READER LETTER OF THE WEEK

Dear Wendyl,

I want to make hot rice cereal for my baby and was wondering if you have a natural recipe you can give me. Thank you so much, Kathryn

Hi Kathryn,

Good on you – it is so easy to make your own as long as you have a coffee grinder. Rice cereal is a great first solid food for a baby and I’ve never met one who doesn’t like it!

RICE CEREAL FOR A BABY

Get some basmati rice grown in India for this cereal. Most Indian food shops will stock ample supplies.

1 cup water

¼ cup rice powder (grind up 1 cup of rice in your coffee grinder until it forms a powder and store any excess in an airtight container)

Put the water in a saucepan and bring to the boil. Add the rice powder and stir, then let simmer for about 10 minutes until the mixture is stodgy and fluffy, and comes away from the pot. Serve it warm, with breast milk or formula added to thin it down if necessary. Note: You can make other cereals in a similar way using wholegrain (not quick-cook) oats, buckwheat, quinoa, barley or millet − but wait until your baby is six months old as these grains contain gluten, which can lead to an intolerance if fed to your baby too early. My choice after rice cereal is oats because they’re nutritious, less likely to cause constipation and also very soothing.