Let’s face it. In India, we have all grown up on desi dal khichdi. Whenever mom had to make a quick, easy and yet filling meal, it had to be dal khichdi. It has almost been the Indian equivalent of the very western ‘made myself a quick sandwich’ when it came to meals. And the humble ghee-laden dal khichdi has been part of our food culture for centuries as a healthy, delicious and filling Indian comfort food.
And why not! It is made with the easiest, most readily available pantry ingredients and staples, and is quick to put together in a matter of minutes thanks to the trusted desi Indian pressure cooker. Whether it is a busy weeknight or just a lazy Sunday where no one wants to be responsible for kitchen duty, the lazy dal khichdi is a convenient and quick lifesaver. Yes, of course, because takeouts haven’t really been our go-to food option until possibly the last couple of decades at most.
And what’s the best about dal khichdi is not just the convenience and taste. It is about health. Since khichdi is a super healthy meal option for both kids and adults. Made with rice, lentils (dal) and a handful of aromatic spices, khichdi is a complete meal replete with proteins, carbs, fibre and essential micronutrients. And maybe that is why dal khichdi is also one of India’s top choices for first foods.
Dal Khichdi as a First Food
Babies and toddlers in India are fed pureed dal khichdi because it is not only nutritious but also easier to digest than some other early foods. As babies grow, additions in spices, salt and ghee are made later, as essentially the very first dal khichdi an Indian baby tastes is slightly bland and contains more rice than dal.
But why has ancient Indian food wisdom stood steadfastly siding with dal khichdi all these decades and centuries? This faith and popularity can be attributed to a combination of factors:
·Dal Khichdi is super easy to digest as it is a simple rice-based dish that contains a lot of fibre.
·Khichdi is also very nutrient rich and thus ideal to be fed as complementary foods to make up essential nutrient profiles for babies who are still being breastfed. Dal khichdi with ghee contains proteins, carbs, fibre, healthy fat and a wide variety of essential vitamins and minerals, all essential for growing babies.
·Dal khichdi is super easy to customize, so while it starts as predominantly rice with hardly any flavour when it is first introduced, it quickly changes to milder flavours and more additions such as dal and vegetables, as the child grows older.
·It is filling and comforting. A satisfying meal at any age is a relief for new moms since it translates to the baby staying full and sleeping soundly for longer.
·Affordability and availability also play a huge part here. Rich or poor, all Indian households can make their versions of khichdi with the staples readily available in their pantries. It requires no expensive ingredients, nor does it require trips to local stores.
Ghee Dal Khichdi as a Baby Food Superstar
While all of the above sounds well and good, what really makes the ghee dal khichdi such as baby food superstar is truly its nutrient profile. Every mother wants to feed the best, most nutrient-rich foods to her child. Every mother wants her baby to grow well. And all these wishes are easily taken care of with the humble dal khichdi ghee. Here’s why:
·Dal Khichdi check the carbohydrate box, with rice providing the carbs necessary for your energetic baby.
·Lentils offer the protein component in your baby’s dal khichdi meal. And not just any protein, but the best kind – plant-based! It is important for tissue health and overall growth.
·Lentils also offer essential iron, crucial for any baby’s healthy overall development.
·Khichdi is also easy to digest thanks to the fibre content contained in rice and lentils
·Ghee or clarified butter offers your child healthy fats, a must if your child is to gain the benefits of fat-soluble vitamins and minerals.
·Depending on the lentils used in your khichdi and any additives such as vegetables, khichdi also completes the nutrient profile for important vitamins and minerals such as potassium, magnesium, and folate.
And despite these, dal khichdi ghee is NOT a one-meal solution to meet all your baby’s nutritional needs, but it sure comes close. Especially when it is a complementary nutritional supplement for a well-rounded diet.
Dal Khichdi Baby Food Options
Dal khichdi offered as a baby food has historically been fresh and homecooked. But now, the added convenience of it as a ready-to-eat baby food is also available to Indian mothers. Mother Nurture, for instance, offers dal khichdi ghee as a pre-packed, clean-label, preservative-free baby food that is truly the next best thing to its hot, home-cooked counterpart. Try Mother Nurture’s dal khichdi staple, or try its new avatar in Mama’s Secret Recipe today. We bet your kids will love it for the taste as much as you will for the convenience and nutritional confidence.
