November 1st, 2009
Homemade Baby Food
The word “love” acquired a different meaning in my life when I became a mother. It was love at first sight when the doctor gave “him” to me. I had waited 9 long months to see him after all! Arguably, unconditional love is something only a parent can feel for one’s child. As a new mother, I’m also better able to appreciate and understand the love and sacrifice of my parents towards my siblings and me.
From the time I realized that there was a special someone growing in my womb, I became even more conscious of what went inside my stomach. The first trimester was terrible and I could not eat most foods that I loved. We could never imagine that I would abhor my all time favourite paneer and even the slightest aroma of fragrant ghee could send me into an extreme trip of nausea. For nearly 2 months I did not even step inside my kitchen!
I started to feel better once I completed 3 months and after I stepped into the 20th week of pregnancy, it was a different story altogether. I could start eating and relish all my favourite foods once again. I even started craving sweets like never before. Ro’s constant attention to my needs and my mother’s frequent parcels ensured that I did not miss a single food that I craved. And then there were the surprise packages that made their way into my home. One day it was the courier of perfect chaklis (a savoury snack made with rice flour and spices) made by the 82 year old sister of my grandfather and another day it was special Ayurvedic herbs, devadaru, red sandalwood and jyeshtamadhu lovingly hand sewn with cotton to protect them from dust and moisture, with a beautiful poignant letter and a promise that it was good for me and good for my baby, an age old family recipe, sent by my 83 year old paternal grandmother. And how can I forget the parcel of white pumpkin barfi made specially for me by my maternal aunt Rekha with the message that it was good for pitta (heat) associated with pregnancy and the Kai Holiges (coconut pancakes) sent by my aunt Indira all the way from my hometown, Siddapur. And the couriers sent by my mother-in-law whenever I remembered the plum cake from the temple or the sohanpapdi from K.C Das Bangalore and my favourite amla chutney made by her. Those trips to my favourite restaurants and how my favourite chefs especially chef Sharief from Dum Pukth Restaurant, ITC Grand Maratha Sheraton made me feel so special by covering every inch of our table space with delicacies until I screamed “I can’t eat more!” It was a truly special time and I could go on and on about how my people indulged me and made me feel so very special. Although I digged into my favorites, rasgullas, ice cream and gelatos, cakes and pastries I never lost sight of my pregnancy diet. Milk with turmeric and saffron, almonds, soaked and peeled, greens, fresh vegetables and fruits, almonds and munakka (dry grapes) and my grandmother’s ayurvedic medicine for pregnancy, devadaru, red sandalwood and jyeshtamadhu ground in the said proportions for ½ hour everyday starting from the 4 month until the day I went into labour are a testimony to this.
Six months after my baby was born came the question of what to feed him. When Ro asked me “Why don’t you try the baby foods available in the markets?” I said to him “ When I make food for my baby at home, it is made with love, keeping in mind his specific tastes and special requirements. “How can any mass manufactured product cater to the individual needs of our baby?” I asked in return. Ofcourse it is time consuming, but I’m one of those people who like to make time especially when it comes to making and eating fresh food. I’m so happy when so many new mothers I meet feel the same.
The process of sprouting grains and powdering them is an age old tradition in India. People use different kinds of grains to prepare food for their babies. According to Ayurveda, Wheat is supposed to be heating to the body, Finger Millet is considered to be cooling to the body and Rice is neutral. This recipe was given to me by my relative Shubha kaku and is perfectly balancing to the body and works best for my baby.
The recipes given below require sprouting the grains before grinding them into a powder. Sprouting is known to increase life-sustaining properties and neutralize phytic acid, which blocks the absorption of many important nutrients. Read more about the benefits of sprouting grains here and here.
Homemade Baby Malt Powder Recipe
Ingredients:
1 cup Finger Millet (Ragi or Nachni)
1 cup Rice
1 cup whole Wheat
Method:
Wash and soak the finger millet, rice and wheat in separate containers, overnight or for 6 to 8 hours. Discard the water and place the grains in separate muslin cloths or cheesecloth. Tie the cloth to any horizontal surface and allow the grains to sprout. Keep the surface of the cloth moist by sprinkling water. Don’t allow the cloth to go dry. The sprouting can take about 2 days when the temperature is approximately 25 degrees Celsius.
Once the grains sprout spread them over a clean cloth separately and cover them with another cloth. Allow the grains to dry this way for about 4 to 6 hours.
In a thick, heavy bottomed utensil, preferably a wok or kadhai dry roast the grains on a very low flame until they are completely dry and have a lovely toasted fragrance. The best way to test is when the grains break easily when crushed. This step is a bit crucial since over toasting the grains can burn them easily, increasing the carbon content which is not good for the digestion of your baby.
Allow the toasted grains to cool well and grind them to a fine powder in a mixer, grinder or grain mill. Pass the ground powder through a fine sieve. This separates the husk and other particles, which are not easy for your baby to digest.
Mix all the ground grains together and store in an airtight container. Preferably use in a month’s time.
