How to prepare porridge for baby

When it was time to introduce Zack to rice porridge, I was researching for ways to
prepare this typical Asian baby staple for my little one. I tried out a few of the recipes
found on the web, and after some tweaking and perfecting; I’m happy to share with all
moms (and grandmoms) my fail proof method of cooking yummy porridge for your
baby or toddler.

Preparing porridge in small quantities

When Zack familiarised himself with eating instant rice cereal, it was about time he
was introduced to the real deal. At 7 months old he still couldn’t eat much, hence the
real challenge here was to cook small portions of porridge without it getting burnt.

I first tried a method I picked up from another mom blogger, which was to wash the
rice grains, dry it in a slow oven, ground it to powder form, and then cook it for 15-20
minutes stirring over low heat with a small amount of water. Although this may seem
like the fastest way to make porridge, it didn’t give the sort of texture I was looking for.
It looked and felt like really thick glue!
I continued to look for alternative means of preparing porridge in small quantities, and
my mom suggested that I use a ceramic mug that’s meant for double boiling. With the
help of this website, I used the recommended ratio of 1 portion of rice to 8 portions of
water to get a pretty good consistency.

My mom also shared with me an important step when double boiling – I needed to
ensure that I used hot, boiled water in both the crock pot and the ceramic mug. This
step is essential in order to start the cooking process immediately as a slow cooker
tends to take a longer time to come to a boil. The water should cover the ceramic mug
up to 80% of the way. This makes sure there is even distribution of heat (and cooking
power) inside the mug.
Now, I’m using a slow cooker instead of a pot over a gas stove for 2 reasons. With the
slow cooker, the heat is more even and constant, and because it does not come to a
continuous boil, the ceramic mug does not need to be held in place with a towel / wire
rack. Secondly, the slow cooker can be hooked up to a timer, making it an easy and safe
way to prepare porridge. When cooking over the gas stove I noticed that when set at
the lowest heat, the water still comes to a ferocious boil, making my ceramic mug
“dance” around. I also very often have to replenish the water it is immersed in as it
evaporates quite a lot.

Tip:

 Try to keep water level at 70% if cooking over gas. You never know when water may
seep into your ceramic mug, esp if it is bubbling constantly. If you have to you may
use aluminum foil to cover the mug before closing the lid.
 Cooking time with slow cooker – approx. 3.5 to 4 hours
 Cooking time over the gas stove at the lowest heat – approx. 2 – 2.5 hours

Preparation is the key

I am always looking for quick ways to get things done. When it comes to preparing
bub’s porridge, I found that preparation is essential to making this mommy duty less of
a chore (not that it’s a chore but there are days where I wish there’s some automated
porridge maker, lol!). I am an advocate of freezing food—I love to prepare everything in
large batches, and keep them stored and frozen in single servings.

For cooking small quantities of porridge, I use ice cube trays and food pots to store
soup stocks and pureed vegetables. I use a milk powder scoop to measure the
ingredients as I find that it’s a good size, and a pretty handy measuring tool (this is very
important when you need to “level” the ingredients to get an accurate quantity). Here are
my tried and tested measurements:
  1 “milk powder scoop” of rice
 8 “milk powder scoops” of stock
 1 ice cube of pureed vegetable

Alternatively, to save space, you can also use ice cube trays to freeze measured stock
(the ones pictured were purchased from Daiso, comes with a lid). I then keep these cubes
in Ziploc bags to free up space in the fridge. Here’s the measurement if using stock in
cubes:

 1 “milk powder scoop” of rice

 3 ice cubes of stock
(approx. 8 “milk powder scoops” of stock)
 1 ice cube of pureed vegetable

You can also use ikan bilis powder as an alternative to preparing stock. Simply soak
cleaned ikan bilis to get rid of most of the saltiness, bake in the oven until crisp, and
then grind into powder form. Add a pinch of this ikan bilis powder to your 8 “milk
powder scoops” of plain water. A little goes a long way.

Preparing porridge in larger quantities

As Zack grew older, his appetite (and stomach) also grew bigger. I could now prepare
his porridge directly in the slow cooker. All I had to do was simply measure out the
ingredients, and put everything into the crock pot before I go to bed. I left it to the
timer to switch the power on and off.
Just remember to keep to the tried and tested measurement which is the ratios of 1
portion of grain to 8 portions of water. For Zack, I prepare 2 servings of porridge for his
lunch and dinner using the below measurements:

 3 “milk powder scoops” of millet

 3 “milk powder scoops” of rice
 2 cubes of vegetables
 1 cube of meat (fish/chicken/pork)
 2 cups of water (approx. 500ml)

This measurement can yield exactly 2 cups of porridge (about 2 regular Chinese rice
bowls).

Tip: As I leave all ingredients in the crockpot for 6 hours at room temperature, it is not
necessary to use hot, boiled water as the cooking process will not commence till later. I
just use room temperature water. There are some concerns about whether the meat/vege
will spoil while immersed in this room temperature water for 6 hours. I can safely say no
as the ingredients start off as frozen blocks, plus it does take some time before fully
defrosting. The kitchen is also relatively cool at night; hence the crockpot in itself remains
cool and insulated until it is time to cook.

Timing is everything

I used my trusty timer (purchased from Ikea) which allowed me to leave my porridge
making in auto-cruise.

