UNRIPE BANANA MEAL FOR BABIES
How to make an unripe banana meal for babies
Nigerian baby food recipes are easy to make. I love to feed my babies homemade baby food because like I always say… I determine what ingredient to add and what to leave out. I also use very few ingredients to achieve the best nutrition for my little baby.
Nigerian baby food recipes are great are making babies eat even more and grow bigger and robust. Like these unripe bananas porridge, many other homemade baby food recipes I post are easily digestible and help constipated babies poop almost as soon as they are done eating.
Babies love unripe banana pudding. While cracking our heads on what to start with when introducing them to solid food, THIS is one of the best. Cooked with enough crayfish. Ikokore banana is cooked just like wives’ connection step by step ekpang or the normal water yam ikokore. It can be served adults too and I love it.
Watch how I prepared this baby food using unripe bananas from scratch. you can watch me cook this on my YouTube Chanel to enable you to subscribe to notifications like this post or watch the steps below.
This meal can be prepared for the whole family with other sources of protein but when cooking for these little ones, crayfish alone is just ok. Cooked without pepper for now.
Ingredients For Unripe banana meal for babies:
- Unripe banana, you need a grater to grate this banana but I think a blender can equally be used
- Crayfish
- Onion
- Seasoning cube
- Salt
- Hot leaf or mint leaves (You can use any green leafy vegetable of choice).
- Palm oil
- Water.
PICTURED STEPS TO COOK UNRIPE BANANA IKOKORE FOR BABIES
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| Grated unripe bananas being scooped and wrapped in uziza leaves.grated with that tiny part of grater used in grating coconut for Nigerian coconut rice |
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| Banana is wrapped and dropped in a pot |
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| Crayfish and onion being fried to add to wrapped bananas |
| Fried sauce and boiling water being added. The boiling water helps this wrapped soft bananas to solidify fast without disintegrating from the leaves |
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| Banana pudding on the cooker after adding boiled water and the fried crayfish, add seasoning, taste for salt before bringing to a quick boil |
| The bananas here are two-thirds of the one being cooked, after boiling, the rest of the cooking is done in low heat. It cooks very fast. I was done cooking in less than 20 minutes. Unripe Bananas are very expensive in Abuja. I left this to make another fresh banana pudding for my baby this morning but it turned ripe. Really thinking of grating one or two with the same quantity unripe plantain to see how it goes. |
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| Well cooked, full of aroma, the banana for babies is ready. The pot was stirred just about one or two times. |
RECIPE 2
UNRIPE BANANA MEAL NOT WRAPPED IN VEGETABLES.
Babies love both recipe one above and this recipe 2 below. The unwrapped. The banana meal recipe below is easier to cook because the grated bananas are just cut in tiny lumps and then dropped in the pot of boiling water.
| Banana meal for baby, My baby didn’t refuse this and I was shocked cos he doesn’t really like other foods aside breastmilk. This was supposed to be a trial introduction as he is just five months going to be six in about two weeks. The Lil young man kept pulling my hand to his mouth and collecting until he was full. Couldn’t mash the vegetables with my fingers so I ate them myself. We continued to observe to see how it goes and thanks to God he is fine after consuming banana meals with a top-up milk suckling. |
| hot leaves also are known as uziza leaves, sold by the local market vegetable sellers. |
| The banana meal cooked without wrapping in leaves |
| The grated banana is cut and dropped in seasoned, boiling fried crayfish and onion sauce |
| The grated banana all added to the boiling pot and about to be covered with the lid. NO STIRRING YET. Don’t you just love this homemade baby food already? |
Making Nigerian food for babies in Nigeria
| Pot is allowed to boil for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the banana solidifies before stirring. |
| Chopped vegetables added you can do without adding veggies if you want. I added sparingly |
| The tasty Banana meal is ready for scooping and finger feeding, the lumps are mashed with my fingers and mixed with sauce while feeding. |
| Fresh unripe banana meal for babies, cooked without wrapping in green vegetables |
YAM
My yam porridge also has this nutritious look.
The girls tasted and they loved and even asked if they can share equally with the baby. I helped empty his plate cos it tasted so good and softer than normal ikokore. When I try this tomorrow, I’ll like to try chopping and blending the bananas but the problem now is can one blend without adding some water?
Uziza leaves go very very well with the unripe bananas. I think he really enjoyed himself cos the young man played so well and rough after this meal.
It also helped with his bowel movement
Let the babies enjoy an unripe banana meal that helps babies gain weight!
This is one delicious Nigerian food for babies.
I am sorry but you do know what this looks like nah? LOL
Maybe you don't know ikokore and ekpang porridge.
Nice one Eya, I think my baby girl will love this. Can I cook with ripe bananas?
I heard about this at the antenatal clinic and have since been searching frantically for the recipe. We were taught it's very rich and particularly good for babies that can't pass stool frequently. Thank you a aTrillion.
Gdmorn anty.eya n other wc family,I will definitely try ds for my nine months old son,he has refused all kind of cereals,he finally ate a lil bit of cerelac but still hes not.eating.well,I will kip trying,even baby formula,so far av tried cow n gate,nan2,he doesn't like dem,pls can sumbody help me out ,thanks,Efe
My girl did that too, try all source of baby food, finally she was able to take Blendine (not even all flavour, she is accepting only Honey & wheat only flavour) making me to be shuttling to Amigos all the time. You can try that.
Plz what is d name of d leave use in wrapping it
My dear Eya is back, welcome!! Nice recipe.
