Apple Puree for 6 months and older.

This boiled apple puree is very much useful when your baby has cold or cough and still you want to feed the apple. 

my son has cold and cough and the climate was very hot so I wanted to look for somthing which colling in nature but the same time I did not want to increase the cold by giving him apple directly hence I cooked the apple and given to him.

he is almost two now so I have mixed some whipped cream and given to him. He enjoyed it. 

for small babies do not mixed whipped cream. can add some sugar if apple is not sweet. 

Step 1: Select & Buy a Fresh Apple

Apples are an ideal first fruit because they're sweet and easy to mix with a variety of baby cereals. In fall, fresh apples are plentiful and inexpensive, as well as delightfully crisp, juicy, and flavorful. Look for firm fruit that's free of bruises and blemishes. Apples that give when you squeeze them will be mushy and unappealing. Since apples are part of the "dirty dozen" -- foods with the highest pesticide residue -- it's a good idea to buy organic. Choose apples with a sweet, mild flavor, such as Red Delicious and Gala apples; avoid tart varieties such as Granny Smith. One medium apple yields about five ounces of puree.

Step 2: Wash & Peel the Apple

Wash the apple with a mixture of three parts water and one part white vinegar to remove bacteria. Rinse under cool running water, dry, and peel. The easiest way to peel an apple is to use a vegetable peeler and work in a circular motion around the fruit. If you do not have a vegetable peeler, use a sharp paring knife.

Step 3: Core & Chop the Apple

Set the peeled apple, stem side up, on a clean cutting board. Slice in half. To remove the core, cup each apple slice in your palm and cut in a shallow scooping motion with a paring knife. Once the core is removed, slice each half into small chunks.

Step 4: Cook the Apple

Bring water to a boil in a medium-size saucepan. Reduce heat until bubbles are soft. Cook apple chunks until tender. Check apples after 10 minutes -- it's important to minimize cooking time to help preserve vitamins and minerals. When apples are tender, drain and rinse with cold water for three minutes to stop the cooking process.

Step 5: Puree or Mash the Apple

Puree in a food processor or blender until smooth. Add water as needed to reach desired consistency.

For chunkier applesauce, which is ideal for babies 10 months or older, mash the cooked apple with a potato masher instead of pureeing it.

Step 6: Serve the Applesauce

Baby applesauce is extremely versatile. Serve it plain or mix it with another puree or two to introduce your baby to new flavors and textures.

Try mixing apple puree with:

• Sweet potato
• Carrot
• Red cabbage and raisins
• Butternut squash
• Pumpkin
• Pear
• Peach
• Plum
• Cherries
• Strawberries
• Banana
• Beef
• Chicken
• Oatmeal
• Full-fat Greek yogurt

• Reference : parents.com

BAKED BABY SPINACH AND CORN IN WHITE SAUCE(FOR 1 Year and more)

Ingredients 

============

For the white sauce:

1 tbsp - Butter

1 tbsp - flour

1/2 cups - Milk

1/2 cup heavy cooking cream (Optional) (Use only pure without preservatives)

salt and pepper to taste

Other ingredients:

1 bunches - Spinach (finely chopped and washed well)

1/2 cup - yellow Corn (boiled)

1 tsp - Butter (for greasing the baking dish)

4-5 cubes - vegetarian cheese (grated) (Optional) 

Process

=========

Cook the spinach in a heavy-bottomed vessel without any water. Cook until the water from 

the spinach evaporates completely.

Grind the spinach coarsely.

For the white sauce:

Lightly heat butter in a non-stick pan.

Add wheat flour and saute on low flame until golden.

Gradually add milk and stir continuously to avoid lumps.

Cook the sauce on medium flame, stirring all the time until you get a thick pouring 

consistency.

Add heavy cooking cream. Cook for 2 more minutes.

Remove from the flame and add salt and pepper. Keep the white sauce aside.

Final Step

Add the spinach and corn to the white sauce and mix well.

Grease a baking dish and pour the mixture into it. Allow it to cool completely.

Evenly spread grated cheese on top.

Bake in a pre-heated oven at 180 degrees until the cheese turns golden.

I usually do not add cheese here for infant. for party or function dinner cheese would 

enhance the taste.

