I have a 15 month old daughter who is a pretty fussy eater and to top it all she has still not got any teeth as yet. If I give her anything dry or any of our food, she chokes after a bite or two and vomits everything out. Hence I have to cook for her separately and make sure her khichdi is cooked till soft, bread is soaked in milk first and then fed, sooji kheer is wettish etc. etc.

I was recently told to surf this site and I have read a lot about Raagi. Finally managed to pick up ragi powder from an Indian store out here. I tried out one of the recepies but my daughter passed quiet a few stools the next morning, it seemed like she had excreted the entire raagi that I fed her, hence I got afraid. So before I start preparing it again, I want to know if it is too late to start giving my baby this and have the following queries, since after reading all the different messages on ragi I am very very confused:

Is ragi powder ok or do I have to get seeds becoz seeds are not available here?

When do u feed ragi - morning/afternoon night or anytime or only during summer or winter, cause we are having winter in Sydney now?

How much do u feed a 15m old baby and is one bowlful considered to be a good meal in place of khichdi etc. or is it just a snack?

Do I have to feed it to her everyday so that she benefits from it and wont it become too repetitive?

I read Selma pinto's message on giving her kids raagi drink, how does one prepare that, could somebody please help?

Does eating raagi lead to a lot of bowels the next day, and if so, is it considered to be ok?

Lastly could anybody pls tell me how to prepare veg upama soft enough to feed my toothless daughter, I am really desperate to try diff dishes so that she starts eating and since I have nobody to ask, I am hoping some kind soul will revert back to me with any recepies they can help with.

Thanking u all in advance.
Preetha Raj replied. Hi Sabrina,

Hope it is not too late. I just came across this site and saw yr message.
I too had the same problem, my baby passing stools after having Raagi for the
first time. The problem is that the Ragi powder contains minute pieces
of the outer skin of the Ragi seed, which doesn't get digested and hence passed
out in the stool. What u need to do is mix the powder in water and leave it overnight,
next day morning strain off the water alongwith the outerskin, at the botton u can see
white powder mixed in water in a pasty form, dry it in shade and bottled them up
U can use this powder for making recipes with Ragi.

Hope this is of any help.

All the best.

Lakshmi replied. Hi Sabrina,
My daughter is 6 months old. I feed her Raggi daily.Its very good diet.I use both powder and seeds.If seeds i soak it in water and blend it.Sieves and remove skin of seeds.Just boil it with little water pinch of salt and jaggery(optional).My daughter don't have any problem due to raggi.But she hesitate to eat if i use powder and if it is from Seed she eats with interest.Raggi is very cooling food and used mainly in summer.
Best of Luck
Arti replied. Hi Sabrina

The only thing
I want to add to the Upama recipe
is water is in the ratio
of 1:2 which is
1 cup of Sooji/Rava is 2 cups of water
so if you want to make it softer than add more water. I personally
never fed Raagi to my now
18 months old daughter
only sooji ka halwa
and other things like veg.stock with vegs etc or boied carrots, beans
potatoes(smashed add some blk.pepper/salt)
riche with yeelow moong dal khichdi
and just be creavtive since by now your daughter's digestion should be a bit more stronger.

Good luck...we have all learnt by
trial and error

Arti Twimkle replied. Hi Sabrina

I don't know about this Raagi thing but I can give u some suggestions regarding baby food. I have 11 months old boy, it's always helpful to bring variety in baby's food. Try some vegetable like spinach, carrot, green peas, tomato, cooked with khicdi it will give her new flavour everytime. You can mix different types of daals together with light vaghar of ghee and tomato puree.
About Upma receipe.

Ingredients

Rawa - 1 cup (Fried in a pan with 2tsp ghee, till light brown or till it gives the rosted smell)
Onions chopped - 2 nos
Tomato Chopped- 1 small
Coriander - 1 small bunch
Curry Leaves - 1 small Bunch
Carrot chopped - 2 nos
Beans chopped - 100 gms
Fresh Green Peas - hand Full
Cloves - 2 nos Cinamon - 1 stick
Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Lime Juice - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
(precook The vegetables)




Method:

Heat the ghee in a pan. Then add the mustard seed and urid dal, let it splutter add curry Leaves and onions. Fry well till the onions live ghee, add precooked vegetables and fry again for 2 mts, then add tomatoes, powdered cloves and cinamon with garam masala.
Boil water in a separate pan, add the boiling water to this fried ingredients add salt, mix well for 1 mt, then add rava slowly and stir well, with out forming lumps. Once its done add coriander Leaves and lime juice.

I hope this will be helpful for u.