Homemade Baby Food Recipes: 30 Easy Indian Recipes by Age

The best homemade baby food recipes are simple versions of your own family food: dal, rice, ragi, vegetables and fruit, cooked soft and made without salt, sugar or honey. Start with smooth or well-mashed foods at around 6 months, move to lumpy and finger foods by 8–9 months, and offer chopped family meals by 12 months. Below are 30 easy Indian recipes grouped by age, with a portion chart and safety tips.

When to start homemade baby food

The WHO recommends breast milk only for the first 6 months, then starting solid foods at around 6 months while breastfeeding continues. The NHS lists three signs that your baby is ready: they can stay in a sitting position and hold their head steady, they can coordinate their eyes, hands and mouth to pick up food and put it in their mouth, and they can swallow food rather than pushing it back out. Chewing fists, waking more at night or wanting extra milk feeds are normal baby behaviour, not signs of readiness.

In the first weeks, the goal is learning to eat, not filling up. Milk (breast milk or formula) is still your baby’s main food. Offer a few spoonfuls once a day, then slowly build up. Our free baby food chart generator gives you a week-by-week plan for your baby’s age and your family’s food style (veg, egg, non-veg or Jain).

Baby food chart: meals and portions by age

This chart follows WHO guidance on how often and how much to feed. Every baby is different, so watch your baby’s hunger and fullness cues rather than forcing a set amount.

A few basics apply to all homemade baby food recipes: wash hands and utensils, cook food until soft, cool it to lukewarm, and do not add salt, sugar or honey. A small amount of ghee, butter or oil is fine for extra energy. Serve freshly cooked food, and throw away anything left in the bowl after a meal.

6 month baby food recipes (recipes 1–10)

These first recipes are smooth or thickly mashed. Offer one new food at a time for a few days so you can spot any reaction. For more on the very first weeks, see our guide to 6 month baby food.

1. Rice and moong dal khichdi purée. Wash 1 tablespoon each of rice and yellow moong dal, pressure-cook with water until very soft, and blend or mash smooth. Add a drop of ghee. This is the classic Indian first food.
2. Ragi porridge. Mix 1 tablespoon of ragi (finger millet) flour with water until there are no lumps, then cook on low heat, stirring, until thick and glossy. Thin with expressed breast milk or formula if needed.
3. Mashed banana. Mash a ripe banana with a fork until smooth. No cooking needed; serve right away so it does not turn brown.
4. Stewed apple purée. Peel and chop an apple, steam until soft, and blend. Pear works the same way.
5. Carrot purée. Steam peeled carrot pieces until very soft and blend with a little of the cooking water.
6. Sweet potato mash. Boil or steam sweet potato (shakarkand), peel and mash. Naturally sweet, so babies usually like it.
7. Pumpkin (kaddu) mash. Steam peeled pumpkin cubes and mash with a drop of ghee.
8. Suji porridge. Roast 1 tablespoon of suji in a little ghee, add water and cook until soft. Thin with breast milk or formula. No sugar needed.
9. Masoor dal and spinach purée. Cook masoor dal with a few washed palak leaves until soft and blend. A good early source of iron, which babies need from around 6 months.
10. Avocado mash (global option). Mash ripe avocado until smooth. Rich in healthy fats and very quick to make.

8 month baby food recipes (recipes 11–20)

Now move to thicker, lumpier textures and soft finger foods your baby can hold. Moving on from smooth purées helps babies learn to chew. See our 8 month baby food chart for a full daily routine.

11. Vegetable khichdi. Cook rice, moong dal, carrot, lauki and a pinch of jeera and haldi together until soft. Mash lightly, leaving small lumps.
12. Soft idli. Break a plain idli into small pieces or mash it with a spoon of dal. Idli is soft, steamed and easy to hold.
13. Oats and apple porridge. Cook rolled oats in water until soft, then stir in stewed apple. Use powdered oats if your baby is not ready for texture.
14. Paneer and vegetable mash. Crumble fresh homemade paneer and mix with mashed peas or carrot. Use paneer made from pasteurised or boiled milk.
15. Soft scrambled egg. Whisk an egg and cook on low heat, stirring, until fully set with no runny parts. Eggs are a common allergen, so start with a small amount.
16. Vegetable dalia. Pressure-cook broken wheat with moong dal and vegetables until very soft and mash lightly.
17. Curd rice. Mash soft-cooked rice with plain homemade curd. Cooling and gentle on the tummy in hot weather.
18. Steamed vegetable fingers. Steam carrot, beetroot or sweet potato sticks until they squash easily between your fingers.
19. Moong dal chilla strips. Blend soaked moong dal into a batter, cook thin chillas with a little ghee and cut into strips. No salt.
20. Chicken or fish mash. Cook boneless chicken or a low-mercury fish thoroughly, remove every bone, and mash with rice or vegetables.

Baby food recipes Indian style for 10–12 months (recipes 21–30)

By now, most babies can manage soft, chopped family food. Cook for everyone, take out your baby’s portion before adding salt and strong spices, and mash or chop as needed. When your baby turns one, our 1 year baby food chart explains how to move to family meals.

