5 Best Dog Friendly Dishes To Add To Your Menu
With the numbers of people buying or adopting dogs rising all over the country, there is a corresponding demand for cafes and restaurants serving dog meals along with a menu for humans. It is a cool new space to explore since it is still in a nascent stage in India. But dog meals require a lot of research.
If you’ve never made dog food before…
There are several items that dogs cannot eat because they are either toxic or cause severe digestive upset. When creating a dog menu, ensure that you list all the ingredients in each recipe so that the dog parents can study the same and order only the ones that are ‘safe’ for their pooch. Elderly dogs might be on a special diet, so either have a canine nutritionist on hand to craft their menu or make it clear that you do not cater to special needs dogs yet.
Items that dogs simply cannot have are onion, garlic, chocolate, raw corn, herbs and spices, salt, sugar, avocado, grapes, raisins, dairy products, macadamia nuts, cooked bones, candy, cake frosting, plums, peaches, raw eggs, refined flour, and fat trimmings. Also mark items with gluten in them so that dog parents can steer clear of them if their dog is allergic.
Make sure all the items are cooked properly without any seasoning. Now let’s move on to the 5 dishes you can make for your furry visitors:
1. Pup cake.
Every dog likes a pup cake, but it is as far from the usual cake as you can tell. Bake a batch of pupcakes using rice or wheat flour (mention the gluten proportion on the menu), grated carrot or chicken mince. Do not add any sugar, salt or baking powder. Beat the batter well to help it rise as much as possible. Make a frosting of mashed potatoes and decorate with dog biscuits.
2. Chicken rice stew.
Most dogs cannot resist the taste and aroma of plain boiled chicken, and if it’s chicken stew, then the pet is bound to be in doggie food paradise! Boil a few pieces of curry cut chicken in plain water and add chicken broth powder for added flavour. Remove the bones from the vessel and discard. Transfer the broth and chicken pieces to a saucepan and add sliced carrots, chopped broccoli and bell peppers. Let the stew simmer till the veggies become a little soft but not soggy. Now add cooked rice to the stew, let it mix with the ingredients for two minutes and remove from the flame. Allow to become warm before serving.
3. Fruit smoothie.
Dogs love some fruits like apples, bananas, mangoes, musk melon and watermelon. Use the fruits of your choice from among these and whip them in the blender with unsweetened yoghurt and a spoon of raw honey. Skip the honey if the dog is diabetic or overweight.
4. Vegetable fried rice.
Steam vegetables like carrot, bell pepper, tomato, sweet potato and broccoli without salt or any seasoning. Use cold pressed coconut oil to fry the steamed vegetables for a minute, then add cooked rice and chicken broth powder. Let it simmer for a couple of minutes before transferring to a plate. Serve warm.
5. Cucumber-buttermilk soup.
Dogs feel hotter than humans do when the summer season comes around. Treat your four-legged visitors to some cooling cucumber soup. Thinly slice cucumbers and add them to a bowl of unsalted buttermilk. Garnish with chopped coriander and serve cold.
