Baby and toddler recipes
🍲 Chickpea, cauliflower and apricot tagine
A gentle Moroccan-inspired tagine of chickpeas, cauliflower and carrot with soft dried apricots and warm cinnamon. Chickpeas and dried apricots add iron, and tomato and lemon add vitamin C.
Makes 4 baby portions plus 2 adult portions
Ingredients
- 1 x 400g tin Chickpeas (no added salt, drained and rinsed)
- 1/2 head Cauliflower (in small florets)
- 2 Carrot (diced)
- 6 Dried apricots (unsulphured, finely chopped)
- 1 x 400g tin chopped Tomato (no added salt)
- 1 Onion (chopped)
- 1 clove Garlic (crushed)
- 1/4 tsp Cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground Cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground Ginger
- a squeeze Lemon
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- to serve Couscous
- 200ml Water
Method
- Soften the onion in the oil for 8 minutes.
- Add the garlic and spices and stir for a minute.
- Add the carrot, tomatoes, apricots and water and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add the cauliflower and chickpeas and simmer for 15 minutes more until everything is very soft.
- Add a squeeze of lemon.
- Mash or blend baby's portion and serve with soft couscous.
Serving it to your baby
At 7 months mash well, making sure the chickpeas and apricots are broken down. From 9 months serve chickpeas squashed and cauliflower florets as finger food. Dried apricots must be finely chopped or cooked to a soft purée for babies.
For the rest of the family
Add harissa, salt and fresh coriander to the adults' portion, with toasted almonds scattered on top.
Storing and reheating
Cool quickly (within an hour), then keep covered in the fridge for up to 2 days. Freeze in small portions for up to 3 months and defrost overnight in the fridge. Reheat until steaming hot all the way through, stir, then let it cool before serving. Never reheat more than once. Make couscous fresh, as it only takes 5 minutes.
Weaning with OBubba
Plan meals and log what your baby loved.
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Questions parents ask
Are dried apricots safe for babies?
They are sticky and chewy, so chop finely and cook until soft, as here. Choose unsulphured apricots where possible.
Can babies eat couscous?
Yes. Couscous is wheat, so it introduces gluten, and it is soft and quick. Mix it with a sauce so it clumps for baby.
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).