How to proceed:
Malt food recipe
1 tbsp grain malt mixture (made above)
200 ml (3/4 cup) milk
1 ½ tsp jaggery
A pinch of dry ginger powder (optional)
A pinch of nutmeg powder (optional)
A few shavings of freshly grated almond (optional)
½ tsp date syrup (optional)
Method:
In a bowl assemble the malt, jaggery and the other optional ingredients and mix with 2 tbsp milk to form a smooth paste. Pour in the remaining milk and cook over a medium flame until the milk comes to a boil. Cool and serve warm.
A Few notes:
· Like I said above, you can use different grains for sprouting. Try using Whole Moong Dal or Buckwheat for example to make it gluten free.
· I use semi-polished rice. You can use unpolished rice if that suits your baby.
· You can add mashed fruits of your choice to the above recipe to make it more nutritious and it would also be a welcome change to most babies.
· If your pediatrician allows it, then add a pinch of salt, water instead of milk and finely grated vegetables of your choice to make a soup. This would also make it vegan.
· Ginger powder is supposed to aid digestion and prevent colds.
· Date Syrup and grated almonds are supposed to be rich in natural vitamins and minerals. I would rather trust nature than a chemist to supply my baby’s vitamins.
· A pinch of nutmeg powder promotes sound sleep.
· You can vary the thickness or the consistency by adding more or less of the malt powder.
· It is best to use organic grains for the preparation of this malt powder.
Rice and Dal (Kitchdi Soup) Recipe
This recipe was given to me by my friend Shweta Joshi whose 1 year old Asmi loves it from the time she was 6 months old.
Ingredients:
1 cup (250 ml) Rice
½ cup (125 ml) Moong Dal (Green Gram)
½ cup (125 ml) Toovar Dal (Red Gram)
¾ tsp Cumin Seeds (Jeera)
Method:
Wash and soak the rice and dals in water, in separate containers for a couple of hours. Discard the water and spread them over a clean cloth separately and cover them with another cloth. Allow them to dry this way for 2 to 3 hours.
In a heavy bottomed wok or kadhai place cumin seeds and roast on a low flame, about 2 minutes. Remove the seeds and place them in a separate container and allow them to cool. Now put in the rice and roast until completely dry and have a lovely toasted fragrance. The best way to test is when the grains break easily when crushed. Follow the same procedure for the dals.
Once the grains cool, powder them in a mixer, grinder or grain mill with the cumin seeds.
Mix all the ground grains together and store in an airtight container. Preferably use in a month’s time.
To prepare the soup:
Take 1 tbsp of the ground powder and mix it with ¾ cup of water. You can add a pinch of salt to taste and turmeric to this mixture. Cook over a medium flame and bring to a boil. Sir in ½ a tsp of ghee and serve luke warm.
A Few Notes:
· You can add cooked, mashed or grated vegetables to this soup.
· Adjust the consistency of the soup to your liking by increasing or decreasing the ground powder.
November 1st, 2009 at 10:05 pm
I thoroughlly enjoyed this post as most of the lines were exactly felt by me too…..I hve just started home made ragi porridge for my 4month old lil one. The process is so time consuming yet it feels soo gud to see her have it with a smile The process includes sprouting the ragi a day before, grinding it to take the milk extract from it then leave it to dry and then add milk to make the porridge. My mother feels when its made instantly its fresh so she does the process daily.But the powdered form is very handy when we are outside home….Sure gona try ur baby malt food as it sounds nutritious!
November 2nd, 2009 at 12:23 am
What a lucky baby. It looks like your food is better than anything that could come out of a jar!
November 2nd, 2009 at 6:07 pm
In ajji’s own words:
Best agidhe….Ishtu kashta pattu madidhaku sarthaka!
Thana thana amela rohit bala lucky….
November 3rd, 2009 at 4:12 am
finally i found a recipe which resonates with weston a price foundation principles…will sure give it my next baby…
Thanks
Shweta
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:13 pm
Great post.. I’ll need it a few years later I guess!
November 3rd, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Hey Anu, I’ve only just discovered your website and have spent a very enjoyable half hour going through it. It’s lovely to see food bloggers in India, I hope to join your league some day.
Congratulations on the baby
I intend to be a frequent visitor.
November 4th, 2009 at 3:50 am
I am so glad you are making time to give your son home made food. To me this is the best possible start to life. I did the same (although I did not grind the grains, which is new to me), I prepared all the combinations myself and even got a book from the library about how foods encourage and improve the brain. Nourishment for the body and soul, good luck
If there are any ideas you want then let me know I will be happy to share with you.
November 4th, 2009 at 9:08 am
Sharmilee: Its nice to hear from you about your ragi preparation.
EI, Ajji, Shweta, Naina, Nithya: Thanks
Kiran: I would love to hear your ideas.
November 7th, 2009 at 10:01 am
You are such a nice mother! The pains you’ve taken to dryu and process the baby food - Hari will read this post one day and realise how lucky he is!
I love the food by Chef Shareef - I’d attended a cooking demo there a few years ago - I make the biryani using his recipe. You surely got very pampered!
