On Friday, late at night around 11.30 pm, I published my eBook on Baby food recipes. The book is hosted by amazon and is available for a short preview on their site.

Writing this book has been a long journey. I started more than 4 years ago when I introduced Raina (older daughter) to solids. The book was set aside only to be taken out 3 years later when I had Trisha. This time I thought I should document the information well and release it so all moms, like me, could benefit from it. (Trisha is definitely more fussy about food than Raina. So I must thank her for making me put on my thinking cap long enough to write a book )

It was difficult to work with both kids. I would ‘steal’ time to write notes here and there. I had help from people at home. The help came in bursts so I had to align to their available time and try to work at my best pace. Its been nearly 4 years, working off and on , on this book. I love you all too much to bore you with the details of the journey

Now all of a sudden, I am so free that it feels weird. Everyday, my hands automatically open the baby food directory. I am habituated to reviewing my book, first thing in the morning. Now that the book is published it feels like my final exam is over and summer holidays have begun. I am enjoying that feeling after ages.

I want to thank all the people who helped me put this book together. Mom, who helped me review the book and even cooked many of the dishes I shot. Mayank, who worked late nights formatting and styling the book. He created a website for the book’s promotion. He has guided me at every step and this book was not possible without him. My help Aravind, who worked religiously for a month helping me cook and shoot the food for the book. Also thanks to Priyank Sharma (my brother-in-law) and Archana Suresh (my friend & neighbor) for reviewing the book and giving me their useful suggestions. There are countless friends who also contributed their ideas for this book. I am so grateful to all. Now I must stop. Its not like I have won the Oscar or anything

Hope you will pass on the message to all your friends with babies. I will be thrilled to get any feedback on my work.

Happy Holidays!

I have missed the blogging world for the longest time now. After I had my second baby about one and a half years ago I got really busy with baby care. This time around it was more difficult than last time as now I even had the elder one to take care of. However, being a true foodie at heart, whenever I found the time I would continue to bake. I couldn’t share it with you all as with an infant I did not find the time to shoot or blog about whatever I made. I remember when my baby was a month old I ran into the kitchen and baked a yummy cake for myself. I was bored of all the bland, post-natal care food and stuffed my face with big chunks of chocolate cake

Besides having the baby there is another reason that’s kept me busy. I have been writing a book on Indian Baby Food recipes. What else would I do with all the baby food I have been making? I started writing them down when I introduced solids to my first kid. That was when I shared some of those recipes on my blog. Today with another baby and going through the same phase again I thought its a good idea to compile whatever information I have into a book so its helpful to other mothers like me.

I got my information over the last few years from my mother and grandmother. My baby’s pediatrician also helped me understand what ingredients were permitted for my baby at each stage. I put all this information down into an eBook which will soon be available on amazon. (Update: Book published on Amazon on 13th Apr. Do check it out!)

Do visit my site on Indian Baby food Recipes and leave your mail ID if you would like to receive more information on Baby Food.

My baby doll is nearly a year old. She shows off two tiny teeth every time she laughs. I cant seem to get enough of it. Although its really cute to look at I know her gums itch quite a bit. No wonder she is always putting things in her mouth. So I thought its time I tried my hand at some teething biscuits. Now she has something home-made to sooth her gums. I was happy with the firmness of these biscuits but like any other teething biscuits they have a potential choking hazard. You need to constantly monitor the baby while eating so he doesnt bite off too big a piece (He heee… now I sound like a baby product company )

Yesterday we got the baby’s head tonsured at a temple in Bangalore. What a sad sight it was. She was too sleepy and got really cranky when we tried to hold her hands and legs firmly. She cried her head off and by the end of the ritual I was feeling dizzy. That brings us to the end of the series of events- her naming ceremony, annaprashan (giving food for the first time), ear piercing and head tonsuring. Of these, I really like the first two but the ear piercing and head shaving is not for the faint hearted. Now the baby’s first year is almost complete. Phew! What a year it has been. We are now looking forward to her birthday. Its just round the corner. Here is to many more….

