Weaning Diaries: Week 4

Its been 4 weeks now since my little boy has entered the world of food, and what has happened since my last entry you ask? He has tried a number of new tastes: pears, apples, bananas, plums, kichdi (overcooked dal and rice), courgette, apple, red peppers, sweet potato, spinach and both chicken and lamb. I learnt that my son really enjoys spinach and courgettes; and plums go down a treat as well! He wasnt too keen on lamb, so I will re introduce it in a few weeks time.

Today I decided to make a typical Sindi ( from the area of Sindh, now in Pakistan) dish called sai bhaji, which is a blend of spinach, vegetables and whole chana or gram lentils. This recipe tends to vary from household to household. It's not as good as my grandma's of course, but we seem to like it! This went down a treat with my son and for the family meal, chillis and salt were added. This saved mama alot of time and my boy was happy! Perhaps this is the way to make meals from now on...?

For a family of 4:

250 gram bag of spinach leaves
1/2 cup of soaked overnight or for a couple of hours chana lentils
1 cup of chopped vegetables: carrot, beans, pumpkin, potato, aubergine.
handful of freshly chopped dill
2 large pinches of dried fenugreek leaves (methi)
1 onion
2 inches of ginger
2 garlic pods
1 cup of water

1. In a pressure cooker, fry the chopped onion, ginger and garlic till brown.
2. Next add the chopped vegetables
3. Add the chana dal (remove the water) and the spinach leaves.
4. Once they have wilted add the dill , the fenugreek leaves and cup of water.
5. Close the pressure cooker and give it 4-5 whistles, then turn off.
6. Open and blend with hand blender