Khichdi

We can start her on soft mashed khichdi from six months. Cook the rice and moong dal together until they are soft and falling apart, then mash them smooth. Loosen it with a little breast milk, formula, or water so it scoops up easily, but keep it on the thicker side so a spoonful holds together rather than dripping off.

A little ghee stirred in adds energy to her small bowl. Keep it plain otherwise, no added salt in her first year, and no sugar or jaggery until she turns two. Begin with a spoonful or two, and let her appetite lead how much she takes.

If your family's khichdi is the heavier toor kind, that is fine too. Many homes simply begin with moong and bring the toor bowl in once she is settled.

By now she can take her khichdi thicker and a little lumpier. Cook the same khichdi she knows until soft, whether that is moong, masoor, or the toor your family uses, then mash it more coarsely so it has small soft lumps she can manage. This is also when soft vegetables can join the bowl, cooked down until they mash easily.

A little ghee still goes in, and her portion stays plain with no added salt.

From around a year, her khichdi becomes a small vegetable khichdi that she can share at family meals. Cook the rice, moong, masoor or toor dal, and soft vegetables like carrot, peas, and tomato together until everything is soft. You can also cook it a little less smooth and leave it in soft chunks, so she gets used to a coarser texture. Squash any peas so none are left whole and round, keeping her bowl soft all the way through.

Keep her portion light on salt, even when the rest of the family's food is saltier.