How to introduce your baby to wholesome solid food

Worried about what to feed your baby? Nutritionist Pooja Makhija, author of Eat.Delete and Eat.Delete.Junior tells you how to make nutritious baby cereal at home.

When you have just had a baby, one of the most questions, you as a new parent have is about what you re going to feed them. You need to make sure that your baby is not just getting complete nutrition but also need to ensure that the baby is being introduced to new textures and tastes and ingredients. You also have to take care that your baby is able to eat properly. Nutritionist Pooja Makhija shares in her book Eat.Delete.Junior a simple way to make baby cereal. Here s how to do it.

How to make baby rice/dal cereal from scratch

Making the cereal

Soak or rinse: Wash brown rice or white rice and dal separately till the water runs clear. Separately soak the dal and rice in lots of water uncovered in an airy place for about six hours. Soaking dal and rice helps to break down their harder-to-digest components and also helps prevent an attack of colic. While soaking is better, if you are short on time, you can skip this step and go straight to just rinsing the rice and dal. Using a colander, drain each ingredient separately.

Air dry: Spread each ingredient out on a clean cloth which is preferably white or undyed. Leave it to air dry or dry under the fan for about 30 to 50 minutes.

Dry roast: On a medium flame, dry roast each ingredient separately for five minutes and then switch to a low flame till the dal and rice begins to pop and splutter. Then switch the gas off. Roasting helps make the cereal or grain gentler on the stomach. Wait for it to cool.

Powder and store: When cool, blend each to a fine powder. Keep the rice and dal separate. Store in an airtight jar.

Cooking the cereal

To prepare the cereal or any kind of baby food, always use a heavy-bottomed steel pot because the food needs to be cooked slowly so as to release the best texture and taste, and also to prevent burning. Mix one tablespoon of the above flour with cup of water at room temperature; cook on a low flame, stirring continuously. A ratio of about one-part flour to six parts water helps bring it to the right consistency, which should be just about right for your baby to consume. You may add more water to achieve this if you like. When the cereal cools down, add the formula milk or breast milk to enhance the nutrition but just enough to maintain the desired consistency. If you are making a dal cereal, don t add milk, add ghee instead.

With inputs from Eat.Delete.Junior by Pooja Makhija