Baby’s First Khichadi

(Ground Rice and Lentils for baby)

This recipe was featured in: story of a happy little tummy 

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(The babyfood recipes posted here are for babies 6-12 months of age. Please note that some ingredients may not be suitable for your baby. Use your discretion to substitute ingredients in the babyfood recipes below)

Prep in advance:

1 cup basmati or any white rice like sona masoori, surti kolam or paraboiled rice (used for making idlis, dosas, etc)

1 cup moong daal (yellow moong daal without skin)

1 cup split masoor daal (orange masoor daal without skin)

I liked to use 2:1 proportions of daal: rice to up the health factor and make it more nutritious.

 

Combine the rice and the daals and wash thoroughly. Spread the washed mixture on a flat surface like a paper towel lined cookie sheet or a large kitchen cloth and leave it for upto 48 hours to dry.

Alternatively, you can air dry overnight (about 8 hours) and then lightly roast it in the oven for 2-3 hours at minimum setting or microwave high for 1-2 mins stirring in between, till it is completely dry.

Grind the dried daal-rice mixture to fine powder for younger babies (6-8 months) or coarse for older babies (8-10 months). For babies more that 10 months old, try grinding half of the mixture coarsely and add it to the remaining half of the unground mixture. Store it in an airtight jar.

 

§ Tip : Toor daal is a little difficult for the baby’s sensitive digestive system. Also, other types of daals, especially the ones with skin like whole or split moong daal or masoor daal or urad daal might not be easy for the baby to swallow. So it is better to introduce these at a later stage, around the age of 10-12 months.

 

To make about 4 tbsp khichadi (this will be more than enough for 2 meals in a day for ages 6-8 months)

1 tbsp rice-daal powder (gradually increase the quantity as your baby starts taking in more)

1/2 cup water

1 tbsp vegetable du jour  (chopped spinach, peas, corn or tiny chunks of potatoes, carrots, green beans, etc that are ok for the baby)

1 pinch jeera (cumin seeds)

1 pinch garam masala (Yes! I wanted my daughter to get used to our desi spices right from the beginning and now, at 18 months, she can handle spicy food very well. Most times, I don’t have to cook seperate food for her)

salt

fresh cilantro/coriander, finely chopped (do not use this in the first few weeks of introducing this baby food)

1/2 small garlic clove, minced (again, do not use this in the first few weeks of introducing this baby food)

1/2 tsp ghee (clarified butter)

Combine all the ingredients above and cook covered in a small stainless steel vessel placed inside a pressure cooker. Cover the lid of the pressure cooker and bring the it to a full pressure, letting it whistle for 3 times, then reduce to low heat and simmer for 5 mins.

Alternatively, you can cook the khichadi stove top over medium heat by combining all the ingredients in a small pot till everything is cooked and most of the water is absorbed. 

After the pressure cooker cools down, remove the vessel and mash the cooked daal-rice khichadi to mash the vegetables, if added, and also to make sure there are no lumps in the khichadi.

Garnish with a few drops of ghee and serve at a warm-cool temperature.

 

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