21. Roti with dal. Tear a soft chapati into small pieces and soak in thick dal, or mash together.
22. Vegetable upma. Cook suji with finely chopped carrots, beans and peas until soft and moist.
23. Besan cheela. Make a thin batter of besan and water with grated lauki or carrot, cook soft cheelas and cut into strips.
24. Paneer bhurji. Scramble crumbled paneer with finely chopped tomato and a pinch of haldi, without salt or chilli.
25. Mini vegetable uttapam. Spread idli or dosa batter thickly on a pan, top with grated vegetables, and cook until soft and cooked through.
26. Ragi banana pancake. Mix ragi flour with mashed banana and a little water, cook small thick pancakes, and cut into pieces. The banana adds sweetness, so no sugar is needed.
27. Rajma or chole rice. Cook rajma or chole until very soft, mash well and mix with rice. Skins can be hard to chew, so mash thoroughly.
28. Soft vegetable pulao. Cook rice with plenty of vegetables and a little ghee until soft and slightly mushy.
29. Vegetable poha. Wash poha, cook with grated carrot, peas and a little ghee until soft, and add a squeeze of lemon for vitamin C.
30. Nut powder porridge. Stir a teaspoon of finely powdered almonds or cashews into ragi or oats porridge. Always use powder or smooth paste, never whole or chopped nuts.

Global ideas at this age include soft pasta with vegetable sauce, mashed beans on toast fingers, and yogurt with mashed fruit.

Food safety rules for babies under 1 year

Health bodies such as the NHS and CDC agree on these rules:

• No honey before 1 year. It can cause infant botulism, a rare but serious illness. This includes honey in ghutti or home remedies.
• No added salt or sugar. Baby kidneys cannot handle much salt, and sugar builds a sweet habit and harms new teeth. Skip stock cubes, packaged namkeen and biscuits.
• No cow’s milk as a main drink before 1 year. It can be used in small amounts in cooking. Breast milk or formula stays the main drink.
• Avoid choking hazards. Never give whole nuts, whole grapes, popcorn or hard raw vegetable pieces. Cut small round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters, and always stay with your baby while they eat.
• Cook eggs, meat and fish fully, and avoid high-mercury fish such as shark and swordfish.
• Introduce allergens one at a time. Common ones include egg, peanut (as smooth paste or powder), wheat, milk, fish, sesame and soya. Offer a small amount and watch for rashes, swelling or vomiting. If your baby has severe eczema or a known allergy, speak to your doctor first.

Tips to make homemade baby food recipes easier

• Cook once for the family. Take out the baby’s portion of dal, khichdi or sabzi before adding salt, chilli and tadka.
• Keep iron in mind. From around 6 months, babies need iron from food. Include dal, ragi, green leafy vegetables, eggs or meat every day, with fruit for vitamin C.
• Let baby explore. Mess is part of learning. Let your baby touch and hold food, and do not force-feed.
• Offer water in a cup. Small sips of water with meals help your baby learn to drink from an open cup.
• Track growth, not spoonfuls. Your doctor will check weight and length at each visit, and our baby growth percentile calculator helps you follow the trend at home.

Make it personal: get a free food chart for your baby’s exact age and your family’s food style with our baby food chart generator. It shows what to offer each day, how much, and which new foods to try next.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best first food for an Indian baby?

There is no single best first food. Many Indian families start with rice and moong dal khichdi purée, ragi porridge, or mashed banana, and all are good choices. The key is a smooth texture, no salt or sugar, and including iron-rich foods such as dal, ragi and green vegetables soon after your baby starts solids.

Can I add salt or sugar to homemade baby food?

No. Do not add salt or sugar to food for babies under 1 year. Their kidneys cannot cope with much salt, and sugar can harm new teeth and create a sweet habit. Use natural flavours instead: a pinch of jeera or haldi, fruit such as banana or apple, or a little ghee.

How long can I store homemade baby food?

It is safest to cook fresh and serve it the same day. If you make extra, cool it quickly and keep it covered in the fridge, or freeze it in small portions. Reheat until steaming hot, stir well, cool to lukewarm, and never reheat food more than once.

Can babies eat eggs and nuts?

Yes, from around 6 months, as long as eggs are fully cooked and nuts are given only as smooth paste or fine powder. Both are common allergens, so offer a small amount first and watch for any reaction. Never give whole or chopped nuts to babies or young children because they are a choking risk.

Is it normal for my baby to eat very little at first?

Yes. In the first weeks many babies take only a few spoonfuls, and some days they eat more than others. Breast milk or formula still provides most of their nutrition. Keep offering a variety of foods without pressure, and see your doctor if your baby is not gaining weight or refuses all solids for a long time.

Sources

• World Health Organization – Infant and young child feeding
• NHS – Baby’s first solid foods
• NHS – What to feed young children
• CDC – Foods and drinks to avoid or limit for infants and toddlers

This article is for general information and is not a substitute for medical advice. Please talk to your doctor or a registered dietitian about your own health, especially if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or have a medical condition.