed with nutrition, easy to prepare and its so quick to teach your children (3 years to about 10 years old) about plants and the science of plants. The dish costs next to nothing.

Recipe: Bean Sprout ala Ben Ten (Change the name of your recipe to entice your kids)

Shopping List

2 handfulls of beansprouts

2 tablespoons of chicken meat, sliced thinly or minced

Fish cake, fishballs, bean curd

Half an onion

1 pip garlic

1 inch ginger

2 tablespoon of oil

Soya sauce or salt to tast

How to prepare

1. Slice the garlic, ginger and onion thin (or better yet into as small pieces as possible to ensure that your kids swallow them without knowing)

2. Add to hot oil

3. Add the chicken and the rest (you dont need the chicken or the fish cake, fish balls and the like if don't have them)

4. Dip the bean sprouts into hot water for about 1 minute (this is a secret that not many will tell you. Dip the bean sprouts in hot water to prevent them from being overcooked and at the same time maintain their crunch)

See how the beans and bean sprouts grow

5. Through in the bean sprouts into the pan and mixed it up for about 1 minute. Dont forget the soya sauce.

6. Serve with garnishing.

While you are cooking the bean sprouts, show them parts of the sprouts - the root, the shoots and so on.
Get some wet cotton and place it in container and show your children how some beans sprout after about 2 days.

I find this is the most effective way for children to appreciate how plants grow.


Happy Teaching and Cooking!