Lunch recipes for babies and toddlers

Dal palak/spinach dal

Spinach is rich in zinc,protein,fibre and is loaded with lots of vitamins and other nutrients. Cooking palak with dhal gives a good flavour and taste. This is a subtle gravy without much spices and can be had with rotis or dosa. This can also be mixed with rice and had. 

Ingredients :

• Spinach-1 cup, chopped 
• Cooked toor dhal-1 cup
• Onion-1
• Mustard - 1 tsp
• Cumin-1 tsp
• Oil-3 tsp
• Salt
• One tsp each of:
• Chilly powder 
• Turmeric powder
• Cumin powder
• Coriander powder 

Preparation :

• Heat oil in a pan.
• Add the mustard and cumin.
• Add chopped onion and saute for a minute 
• Add the chopped spinach and saute for few seconds.
• Add the  cooked dhal and the spice powders.
• Add needed salt and mix.
• Adjust water according to your need.
• Allow it to boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Switch off. 
• Serve with roti or rice.

Beetroot rice for babies

Here is a simple recipe for preparing Beetroot rice for babies. The same recipe can be followed for carrot rice too. I have used sambar powder but you can use parupu podi instead.

Ingredients:

• Bretroot-1/4 cup
• Cooked rice-1 cup
• Onion-1, small size
• Sambar powder-1 tsp
• Curry leaves few
• Mustard seeds -1/2tsp
• Jeera seeds-1/2 tsp
• Salt
• Ghee

 Preparation:

• Add ghee in a pan and heat it. 
• Add the mustard seeds
•  when it splutters add jeera seeds and curry leaves
• Add onions and saute for a minute 
• Add the Beetroot and saute for few seconds
• Add sambar powder and salt.
• Mix well and saute by sprinkling water until Beetroot is well cooked and soft
• Switch off flame. Add the rice and ghee and mix well.
• Feed it warm

Moong Dal kichdi for babies

One best option for lunch is this Moong dhal kichdi with veggies. This is very nutritious. It is mildly flavored with spices and babies will surely like the taste. Put in all the veggies you like into this kichdi. You can feed it with egg or mashed potato.

Ingredients:

• Rice-1 cup
• Moong dhal-1/4 cup
• Mixed vegetables-1/4 cup
• Onion-1 small
• Tomato-1 small
• Garlic pod crushed-2
• Curry leaves-few
• Turmeric powder-1tsp
• Pepper powder-1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder -1/2 tsp 
• Mustard seeds-1/2 tsp
• Methi seeds-1/2 tsp
• Jeera-1/2 tsp
• Ghee-1 tbsp
• Salt

Method:

• In a pan heat ghee. Add mustard jeera methi seeds. 
• Add the chopped onions garlic and saute
• Add chopped tomatoes and curry leaves and saute for few seconds.
• Add the turmeric pepper and coriander powder and mix
• Put in the vegetables and saute for a minute.
• In a pressure cook put the rice and Moong dhal wash it and add 4 cups of water.
• Add the vegetable mix into the pressure cooker and add needed salt. Mix well.
• Pressure cook on medium flame for 6 to 7 whistles .
• Remove and mash it well or grind in a mixie jar.
• Add ghee and feed the baby.

Tomato pepper rasam for babies:

South Indian rasam or saaru is a good baby friendly food at anytime. You can feed it as a soup or mix it with rice or idli and dosa. This is a comforting food when baby has a cold or fever. mash the rice into a fine paste and then add rasam to it for babies less than a year old. this is a no dhal and no tamarind rasam. you can add dhal water to it if you prefer. this version of the rasam is made to be soothing to the baby's tummy without causing gas.

Ingredients:

• Tomato-1 small,ripe
• garlic pod-1
• coriander leaves-few
• pepper powder-1/2 tsp
• jeera powder-1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder-1/2 tsp
• turmeric-1 pinch
• salt

Note:you can also use home made rasam powder.

for seasoning:

• Ghee- 1 spoon
• jeera seeds- 1tsp
• Curry leaves- few
• Asafoetida-1 pinch

Directions:

• In a bowl add the Tomato garlic pod coriander leaves pepper powder jeera powder Coriander powder
• turmeric and salt. mash well with your hands.
• Add needed water to this mixture and bring it to a boil.
• in a pan add ghee and all the seasoning ingredients. 
• pour the seasoning to rasam. 
• Serve!