Thanks for this aunty Eya. I will try this with my 13month old who was taking all swallows with okro, weetabix, porridge, noodles, jellof rice and all sorts but suddenly stopped eating 3weeks ago after a teething episode.
Doctor and health visitor says it will pass but 3 whole weeks is long and I feel all my hard work of weaning him since 6months has gone down d drain.
Good job,pls what is uziza leave,is it same thing as d broad leave used for moin moin ? if not how broad is it and if i can't get d leaf (because i dnt know d taste of uziza),can't i just mould and drop in d boiling water like d ikokore?
Jst b patient & he ll b eatin agn.
Nice fud Eya,pls does any1 no how muc non-stick pots cost & how many in a set?Pls,do presuere cookers cum in sml size?Help a sis pls
Nice pots Eya,i lyk pots o o o
This is lovely,my baby girl will be 6months in a week time and I have been cracking my head on what she will start taking,this is godsend,am trying it has her first solid. Thanks aunty Eya.
http://kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_newborn/feeding/honey_botulism.html
watch to see if baby/kids are uncomfortable with gas after eating unripe bananas.
Ripe bananas for babies? maybe too much sugar. Ripe bananas are very sweet
Thanks Sassy Mom, so I was taught too and I like the way my baby enjoys it.
@Anon 7:45, from my experience, some babies don't like cereals and other canned baby foods at all, they just manage to take when hunger pangs are squeezing, they do not even eat much cos they don't like them, but love cooked food like this banana meal and soft swallow with draw soups.
Some mums actually know that their babies prefer well cooked food to cereals and other canned foods but can't cos of cooking and the time it takes to feed them.
It's hot leaf, somem call it uziza leaves. Used for cooking white soup and some Nigerian porridges
Let me see if I can add pics of the leaves to the post. Please check back in a few minutes.
Thank you dear. The lord is our strength, even when we feel it's impossible, he makes a way. Blogging and sleeping right now. Lolz.
No, Lizzy, nothing spoil, it hasn't gone down the drain. It's the teething. Most babies change after some illness or pain. Don't try to force it. Forcing and stressing can make him begin to hate food.No one can refuse food when they are very hungry. Let him get hungry, stop worrying too much, he knows hunger and will bounce back Ok?
Thanks F.T, uziza is different from moi moi leaves, not that broad at all. If you have tasted Nigerian white soup, that's the taste of uziza. I'll try and add the picture.
Yes you can just cut and drop without wrapping or try cooking with another vegetable. I 'll add pics of the one I cooked without wrapping.
Thank you.Non stick cook wares are by different companies the cost varies. There are different sets, some come with utensils too,depending on what you want. Yes presuure cookers have small sizes too. Hope I try small?
But come, you sef, why not just walk into a shop and make these enquiries where you get to see assorted in different shades and sizes? after that you just pick a cup or something and leave if you are not yet ready.
Thank you Oyin and please do not add pepper for now. Grind the crayfish well i.e to powder form.
OK
Babies I see feeding on this have no gas problem since the banana is not eaten raw.
Ha! Ma Eya so u knw this thing lol. I gave my first baby dz u need to see her she was very fat I have even started given dz one, but I don't use season cubes bcos I was told dat is makes d baby to stool so I cook witout it. I use blender to blend it wit a little water after cutting in beats it came out well and it saves one time.
@Pickme, it's my first attempt and I like what I see. Learnt about it long ago but never tried with any of the girls. A visiting friend reminded me again and looking at her chubby, lively baby, I decided to give it a try. It's worth it. At a point, my baby started depending on Pedia lax glycerine suppositories to pass stool but now, I give God praise. He loves it and stools daily without help.
Oh,lol okay I won't,was planning to follow this recipe to detail,thanks for the caution,preparing this tomorrow. Have a lovely night aunty eya.
Goodmorn Anty eya n oda wc family,thanks for all ur suggestions,he likes adult food though,but will he get d required nutrients suitable for him?and cooking his might be stressful,how about protein frm milk,he doesn't take any formula,is only breast milk ok?anon 8:59,pls which of the wheat n honey meal do u say I shld try,blendine? I will still try the swallow n ogbono ds tyme cos I did with okro n iru but he refused,he likes fried irish not boiled,rice,chicken,av not tried odas to see,but I wl kip trying,thanks n God bless wc family,Efe
Just like my son,he prefers home made food.
Wooooow wow this is so nice, my son has been loss I g weight oh since I started work. Can I use ripe banana or plantain. Thanks
Sorry about the change. He'll soon get used to not seeing you around all the time.
I'll like to try mixing some bananas with plantain to see how it turns out. In case you try before me, please share o.
Mixing some ripe bananas
Dear Eya, nice dish, good work introducing to other mothers,God bless u. but u don't wrap it in hot leave for younger babies who cannot chew. it is call 'oto mboro', it is different from ekpang. Simply chopped d banana and blend in blender adding little water. boil titus fish, deboned and mashed, add a small cup of water to the fish stock, grounded grayfish, very little salt (salt not good for babies under 1 year), little cube, onions, little oil, add the fish and allow to boil, pour in the blended unripe banana and stir, cover for 4-5 min and cook add vegetable (optional) feed your baby with spoon. it is very nutritous n babies love it
Onion is not gud for babies under 1yr too
Ripe bananas Wld do a baby no harm.Dey actually need it more than adults u knw..
Plz does this banana meal make baby poo more often?
Please What other name does mint leave have. I can't find it in the market.
Ask vegetable sellers for scent leaves.