Rice Porridge Recipe for Babies-Homemade Baby Food-Rice Cereal-Arisi Kanji

When I was discussing with our pediatrician regarding baby’s first food, she recommended rice cereal / rice porridge because it’s easy to digest and less likely to cause any allergic reaction. Moreover as rice is most commonly eaten in India, she recommends starting with diluted rice kanji. Again the standard advise is to exclusively breastfeed your baby until 6 months. Today we will see how to make homemade arisi kanji/rice porridge for babies following our easy recipes.

Rice Porridge for babies


Prep Time : 15 mins | Cook Time : 10 mins

   Ingredients needed for Recipe#1

  Parboiled Rice (sapadu puzhungal arisi)-1/2 cup
  Omam/carom seeds/Ajwain – a pinch

   Ingredients needed for Recipe#2

   Parboiled Rice (sapadu puzhungal arisi)-1 cup
   Moong dal-pasi paruppu (split yellow variety)-1/2 cup
   Omam/carom seeds – 1/4 tsp

Important– Initially when you introduce rice porridge to your baby, give it a little diluted or thin for a week. This thin porridge can be given in feeding bottle itself. Once the baby is comfortable with it and has no allergic reaction, you can give a slightly thick (saucy consistency as in the picture) rice porridge. Use a baby spoon to feed your baby. Follow the standard instructions like sterilizing the utensils, bottles, washing your hands etc. Always consult your pediatrician before starting any new food for babies.

Recipe #1 Instructions

Wash rice well, drain the water and dry it well in the shade/sun.

Dry roast par boiled rice until it is hot to touch. Switch off the flame and dry roast carom seeds in the heat of the pan itself. Let it cool.

Powder both together finely. This is the rice porridge powder. You can prepare this and store it in an air tight container. Do not prepare it in bulk- you can prepare this rice porridge powder once in a week or as required


How to prepare rice porridge using homemade rice powder for babies


Take 2 tsp of rice porridge powder, add 1 cup of water and mix well without lumps.


Cook on low flame until it reaches a saucy consistency. Leave it to cool. Feed warm with a baby spoon. Discard leftovers.


Once the baby is comfortable with the first rice porridge, you can gradually shift to the second recipe.

Recipe #2 Instructions

Wash rice and drain the water well. Dry it well in the shade/sun.


Dry roast rice and dal (split yellow moong dal) separately until it is hot to touch.Transfer it to a plate to cool. Dry roast carmon seed in the heat of the pan itself just for 2 seconds.

Powder all the three together finely in a blender or mixie. Store it in an air tight container and use when required.


For making porridge out of  the rice dal porridge powder, follow the same procedure as given for recipe#1


Do not add salt or sugar to the porridge.


For underweight babies alone, the pediatrician recommends adding 1-2 ml of pure coconut oil. (1/4-1/3 tsp of pure coconut oil)

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