First foods database

🍛 Curry powder for babies: when and how to serve it

Can babies eat curry powder? Yes, a mild curry powder is fine from about 6 months in small amounts. It introduces warm spices like turmeric, cumin and coriander, but choose a mild blend without chilli heat or added salt.

From 6 monthsAllergen: MustardLow choking risk when prepared well

Good source of: Flavour, Antioxidants

How to serve curry powder by age

6 to 9 months

Add a small pinch of mild curry powder while cooking lentils, vegetables or chicken, then blend or mash. Cook the spice in rather than sprinkling it on raw.

9 to 12 months

Make mild curries with vegetables, lentils or chicken, softened with coconut milk or yoghurt, served with rice.

12 months and up

Share family curries. Set your baby's or toddler's portion aside before adding chilli, salt or stock.

Choking safety

Curry powder is not a choking risk once cooked into food. Check homemade curries for whole spices such as cloves, cardamom pods and bay leaves, and remove them before serving.

Gagging is common and noisy while babies learn to eat. Choking is usually silent. Always stay with your baby while they eat, sitting upright. How to help a choking baby (NHS).

Good to know

Some curry powders contain salt, chilli or mustard seed. Check the label and choose mild, salt-free blends.
Mustard is one of the 14 UK allergens and appears in some blends.

Introducing it as an allergen

It contains mustard, one of the 14 major allergens. How to introduce mustard

Easy ideas

Mild chicken and coconut curry
Red lentil curry with rice
Curried sweet potato and cauliflower mash

Goes well with

🫘Red lentilsFrom 6 months 🥥Coconut milkFrom 6 months 🍗ChickenFrom 6 months 🍚RiceFrom 6 months

Recipes with curry powder

🍅Baby-friendly West African jollof riceFrom 7 months · Dinner · 55 min 🍅Jollof-style rice with chickenFrom 9 months · Dinner · 55 min

Weaning with OBubba

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Questions parents ask

Can babies eat curry powder?

Can babies eat curry?

Yes. Mild homemade curries without salt or chilli are a great way to introduce flavour, and many families offer them from the very start of weaning.

Is curry powder too spicy for babies?

Mild blends are warm rather than hot. Start with a small pinch and check the label for chilli.

Sources

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).