Perfect Plantain and Sweet Potato Puree
Jul 20th, 2008 by Christine
If you’ve ever looked at those giant bananas in the store and wondered how on earth to prepare them, then this tasty recipe for your baby will have you well on your way to regularly including plantain in your – and your baby’s – diet.
Plantain is highly nutritious, packed with a range of vitamins and minerals. Unlike their relatives bananas, plantains need to be cooked. You will likely find them in three different colours in the produce aisle, indicating various stages of ripeness…
- Green – these are usually boiled and used in much the same way as potatoes
- Yellow – these are slightly sweet and and add an interesting flavour to baby food purees
- Black – like black bananas, black plantains are very ripe and sweet. They are best used in dessert recipes.
With your doctor’s consent, you may introduce plantain to your baby from 6 months of age – introduce it alone or with other foods that your baby is already safely enjoying to ensure that it does not cause an allergic reaction or digestive problem.
For Baby’s Perfect Plantain and Sweet Potato Puree You Will Need…
1 yellow plantain, peeled and roughly chopped
6 fl oz (3/4 cup) homemade (or low sodium) chicken stock
8oz (1 cup) cooked, mashed sweet potato
2 fl oz (1/4 cup) milk (use breast milk/formula if you prefer)
2 fl oz (1/4 cup) natural yogurt (here’s how to make your own)
1 tbsp unsalted butter
pinch of freshly ground black pepper (optional)
1 tsp chopped fresh parsley
Put the chopped plantain into a saucepan and pour in the chicken broth.
Bring the mixture to the boil, then lower the heat. Simmer for around 10 minutes, until the plantains are fork tender (like cooked potato).
Drain (reserving the broth), then puree in a food processor with the remaining ingredients.
Return to the saucepan and warm through gently.
If the mixture is too thick for your baby, then stir back in some of the reserved chicken broth.
Hey presto – dinner is served! You can also use this as a side dish for the adults (it’s very yummy with a touch of cream added, too!).
Have you introduced plantains to your baby yet? How do you prepare them for your baby food recipes? Please share your ideas and suggestions below!
[...] you give it a try, check out this post from our blog last summer, which will give you a brief overview of plantain and tells you how best to use it at [...]
Use ripe plantains (yellow like ripe bananas,should give when you apply firm pressure with a finger), cut off both ends, cut in half width wise, cover with water and bring to the boil in a covered saucepan or pot. You may add a tiny amount of salt (optional), boil until the skin tears or opens on the side 20-30 mins, add water and blend into a smooth texture like sweet potato baby food. Really lovely. You may also add diced chicken breast during the blending process.
That sounds wonderfully simple, Bev – thanks for sharing