Egg biryani on the menu in Kerala anganwadis, months after toddler’s viral video

Kerala government has revised the food menu at Anganwadis – the childcare institutions in the state – and included egg biryani in it. The announcement of the revised menu came months after a video of a three-year-old boy asking for biryani and chicken fry instead of upma at his anganwadi went viral on social media.

The new menu – announced on Tuesday – includes dishes such as pulav, dal payasam, soya dry curry, and nutri laddus, apart from egg biryani. Unveiling the revised menu for anganwadi children, Kerala's Health Minister Veena George said it is the first time that a unified menu is being implemented for state-run childcare centres.

The Viral Video featuring Shanku

In the video viral in January, 2025, Trijal S Sundhar, 3, was seen telling his mother, “I want biryani and chicken fry at the anganwadi instead of upma.” His mother recorded the video when Shanku, as Trijal is fondly known, made the request while she was feeding him biryani at home on January 26.

The mother then posted the video on Instagram, after which it was widely shared in the coming weeks. Netizens supported the child’s request, with some suggesting that better meals should be served to children at anganwadis, even if it means reducing the food served to convicts in jails.

The video caught the eye of Veena George. And now, thanks to that simple request, the state has overhauled the food menu in childcare centres across Kerala, offering children a wider variety of ‘tasty and nutritious meals.’

The new menu offers more delicious, diverse, and nutritious meals, aiming to improve children's health by reducing sugar and salt intake while increasing protein-rich content, George was quoted as saying in a PTI report.

What's on the new menu?

George, who also serves as the Minister for Women and Child Development, announced the changes during the state-level Praveshanotsavam (reopening ceremony) of anganwadis held on Tuesday. The revised menu covers supplementary nutrition – including breakfast, lunch, and general feeding.

Children will also receive traditional snacks such as kozhukkatta and ilayada, along with nutrient-rich options like wheat crumb pulav, raita, and chickpea curry on specific days. Milk and eggs, previously provided twice a week, will now be served three times a week, she added.

The new menu also includes details about ingredients and nutritional values for each dish, the statement said. 

(With PTI inputs)