Indian Home Made Wholesome Baby Food Recipe

Once baby completes 6 months, only breast milk is not sufficient for its growth. The biggest question in mothers mind regarding weaning is, what to serve and how to serve solid food for the first time to our tender love. As kids grow up, their taste buds also become active. They would want a change. Here is another recipe of Ragi for young kids, Ragi Chocolate.
Here is a very Healthy Meal Idea for infants.

Wholesome Porridge
Ingredients:

• Brown rice
• Raagi(Finger millet )
• Wheat
• Soya beans
• Green gram
• Brown chana
• Dried green peas
• Nuts like cashew, almond, pistachios, peanuts (to be added only while roasting, not to be soaked)

Method:

• Take 1 measure of all the above items(Say 100 gms) separately and wash them thoroughly.
• Soak them overnight separately.

• Remove the water(Drain it) from all items and get all the above items sprouted by keeping it warm for another 8 hours.
• Let all the items dry separately under sun for  a day.
• Roast all the items separately over stove till it turns to slight brown.
• Roast above given nuts, half the measure of other grains (say 50 gms).
• Grind all the items to fine powder.
• Store it in a air tight container.

Preparation:

• Take 2 table spoon of above powder.
• Mix it in warm milk to not to form lumps.
• Add jaggery, and milk.
• Move the container over stove on a low flame.
• Keep on stirring.
• When it comes to semi solid state, turn off the stove.
• A healthy meal for a toddler is ready with wonderful aroma.
• Serve the child warm porrdge, ghee, salt or cardmom if needed.

Here is the nutrition value of the recipe:

• Wheat is rich in Protein
• Raagi is rich in Calcium
• Brown rice is rich in Fibre, and Vitamin B
• jaggary is rich in Iron, Minerals and Vitamins
• Soya beans is rich in Proteins, Folic Acid and all the essential fatty acids
• Sprouted grains is rich in natural Vitamins, Food Enzymes, Amino Acids and Omega 3
• Nuts contain Vitamin E
• Green peas is rich in vitamin C

PS: To start with, take only 1 type of grain, if baby can digest then only add next one and continue. This recipe can be given thrice a day till 2 years along with other fruits and vegetables. After 2 years, when our baby is completely on regular food, then also we can give this porridge once a day. Because this recipe is very much rich in all the Vitamins and Proteins.

Here are few healthy breakfast recipes for preschoolers..... 

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Kannadiga Havyaka Recipes : Ash Gourd (Boodu Kumbalakaayi) Majjige HuLi | Southekai Hasi Majjige HuLi | Cucumber Spicy Yogurt

Majjige Huli is a very popular Karnataka dish, actually a Havyaka Recipe in particular. As the name suggests, this dish is a coconut and yogurt(majjige in kannada)  based gravy, spiced with green chillies and flavored with cumin that is added to the vegetable.  The veggie could be either tindora, green peppers/capsicum, potatoes, cucumbers, okra/lady's finger, brinjal/eggplant, ash gourd/ winter melon or even the yard long beans, called "Alasande" in Kannada.  Here I have used cucumber and tindora (thondekai in kannada), as the combination tastes great.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 big cup buttermilk
• 7-8 green chillies
• Chopped vegetables(Tindora and Cucumber) – 2 cups
• 1 cup fresh grated coconut
• 3 table spoon chana daal
• 2 table spoon oil for seasoning
• 1 table spoon mustard seeds
• 1 table spoon cumin seeds
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 2 – 3 red chillies
• a pich of asafoetida
• Salt – as required

Method:

• Soak chana daal for 20 minutes in 1/4 cup of water.

• Cut the Tindora and Cucumber into large pieces.
• Boil in a little water until soft.

• Blend together the coconut, green chillies and soaked chana daal.

• Add this paste to the above mix

• Dilute with some water if needed.
• Bring to a boil on a low flame.

• Add salt as required.
• Season with mustard, cumin, red chillies, curry leaves and asafoetida.

• Remove the vessel from the stove.
• Add buttermilk/yogurt and mix well.

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Indian Desserts : Rice Kheer | Doodh Paak | Rice Payasam Recipe

Rice Kheer also known as rice pudding, is an important and traditional Indian sweet dish. Rice Kheer is a classic dessert, very traditional to the Indian subcontinent.  Here is a very quick and easy rice kheer recipe. A great way to use left-over rice.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes including time for preparation of Rice

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 500 ml Milk
• 250 gms Rice
• 200 gms Sugar
• 50 gms ghee 
• 3 table spoon chopped nuts 

Method:

• Pick and wash the rice.
• Soak in water for 30 minutes.

