ParentSide
9–11 months

Lumpy chickpea and bulgur

Main mealPrep 20 minCook 55 minPortions: 3

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons of dried chickpeas
  • 3 tablespoons of fine bulgur wheat
  • 1 small courgette
  • Water

Method

  1. Sort through the chickpeas and rinse them.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Let them cool a little, then slip off every skin and throw the skins away.
  5. Cook the rinsed bulgur with the grated courgette in a separate pan until soft, combine with the chickpeas and mash with a fork.

Texture

Thick and lumpy, with chickpea pieces that squash with gums, and no firm bulgur grains and no chickpea skins left.

Serving

Serve warm. If it is stiff, loosen it with a little of the cooking water.

Preparing for choking safety

Undercooked or firm chickpeas are never served and every skin is slipped off. Bulgur is made from wheat and a firm grain is a risk.

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.

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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.