INFANTS

I know its a new world when a new baby comes to our life. You are totally confused what and what not should be given to your baby...
Here, I will help you with some simple recipes you can make it for your babies so that they remain healthy and strong.

Ragi (Finger Millet) and Jaggery Porridge:

This poridge you can prepare for infants from 6 months till they are fed up of having it. Its healthy and its famous for its nutrition values.
When you first introduce to your babies make it a little thin consistency and then gradually make it more thick.

Ingredients:

1. Ragi soaked for about 4 hours  --  3 tbsp
2. Jaggery  --  about 1 tbsp
3. Ghee  --  1tsp

Method:

• Wash the ragi nicely by rubbing it thoroughly in running water.
• Now grind it into fine paste.
• Add some water and strain it. Repeat this procedure twice or thrice. Add 1/2 cup of water close the lid and leave it for about an hour.
• Now after an hour the residue will be settled in bottom. Slowly drain away the excess water.
• Now you have make porridge with the remaining residue.
• Add the jaggery and ghee to the ragi mix.
• Make the porridge in a thick bottom sauce pan.
• Make the porridge in  low flame by stirring continuously.
• Once it starts boiling switch off the gas and serve.
• If the porridge is too thick add little boiling water to it.

Ragi Porridge with milk

1. Ragi soaked in water for about 4 hours  --  3 tbsp
2. Milk  --  3 tbsp
3. Sugar / Powdered Kalkand(crystal sugar)  --  2 tsp
4. Water

Method:

• Wash the ragi nicely by rubbing it thoroughly in running water.
• Now grind it into fine paste.
• Add some water and strain it. Repeat this procedure twice or thrice. Add 1/2 cup of water close the lid and leave it for about an hour.
• Now after an hour the residue will be settled in bottom. Slowly drain away the excess water.
• Now you have make porridge with the remaining residue.
• Now add the sugar and milk in the ragi paste and keep it on low flame in a thick bottomed  sauce pan.
• Keep stirring continuously or else it will curdle up.
• After it boils switch off the gas and let it cool. Serve this to your kids with lots of love.

KICHDI

Kichdi is a mixture of rice, lentils and vegetables. Its very nutritious satisfies the baby completely. Just a bowl of kichdi will have carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and essential fats which is very good for infants and small children. They digest quickly and your kid will love its taste! They call it their BIRYANI!!! You can add any vegetable of your choice like carrots, french beans, green peas, cauliflower, broccoli, cabbage.

Ingredients:

1. Rice  --  small grain basmati broken rice about 1 and half  tablespoon
2. Lentils(broken yellow lentil/moong dal/masoor dal)  --  1 tablespoon
3. Vegetables grated  --  1 tablespoon (I use two vegetable a day)
4. Turmeric powder  --  a pinch
5. Tomato grated  --  2tsp
6. Salt to taste
7. Crushed pepper  -- a small pich(optional)
8. Ghee/Clarrified Butter  --  1tsp
9. Water about 250 ml.

Method:

• Wash the rice, lentils very nicely and add all the ingredients in a pressure cooker.
• Pressure cook the kichdi in low flame for about 10 min or till the kichdi is cooked well and can be mashed with the mixing spoon.
• Add ghee and feed your baby.