• Drain completely.
• Melt the ghee in a pan, add the drained rice and saute for 5-7 minutes on a medium flame.

• Add milk and cook on a low flame till the milk is reduced to 3/4th its original quantity.
• Add the sugar and simmer further till the milk is reduced to half its original quantity.

• Garnish with nuts roasted in ghee.

PS:  We could use the left over rice as well. If that’s is the case, just add rice in a kadai and use half the quantity of milk (that is 250 ml). And follow the same procedure. Beleave me, one cant guess the used rice is left over rice. :)

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Vrat Or Fast Recipes: Authentic Sabudana Khichdi | Pearl Sago Or Tapioca Khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi is a Marathi dish. The main ingredient in this dish is Sabudana and Potato.  Sabudana is also called as  tapioca or pearl sago. It is a very popular vrat recipe.  In Maharastra, sabudane ki khichadi is a very common recipe for fasts

Preparation Time: 20 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Sago (Sabudana)
• 1 medium Potato
• 3 tablespoons ghee
• 1 tablespoon mustard seeds
• 1 tablespoon  cumin seeds
• 4-5 green chillies
• 1/4 cup peanuts/ peanut powder
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 table spoon sugar
• 2 table spoon lime juice
• Salt to taste
• Chopped fresh coriander leaves

Method:

• Wash Sabudana nicely for two to three times so that no powder is left.
• Drain water completely and keep it covered for 3 to 4 hours.

• Keep mixing it time to time, so that Sabudana is not completely dry and Sabudana grains are separate and moist. Sprinkle some more water as and when needed.
• Cook the Potato in pressure cooker and then chop the potato into small pieces.

• Heat ghee in a pan and add mustard seeds, curry leaves, cumin seeds and peanuts.
• Roast on a low flame until the peanuts brown.

• Add the green chilies and stir for a minute.
• Add chopped potato and Sabudana, salt and sugar.

• The most important thing is to keep churning the Sabudana. if left unattended it will stick to pan and turn hard like rubber.
• Sabudana will change colour once it is cooked.

• Add the lemon juice a minute before taking it off the heat.
• Mix well. Remove from heat. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot.

 PS:  Here I have used crushed peanuts. Peanut powder also goes well with this dish.  Grated coconut  can also be used for the decoration. It gives a great taste to the dish as well. While making khichdi, do not cover the pan, else it will turn into an elastic ball.

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Green Moong Daal Dry Curry | Mooga Usli | Moong Sprout Ki Sabji

Moong beans, are not only a good source of protein, but also they are very rich in fibre, potassium and B- vitamins. They contain low levels of fat, cholesterol and sodium. Sprouted Moong is also rich in Phosphorous, which is necessary for healthy bones and teeth. This is the reason doctors also advice sprouts for babies and children of all age. Here is a very tasty recipe of sprouted moong, Mooga Usli.

Preparation Time: 30 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 big cup Green Moong sprouted
• 1 medium onion
• 10 – 12 garlic pods
• 1 medium tomato
• 4 table spoon grated coconut
• 2 table spoon red chilli powder
• A pinch of turmeric powder
• Salt to taste

 Method:

• Soak the moong overnight or for about 8-10 hours in enough water. Drain water the next day and allow it to sprout by keeping it for another 6-7 hours without water. Moong gets sprouted very nicely. Now add water and keep the Moong aside for one more hour.

• Heat oil in a kadai, add garlic and sauté for 3 minutes
• Add onion and sauté till the onion turns little brown in color.

• Add tomatoes and fry for another 2 minutes.
• Now add red chilli powder and turmeric powder.

• Now add sprouted Moong into the kadai and mix well.
• Add little water for the moong to cook, cover the kadai with the lid and keep for 10 minutes.

• Add salt to taste and grated coconut, mix well and cook for another 2 minutes on a low flame.
• Mooga Usli is ready to serve with chapatti/roti/rice as a side dish.

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Festival Recipes : Pooran Poli | Puran Poli | Holige | Obbattu | Bobattu

This Marathi dish takes a lot time to prepare and needs a lot of patience and practice to reach the perfection. Puran Poli is a very famous Maharashtrian recipe. In kannada this recipe is called as Simply Holige or Bele Obbattu and Bobattu in Telgu. This is also very famous in Konkani people.

Preparation Time: 60 minutes

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

• 2 cups Chana dal, soaked in water for around 2 hours.
• 2 cups Jaggery
• 1 tsp cardamom powder
• 2 cups refined Maida/Plain flour
• 3/4 table spoon turmeric powder
• 3 table spoon oil
• Salt for taste

Method:  Preparation of Hoorna(in Konkani/Kannada)

• Cook Chana dal in pressure cooker till it turns soft. Drain out excess water until the dal is absolutely becomes dry.

