9–11 months
Green lentil and vegetable mash
Main mealPrep 12 minCook 40 minPortions: 3
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons of dried green lentils
- 1 small carrot
- 1 small potato
- Water
Method
- Sort through the lentils and rinse them.
- Follow the soaking and cooking instructions on the packet; throw the soaking water away if the packet asks you to cook them in fresh water.
- With no salt added, cook until they are completely soft and crush between your fingers; do not use a slow cooker in place of the soaking and boiling the packet requires.
- Add the chopped carrot and potato and cook until they are soft too.
- Mash with a fork; if the skins have softened no sieve is needed, but pass it through a fine sieve if you can feel a firm skin.
Texture
A thick, lumpy mash with lentil and vegetable pieces that squash with gums, and no firm skin to be felt.
Serving
Serve warm. If it is stiff, loosen it with a little of the cooking water.
Preparing for choking safety
Undercooked or firm lentils are never served; dried pulses must be soaked and cooked as the packet instructs. No firm skin may remain.
Key nutrients
ProteinIronFolateFibre
Storage
Cool within 1 to 2 hours of cooking, then refrigerate or freeze in small portions. Use a refrigerated portion within 2 days. Eat a defrosted portion within 24 hours. When reheating, heat until steaming hot all the way through, then let it cool before serving, and reheat any portion only once. Throw away a half-eaten portion rather than storing or reheating it.
Safety
Your baby should be sitting upright and someone should stay with them while they eat. Add no salt, sugar or honey; honey is not given before one year. Your baby may not have teeth yet, so every piece must be soft enough to squash with gums. Babies do not all manage the same texture at the same age — follow your baby's pace rather than pushing. If your baby has an allergy, eczema, or a family history of allergy, talk to your GP or health visitor before introducing new foods. Introduce foods that can trigger an allergic reaction one at a time and in small amounts, so you can spot any reaction.
Collections this recipe appears in
Similar recipes
Chickpea and vegetable mash
9–11 months · Main meal
Prep 20 min · Cook 55 min
Borlotti and bulgur mash
9–11 months · Main meal
Prep 20 min · Cook 60 min
Red lentil and vegetable mash
9–11 months · Main meal
Prep 8 min · Cook 25 min
Spinach and bulgur
9–11 months · Main meal
Prep 10 min · Cook 22 min
Chard and rice porridge
9–11 months · Main meal
Prep 10 min · Cook 28 min
Broccoli and potato mash
9–11 months · Main meal
Prep 8 min · Cook 22 min
Recipes are a suggestion; they do not replace breast milk, formula, or your child's own feeding plan. If there is an allergy or a specific dietary situation, speak with a health professional.