How a four-year-old’s wish changed the anganwadi food menu from upma to biryani in Kerala

Kerala’s women and child welfare department has revised the anganwadi food menu to include egg biryani and pulao, following a viral video of a 4-year-old boy’s request to replace upma with biryani and chicken fry. The revised menu was unveiled on Tuesday by Women and Child Development Minister Veena George at the state-level inauguration of anganwadis’ Praveshanolsavam in Pathanamthitta.

The new menu aims to reduce sugar and salt intake while increasing calories and protein to support child growth, aligned with nutritional standards. Egg and milk will be provided on three days a week, compared to two days earlier. The menu will cover breakfast, lunch, and general feeding, marking the first time a unified food menu is implemented for anganwadi children across the state.

The boy, Trijal S Sundhar, popularly known as Shanku, is currently in Qatar with his family. His mother, Aswathy Ashok, shared that Shanku is excited about the change. “We will be returning to our native place by mid-July, and he will join school then,” she said. The family hails from Prayar near Oachira in Alappuzha district.


Aswathy explained that the video was not planned. “Shanku’s father returned to Qatar after his choroonu (first rice meal fed auspiciously). I used to take Shanku’s photographs and videos and post them on Instagram for his father to see. The biryani video too was shot just like that,” she said.

She added, “Shanku doesn't like upma and his favourite food is porridge and black-eyed pea. Upma was being served in the anganwadis daily and he developed a hatred towards it. He made the request for biryani and chicken fry while having biryani at home.”

Minister Veena George had shared the video on Facebook earlier and promised to consider the demand, which has now been fulfilled through the revised menu.