Ingredients :

2 tablespoons Roasted rice powder

3 tablespoons Roasted wheat flour

4 tablespoons cold apple juice

1 teaspoon ghee

Procedure :

To make roasted rice powder:

Roast a cup of rice for 15 minutes on medium flame, stirring constantly.

Let this cool down and grind it in a mixer grinder. Use 2 tablespoons of this powder to make the biscuits and store the rest in an air tight container.

To make roasted wheat flour powder:

Roast 3 tablespoons of whole wheat flour (aata) in a thick bottom pan at medium flame stirring constantly.

In about 15 minutes you will get the aroma of roasted wheat. You can turn off the heat at this point.

To make the teething biscuits :

Mix the rice powder and whole wheat flour with the ghee.

Now knead the flour with cold apple juice till you get a soft dough. Add more juice if necessary.

Dust the dough with wheat flour and roll into a flat layer 1/4 inch thick, with the help of a rolling pin.

Cut out finger length pieces from this dough.

Place these biscuits on a butter paper and bake in a preheated oven at 175 Deg C for 25-30 minutes.

POTENTIAL CHOKING HAZARD : Please monitor the baby while he is chewing on these biscuits as he might bite off too big a piece that could cause choking.

Has it ever happened to you that you are so late to work that you could not whisk up something to eat? Morning hours are always action packed at my place.
Every minute is important. However, some ready mixes make life easier. Instant Breakfast Mix is one such solution.

Once you make this mix ready it can be stored in an air-tight container for upto a month. Whenever you need to eat it just moisten it with some warm water, stir in a spoonful of ghee and mix well. Thats the maximum you need to do for a delicious breakfast. No need to even turn on the stove! Just warm 1/2 a cup of water for 20 s in a microwave. If you dont have a microwave use water from your geyser ( Ohh! JUST Kidding!! )

Different ways in which this can be eaten :

1. Simplest is as a Namkeen (Savoury mixture) with tea
2. You can add finely chopped cucumber, onion, tomato, coriander leaves and eat it like Bhel.
3. It can be moistened and eaten as a regular breakfast

Advantages of this mix :

1. Time saver – When you cant prepare breakfast in the morning rush hour
2. Any place meal – Useful while traveling with a baby and you dont want to give him outside food

In fact, thats how I came up with this recipe. I am going for a week long holiday and I dont want to give my one year old girl any train food. I am going to prepare this mix, moisten it with regular water and feed her at least one meal with this mix. You dont really have to use warm water, even normal room temperature water will work. Just that we all like to have food thats a little warm hence the recommendation.
Mixing of ghee before eating is important because while roasting we have not added any oil. That makes the masalas settle at the bottom of the poha, not mixing well into the dish. Once you add ghee the masalas will coat the poha evenly, making it tasty.

Ingredients :

• 1 cup beaten rice (poha – thin flakes)
• 2 teaspoons ground chutney dal powder
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon Channa dal
• 1/4 teaspoon white Urad dal
• Few curry leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon Red chillie powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Dry Tamarind powder
• Pinch of turmeric powder
• Pinch of hing

Procedure :

1. Heat the kadai. Add the mustard seeds, channa dal, urad dal and allow them to splutter (although there is no oil the hot kadai will crack them)
2. Add curry leaves, ground chutney dal powder and roast well.
3. Now Add poha and continue to stir till the Poha is crispy.
4. Add hing, turmeric powder, red chillie powder, dry tamarind powder and salt. Mix well.
5. Dont cook much more as the masalas will settle at the bottom of the poha and get burnt.

Variation :

If you want to improve the taste (and reduce the shelf life!) this is what you can do. To the mustard seeds and curry leaves add some roasted and ground groundnut powder. Instead of tamarind powder use Amchur / Dry Mango powder. Follow the remaining procedure in the same way. This mix will be tastier but will last for about a week.

To Store :
Store this mixture in an air tight container. Use a dry spoon while taking it out.

To Eat :
No need to turn on the stove.
Just dampen the poha mix will some warm water and add a spoonful of ghee. Mix well. Be careful not to pour water in as poha might become soggy.

Soup is a safe drink to keep the stomach healthy and can be given almost every day to the baby. When babies start taking in new and different types of food they sometimes get constipated. Mixed vegetable soup is a way of giving babies some relief from this problem.

