Lentils as a weaning food

[Yorkiegirl]

Message withdrawn

There's a recipe called Lovely Lentils or something like that in Annabel Karmel. Basically it's a leek, carrot, sweet potatoes, lentils boiled up with no salt stock and a bay leaf until mushy then liquidise. My DS2 loves it - still has it very often. If you don't have the book I could write the recipe down for you but it will have to be tomorrow as I'm knackered now
You could also try a baby friendly version of your curry - try paprika instead of chilli and only a pinch of other spices.

I second Tommy's Lovely Lentils suggestion from Annabel Karmel. Dd still loves it age 2. Your usual soup recipes and curries will be fine too - just miss out the salt. Lentil dhal cooked in coconut milk is nice - and provided you don't make it too hot should be fine.

The other thing I make is lentil loaf - basically some fried up onions mixed with cooked red lentils, breadcrumbs, cheddar and bound with a bit of egg and baked in the oven. It's delicious.

oooh yes - lovely lentils is a lovely recipe

hi pidge - my turn to stalk today!

Message withdrawn

Message withdrawn

Yorkiegirl - you can get reduced salt stock cubes. We use Kallo organic reduced salt, which we get in our local health food shop or in our greengrocers. And they really do have virtually no salt in them.

But also homemade stock is yummy and very easy and you can freeze it of course.

That's similar to lovely lentils, but not quite the same. LL has sweet potato and carrot (and celery?), but no sweetcorn and no cheese. Hmmm ... must track it down!

Message withdrawn

Whats the difference between red and green lentils? I assume colour plays a part! But what about taste, cooking time etc.

Yorkiegirl, I posted this on a rice thread a while ago. it's from Carol Timperley (a veggie version of Annabel Karmel):

my dds favourite at this age was Khichri, an Indian baby food. they use it for weaning.

It's easy to make. Cook basmati (or other) rice with red split lentils, onion and garlic, bit of ginger and cummin, for about 20 mins. Add chopped tomatoes (tinned or fresh). Puree. add yoghurt.

you can leave out any of the spices or onion or garlic if you need to. it was very popular with mine and with visiting babies and toddlers too.

Make a dahl....
Fry an onion, add some ground cumin, coriander, tumeric and ginger. Can add some fresh skinned and seeded toms. Add the lentils and water to cover, bring to boil and then simmer until mushy (add exta water as needed.) I use either red (quicker) or yellow.
DS likes it with rice.....
(Most lentil bags - partic those by ethnic (sorry can't think of a better way of saying it...)manufacturers have a recipe on the back....)

Furball - red lentils far easier to cook and puree. about 20 mins altogether. green need more work - soaking or cooking. I always use red because of this.

Thanks fennel. Although I use green lentils that don't need soaking etc, but will try red. Cheers.

Also in my experience red lentils go mushier than the green ones, which stay grainier. So for weaning red ones are great.

lovely lentils - annabel karmel recipe site

this is excellent

just to hijack yorkiegirl
apparently, you are a buggy expert
have a loko at my thread \linkwww.mumsnet.com/Talk?topicid=1012&threadid=40523\here}

tia

here even

Both mine love dhal - ds2 had it from about 14 months? I don't know how old your dd2 is but I always serve it with lots of pitta bread and they both like stuffing the dhal into the pitta breads - messy but, ooh I feel like such a healthy wholefoody type Mummy !

Oh he must have been younger than that...how can I forget so easily?

Red lentils are missing their skins, so they're lower fibre, easier to cook. As everyone says, better for weaning. No lentils need soaking, and I find the with-skin ones better for normal cooking, more texture.