Like all new mothers I too struggled with getting adjusted to totally new and different lifestyle after I delivered my first child.While slowly adjusting to new life style I realized that time is running and my little one has almost completed 6 months...and its time for him to transit from liquid to semi liquid food.my child was only on breast milk until he has completed 6 months.
India is well known for its rituals and festivals. Interestingly there are many samskars(processes for bringing auspiciousness for child) to perform from womb and continue till child grows.One of the samskars for new born is "AnnaPrashan" First grain giving ceremony. We celebrated same for our child by giving him sweet rice by our spiritual priest.
One of the great challenges for new mothers is to decide what to feed child on daily bases. Here I am putting 5 healthy babyfood recipes for infants tasted by my child.
India is well known for its rituals and festivals. Interestingly there are many samskars(processes for bringing auspiciousness for child) to perform from womb and continue till child grows.One of the samskars for new born is "AnnaPrashan" First grain giving ceremony. We celebrated same for our child by giving him sweet rice by our spiritual priest.
One of the great challenges for new mothers is to decide what to feed child on daily bases. Here I am putting 5 healthy babyfood recipes for infants tasted by my child.
1. High Fiber Broken Wheat cooked with fresh fruits (Dalia with fresh fruits and raisin).
Preparation Time :5 mins
Cooking Time : 15 mins
Serves : 1 to 2 infants2 tbls broken wheat
1 tbls Ghee
1 tsp Jaggery (or Mishri or Sugar)
1/4 c peeled apple
1 tsp raisin
11/2 c water
pinch of cardamom
1. Wash and clean broken wheat. Drain it.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in heavy bottom pan over moderate heat.When it is hot stir in cardamom and fry for 30 seconds.
3. Add in 2 tablespoons of broken wheat. Fry for 3 to 4 mins.
3. Cut the peeled apple in small pieces. you may also make puree and add in.
4. Add raisins and water. Cover the pan while cooking on slow to moderate heat for 15 mins.
5. Add Jaggery or mishri or sugar once broken wheat is cooked.
6. occasionally stir in. Check after 15 mins. If wheat is still not fully cooked then cook more for another 5 mins.
7. Serve warm.
Tips:
1. Water can be replaced with milk to enhance taste as well as nutrition value.
2. Apple can be replace with banana or any other fresh fruits. If ripe banana used then reduce the amount of Jaggery .
3. If Jaggari has dust in it then make Jaggery water filter it then add it. Jaggari is easy for digestion.
4. Raisin makes this dish rich in nutrition. Along with raisins almonds or any other dried food can be added.
5. If using almond then use almond powder or crush almond with milk.
6. Make sure that your food is in form of puree or semisolid so the child can swallow it easily.
7. While feeding child make sure that the food is little warm not so hot.
2. Apple can be replace with banana or any other fresh fruits. If ripe banana used then reduce the amount of Jaggery .
3. If Jaggari has dust in it then make Jaggery water filter it then add it. Jaggari is easy for digestion.
4. Raisin makes this dish rich in nutrition. Along with raisins almonds or any other dried food can be added.
5. If using almond then use almond powder or crush almond with milk.
6. Make sure that your food is in form of puree or semisolid so the child can swallow it easily.
7. While feeding child make sure that the food is little warm not so hot.
2. Oat based multi seeds porridge with natural sweetener.
This dish helps developing brain tissues. High in fiber and protein. Dates makes this dish rich in iron as well. No need to add artificial sweetener as nature sweetener dates is included.
2.While oat is getting roasted boil milk. Add mashed dates in it.
3. Heat ghee in heavy bottom pan. Take small pan as quantity is less.
4. Once ghee is heated add oat powder in it. cook for 2 mins stir it continuously.
5. Add multi seeds powder in it. stir it continuously and cook for another 2 mins.
6. Add milk and dates mixture in it. Stir it continuously and cook for 4 min till its thickened.
7. Delicious porridge is ready for the baby.
Tips:
1. Oats powder can be prepared in advance.
2. Multi seeds includes water melon seeds, cucumber seeds, musk melon seeds. This powder can be done in advanced and kept.
3. Pumpkin seeds can also be used.
4. Ghee is mean to be cows ghee only.
5. Dates can be replaced with honey.
This Recipe is very healthy and easy to digest for babies. Mung Daal is rich in protein while vegetables adds vitamins as well as fibers making it easy to digest.
Carrot and pumpkin gives little sweet taste to daal which makes babies happy to eat.
Preparation time:5 min
Preparation time:5 min
1. Soak daal in water for half an hour. Wash and clean.
2. Take 2 cups of water in pressure cooker add salt and cook daal thoroughly.
3. Once daal is cooked, take it out and allow it to cool for 5 mins.
4. After 5 mins you can see the water and daal have separate layers.
5. Take water from the daal in small bowl. Add little jeera powder in it. Add drop of ghee in daal water.
6. Daal soup is ready to serve to baby.
Tips:
1. Mostly I sock roti in this daal soup and feed my baby.
2. This daal can be cooked without socking as well.
3. Time for cooking daal in pressure cooker can be vary for different pressure cooker hence I did not mention it. Generally this daal needs 2 to 3 more whistles then rice. So decide accordingly.
