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Child's roti and sugar for school lunch goes viral: 13 school tiffin meals that all 90s kids can relate to

etimes.in | Last updated on - Apr 11, 2026, 10:02 IST
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1/14

Have you tried these dishes?

In a heartwarming video going viral on Instagram, a child took all 90s kids back to their school days with his simple and humble tiffin meal of roti and sugar in a lunch box, which his teacher praised, making him feel at ease. The viral video shows a classroom, were kids are eating lunch and as the teacher notices the a kid's lunch box with only roti and sugar, she get emotional and does not make a deal out of it or make the child feel any different from others. Back in those days, tiffin boxes weren’t about impressing anyone, they were all about comfort, familiarity, and love packed from home. Meals were simple, flavours were honest, and ingredients were never fancy. Yet, somehow, those modest lunches carried a warmth and joy that today’s elaborate spreads often miss. Every tiffin meal in schools reflected a mother's love wrapped with flavours and colours. This information is a reminder and a throwback to those days when tiffin meals were all about "maa ka pyaar."

2/14

Malai Bread


This is more like a cool hug with the goodness of fresh homemade malai, slathered on the fresh and soft white bread and topped with sugar crystals. While one can always use brown or multi-grain bread, the real satisfaction comes with the sweetness of white bread.

3/14

Bread and Butter



This classic breakfast option was also packaged for school tiffins. To make this, you only need bread slices and semi-solid salted butter. Simply toast the bread and apply the spread; your tiffin meal is ready.

4/14

Aloo Paratha


Aloo paratha is a comfort meal that goes well with mango or stuffed red chilli pickle. Traditionally, it is made with spiced mashed potatoes, stuffed into whole wheat flour dough and then cooked on a tawa with ghee or oil.

5/14

Cheeni Paratha aur Achar


While this flavour is lost with time, those who had it know the flavour bomb it offers. It is made with sugar stuffed inside wheat flour dough balls and seasoned with black pepper, which gives the paratha an extra kick and pairs well with pickle.

6/14

Sooji Halwa aur Aam ka Achar


For many of us, this is a dessert, but for 90s kids it was a meal that came with a pickle on the side in the tiffin box. Made with roasted sooji, sugar, nuts, ghee, and water, it is a sweet pudding that pairs well with mango or mirchi pickle.

7/14

Kheera Tamatar Sandwich


Amidst the busy morning, this was likely a nutritious way for many parents to care for their kids; therefore, bread slices were slathered with ketchup, coriander chutney, and then layered with cucumner and tomato slices. It often came with a free sachet of ketchup, a gift included with some groceries.

8/14

Bread Roll


This deep-fried dish was an occasional tiffin meal made with bread slices soaked in water, stuffed with spiced potatoes, shaped into a roll and then deep fried until crisp and golden. It pairs well with tomato ketchup and even green chutney.

9/14

Poha


This is also a very relevant tiffin dish today; soaked flattened rice is pan-fried in a tempering of oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, chilli, veggies, and peanuts along with spices like salt and turmeric. It is topped with lemon juice and fresh coriander leaves.

10/14

Maggi


This is one such school tiffin dish that remains relevant: Maggi noodles simmered in water and the taste maker, and topped with cheese and coriander leaves.

11/14

Bread Jam


This was also a popular school tiffin, made with butter toasted bread, layered with fruit jam.

12/14

Roti Jam


This method likely saves time while serving leftover rotis. It is made by reheating roti, layering it with ghee and jam, rolling it to perfection and packing it into a school tiffin box.

13/14

Poori Aloo Bhujiya


This is a comforting meal, where thinly sliced potatoes are cooked in a kadhai with a tempering of mustard oil, cumin seeds, green chilies, salt, and turmeric and is served with ajwain poori.

14/14

Bread Omelette

This is one of the meals enjoyed by egg lovers. It is made with beaten eggs, flavoured with onion, green chilli, salt, pepper, and coriander leaves, which is then spread on a greased pan and cooked until set. It is served with butter toasted bread and it used to taste like a comforting meal.

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Copyright © Jun 11, 2026, 12.36AM IST Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service