Coconut and jaggery balls
Narikol laru are the small, chewy coconut balls that sit next to til pitha on every Bihu plate in Assam, offered to visitors with tea and jolpan. Fresh coconut is cooked with jaggery until it binds, flavoured with cardamom and rolled warm. They are soft and moist, not dry like desiccated-coconut ladoos, and are made in big batches the night before the festival. Chef's tip: roll them while still warm with damp palms; once cold, the mixture won't hold.
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A small banana baked in a foil parcel with butter, lemon, a pinch of sugar and cinnamon until soft and fragrant. A warm, easy pudding for babies of 8–18 months, mashed or left in soft pieces for older babies. Serve warm, not hot.
A sweet, creamy chowder of sweetcorn, potato, leek and red pepper simmered in milk, then blended and sieved until silky. It suits babies of 8–18 months, and older children enjoy it unsieved. Serve warm.
A soft, golden hash of butter beans, chickpeas, French beans, carrot and potato, mashed together and pan-fried until crisp on both sides. It's a filling, protein-rich meal for babies and toddlers, moistened with a little home-made vegetable stock. Remember to soak the butter beans and chickpeas the night before.
Rounds of bread spread with cream cheese, soaked in egg custard and baked gently in a water bath until just set. Soft and mild, it suits babies of 8–18 months and makes a good light lunch for toddlers too. Serve warm.
Soft tomatoes and carrot blended with cheddar, ground almonds and milk, then baked in teacups under a golden cheese topping. A gentle, savoury dish for babies of 8–18 months, with plenty of flavour. Serve it just warm, on its own or with soft toast fingers.
A gentle, salt-free vegetable stock for cooking baby food, for babies of 8–18 months. Root vegetables, ginger and a few herbs simmer slowly for two hours, giving a light, sweet stock. Use it for the purees, hash and pasta in this section, and freeze small portions in an ice-cube tray for quick meals.
A jewel-bright juice of strawberries, peaches, red grapes, kiwi, pomegranate and passion fruit. Sweet, tangy and full of fruit, it's a treat for children and grown-ups alike. Serve cold or at room temperature.
Fresh watermelon juice blended with banana, plain yogurt, a little honey and ice into a light, pink smoothie. Sweet, cooling and creamy. Serve chilled.
Fresh pineapple blended with a little ginger and a small bunch of mint for a sweet, zingy juice. Quick to make and very refreshing. Serve cold.
Soft mashed potato and mixed vegetables, shaped into little cakes and coated in wholemeal crumbs and ground almonds, then shallow-fried until golden. They're made for babies of 8–18 months and are easy for small hands to hold. Serve them cooled, with a little tomato ketchup for dipping. Leave out the almonds if anyone in the family has a nut allergy.
A big jug of fresh fruit punch made from mango, passion fruit, pineapple and orange juices, with a splash of tree tomato juice. Cumin, aniseed, salt and a little ginger soda give it a lively sweet-salty-spicy taste. Serve chilled, garnished with chopped apple and mint: perfect for parties.
A colourful, hearty salad of red kidney beans, butter beans, soya beans and sweet corn on a bed of baby spinach, topped with crumbled feta and a sweet, garlicky lemon and honey dressing. It is filling enough for a light lunch and perfect for parties and picnics. Serve it cold with crusty bread, and chill the platter beforehand so the salad stays crisp.
A crunchy, creamy coleslaw with shredded cabbage, carrots, apple, peppers and onion, made rich with eggless mayonnaise and chopped cashews. It is a favourite side with pizza, burgers and barbecues. Keep the vegetables chilled and add the mayonnaise just before serving so it stays crisp.
A thick, fragrant blend of ripe guava, mango and banana, boosted with a spoonful of guava powder from the health shop. The book calls it a modern-day vitality drink, drawing on guava's long use in traditional Indian medicine. Serve it well chilled; sieve it if you don't like the little guava seeds.
A sweet, energising juice of apples, pears and kiwi fruit with a stick of celery, all used unpeeled for extra goodness. It's naturally sweet, so it needs no sugar. Serve well chilled.
Warm new potatoes boiled in their skins and tossed in one of three dressings: creamy parsley sour cream, a tangy basil vinaigrette, or a fresh 'greeny' dressing of cottage cheese and herbs. Each dressing is enough for 500 g of potatoes, so make one, or make all three for a party. Serve the salad chilled on a bed of lettuce with a spoonful of single cream on top.
Small pasta shapes cooked right in a soft sauce of aubergine, courgette, pepper, mushrooms, sweetcorn and tomato. It's blended for babies of 8–18 months; as they grow, blend it less or not at all. Serve warm.
A smooth, naturally sweet puree of three root vegetables: choose from carrots, potatoes, sweet potato and pumpkin. Changing the mix is an easy way to give babies of 4–8 months new flavours. Serve lukewarm.
Lentils simmered with fresh tomatoes and tomato juice, then pureed and sieved into a smooth, tangy first dal for babies of 4–8 months. Use any lentils: split red lentils cook fastest. Serve warm.
Steamed carrots and cauliflower pureed and stirred into creamy baby rice for a smooth, mild meal for babies of 4–8 months. Steaming keeps the vegetables' colour and goodness. Serve lukewarm.
Sweet potato baked whole until soft and caramelised, then mashed with milk and a pinch of ground coriander. Naturally sweet and smooth, it's a favourite first food for babies of 4–8 months. One sweet potato makes more than a baby can eat, so freeze the rest in small portions.
A smooth, naturally sweet puree of gently stewed apple and pear, one of the first foods for babies of 4–8 months. The fruit cooks in a little unsweetened apple juice, so nothing else is needed. Serve it lukewarm; any leftover keeps covered in the fridge for a day, or freezes well in small pots.
A smooth, savoury first meal of rice with carrot, new potatoes and spinach, pureed with baby milk for babies of 4–8 months. Use plain, unsalted cooked rice. Make it a little thicker as your baby gets used to texture.
A bright green, savoury puree of potato, mushrooms and fresh spinach cooked in home-made baby stock. Thick and smooth, it's a good way to get iron-rich greens into babies of 8–18 months. Serve warm; spare portions freeze well.
A thick, indulgent shake of chocolate ice cream, milk and chocolate syrup, topped with grated chocolate. It's ready in minutes and loved by children. Serve at once, while it's frosty.
Strong instant coffee, sweetened with brown sugar, chilled and then whizzed with ice until frothy. A splash of single cream on top makes it smooth and rich. Make the coffee ahead so it has time to chill.
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