Carrot, raisins, and dates porridge

6 months and above

A very simple, highly nutritious, and totally yummy treat for your little one.

Carrot - 1 small (cleaned thoroughly, skin scraped, and roughly chopped)
Dates - 2 Nos(deseeded)
Raisins - 5-6 Nos(washed well and soaked in warm water for about 10 minutes)
Milk - 1/2 cup

Place everything together in a bowl. Cover and pressure/steam cook till done. In a pressure cooker 3 whistles on high flame will do the trick. Let cool a bit. Blend to smooth puree. Feed baby when it is just a little warm.


Post script:

1. Any kind of raisin can be used in this recipe. Back home in India black raisins are touted for their medicinal benefits and are used to prevent/cure constipation in babies.
   
   


2. If you do not want to add regular milk to your baby's diet as yet, steam the ingredients in half a cup of water and add baby formula/breast milk during blending. Do not add formula while cooking since heating beyond a prescribed temperature affects the nutritional profile of the formula.
   

Nutrition information

Dates - are superfood! Rich in antioxidants, iron, potassium,essential minerals, the B vitamins and so on. In short a couple of these will go a long way in ensuring health and preventing nutritional deficiencies.

Carrots - full of beta carotene and vitamin A

Raisins - iron rich and full of other micro nutrients

Eggless apple and dates bran muffins

1 Year and above

During a train trip from Chennai where I worked, several years ago, to my hometown in Kerala, I met a young couple travelling along with their toddler.I reach my destination by about 8 Am and hence avoid breakfast on the train. This couple, however, were going further and hence picked up breakfast when they reached the Ernakulam station.Once their breakfast ritual was done with the mother pounced upon the just awakened toddler with a pack of commercial potato fries. The toddler was obviously in no mood for the chips but the mother pleaded, cajoled, coaxed, and even threatened till she finished half the packet. The dad pitched in with his, "baby, you should eat breakfast". I was aghast to say the least! But once I started taking notice, I found that this was not a one off case. There are many people who regularly buy bakery goodies for their kids to eat after school; start them on a batter fried chicken, fizzy drink, chips, and instant noodle routine when very young. Started this way no wonder they bloom into coke guzzling-junk gobbling obesity ridden teenage years and then into young adults who have already succumbed to some or all of the degenerative diseases.
This in mind, I try and avoid picking up commercial snacks and edible goodies, as far as possible, where my little girl is concerned. Her only allowed indulgences, till date, are transfat free biscuit brands and chocolates in moderation. Once she gets to the school going- peer influencable age my influence on her is bound to decrease. Hence, why not atleast put some effort into giving her a healthy start. This wholesome muffin, with loads of goodness in it, is a little different from your regular muffin in that it has more texture. I also found that it tasted much better the next day.

wheat bran - 1 1/2 cups
whole wheat flour - 1 cup
low-fat buttermilk -1 cup
flaxseed - 1 dessert spoon (finely ground)
packed brown sugar - 1/4 cup
baking powder - 1 teaspoon
date syrup - 1 dessertspoon
dates - about 10 Nos (pitted, and chopped)
apple - 1 Nos (deseeded, grated peel and all)
extra virgin olive oil - 1 dessertspoon

Soak the bran and powdered flaxseed in the buttermilk for a few minutes. Incorporate the baking powder with the wheat flour. Add everything together and mix to form a sticky batter. If required, add in a little warm water. Pour into greased cup cake moulds and bake in preheated oven at 200° C for about 20 minutes. Insert a tooth pick to check if it comes clean. If required, bake at 180° for another 4-5 minutes.

PS: The chopped dates and date syrup will make these appear a little sticky in places. Hence cool well, preferably overnight, before eating.

Sending this over to Sreevalli's Kids Delight -Finger Food
event at Spice Your Life. She has been good enough to allow in my really late entry. Thank you, Sreevalli.

Wheat milk porridge

8 months and above

Wheat milk porridge is extremely delicious and I give it as a special treat to little Abhi. I do not make it frequently because it takes a little extra time. Definitely worth the effort, do try this for your baby.

I've used broken wheat (burghul) belonging to the Sambha variety which is dark brown, high in protien and nutrients. You can also use whole wheat grains for this but make sure the soaking time is increased to overnight.

Pic 1 : Broken wheat soaked, drained, and ready to be ground

Broken wheat - 1 tablespoon
Jaggery syrup - 1 teaspoon
Cardamom - 2 or 3 grains from a pod
Fresh coconut milk - 2 or 3 teaspoons
Water - a cup or more if required

Soak broken wheat for 1 or 2 hours. Pulverize to smooth paste adding a little warm water and the cardamom. Drape a thin muslin cloth/ cheese cloth/ light cotton cloth over the mouth of a vessal. Secure the cloth around the vessal with a string or rubber band. Strain the wheat paste through this. Coax out the milk by stirring with a spoon. Cover the cloth and vessal with a lid allow the milk to slowly trickle out (15 minutes or so). Finally, remove the string and twist cloth to squeeze out all the milk (refer picture 3).The white whey you get thus is wheat milk.

Pic 2: The filtering process

Pic 3: Squeezing out the milk completely

Transfer the wheat milk into a thick bottomed vessal. Mix in a cup of water. On slow flame allow to simmer for about 10 minutes stirring all the while (the stirring bit is important or else the milk congeals unevenly and burns). Add more water if mixture becomes too thick. When you see the milk taking on a glazy look, add in the jaggery syrup and coconut milk. Stir for a couple more minutes and take off flame.

Pic 4: Wheat milk porridge

To extract coconut milk
I do not use readymade coconut milk, organic or otherwise, in baby food. Extracting the small quantity of milk required for your little one is quite easy. Here is how:

Grated or shaved coconut - 2 tablespoons
Warm water - 2 teaspoons

Put the coconut and water in a processor/mixie and grind for a couple of minutes. Place a sieve or very thin muslin over a vessel. Take out the coconut mixure by hand, hold over sieve and use your hands to squeeze out the milk.

Nutrition information

Wheat - rich in Vitamin B6, iron, folate, zinc, manganese, phospherous etc. Wheat is also said to maintain good haemoglobin levels and to prevent childhood asthma.

Jaggery - iron rich

Coconut milk - a delicious source of healthy omega 3 fats and calcium