November 8th, 2009 at 10:06 am
A sense of assurance… I dont have to do any of this and yet this will be made for my sister’s niece/ nephew. The gifts of life!
December 6th, 2009 at 4:08 am
Hi! I stumbled upon your blog through Deeba’s blog (and then spent over an hour looking through all the recipes!)
I love everything about your blog. The layout, the recipes, photography…it’s all executed so beautifully.
My mom, too, made baby food for me 20 odd years ago. It caused such a scandal back then because everyone believed that the stuff in boxes was better than natural home-made food. Besides being healthy, the food also helped cultivate my palette from a very early age.
You are doing a great job! Your baby is very lucky to have such a caring mama
December 7th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
Chaitali: Thank you for all your comments. It is words from readers like you that put a smile on my face and make my day.
January 7th, 2010 at 2:03 pm
Hi
The baby malt powder recipe is wonderful, unfortunately I am unable to get ragi in perth australia. So can I replace moong dhal instead ragi and is it the wheat that gives the malt taste. Also is Finger millet same as millet.
Thanks
Anjali
January 7th, 2010 at 3:17 pm
Anjali: It is a wonderful food for babies! Yes it is the toasted wheat which gives the malt flavour. Finger millet is Ragi.
February 19th, 2010 at 6:52 am
Thanks for such great information! I learned about ayurveda in my quest to heal my son from colitis. Kitcheri (kitchadi?), ghee and all those medicinal spices literally healed his gut. I now have a new baby and am introducing new foods. I soaked, sprouted, dried, toasted and then attempted to grind mung beans but it came out all soggy, even after hours of drying. Should I have used green lentils instead? Thanks for the recipes!
March 3rd, 2010 at 9:09 am
Rachel: I’m glad this information was of use to you. The ayurvedic way of eating best suits a human being. It is difficult to dry mung beans. I have never tried using green lentils too. I just make this recipe with whole wheat grains, rice and finger millet and I find that this suits my baby best besides being tasty. I try to incprporate lentils and dals in other meals of my baby to take care of the protein requirements.
March 15th, 2010 at 7:59 am
Hi ,
I came across your website when I was looking for egg less cake recipes and I was all excited. First off the way you narrate the cooking process is amazing ,it is truly inspiring. Your presentation is like unveiling an artwork .Also do you mind elaborating the ayurvedic medicine recipe that you mentioned.
Thanks,
Samata
March 15th, 2010 at 10:38 pm
Samata: Thank you for your wonderful words. I will mail you the recipe if you are interested.
March 16th, 2010 at 3:45 pm
Hey Anu ,I will be more than delighted if you can mail me the recipe.
Thanks,
Samata
March 24th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Wow Anu…I was searching for some homemade baby food recipes.These recipes are just wonderful…I am sure my baby will get the best nourishment from this.Thanks a million!
March 24th, 2010 at 7:04 pm
Hi Anu,
If you dont mind, can you please post the Ayurvedic herbs you had during your pregnancy and what should be and shouldn’t be eaten in those trimesters.
March 30th, 2010 at 2:34 pm
Anu, this is sucha beautiful post and am sure this’s gona be very helpful to me in the coming months
April 4th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
Madam your recipe of home made baby food thing is such a amazing it helps lot of women to feed their babies in much better way
May 13th, 2010 at 1:03 am
Anu - I stumbled on to your website when i was searching for how to make solid foods that are ayurvedically recommended for baby. My baby son is now 6 months old and I’m excited to try the recipe you have mentioned above. Can i use an oven to dry the grains instead of on the stovetop? If yes, would you be able to recommend what temperature and for how long? Also I’m also interested in the ayurvedic herbs recipe you mentioned - would be great if you can send that to me - thanks!
May 27th, 2010 at 3:10 am
i have 11months old baby boy.he is tooo lean .he is low weight
but too active. i feeding him with ragi powder.. next time time iwent to india i will prepare this type of powder.thankyou
for a good recipie. is there any recipie related to kids plzz send to me.
thank you .
June 1st, 2010 at 3:02 pm
Vijji: Thank you for your mail. This is great food for your baby. You dont have to wait till you get to India and can prepare it where ever you are. I will post more recipes for baby food here shortly. Good luck with your baby.
June 10th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
This page was just what I was looking for! I’m teaching this series on Evolutionary Childbearing, incorporating practices from Ayurvedic wisdom tradition as applied to our modern lives. I’ve never run into such a concise crossover between raw foods and ayurveda for babies - this makes perfect sense.
Thank you for the beauty and wisdom you bring to a webpage. I’d love to collaborate!
cate
June 11th, 2010 at 12:01 am
Cate: Its so wonderful to meet people like you through this space. Thank you for your wonderful words.
June 22nd, 2010 at 6:56 pm
Hi, just saw you site. Wonderful contents. I was looking for a site that give me all this information about each ingredients and some delicious recipies that have some desi touch to it. BTW I had already tried this “Rice and Dal (Kitchdi Soup) Recipe” before but i saw that the grains did not dilute properly and it had a grainy texture which was getting stuck in throat. I loved the recipe with sprouted stuff. I will try them and will come back to you with results. thx