Rice Porridge or Rice Kanji is an ideal first food for babies when they start solids. Easy to swallow, easy to digest and less likely to cause any allergies. Rich in carbohydrates and starch, it also helps with weight gain in babies. Ragi Porridge is another traditional healthy food to start for babies in most parts of Karnataka. Easy to make and versatile, you can make this rice porridge with no added salt or sugar in it.
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Rice Kanji
Rice Kanji is an easy recipe made using rice and water. This simple recipe can be versatile by adding pureed vegetables or other spice flavours to introduce to babies. It also makes a healthy and easy family meal when you are looking for comfort food to eat. Makes a great recipe when your baby is sick as they are easy to swallow and have little to no spice in them.
A traditional healthy recipe that can be made quickly either in an instant pot or on the stovetop with just 2 ingredients. I add a generous amount of ghee, a pinch of pepper and cumin powder when I give my little ones to promote easy digestion and enjoy the flavours. This simple recipe makes a great dinner or lunch for healthy families.
What do you need to make Rice Porridge?
With just 2 simple ingredients, you can make this rice porridge at home. Here is what you need:
- Rice – Rice is a staple food at many household. It makes a great healthy meal for babies. You can use 1 or 2 cups of rice as required for your family. I use sona masoori rice to make this recipe.
- Water – For one cup of rice, add upto 5 cups of water ratio. You can add or reduce water according to the consistency required.
- Clarified Butter (Ghee) optional – A generous tbsp of ghee is added for kids. You can eliminate this if you do not want.
- Cumin powder (optional) – Best way to introduce flavours to baby is by adding spice to their initial foods. Cumin powder also helps a great deal with digestion. I add a pinch of cumin powder while giving it to my kids.
- Pepper powder (optional) – Optional but you can add a pinch to intoduce flavour and aid digestion.
Instructions to make Congee Recipe
While Rice is a staple food in most Indian origins, Congee is a famous dish made in China & other Asian countries. Here are the instructions to make this simple Rice Kanji Recipe:
- Wash and soak rice for an hour. Alternately, you can also choose to dry roast rice in medium flame instead of soaking it.
- Grind the soaked or roasted rice witha quick pulse and cook it on a medium flame. Add more water as needed and cook till the rice is cooked well.
- Add ghee and cumin powder optionally before serving it to you kid.
Instant Pot Congee Recipe
- To make this healthy congee in an instant pot, add soaked rice and water and cook in a pressure cook mode for 2 minutes in an instant pot.
- Once the pressure is released, mash the cooked rice and add more water and let it come to a boil and come to a porridge consistency.
Tips
- You can dry roast and powder the rice which can be stored for up to a month.
- Soaking or roasting rice makes it super soft and easy to be cooked.
- You can add salt to toddlers 12 months+.
- Rice porridge thickens after it cools down. It is a good idea to make it a little watery consistency.
FAQs
1. Can babies eat rice porridge?
Also known as Kanji, Zhou or Congee, Rice porridge makes an ideal first food for babies. Traditionally served in most Asian countries, they are highly nutritious and easy to digest. And very likely that a baby will be allergic to rice.
2. When can I give my baby rice porridge?
Being an ideal first food, rice kanji can be given to babies after they complete 6 months. It is healthy food for babies, toddlers and kids.
3. Which porridge is best for a baby?
You can make porridge for babies using a lot of healthy ingredients. Here are some ideas:
- Ragi Porridge
- Rice Porridge
- Oats Porridge/ Oatmeal
- Barley Porridge
4. What are the benefits of rice porridge?
Rice porridge helps with easy digestion with simple ingredients. And highly nutritional with a good amount of carbohydrates helps babies with weight gain and the perfect food to gobble easily.
Best Rice Porridge for Babies
Ingredients
- 2 cups Rice
- 5 cups Water
- 1 tbsp Clarified Butter (Ghee) optional
- 1 tbsp Cumin powder (optional)
- 1 tbsp Pepper powder (optional)
Instructions
- Wash and soak rice for an hour. Alternately, you can also choose to dry roast rice in medium flame instead of soaking it.
- Grind the soaked or roasted rice witha quick pulse and cook it on a medium flame. Add more water as needed and cook till the rice is cooked well.
- Add ghee and cumin powder optionally before serving it to you kid.
- Instant Pot Congee Recipe – To make this healthy congee in an instant pot, add soaked rice and water and cook in a pressure cook mode for 2 minutes in an instant pot.
- Once the pressure is released, mash the cooked rice and add more water and let it come to a boil and come to a porridge consistency.
Notes
- You can dry roast and powder the rice which can be stored for up to a month.
- Soaking or roasting rice makes it super soft and easy to be cooked.
- You can add salt to toddlers 12 months+.
- Rice porridge thickens after it cools down. It is a good idea to make it a little watery consistency.
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