Carrot gives this soup sweetness while cabbage makes it mildly saline owing to its natural salts. Pudina leaves give it a minty flavor which serves as a welcome change to the developing taste buds.

Ingredients :

• 2 teaspoons of yellow moong dal
• Few pieces of lauki, carrot, cabbage and pudina leaves

Procedure :

1. Mix moong dal with lauki, carrot, cabbage and pudina leaves.
2. Add 2 cups of water and pressure cook till dal and veggies are done.
3. Now strain this using a juice strainer. The amount of roughage to keep or leave in the strainer is upto you. You can make the soup as thick as your baby likes.

Most babies love fruits as thats the maximum sweet they get to eat. The mix described below is also useful in relieving the baby from constipation. If baby’s stomach is fine then you can go on to strain a few pieces of mashed apple to this fruit chaat as well.

Ingredients :

• 1/2 a pomegranate
• 1/2 a sweet lime (musambi)
• 1 small banana

Procedure :

1. Take out the seeds of the pomegranate.
2. Strain it with the mashed banana.
3. Squeeze the juice of sweet lime into it.
4. If baby doesnt have constipation mash an apple into it too.

Ingredients :

• 3 teaspoons of raagi powder
• 1 cup of milk
• 1/2 teaspoon Ghee

Procedure :

To make raagi powder

1. Soak raagi overnight. Leave it in a strainer for another 10 hours, allow it to sprout.
2. Remove skin and dry it in the sun.
3. Roast in ghee and powder it. This powder can now be stored in an air tight container.

Cooking procedure

1. When you need to feed the baby, mix 3 teaspoons of powder in equal quantity of milk and make a paste. Ensure there are no lumps.
2. Now heat milk and slowly mix in the raagi paste stirring continuously.
3. Add ghee, Stir for a few more minutes till the mixture comes together.

Variation

In this recipe, milk is preferred though you can use water too.

Please NOTE :

You can use more raagi powder or milk to alter the consistency of the paste as you like.

After boiling any of the kheers mentioned below you can add soaked & ground almonds, elaichi powder and jaggery till it thickens.

Wheat vermicilli:

1. Coarsely grind the vermicilli.
2. Roast in ghee till it becomes brown.
3. Boil in milk till it softens.

Sabu dana :

1. Gives good relief to children who are suffering from loose motions.
2. Soak sabu dana for 3-4 hrs.
3. Boil in milk till it becomes transparent.

Coarsely ground rice :

1. Wash rice and dry it under the sun.
2. Fry it in ghee and coarsely grind.
3. Boil in milk for approx 10 mins till rice becomes soft.

Chiroti rawa :

1. Fry in ghee for few minutes till it becomes opaque.
2. Add milk and cook till the kheer starts thickening.

Soaked wheat :

1. Soak for 3-4 hrs, grind coarsely.
2. In a teaspoon of ghee fry the wheat till it drys up.
3. Boil in milk till it softens.

• 2 teaspoons of ghee
• 4 teaspoons of wheat flour
• Pinch of elaichi powder
• Few raisins
• 1 cup of milk
• Fruits of your choice

Procedure :

1. Heat ghee in a kadai. Add raisins and set aside once they swell.
2. To the remaining ghee in the kadai add wheat flour and roast well till you get the smell of cooked atta. Mix in some elaichi powder
3. Boil milk and mix into the atta. Stir continuously, till the mixture becomes pasty and has no lumps.
4. Finally you can add mashed apple/banana/cheeku/grapes to the halwa.

Variation
You can use fine rawa instead of wheat flour in this halwa.

Ingredients :

• 1 tablespoon of yellow moong dal
• 1 tablespoon of rice
• 1/4 cup of Lauki cubes
• 1/2 carrot
• Few leaves of palak

Procedure :

1. Mix moong dal with white rice. Wash well till milkiness goes away.
2. To this add a few small pieces of lauki, palak and carrot. Add about 2 cups of water and give the cooker 4-5 whistles so that the khichdi is completely mashed.
3. Now strain this using a juice strainer (just like the one we use for tea, only bigger in size).
4. Throw away excess water and make the khichdi of desired consistency.