Purees for Babies 6 to 9 Months

Preparing home-made baby food puree is not only fun, it's also extremely simple. You will be surprised to see that it really will take less time to puree baby food than you imagined.

Though the recipes say ‘Purees’, you don’t always need to puree them till very smooth. These fruits and veggies can be mashed to the desired consistency using a fork or spoon. No fancy equipment is really necessary to puree or grind your baby’s food, a good quality hand-blender/stick blender is a sensible and good buy though. A hand-blender/stick blender helps you to alter the consistency of the purees as your baby grows bigger. A few lumps here and there is not quite a problem with most children, but watch out for frequent spit-ups and gagging.

You can also be super adventurous and create your very own signature veggie and fruit combos. For example, Spinach and Apple Puree! Now how does that sound? Go on and cook up a storm for your little one everyday, he or she will love it. Enjoy!

Please read up the below link on more information on how to puree and store home-made baby food.

http://wholesomebabyfood.momtastic.com/pureebabyfoodandstore.htm#.UkFzToZi3ek

With these simple pureed baby food recipes, discover which delicious fruits and vegetables you can introduce to your little ones. Puree and blend your baby foods as your creativity and your baby’s age allow.

Caution: Some recipes make use of cheese, cottage cheese/paneer and other dairy products as ingredients. Please use this only on advice of your pediatrician or child’s doctor.

No Cook Purees

1. Banana Puree

Ingredients

1 small banana; peeled & skinned

Breastmilk or Formula Milk; just enough to adjust consistency (if necessary)

Method

Peel the banana and mash with a fork or spoon.

During the first stages of weaning, add a little milk if necessary to thin down the consistency and add a familiar taste.

2. Banana and Strawberry Puree

Ingredients

1 small Banana; peeled & skinned

2 to 3 Strawberries; hulled & quartered

Method

Simply mash or puree the bananas and strawberries together and serve.

3. Banana and Mango or Papaya Puree

Ingredients

1 small Banana; peeled & skinned

75 grams Mango; peeled & stoned OR Papaya; peeled & deseeded

Method

Mash the ingredients and serve.

4. Papaya Puree

Ingredients

1/2 of a small Papaya

Method

Cut the small papaya in half and remove black seeds. Puree or mash the flesh until smooth.

5. Avocado Puree

Ingredients

1 small Avocado

Method

Cut the avocado in half, remove the stone, scoop out the flesh using a spoon.

Mash together with your baby’s usual milk or serve as it is.

6. Avocado and Banana Puree

Ingredients

1/4 Avocado

1/2 small ripe banana

1 or 2 tablespoons baby’s usual milk or thick yoghurt

Method

Mash the avocado together with the bananas and milk or yoghurt. Serve.

Notes:

1. You can also substitute the flesh of half a small papaya for the avocado.

2. You can combine almost any other fruit or veggie along with avocados. Apples, pears, carrots etc. to name a few.

Cooked Purees

1. Apple Puree/Applesauce

Ingredients

1 sweet eating Apple (eg; Shimla, Royal Gala etc.)

2 to 3 tablespoon water

Method

Peel, halve, core and chop the apples. Put into a heavy based saucepan with the water. Cover and cook over a low heat for 5 to 6 minutes until really tender.

Puree in a food processor or place in a bowl and use a hand blender.

Notes:

1. You could also steam the apples for 5 to 7 minutes until tender. If steaming, you can add some of the boiled water from the bottom of the steamer to thin out the puree.

2. Apples can also be cooked in the pressure cooker for about two whistles with a little water. After the two whistles, open the lid of the pressure cooker immediately, puree and serve.

2. Pear Puree

Ingredients

1 large or 2 small ripe pears; peeled, cored & chopped

Method

Place the chopped pears in a steamer, cover and steam for 3 to 5 minutes depending on ripeness.

Puree in a food processor or place in a bowl and use a hand blender. Serve.

Notes:

1. You can add some of the boiled water from the bottom of the steamer to thin out the puree.

2. Pears can also be cooked in the pressure cooker for about two to three whistles with a little water. After two to three whistles, open the lid of the pressure cooker immediately, puree and serve.

