Turmeric-spiced vegetable & chicken meatballs for babies
I’ve been making this recipe for my baby every other week now, and it’s a real hit, so I wanted to be sure to share it with all of you. As I mentioned in my post Introducing Indian Food to Babies, I learned that I could start introducing my son to Indian flavors and spices gradually, after he had successfully conquered introductory solid foods. I find recipes like this are a nice segue from baby food to mild versions of Mommy/Daddy food. My cousin Divya suggested introducing one spice at a time, so I began making these baby meatballs, packed full of mixed vegetables, ground chicken, infant rice cereal, and egg yolk, and first added a pinch of cumin to the mixture. When Liam gobbled through a couple of batches with no problem, I began adding a pinch of turmeric. As you may know, turmeric has excellent heath benefits for babies and adults alike, so why not start him off on the right foot early?
What I love about this recipe is how much nutrition I can pack into a tiny meatball and how moist they are, thanks to mixed vegetables and a bit of applesauce. Sometimes I add a bit of grated cheese as well. Whether I feed them to Liam right away or defrost a batch after a couple of weeks, these baby meatballs really keep their shape, are always moist, flavorful, and — most important of all — Liam cleans his plate. I usually serve them with very soft vegetables or steamed basmati rice mashed with a bit of hot water or formula. Naturally, I do a taste test every time I make them, and, well, these are tasty meatballs! As our pediatrician Dr. Rosenberg says, “Of course Liam likes it — it actually tastes good, babies are smart!” Moreover, the turmeric adds depth of flavor and a golden color that’s visually appealing — like us, I think babies eat with their eyes. Lastly, for all the tired Mommies and Daddies out there thinking “Man, I don’t have time to make food from scratch” you can put this mixture together in a matter of minutes, it doesn’t take long at all.
Do you have a favorite baby recipe? Post it below and I will make it!
Turmeric-spiced vegetable & chicken meatballs for babies
Yields 16 meatballs (around 4 meatballs per serving)
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound ground chicken
- 1/2 cup infant rice cereal (I use whatever Gerber rice, oat, or multigrain cereal I have on hand)
- 1/2 cup finely minced or shredded mixed vegetables (I use frozen mixed vegetables, cook them for a couple of minutes in boiling water or the microwave, then finely dice them)
- 2-4 tablespoons applesauce or other baby fruit purée
- 1 egg yolk, lightly beaten
- Pinch (say 1/8 teaspoon) ground turmeric powder
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400F.
- Combine all the ingredients in a small glass bowl and form into 1-inch balls.
- Place meatballs on a lightly greased cookie sheet lined with aluminum foil and bake for 20 minutes.
- Remove from foil with tongs and cool on large platter (note: the bottom of the meatball might stick to the foil, which is fine — just remove it as gently as you can, you don’t want baby to eat those overly browned bits anyway). Refrigerate or freeze as needed (I usually freeze half the batch).
I’ve been making these for my 9 month old son using ground beef and they’re being devoured! Seriously, I don’t know what you’re referring to when you say to freeze the extras because there are none!
Such an easy, versatile and delicious recipe! I’m pretty sure these are making him sleep through the night. Thanks!
Dear Myr!
I was so delighted to read your comment! I just love that recipe and have made it so many times for my son Liam (who is now 2 years old) that I often wonder if anyone else likes it as much as I do — and here you are! Since he’s officially a preschooler (not even a toddler anymore, wow) I just substitute the infant cereal with more shredded cheese or whole wheat breadcrumbs, but other than that the recipe is exactly the same). Moreover, sometimes I defrost a couple of meatballs, reheat them in a skillet with a bit of tomato sauce, and mix it with pasta for a “different dinner idea” when I”m in a pinch. But it sounds like you don’t freeze any 🙂 And if it’s making your little one sleep through the night, then from one parent to another — that is the most important thing of all!!! With best wishes, Ina
These look so yummy. I can’t wait to try them out with my son. I wonder if hubby will try to eat them too?! 😉
Hello Shana! They are! Please let me know if your son likes them — I always have a stash in my freezer, and Liam always eats them, never fails. They do pack a lot of flavor (sometimes I add grated cheese also) — when grandma was visiting last week she tried the meatball and thought it was quite tasty, so yes, your husband might to eat it too 🙂 Do check out my Meatball Curry recipe on the site, a great weeknight dinner idea!