Chicken and Sweet Potato Rice Cereal
[Stage 2 Early Baby Food] Making Chicken and Sweet Potato Rice Cereal
This recipe for Chicken and Sweet Potato Rice Cereal is designed for your baby’s developmental stage, packed with nutrition and a smooth texture. The combination of easily digestible chicken and sweet, creamy sweet potato will enrich your baby’s mealtime. Perfect for introducing new flavors and textures!
Ingredients- 10g rice flour (or 12g rice)
- 10g chicken (tenderloin or breast)
- 5g cooked sweet potato
- 200ml water
Cooking Instructions
Step 1
Precise measurement is key when preparing baby food. A digital scale is very useful, so we highly recommend getting one! First, place a clean bowl on the scale and press the ‘tare’ button to set it to zero. Then, carefully measure 10g of rice flour. (Alternatively, you can use 12g of rice.)
Step 2
Next, measure 200ml of water. Just like with the rice flour, don’t forget to place the bowl on the scale and tare it to zero before measuring. Accurate measurements will help achieve the perfect consistency for your baby’s cereal.
Step 3
Soak 10g of chicken in cold water for about 1 hour to remove any blood. For baby food, it’s best to use tenderloin or breast meat, which doesn’t release much blood. However, this step ensures extra cleanliness. (TIP: To make the process even easier, you can pre-portion and freeze the chicken in baby food cubes. Thawing the cubes also helps remove blood, saving you time!)
Step 4
Peel the sweet potato thoroughly with a vegetable peeler, and then prepare 5g. The natural sweetness of the sweet potato will make the cereal even more appealing to your baby.
Step 5
In a pot, add enough water to generously cover the sweet potato and bring it to a boil. Once boiling, add the prepared sweet potato and cook for about 10-15 minutes until it’s very soft and tender. (TIP: Cutting the sweet potato into smaller pieces beforehand will help it cook faster.)
Step 6
Once the sweet potato is well-cooked, remove it from the pot and place it in a small dish. Mash it finely. If you have a mortar and pestle, you can use that, but for small amounts, simply using the back of a spoon works perfectly well. Press down with a wide spoon to mash it until smooth; it will be easy to achieve a good consistency.
Step 7
Add the chicken (from which the blood has been removed) to the pot containing the measured 200ml of water. Bring it to a boil over medium-high heat. Once the water is bubbling and the chicken starts to float, reduce the heat to low and simmer gently for 5 minutes to create a flavorful broth. (Important: Avoid simmering for too long, as this can reduce the water volume and make the cereal too thick. Stick to the recommended time.)
Step 8
To make the chicken smooth, prepare a blender. Ladle a small amount of the chicken broth from the pot into the blender. Add the cooked chicken and blend together. Since the amount of chicken is small, it won’t blend properly on its own; adding a little broth is essential for achieving a fine, smooth purée.
Step 9
Place the pot with the rice flour and chicken broth over medium-high heat. Stir continuously with a spatula to prevent sticking. It’s crucial to keep stirring without stopping to ensure the rice flour doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot.
Step 10
As you stir and the mixture begins to heat up, you’ll notice small bubbles forming around the edges and it will start to simmer. At this point, reduce the heat to low. Now, add the mashed sweet potato and the blended chicken (along with the broth). Continue to stir gently for about 5 minutes.
Step 11
It’s important to check the consistency of the baby food. Lift your spatula and observe how the cereal flows. It should have a ‘smooth, flowing’ texture, slightly thicker than water but similar to ketchup. Once it reaches this consistency, remove the pot from the heat immediately. Rice cereal tends to thicken as it cools, so it’s best to stop cooking when it’s just right.
Step 12
For early stage baby food, straining the cereal through a sieve is often recommended. However, as your baby gets closer to the next stage and becomes accustomed to textured foods, you can gradually start skipping this step. Place a sieve over a bowl and pour the cereal from the pot. Use the spatula to gently press the cereal through the sieve. If any lumps remain on top, press them down with the spatula to incorporate them into the cereal. (TIP: This is a good time to help your baby get used to small lumps in their food.)
Step 13
Your delicious ‘Chicken and Sweet Potato Rice Cereal’ is ready! Divide the cereal into three portions of about 50g each. Serve one immediately, and store the other two in the refrigerator to be consumed within two days. (Additional Tip: Have water available for your baby to drink. Boiling and then cooling water to offer alongside the cereal can help ease digestion and ensure adequate hydration. Enjoy feeding your little one this wholesome, homemade meal! ☆