3. If the puree is too runny, stir in a little baby rice to help thicken it.

3. Apple and Pear Puree

Ingredients

1 sweet eating Apple; peeled, cored & chopped (eg; Shimla, Royal Gala)

1 ripe Pear; peeled, cored & chopped

2 tablespoon water

A pinch of ground Cinnamon (optional)

Method

Put the chopped fruit into a saucepan together with water and a pinch of cinnamon (if using), cover and cook over a low heat until tender (about 5 to 6 minutes)

Blend the fruit to a smooth puree.

4. Apple and Strawberry Puree

Ingredients

1 cup sweet eating Apple; peeled, cored, chopped and cooked (eg; Shimla, Royal Gala)

5 to 6 ripe Strawberries; chopped

2 tablespoon milk/water

Method

Liquidize the cooked apples and chopped strawberries together in a blender. Strain to remove the seeds of the strawberry. Add milk/water, mix well and serve immediately.

Notes:

You can also prepare a lip smackingly delicious smoothie with these fruits by using fresh thick yoghurt instead of milk or water.

5. Apple and Spinach Puree

Ingredients

1 cup sweet eating Apple; peeled, cored, chopped and cooked (eg; Shimla, Royal Gala)

A small bunch of fresh green spinach; coarsely chopped

Method

Cook the spinach in a pan with a little water. Blend the apples and spinach to a smooth puree and serve warm.

6. Carrot Puree

Ingredients

2 small carrots; peeled & chopped

Method

Put the carrots into a steamer set over boiling water and cook until tender. Alternatively put the carrots in a saucepan and pour over just enough boiling water to cover the carrots. Cover with a lid and simmer for a few minutes until soft.

Drain the carrots and place in a blender, adding some of the water from the bottom of the steamer or some of the cooking liquid and puree until very smooth.

The amount of liquid you add really depends on your baby, you may need to add a little more if he finds the puree difficult to swallow.

Spoon the puree into your baby’s bowl and serve lukewarm.

Notes:

1. In the first few weeks of weaning make sure that the carrots are cooked for quite a long time, so that they are soft enough to puree to a smooth consistency.

2. This method of cooking also works with any of the other root vegetables like potatoes and sweet potato. Cooking times will differ depending on which vegetable you choose.

3. You can follow this same recipe with almost any vegetable you want to give your baby. Veggies like spinach, peas, pumpkin, cauliflower, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, leeks, etc. or combinations of one or more of these vegetables.

4. To make these purees yummier, you can add grated cheddar cheese or cream cheese to it.

7. Oven Roasted Veggie Puree

Ingredients

1 small carrots; peeled

1/2 of a whole Green Bell Pepper/Capsicum

4 to 5 French Beans; cleaned

A small piece of Beetroot; peeled

A pinch of Garlic powder or 2 cloves of crushed Garlic/whole unpeeled garlic cloves

Method

Place the veggies on a greased baking tray. (you can either place the vegetables directly on the greased baking tray or layer it with greaseproof paper/aluminium foil) Drizzle lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle the garlic powder over the veggies or place the crushed/whole unpeeled garlic cloves along with the vegetables.

Bake the vegetables for a few minutes till they are cooked completely or are fork tender.

Once done, remove the vegetables from the tray and puree in a blender. If you find the puree too thick, you can add water to thin down the consistency.

Spoon the puree into your baby’s bowl and serve warm.

8. Fruity Cheese Puree

Ingredients

1/2 cup home-made/store-bought Cottage Cheese or Paneer

2 to 3 tablespoon chopped fresh fruits (refer notes)

1 teaspoon Jaggery or Sugar (optional)

Method

Grind cottage cheese/paneer into a smooth paste. Add the chopped fruits along with jaggery or sugar (if using) and blend again. Serve immediately.

Variations:

1. You can replace fruits with deseeded and cooked dates. Once your baby has completed 9 months, the dates don’t have to be cooked and can be used as it is.

Notes:

1. You can use any fresh fruit in this recipe. Mangoes, blueberries, strawberries are excellent choices. Apart from these, you could use almost anything.