• In a non stick pan, put Chana dal, Jaggery and mix it well. Cook till all the jaggery gets melted and the mix becomes dry.
• Grind the mix in a mixer to get a smooth paste without putting water.
• Add cardamom powder and mix well with hand to get a smooth mixture.

• Form balls of 20 equal size as shown in the picture and keep it aside.

 Preparation of  Kanik (in Konkani/Kannada)

• Mix refined flour, oil, water and turmeric powder. 
• Make very soft, sticky dough. 
• Knead very well. 

• Use oil to knead. 
• Divide into 20 equal portions.
• Cover and keep it aside for 2 hours.

 Preparation of Puran Poli

• With greased palms, take one portion of dough(Kanik) and flatten it with another hand to form a disc of the size of the palm.
• Place a ball of "chana jaggery" paste(Hoorna) in the centre and fold the disc from all sides to cover the paste completely.

• Put 1 cup of Maida/Plain flour on a paper and put all the prepared balls on the flour one by one. 
• Roll the balls over flour so that flour gets stuck to the ball from all the sides. 

• Apply oil to a sheet of clean transparent plastic paper, keep the ready ball on it and roll it like chapathi.

• Fry on hot tava till it gets golden brown color.

• Serve hot/cold with ghee.

 PS:  Use of milk instead of water for making the maida dough makes puran polis very soft. Along with chana dal, toor dal also can be used which makes the puran poli more thin and soft. 

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Konkani Randap : Thausali | Taushya Kadamb | Cucumber Cake | Cucumber Idli

This dish is loved by Konkani people for breakfast or as a evening snack. This is a very healthy and satisfying dish. Cucumber is called a Taushe in Konkani. As it is cooked like idli in cooker, this delicacy is also called as cucumber idli. In the backyard, we can grow these turmeric plants and leaves can be used while preparing this dish. If these leaves are not available, then one can use ghee before pouring the batter into the pan. In the pan, before putting batter, turmeric leaves are placed, which leaves a great aroma. Even one can use two leaves and put the batter inside and fold it across, as I have explained in my instructions. This dish can also made with mangalore cucumber. In Konkani it is known as magge. The recipe goes the same, instead of cucumber, mangalore cucumber will be used.

Preparation Time: 20 minutes ( excluding the standing time).

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cup finely chopped cucumber
• 1 cup rice rava
• ½ cup grated coconut
• 3 spoon sugar
• Salt as per taste
• Turmeric leaves ghee

 Method:

• Mix cucumber, rava, grated coconut, sugar and salt.

• And leave it for around 30 minutes.

• Don’t add water to batter as the cucumber leaves water which is more than sufficient for the consistency.

• Spread the turmeric leaves as shown in picture.

• Fold the leaves after adding batter and put them one by one in idli cooker.

• Steam it for around 10-15mins(similar to idlis without adding the weight)

• Serve hot with chutney.

PS:  The amount of sugar can be varied depending upon ones taste. If turmeric leaves are not available then, spread ghee around the vessel. Pour the batter and after cooking cut them into small square pieces.

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Punjabi Style Traditional Rajma Curry | Rajma Chawal | Rajma Masala

Rajma Masala is one of the famous north Indian cuisine. This dish can be explained as Rajma cooked in a onion and tomato puree with a blend of all the spices.  This dish can be searved with rice or chapathi or roti.

Preparation Time: 40 minutes

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups Red kidney beans (rajma), soaked overnight
• 3 tablespoons  oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 3 medium tomatoes, pureed
• 6-8 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 inch piece ginger, chopped
• 1 tablespoon  coriander powder
• 1 tablespoons cumin powder
• 2 tablespoons red chilli powder
• 1/2 tablespoons turmeric powder
• 1 tablespoons garam masala powder

 Method:

• Soak Rajma beans Overnight (or atleast 6 hours).

• Pressure cook Rajma with five cups of water and salt till totally cooked and soft
•  Heat ghee and fry onions and bay leaves  for 2 to 3 minutes.

• Add ginger and garlic and continue to sauté till the mixture turns golden.
• Add tomato puree, mix and continue to cook.
• Add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and cook till the oil leaves the masala.

•  Add the cooked red kidney beans along with the cooked water
• Add salt for according to taste.

• Add garam masala powder.
• Lower the heat and simmer for about fifteen to twenty minutes on low heat.

• Serve Hot

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