3. Heat ghee in heavy bottom pan. Take small pan as quantity is less.
4. Once ghee is heated add oat powder in it. cook for 2 mins stir it continuously.
5. Add multi seeds powder in it. stir it continuously and cook for another 2 mins.
6. Add milk and dates mixture in it. Stir it continuously and cook for 4 min till its thickened.
7. Delicious porridge is ready for the baby.
Tips:
1. Oats powder can be prepared in advance.
2. Multi seeds includes water melon seeds, cucumber seeds, musk melon seeds. This powder can be done in advanced and kept.
3. Pumpkin seeds can also be used.
4. Ghee is mean to be cows ghee only.
5. Dates can be replaced with honey.
3. Mung Daal cooked with vegetables.
This Recipe is very healthy and easy to digest for babies. Mung Daal is rich in protein while vegetables adds vitamins as well as fibers making it easy to digest.
Carrot and pumpkin gives little sweet taste to daal which makes babies happy to eat.
Cooking Time :20 min
Serves : 1 infant
2 tbs Yellow Mung Daal
1 tbs Ghee
1/4 tsp Jeera
1/4 cup diced carrots and pumpkin
pinch of salt
1. Wash mung daal and Sock in water for half an hour (optional).
2. Drain water from mung daal after keep it aside.
3. Heat ghee in heavy bottom pan. Add Jeera once ghee is heated.
4. Add vegetable cubes. Saute well. Add Mung daal. Stir it properly.
5. Add 1 cup of water and pinch of salt. Give a quick stir.
6. Cover the pan. Cook for 20 mins while stirring it occasionally.
7. Check if daal is properly cooked.
Tips
1. If vegetables are not mixed with daal then mash it while feeding.
2. This daal with vegetables only can be fed to baby or roti can be added to this daal and can be given to baby which I used to do mostly.
3. Different types of vegetables can be added to daal.
4. Do not use vegetables which can cause gastric trouble to baby. Carrot, pumpkin, sweet potatoes,zucchini are some good options.
5.Do not use aluminium vessels while cooking for baby.
Most of the times I cook Mungdaal in mud pot which I have brought from India.
In mud pot, daal is cooked slowly which retain all protein in daal as well as all vitamins and minerals in vegetables. Mung Daal takes only 20 mins to cook in mud pot if socked in half an hour before.
Let me know if you wish to know how to cook mung daal in mud pot.
2 tbs Yellow Mung Daal
1 tbs Ghee
1/4 tsp Jeera
1/4 cup diced carrots and pumpkin
pinch of salt
1. Wash mung daal and Sock in water for half an hour (optional).
2. Drain water from mung daal after keep it aside.
3. Heat ghee in heavy bottom pan. Add Jeera once ghee is heated.
4. Add vegetable cubes. Saute well. Add Mung daal. Stir it properly.
5. Add 1 cup of water and pinch of salt. Give a quick stir.
6. Cover the pan. Cook for 20 mins while stirring it occasionally.
7. Check if daal is properly cooked.
Tips
1. If vegetables are not mixed with daal then mash it while feeding.
2. This daal with vegetables only can be fed to baby or roti can be added to this daal and can be given to baby which I used to do mostly.
3. Different types of vegetables can be added to daal.
4. Do not use vegetables which can cause gastric trouble to baby. Carrot, pumpkin, sweet potatoes,zucchini are some good options.
5.Do not use aluminium vessels while cooking for baby.
Most of the times I cook Mungdaal in mud pot which I have brought from India.
In mud pot, daal is cooked slowly which retain all protein in daal as well as all vitamins and minerals in vegetables. Mung Daal takes only 20 mins to cook in mud pot if socked in half an hour before. Let me know if you wish to know how to cook mung daal in mud pot.
4. Split toor dal (pigeon pea/arhar) soup
This is the first recipe suggested by grand mother for my baby. This soup is very easy to make and contain high protein as well. My baby likes this soup very much hence I prepare this for him on every alternate day.
Ingredients
1/2 c toor daal (pigeon pea/arhar daal)
1/2 tsp jeera powder (cumin powder)
salt to taste
drop of ghee
Cooking Time :20 min
1. Soak daal in water for half an hour. Wash and clean.
2. Take 2 cups of water in pressure cooker add salt and cook daal thoroughly.
3. Once daal is cooked, take it out and allow it to cool for 5 mins.
4. After 5 mins you can see the water and daal have separate layers.
5. Take water from the daal in small bowl. Add little jeera powder in it. Add drop of ghee in daal water.
6. Daal soup is ready to serve to baby.
Tips:
1. Mostly I sock roti in this daal soup and feed my baby.
2. This daal can be cooked without socking as well.
3. Time for cooking daal in pressure cooker can be vary for different pressure cooker hence I did not mention it. Generally this daal needs 2 to 3 more whistles then rice. So decide accordingly.