9. Spinach Pasta Puree

Ingredients

1/2 cup spinach; coarsely chopped

1 & 1/2 tablespoon whole wheat pasta

1 tablespoon home-made/store-bought Cottage Cheese/Paneer; shredded

A pinch of Salt (optional)

A pinch of pepper

Method

Boil two cups of water. Once the water comes to a boil, throw in the pasta and allow it to cook completely. Drain the water and keep the cooked pasta aside.

Cook the spinach with half cup of water and simmer for two to three minutes. Add the cooked pasta, shredded cottage cheese, salt and pepper and combine well. Bring to a boil and switch off flame. Cool the pasta mix and blend to a smooth puree. Serve warm

Notes:

As babies grow bigger and are able to chew on lumps, avoid pureeing the dish and serve as it is. This sure is healthy and wholesome food for your baby.

10. Date Puree

Ingredients

1/4 cup Dates; coarsely chopped

1/2 cup water

Method

Toss the chopped dates along with water into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Turn the flame to a gentle simmer and cook the dates for ten to twelve minutes or till dates are completely cooked and soft. Mash to a smooth puree. Cool and serve.

Notes:

Once your baby has completed nine months, and can chew on lumps, dates don’t need to be cooked and can be served as it is.

Photo Courtesy: www.todaysparent.com

Soups for Babies 6 to 12 Months

Soups are a tasty, healthy and wholesome meal for your baby. Here are a few recipes for healthy soups that your baby/children is sure to enjoy! All these soups are healthy and nutritious. These recipes are also suitable for children above 1 year and can be had as part of family meals with added seasoning, flavoring and herbs. Please feel free to make appropriate changes and additions to suit your palate and requirement.

1. Lentil soup

Ingredients

1 cup filtered water or Vegetable stock

2 tablespoon split yellow gram (moong dal) or split red lentils(masoor dal)

A Pinch of turmeric (haldi)

Method

Boil the lentils in half a cup of water with a pinch of turmeric (haldi) until it is completely cooked and soft. Mash the dal and add the remaining water. Boil again for a few minutes and strain through a wire-meshed sieve to get a clear dal soup.

You can gradually reduce the quantity of water to the mashed dal to make it a thicker and more wholesome meal for your baby.

Recipe Courtesy: Babycenter.in

2. Carrot and Beetroot Soup

Ingredients

1/4 of a beetroot; peeled and chopped

1 carrot; peeled and chopped

2 cups filtered water or Vegetable stock

A slice of lemon

Method

Add the water to the chopped beetroot and carrot. Pressure cook till the vegetables are completely cooked and soft. Mash the mixture. Strain through a wire-meshed sieve to get a clear vegetable soup.

Initially offer your baby the water alone, then gradually include the mashed vegetables as well. You can also add potatoes for an interesting variation in taste as well as to make the soup thicker.

Variations:

You can also do different veggie combinations to prepare this soup.

Notes:

a) 1/2 cup beetroot + 1/4 cup carrot + 1/4 cup cauliflower

b) 1/2 cup bottlegourd + 1/4 cup cauliflower + 1/4 cup potato

c) 1/4 cup potato + 1/4 cup carrot + 1/4 cup French beans + 1/4 cup cauliflower

d) 1/2 cup cauliflower + 1/2 cup bottlegourd + 1/2 cup carrot + 1/4 cup tomatoes

Recipe Courtesy: My lovely sister; Sharon

3. Apple and Carrot Soup with Potatoes

  

Ingredients

1/4 cup apple; peeled, cored and chopped

2 tablespoons carrot; peeled and chopped

1/4 cup potato; peeled and chopped

1 tablespoon onion; finely chopped

½ teaspoon oil/ghee

1 cup filtered water or Vegetable stock

Method

Heat oil/ghee in a pressure cooker and sauté chopped onions for 2 minutes. Add chopped apple, carrot and potato and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes. Pour in the water and cover and cook for 2 to 3 whistles. Cool and puree. Strain and reheat. Serve warm.

Notes:

Once the baby is used to the flavors of this soup, you don’t need to strain it. Add a dash of pepper and a few drops of lemon juice.

