Rice with Dal

Once your baby is 6 months old, You can start with solid food. You can mash it and give until baby is able to chew well. Once baby has got enough number of teeth, no need to mash the food.

The recipe which I am going to write is called as Thovve in Kannada. Its common in 'Bayaluseeme' of Karnataka state. Also referred as 'saptage' by village folk.

How to prepare rice.

Rice - 1 cup (100gm)
Water - 3 cups

Wash the rice twice with clean water. Then add 3 cups of water to 1 cup of rice. Pressure cook. Let the cooker make 3 whistles. Because we are putting more quantity of water, if you dont wait for 3 whistles it would not have cooked properly.

If you are not using cooker and making the rice directly, then you need to put atleast 5 cups of water for 1 cup of rice.

Now the rice is ready.

To make Thovve ( Dal tadka)

Tuvar Dal - 1 Cup ( Called Togari beLe in Kannada)
water - 10 cups

finely chopped onions - 1 onion
Garlic cloves - 2-3
curry leaves - around 5
dry red chilly - 1
oil - 1 spoon
mustard - 1/2 spoon
cumin seeds - 1/2 spoon
Turmeric powder - a Pinch
Salt - To taste - 1 spoon

wash the Dal and add water in 1:10 ratio and pressure cook in cooker. You can keep this along with rice also. In separate container.

Take a Cooking Pan. Put 1-2 spoon of oil or Ghee. Always cook on a low flame to avoid any over burning. Once the oil is hot, add the following one after the other in the order given

1. mustard seeds. Let it splutter.


2. Then add cumin seeds.


3. Dry red chilly


4. the Garlic Cloves.


5. turmeric powder and Curry leaves.


6. chopped onions.

roast the onions for while. Once onions become transperent you can add the cooked dal. Add salt. Let the Dal tadka or Thovve boil for 2-3 minutes.

Turn off the heat and close the lid.

How to give it to the child

Take rice in a plate, mash it little. Add good ghee if you have. This is optional. Then add the Thovve. mix well. First you eat and see whether it is tasting good. Then give it to the child. Its important for mother to taste the food before giving to child because if its not tasting good, little less of salt or something, they wont eat even if you repair later. So first bite should be tasty for them. You know kids are very very choosy. I have learnt this from my daughter.

Please try this out and let me know if your child liked it.