I set it to start at point “1” every night at about the same time, combine all my
ingredients, and let it sit (and soak) until the cooking process begins 6 hours later. I
allow the porridge to cook for 4 hours before it switches off automatically.
Choice of ingredients suitable for porridge

You can be creative with the choice of ingredients you put into your bub’s porridge.
Just remember the ratio of grains to water is always 1:8 (omg i sound like a broken
record already)

Some grains I’ve experimented with are millet, lentils, split pea (dhall), oats and even
alphabet pasta. You can substitute white rice with brown rice, and even add grains like
quinoa. The combinations are endless!

The quantity of vegetables is also entirely up to you. I personally like to put in a ratio of
2:1 vegetables to meat.

Some vegetables which cook well in porridge include broccoli, pumpkin, carrot, peas,
spinach, siew pak choy, cauliflower, potato and sweet potato. For younger babies,
remember to pre-cook all vegetables and puree before storing. For older babies who
can handle chunks, just chop the vegetables into small pieces and give it a quick mash
before serving.

Tip: You can store chopped vegetables in a big Ziploc bags or in ice cube trays. If making
into cubes, remember to pour a little water into the ice cube trays to help the vegetables
“solidify” or else you’ll be handling a giant mess of vegetable crumbs when trying to
remove them from the ice cube tray.

When using pork or chicken, make sure it’s finely minced. My mom helps with
chopping it using her trusty cleaver. It has a better texture than working it through a
food processor. As for fish, I just keep it sliced, as it’ll flake anyway when cooked. I
freeze meat portions in a container, by separating it with cling wrap. You can also
portion it out with an ice cube tray. Do whatever that floats your boat.

I hope you have found these tips useful (and helpful!) when preparing porridge for your
baby! Happy Cooking!
 Comments
1. peichyi says:
Cooking time with double boiling over slow cooker would be at least 3 hours. I usually try to
keep it in there until 4 hours. Remember you must use hot water both inside and outside so the
cooking can start immediately.

I like to put the cubes of pureed veges together with the rice grains, but because the pureed
veges are cooked already anyway, you can add it in after the cooking process is done. This way
it can also help to “cool” down the porridge if you need to feed immediately. Do this ONLY if the
veges are fully cooked ya.

As for cooking over the gas stove, the cooking time will be reduced, i’ve tried it before and i’ve
managed to get a good consistency around 2 hours – 2.5 hours. This is because the lowest heat
of the gas stove can emit more heat (gets to boiling point faster than slow cooker) thus the
cooking time can be reduced. The downside is, you need to constantly check the level of the
water, as it will evaporate quicker. I would suggest not putting the level of the water to 80% as
the liquid does “bubble” and it may seep into your double boiler cup, and into your porridge!
p/s: happened to me

2. Amy says:
I also use this method for porridge – double boil. Been using it since my girl’s time and now my
boy. Very handy la. Put everything in the morning, it will be ready by lunch time then warm it
again for dinner. Perfect solution for a lazy mom like me. :) Plus the texture always comes out
right if I get the measurement right that is :).

3. Mandy says:
Hi, I tried cooking the brown rice in the slow cooker but its nt sticky. Do you know why?

4. peichyi says:
Perhaps there was too much liquid? i do soak the rice before cooking, it does help with
softening the grains, considering brown rice is unpolished.

5. J's mummy says:

I have never cooked porridge for my boys before so I was so relieved to read your blog. You’ve
made it so simple plus thank goodness you are into freezing cos it really makes life easier for
busy mums. Btw, how do you make the chicken stock?

6. peichyi says:
For the chicken stock, you can just put in chicken carcass, and boil with water. Skim off the
tops, icky foam and then store in cubes.
You can make the stock more flavorful with carrots and onion.

7. peichyi says:
When you double boil, esp. over long period of time, it will steam cook the food yes, but it’s a
gentler way to cook compared to direct steaming. You don’t have to keep adding water and you
can cook on low heat
8. JOanne says:
Hi, I’m so glad I found your guide!
Can you help me with the following questions I have:
1) My boy is 6mths + now, and I’m thinking to prepare porridge for him when he is 7mths+.
How much of rice should I use for 1 meal? 2 “milk” powder scoops, the small kind? And that
relates to 16 scoops of water?
2) I don’t freeze any puree/vegetables. I intend to use fresh ingredients. When should I put in
the chopped vegetables? I heard letting ingredients boil together with the rice will result in
the ingredients losing their nutrients? But I need the ingredients to be “nua nua” to feed my
boy.
3) I have a smaller sized 1.2 litres slow cooker. If I prepare the porridge direct in this slow
cooker, it will be hard also right? Since portion is small. That means if I use the boiling
method, I will have to use the big slow cooker?

9. peichyi says:
1) Use any milk powder scoop you have, and follow the ratio of 1 scoop rice to 8 scoops of
water. If you make 2 scoops it will be enough for 2 meals.
2) Depending on what vegetables you use, stuff like pumpkin and carrot will mush up nicely
when you boil it over a long time. If you are cooking it in the porridge all the juices will be
contained in there. I don’t know what scientific evidence would lead to loss of nutrients but
babies with no teeth will definitely need texture to be pureed or else it’s hard for them to
swallow.
3) I have the small cooker which i use a really small double boiler, you can get the ones which
people use to “dan” ginseng tea, it’s a small crock cup with 2 lids just like the one I used in
my photos.

All the best!