Recipe Courtesy: My sister, Sharon

4. Tomato and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

1 medium size Onion; sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup Carrots; coarsely chopped

1/2 cup Cauliflower; cut into florets

1/4 cup French Beans; coarsely chopped

2 big Tomatoes; coarsely chopped

1 tablespoon Butter (you can substitute this with vegetable or olive oil)

2 cups Water or Vegetable stock

Method

Take a pressure cooker and add the butter/oil into it. Add the onions and sauté for a minute on low flame, do not let the onions turn brown. Add the rest of the vegetables except the tomatoes, and sauté for another minute. Add the tomatoes the last. Mix well. Add water/stock and cover and cook for 10 minutes or till done. (the veggies need to be soft and mushy) Once cooked and the pressure dropped, open the pressure cooker and cool the mixture. Using a hand held blender, blend the mixture into a smooth mix. You can alternatively do this in a mixer/grinder. Adjust the water, if the mixture is too thick, make it thin by adding water or stock, the consistency is your wish. Serve warm with breadsticks/soupsticks/toast.

Notes:

You can also add 1 or 2 peppercorns and a bay leaf into the pressure cooker while cooking the veggies for added flavor. Just remember to take them out while blending or liquidizing.

5. Mixed Vegetable Soup

This vegetable soup can be included in your baby's diet once you've introduced a couple of vegetables to her. You can make the soup thick or watery.

Ingredients

1/4 piece of a medium-sized carrot, peeled and chopped

1/4 piece of a medium-sized potato, peeled and chopped

a small piece of bottle gourd (lauki or doodhi), peeled and chopped

1/4 piece of medium-sized tomato, peeled and chopped

A small part of a medium-sized cabbage (patta gobhi), chopped

3 cups of filtered water

Method

Cook all the vegetables in the water till they are soft. Mash the mixture and strain through a wire-meshed sieve to get a thick soup or strain only the water to get a clear soup.

You can use the clear soup as a base for the baby's rice cereal mix as well.

Recipe Courtesy: Babycenter.in

6. Baby’s Little Pasta Soup

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 cups vegetable/chicken stock

2 tablespoon uncooked pastina

Method

Bring the broth to a gentle boil and add pastina. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 7 to 8 minutes or until pastina is cooked well. Serve warm with breadsticks/soupsticks/toast.

Notes:

a) You can also add veggies like finely chopped or mashed carrots, creamy spinach, tiny bits of broccoli, chicken etc.)

7. Chicken Soup

Ingredients

1/4 cup to 1/2  cup Chicken; cooked & shredded)

1 & 1/2 cups Chicken stock

1 to 2 cloves Garlic; crushed

2 Shallots/Pearl onions/Small onions; crushed

1 small size Carrot

3 to 4 florets Cauliflower

Salt; to taste (optional)

1 teaspoon Pepper

1 teaspoon Oil

Method

Heat oil in a soup pot and sauté garlic and shallots for about 2 to 3 minutes on a low flame. Add chicken stock and water (if necessary) and let it boil. When it comes to a boil, add carrot and cauliflower; cover and cook for a few minutes. Once the veggies have been cooked, add the cooked chicken along with pepper and salt and cover and cook again for about 1 minute on a medium flame and 1 or 2 minutes on a gentle sim with the lid open.

Notes:

Cook the chicken with pepper and a small piece of ginger because ginger enhances flavor of the stock and also aids digestion.

8. Creamy Onion and Chicken Soup

Ingredients

1 small size Big Onion; finely chopped

1 teaspoon Butter

1 teaspoon Cornflour (optional)

1 soup bowl Milk; boiled

3 to 4 tablespoon Vegetable stock (refer notes)

Salt; to taste (optional)

1/4 teaspoon Pepper (black or white)

2 teaspoon Cream Cheese

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Fresh Parsely/Coriander; finely chopped

Method

Heat butter in a pot and add chopped onions and saut'e till golden brown. (make sure it is browned and caramelized well) Add boiled milk and simmer for a few minutes. Add cheese along with pepper, salt and freshly chopped parsely and stir well. Now add vegetable stock and mix well. At this time, add cornflour and stir well till it starts thickening. (be sure to get rid of any lumps) Serve warm with breadsticks/soupsticks/toast.

