Parboiled Rice Porridge ( Puzhungal Arisi Kanji) is a very healthy dish for a new born baby. Better to start this by 5th month. It is always better to avoid Sugar. Always try to use Palm Sugar(Panam Kalkkandu) which is healthy and yet tasty for the babies. Palm Sugar is good even for diabetics patients as it contains minerals such as iron, magnesium chromium which are good for our body. For those who are residing in place where they don't get palm sugar can use pure honey instead of sugar or in abroad you can get cane sugar which is brown in colour.
Ingredients:
Parboiled Rice(Puzhungal Arisi) - 1 kg
Omam - 50gms
Badam - 20
Cashew - 20
Palm Sugar - as needed
Method for preparing porridge flour:
- Rinse the parboiled rice in water, and in a clean white dhoti or towel spread the wet rice evenly
- Allow the wet rice to dry in the towel
- Take the dried rice in a container and add omam, badam and cashew
- Grind the above ingredients in a rice mill to a nice powder.
- You can also try grinding it in a mixer in home in smaller quantities and sieve to remove lumps and again grind the lumps to get a nice kanji powder.
Method for preparing porridge:
- Clean your hands and vessels to start preparing porridge. Hygiene is more important as this for the toddlers.
- Soak some palm sugar in water, and extract the juice using a filter to avoid sand
- After preparing the porridge powder,based on the age of the baby, take little quantity(1 teaspoon) on the first day and add little water to in and stir well to avoid lumps.
- Keep the diluted porridge flour in flame and keep stirring and add little water again and make sure the porridge is cooked completely and it becomes semi-solid.
- Add palm/cane sugar, and stir well and remove from flame.
- Once the porridge cools off give it to baby in smaller quantities. Make sure this new diet suits your baby and does not upset their stomach.
- Once this porridge suits your baby, then slowly increase the quantity.
