Baby and toddler recipes
🍛 Batch cook mild chickpea and spinach curry
A creamy, mild chickpea and spinach curry with coconut milk and gentle spices, made in a big batch for the freezer. Chickpeas and spinach give a good dose of plant iron and protein.
Makes about 8 baby portions
Ingredients
- 400g tin Chickpeas (no added salt, drained and rinsed)
- 100g Spinach (washed)
- 1 small Onion (finely chopped)
- 1 clove Garlic (crushed)
- 1 tsp Ginger (freshly grated)
- half a teaspoon Garam masala
- quarter of a teaspoon Turmeric
- 200g chopped tinned tomatoes Tomato (no added salt)
- 100ml Coconut milk (full fat)
- 1 tbsp Rapeseed oil
Method
- Soften the onion in the oil for 6 minutes, then add the garlic, ginger and spices and stir for 1 minute.
- Add the tomatoes and chickpeas and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Stir in the coconut milk and spinach and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until wilted.
- Blend or mash thoroughly so every chickpea is squashed.
- Cool and portion into freezer pots.
Serving it to your baby
Make sure no whole chickpeas remain for younger babies. At 7 months serve mashed with soft rice. From 9 months, flattened whole chickpeas can be offered as finger food.
For the rest of the family
For the family, add chilli, salt and lemon juice to the adult pan and serve with naan and yoghurt.
Storing and reheating
Cool quickly (within an hour), then keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze in ice cube trays for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge overnight, reheat until steaming hot all the way through, stir, then cool to warm before serving. Never reheat more than once.
Weaning with OBubba
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Questions parents ask
Can babies have curry?
Yes, mild curries made with gentle spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric and garam masala are fine from around 6 months. Leave out chilli heat for babies.
Are chickpeas a choking risk?
Whole chickpeas can be for babies. Mash well or squash each one flat until baby is older.
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).