Healthy instant Ragi Dosa Recipe for infant

Instant ragi dosa recipe (red millet)

 ragi is rich in calcium and extremely good for vegans and vegetarians. ragi is the best source of calcium. 100 gms of ragi contains approx 350 mg of calcium. ragi also has some essential amino acids which are required by the body. ragi is easily digestible and very nutritious.

women should have a good amount of calcium in the diet as with age and deficiency of calcium, the bones become porous and cause problems.

the recipe here is a no grind ragi dosa recipe and very easy. it does not require you to grind anything. you just have to mix everything. and then start making the dosas.

ingredients (measuring cup used, 1 cup = 250 ml)

• 1 cup ragi flour or sprouted ragi flour ( i used organic sprouted ragi flour)
• ½ cup desiccated coconut or fresh coconut
• ½ cup curd
• salt as required
• water as required
• oil or ghee as required for preparing dosa

how to make the recipe:

1. take the ragi flour or sprouted ragi flour in a bowl or pan.
2. add the dessicated coconut to it.
3. then add the curd and salt.
4. add water to the mixture and start to mix everything well.
5. the batter should be slightly thin than the regular dosa batter. keep this batter covered for 30 minutes.
6. on a medium hot tava or griddle pour the batter with a help of a ladle and spread it slowly.
7. sprinkle some oil/butter/ghee on top. flip and cook the other side. cook the ragi dosa, the way you cook dosas at home.
8. serve the ragi dosa with any vegetable dish, sambar, dal or any chutney.

Reference : Veg recipe of india.

Ragi Dosa For infant (dosa made with fermented dosa batter and ragi flour.)

Dosa made with fermented dosa batter and ragi flour.

Ingredients (240 ml cup used)

• 1 cup of thin fermented dosa batter (refer notes)
• ¼ cup of ragi flour (refer notes)
• Salt to taste
• oil for drizzling around the dosas

Seasoning (optional)

• 1 to 2 green chilies
• 1 sprig curry leaves or coriander leaves chopped
• 1 tsp oil
• pinch of mustard
• pinch of cumin / jeera
• pinch of hing
• pinch of urad dal (optional)

Instructions

1. In a bowl, mix together batter, flour and salt with just enough water to make a batter of the pouring consistency.
2. Seasoning is optional. But if you wish just go ahead, heat oil in a small pan, add mustard and cumin when they begin to splutter add the dal and then curry leaves, green chilies and hing.
3. Pour this to the batter. Mix well.
4. Grease a tawa until hot, check if hot by sprinkling water, it has to sizzle.
5. Pour the batter thinly and then tilt it to a side for the batter to spread, do not spread with ladle.
6. Drizzle a tsp oil around the dosa. Cook on both sides till done.
7. Repeat until you finish the entire batter.
8. Serve with your favorite chutney.

Notes

Reference : http://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/

Moong Daal Dhokla - Yellow Lentil steamed savoury cake - ( 9 months and above)

ingredients

For The Batter

1 cup soaked yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)

1 green chill

salt to taste

1 tsp sugar

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

1 tbsp besan (bengal gram flour)

2 tbsp curds (dahi)

1 1/2 tsp fruit salt / baking soda

For The Tempering

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)

1/2 tsp sesame seeds (til)

a pinch asafoetida (hing)

2 tsp finely chopped green chillies

For The Garnish

1 tbsp finely chopped coriander (dhania)

For Serving

green chutney

1 tbsp grated coconut

Process :

1. Combine the yellow moong dal and green chillies and blend in a mixer using a little water to make a paste of pouring consistency.
2. Transfer the paste to a bowl, add the salt, sugar, asafoetida, oil, turmeric powder, besan and curds and mix well to make a batter.
3. Just before steaming, sprinkle fruit salt and mix lightly.
4. Pour the batter into a greased 175 mm. (7”) diameter thali.
5. Steam in a steamer for 10 to 12 minutes or till the dhokalas are cooked. Keep aside.
6. Heat the oil in a small non-stick pan and add the mustard seeds.
7. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the sesame seeds, asafoetida and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
8. Add the green chillies and sauté on a medium flame for 30 seconds.
9. Pour the tempering over the prepared dhoklas and spread it evenly.
10. Sprinkle the coriander and coconut evenly on top.
11. Cut into pieces and serve hot with green chutney.

Ref : Tarala Dalal

White Dhokla Recipe (1 year and above)

My son is now 14 month and no teeth at all. This Dhokla is soft and mouth melting hence babies without teeth can easily eat this.

My son like this Dhokla very much. This dish is high in carbohydrates and protein. 

Here is recipe goes.

