Spinach Dhal Rice for Toddlers | Infant & Toddler Food Ideas

Like any new mom when it came to start solids for my little one I had millions of questions. Though most of those questions I had were silly I couldn't brush them off as silly at that stage. I used to ask friends and family "Can I give that?", "How much of that?", "Really, Can I give that?". But then I got a hang of it after two months into solids. In South India, a baby's first solid food would generally be Ragi Kanji (finger millet porridge). The millet is soaked overnight, ground in a wet grinder and the milk extracted is then boiled to make porridge. After the Ragi Kanji, the next food introduced is Paruppu Sadham (Rice and Split peas).
When you first start dhal rice for your baby try this simple basic recipe. (Pressure) cook 1 fistful of rice with 1 fistful of any dhal with a small piece of garlic and a dash of salt and turmeric powder. Mash well and add a drop or two of ghee. Serve warm. This recipe below can be tried when your baby has tasted moong dhal, toor dhal and spinach earlier.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1/2 cup
Toor dhal - 1/4 cup
Moong dhal - 1/4 cup
Spinach - a handful - chopped
Onion - 2 tbsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Cumin Seeds - a pinch
Garlic cloves - 2
Chilli powder / Pepper Powder - a pinch
Salt - to taste
Ghee  -  a few drops

Method:
Wash and soak the rice and dhal for 30 minutes. This soaking step is really important for a creamy smooth dhal rice, which the little ones go gah-gah over. In a pressure cooker, heat oil and splutter the cumin seeds. Add the chopped onions and whole garlic cloves and fry until the onions are cooked. Next add the chilli powder, salt and spinach. Cook until the spinach wilts. Drain the rice-dhal and add to the cooker. Add 3 cups of water, cover and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Drizzle ghee, mash well and serve.