Friday, June 7, 2013

Baby food- plantain


Plantain is of banana family. I was introduced to this food by my husband. Its normally needs to be cooked before eating.As the plantain ripens, it becomes sweeter and its color changes from green to yellow to black, just like bananas. 
Mostly we ate plantain which were salted and fried (no wonder they taste good!). 
Ripe plantains can also be fried and eaten with black eyed beans cooked in palm oil; a popular dish in Nigeria.
"Steam-cooked plantains are considered a nutritious food for infants and the elderly. A ripe plantain is used as food for infants at weaning; it is mashed with a pinch of salt and is believed to be more easily digestible than ripe banana."

This is the recipe which I'm going to write about today. My baby ate the boiled plantain , mashed and mixed with honey without a hitch.  Maybe your baby will also like it..and if she doesn't well u can gulp down the tasty stuff urself…it 'll work as a snack between meals.


Ingredients
Plantain- 1, peeled and cut into a few pieces
Water
Salt to taste
Honey- 1 tsp
Butter/Ghee- 1/2 tsp
 
Method
Heat water in a pan and add the plantain pieces into it. They should be immersed in the water. Add a pinch of salt and cover the pan with a lid. Do not cover it fully, but leave it open on one side to let the steam escape. Cook on medium flame.
When the water is approximately half, check the doneness with a fork or knife.
Take out the plantain pieces, mash them and add butter/ghee and honey. Mix well . When it cools to room temperature, feed it to the baby.