9. Roasted Pumpkin & Carrot Soup

Ingredients

1/4 portion of 1 Pie Pumpkin

1 small size Carrot; roughly chopped

2 tablespoon Onion; finely sliced

1 cup Vegetable/Chicken Stock

1 small piece Cinnamon stick

1 Clove

Salt; to taste (optional)

Cracked pepper; to taste

1/2 teaspoon Brown Sugar (optional)

A little Olive oil

Method

Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius. Cut pumpkin into medium sized chunks. Scoop out seeds. Clean carrot and cut into medium size chunks. Place pumpkin (cut side up) and chopped carrot on a greased baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil and salt and bake until golden and roasted through. (best way to know if the pumpkin is cooked – check and see if fork tender)

Once the pumpkin has cooled slightly, scoop the pumpkin and keep aside.

Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté cinnamon and clove for a few minutes. Add sliced onion along with brown sugar. Sauté till onion turns golden brown and is caramelized well. Add the roasted pumpkin and carrot and stir for a few minutes. Now add the vegetable/chicken stock to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Puree with a stick blender or a normal blender/liquidizer. Place the saucepan back on the stove and turn onto a medium heat. Heat through for a few minutes. Add enough salt and cracked pepper.

Serve warm with breadsticks/soupsticks/toast.

Notes:

1. To lift up this soup a little, you can add a little milk to it. A mixture of milk and cream cheese will also taste yummy!

2. You can also substitute pumpkin with bell peppers. Roasted bell peppers are super healthy too.

10. Creamy Tomato Soup

Ingredients

For Tomato Soup

2 plump Fresh Tomatoes; roughly chopped

1/2 tablespoon Tomato Paste

1 tablespoon Tomato Sauce

1 small size Carrot; roughly chopped

1 small size Big Onion; roughly chopped

2 small cloves of Garlic; crushed

1/2 a Bay Leaf; coarsely crushed

300 ml Stock (veg/chicken/beef)

1/2 tablespoon Fresh Thyme leaves OR 1/2  teaspoon of dried thyme

1 or teaspoon Brown Sugar (optional)

300 ml Boiled Milk

A pinch of Salt (optional)

A pinch of Pepper

2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive oil OR any refined oil

For Croutons

Ingredients

1 slice of Bread; ends cut; cut into small cubes

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Olive oil OR any refined oil

Method

Preparation of Soup

Heat oil in a soup pot and add crushed garlic, bay leaf and chopped onions into it. Saut'e until onions have turned transparent and light brown. Add the chopped carrots and saut'e for a few minutes till carrots turn soft and start losing it's colour. Add roughly chopped fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, sauce, stock, thyme leaves (or dried thyme), sugar and salt and stir till combined well. Bring to a boil on medium heat. Cover and cook and allow to simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Switch off the stove and leave the mixture to cool. Finely puree the soup in a pureeing machine or blender.

Run the soup through a sieve and return the liquid back into the stock pot. Add the milk into it. Season with salt and pepper. Gently bring the soup to a boil. (do not boil the soup too much) Switch off the flame. Keep warm.

Preparation of Croutons

Heat oil in a pan and add the bread cubes into it. Fry till golden brown and crisp. Your yummy croutons are ready!

Serve soup with a sprinkling of bread croutons in it.

Photo Courtesy: google.com

Food and Nutrition for Kids

We as Mommies are always passionate about creating delicious, nutritious meals for our babies and little children and this section shares some of my inspirations and successes with healthy and easy food options for kids. In an ideal world, we would all spend time preparing good, healthy homemade food, but with parents working harder than ever to keep their families on track, spending hours in the kitchen just isn’t feasible for many of them. That’s why I came up with delicious, healthy and quick mealtime solutions for those busy days. I use the same principle in all my recipes – healthy fresh ingredients that are salt and fat controlled. Though there is a wide range of ready-made or boxed/bottled baby foods available in the markets these days, nothing can beat home-cooked healthy food for your little ones.

Today's Mums are mumpreneurs, full-time or part-time working professionals who are constantly striving to achieve the right work-life balance. This section offers quick, homemade style solutions for those busy days.

