‘I Want Biryani And Chicken Fry At Anganwadi’: Kerala Child’s Request May Lead To Menu Change – News18

Last Updated:February 04, 2025, 08:49 IST

A Kerala child’s request for biryani and chicken fry instead of upma at an anganwadi has gone viral, which may lead to a potential menu change.

A young boy’s innocent food wish has sparked the possibility of a menu change at Kerala’s anganwadis. A viral video shows Thrajul S Sankar, fondly called Shanku, requesting his mother, “I want biryani and chicken fry at the anganwadi instead of upma.” The mother filmed this adorable request while feeding him biryani at home and later shared it on Instagram.

The video quickly gained attention, reaching Kerala’s Health, Women, and Child Welfare Minister Veena George. She assured that the government would consider revising the anganwadi menu based on Shanku’s suggestion. Veena George posted the video on her Facebook page and mentioned that the child’s innocent request would be taken into account. She also sent her warm regards to Shanku, his mother, and the anganwadi staff.

In her statement, the minister highlighted that anganwadis already provide various food items to ensure children’s nutrition.

“Under this government, a scheme to provide eggs and milk through anganwadis has been successfully implemented. In coordination with the Department of Women and Child Development, local bodies provide a variety of foods in anganwadis,” George said.

In the viral video, Shanku, wearing a cap, says, “I need ‘birnani’ (biryani) and ‘poricha kozhi’ (chicken fry) in the anganwadi instead of upma.”

His request sparked so much attention that some people even offered to bring him biryani and chicken fry.

“After seeing the video, we received calls from some people who offered biryani and chicken fry to Shanku,” Shanku’s mother told a news channel.

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Kerala has around 33,000 anganwadis, and in 2022, the government introduced the milk and eggs scheme. The state is now working on transforming these centres into smart anganwadis, equipped with study rooms, restrooms, kitchens, storerooms, dining areas, halls, gardens, and play zones. Additionally, the government has increased the wages of anganwadi teachers, most of whom (95%) are women.