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!
Christine
Thursday 6th of July 2017
@olycha - Aina emailed me her reply 'Yes, you boil the plantain together with it. You can also add a little Palm oil'.
olycha
Sunday 2nd of July 2017
@ Aina, was the plantain boiled?
Aina
Thursday 15th of June 2017
I boiled rice to almost done and added ripe plantain. Pureed both rice and ripe plantain together. The puree was very smooth and my baby of 8 months love it.
Christine
Friday 16th of June 2017
That's great Aina - thank you :)
Petra
Thursday 28th of July 2016
I used the blackened over ripe plantain. Washed it first and cut out any parts that looked like they were rotting. Plantain should be soft and bright yellow. I then boiled it without the peel. Boiled in about 1 cup of water per one plantain. I kept the water to dilute the plantain when I pureed. The puree was very smooth and sweet. It was the consistency of paste and I added the plantain water to thin it out. My baby preferred to get it all on his fingers and lick it off the spoon so a thicker paste like puree was perfect for me. Pst my little guy is 5 months old.
Christine
Monday 1st of August 2016
Thanks for sharing - glad he enjoyed it :)
preshy
Friday 22nd of July 2016
please, which of the plantains is better for a six months old baby, ripe or unriped
Christine
Monday 25th of July 2016
You can use either, but for different purposes (as described above). My babies all liked the ripe ones better :)