Ingredients 

• 1 cup regular rice or idli rice (i used idli rice)
• ¼ cup urad dal( black gram)
• ½ cup thick sour yogurt or khatta dahi
• ½ inch ginger/adrak, chopped
• 1 green chili/hari mirch, chopped
• ½ tsp oil to be added later to the batter
• ½ tsp baking soda

Procedure

1. rinse the rice and urad dal a couple of times in water.
2. soak them together or separately in enough water for 5-6 hours.
3. drain them well and then in a wet grinder, add the drained rice and urad dal.
4. add chopped ginger and green chili also.
5. grind the rice and urad dal adding 2 to 3 tbsp water at intervals.
6. the batter should be thick like the idli batter.
7. when you feel the batter, a little grainy texture of the ground rice is preferable.
8. pour the batter in a deep bowl or pan.
9. add the sour yogurt and salt.
10. stir well and keep the batter in a warm place to ferment overnight or for 7-8 hours.
11. before preparing the dhoklas, grease the pan in which you will be making the dhokla with oil.
12. add water in your steamer or pan or pressure cooker and let the water come to a boil.
13. first add oil in the batter and stir well.
14. then add the fruit salt or baking soda to the batter.
15. be quick enough to stir well, so that the baking soda is distributed uniformly in the batter.
16. pour on a greased pan. sprinkle with black pepper powder, red chili powder and roasted sesame seeds.
17. place the pan with the dhokla batter in the steamer or pot or pressure cooker.
18. cover and steam for 20-25 minutes or more till a tooth pick inserted in the khatta dhokla comes out clean.
19. if using a pressure cooker, remove the vent weight (whistle) and cover the lid tightly and steam for the same amount of time.
20. when done, remove and let the khatta dhoklas become warm.
21. slice and serve the khatta dhokla or white dhokla with coriander chutney.

Barley Upma Recipe

for infant elder than 1 year.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Barley whole or broken (I have used whole Barley) 
• 3 Cups water
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup of carrot,diced small
• 1/2 cup of french beans, finely chopped 
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 2 tablespoon peanuts
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon half broken white urad dal(Optional)
• String of curry leaves
• salt to taste
• juice of 1 lemon
• a small bunch of chopped coriander leaves
• oil for cooking

• Process 

  1. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker or in a pan on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds and allow it to crackle. Once it crackles add in the split urad dal and peanuts. Saute for a few minutes until the dal gets roasted. 
  2. Once roasted add ginger, green chilies, curry leaves and cook for few seconds.
  3. Add carrots, beans and let it cook for a minute or two stirring in between.
  4. Now add barley. Mix well and cook for few minutes. 
  5. Pour in the 3 cups of water. Stir in the salt and tomatoes and give the mixture a good stir.
  6. Cover the pressure cooker or the pan and allow the upma cook in medium flame till 3 whistles come. If you are cooking it in a pan, then cook until all the water is absorbed stirring occasionally.  
  7. Take the pressure cooker off the heat and let the cooker rest for some time before opening the lid.
  8. Open the lid and add in lemon juice and coriander leaves. Mix well and serve hot.

Surati Locho ( Mixed Lentils savoury dish)

This recipe can be fit for toddlers elder than 1 year.

Ingredients

• 1 cup of chana daal(Split skinless Bengal Gram)
• 1/2 cup of urad daal(Split skinless Black Gram)
• 1/2 cup of poha(Beaten rice or rice flakes)
• 1 tbp green chili paste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 2-3 drops of lemon juice
• 2 tbp oil
• 1 tbsp sev(namkin)
• 1 tsp eno
• salt to taste

Instructions

1. Soak lentils in lots of water overnight.

2. In the morning drain water and wash it well and add washed 1 cup of poha.

3. Grind it in mixture grinder and form a soft batter.

4. Add salt, green chilli paste according to taste, add pinch of turmeric powder and eno and mix it well.

5. Take a deep vessel and spread half of oil to vessel so that the batter does not stick to it. Pour the batter into the vessel and spread some black pepper.

6. In a pressure cooker add some water and boil it for 10-15 mins or till done.

7. Keep the vessel in pressure cooker and cover the cooker with the lid without whistle attached to it.

8. Steam it for 10 minutes.

9. Put a knife in the batter to check if it is baked properly by inserting clean knife. if it comes out clean,it means it is done.

10. Serve hot with adding some lemon juice, sev, half of oil and chopped coriander leaves and chilli.

Tips : can be served with green and red chatney. I had some left over tamrind chatney and it tasted nice.