New Delhi: Winter is a good time to build meals for toddlers around warm, soft and filling food that is easy to prepare. Everyday Indian ingredients such
as ragi, sweet potato, carrot and jaggery make that possible, because they are simple to cook and work well in soft, toddler-friendly dishes. These recipes turn them into finger sticks, a dosa, a porridge and ladoos, so a toddler can eat something different through the week.
Ragi brings iron and calcium, jaggery sweetens the dishes without any need for sugar, and a little ghee adds healthy fats to the mix. Each one takes only a few steps and uses ingredients that are usually already in the kitchen, which keeps cooking simple on busy winter mornings. Read on for the full ingredients and methods, and pick the ones your little one is most likely to enjoy.
Easy winter recipes for toddlers
Ragi and sweet potato finger sticks
This warm, soft snack is easy for toddlers to hold and provides complex carbohydrates, iron and calcium. You will need 2 tbsp sprouted ragi flour, 1 medium steamed and mashed sweet potato, 1 small steamed and mashed carrot, ¼ cup grated paneer, a pinch of black pepper and a few drops of ghee. Mix the mashed sweet potato and carrot with the ragi flour, paneer and black pepper until it forms a soft dough, adding a tiny splash of water if it feels dry. Shape the dough into small finger sticks, then cook them on a lightly greased pan over low to medium heat until golden on all sides.
Sweet potato and carrot ragi dosa
A slightly sweet and comforting dish, this dosa works well for breakfast or a lunchbox. Take 1 cup dosa batter, 75g boiled and ground sweet potato, 2 tbsp finely grated carrot, 1 tbsp melted jaggery and 1 tsp ghee. Blend the sweet potato with a little water until smooth, then stir it into the batter along with the carrot and jaggery. Pour a ladle of batter onto a heated non-stick tawa and spread it gently. Drizzle ghee around the edges, flip the dosa once cooked and toast it until soft and warm.
Sweet potato and poha jaggery porridge
This quick, easily digestible morning meal is rich in natural energy and iron. Use 1 cup beaten rice (poha) that has been soaked and softened, 1 medium pressure-cooked and mashed sweet potato, 2 tbsp melted and strained jaggery, 2 tsp ghee and a pinch of cardamom powder. Put the mashed sweet potato in a saucepan with the cardamom powder and jaggery water, then add the softened poha and cook on a medium-low flame for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the ghee and mash everything well with a fork until it turns into a smooth, warm porridge.
Ragi-carrot sweet ladoos
These bite-sized energy balls are sweetened only with jaggery and enriched with healthy fats. Gather 1 cup ragi flour, ½ cup finely grated carrot with the extra water squeezed out, ¾ cup melted and strained jaggery syrup, 2–3 tbsp ghee and a pinch of cardamom powder. Heat the ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan and roast the ragi flour on a low flame for 5 minutes until aromatic. Add the carrot, warm jaggery syrup and cardamom powder, and mix well. Let the mixture cool enough to handle, then roll it into small balls with greased palms.
Together, these recipes show how ragi, sweet potato, carrot and jaggery can keep a toddler’s winter meals warm and varied. With a snack, two breakfast options and a sweet treat covered, parents have simple dishes they can cook at home all season.