Penning down a baby recipe section was on my mind ever since I had my girl M, but my little girl keeps me busy through the day. But over the past few months, I have been getting a lot of requests to start a section for baby and toddler recipes and so I thought why not start off with it. The recipes here are a collection of tried and tested recipes from various sources which are yummy, healthy and are super hits. If I prepared the recipe from a cookbook or online food service I will most certainly recommend the book it came from or link to the online source.

Kids can be picky and fussy and the only way to battle with this problem is bring about variety in their everyday meals. Feeding my fussy daughter who sometimes doesn't eat properly makes me feel quite vulnerable and hence I am constantly creating and trying out new recipes. Most recipes I read in books and find on the net are quite bland and so I started adapting all the healthy foods we ate as a family like tikkis, into things she could eat.

Most of the recipes in this section are healthy and nutritious. Whilst healthy eating is important, it’s also good to have a treat or two! :)

Please check these links before proceeding to the recipes:

Solid Foods : before you begin -  http://www.babycenter.in/c1051397/solid-foods-before-you-begin

Feeding your baby well : http://www.babycenter.in/c1051409/feeding-your-baby-well

Getting started on First Foods : http://www.babycenter.in/c1051400/getting-started-on-first-foods

Please note that this section will not have photographs. Detailed recipes of each dish for various age groups will be available.

Photo Courtesy : babycenter.in

Aval/Beaten Rice Payasam

I'm sure all of you had a great Onam, complete with fun, games, dance and music. Hope you celebrated the festival of togetherness wherever you are, with a grand sadya. For those of you who are yet to prepare a grand Onasadya, here is a mouthwateringly delicious payasam recipe. Super simple and tastes absolutely heavenly.

Onam reminds me of so many good things, Payasam is just one among them. Onam brings back a lot of good memories of monsoon, the special dragon flies called onathumbi, onakkodi (the new dress), athappookkalam (flower carpet), sadya served on banana leaves, swing on the big jack fruit tree that has a seat made of kavalan madal (widest part of coconut leaf stem), family get togethers and all the cousins coming over, the flowers that bloom only during this season; like the purple colored onappoovu and pure white thumbappoovu and of course the ten day long vacation. How much I miss Onam in Kerala! I tried my level best to recreate, at least a part of what I used to get as a kid, at home last year for family and a few cousins with a small sadya; but this year with my baby girl keeping me busy, that just did not happen. The best I could do was prepare this delish payasam.

This is adapted from my mum's recipe. She is an avid cook and a great foodie.

Onam is a day of abundance, color, food and and merry making in Kerala.  I hope to spread that cheer to you with this sweet, gratifying and well prepared payasam. Hope you enjoy making it as much as I did.

Ingredients

3 fistfuls of Beaten Rice/Aval/Poha (I used the Red variety)

1 and 1/2 litres Cow's Milk; boiled

6 to 9 tablespoons Sugar (adjust quantity of sugar as per your preferance)

3 to 4 tablespoons Ghee

5 to 6 pods of Cardamom; skin taken out and seeds powdered

1 to 1 & 1/2 tablespoons Raisins

10 to 15 Cashewnuts

Method

Fry the beaten rice in ghee for a few minutes or till it reduces a little in quantity. Keep aside.

Take a shallow pan and fry both the raisins and cashewnuts separately. Keep aside.

Take a soup pot and pour into it the boiled milk. Add the lightly fried beaten rice into the milk and let it cook. (15 to 20 minutes approx.) At this time, add the sugar and cardamom powder and mix well. Cook till the payasam begins to become thick and the color of the payasam turns a light pinkish-brown. Switch off flame and throw in the fried dry fruits. Stir and close for a few minutes. Serve warm.

Delicious Beaten Rice Payasam is ready to be devoured. One taste and you’ll find yourself veering back into the dish for generous spoonfuls. Enjoy! And hey you don't need Onam to enjoy yummy payasam! :)

Recipe Courtesy: My most loving Mumsy!

Happy Onam and a Visual Treat of God's Own Country - Kerala

Kerala, better known as "God's own country", is my native place. Onam is the biggest festival in Kerala, celebrated by one and all, with no religious barriers. It falls during the month of "Chingam" ( August - September ). Various festivities include intricate flower carptes ( pookkalam ), banquet lunch ( sadya) boat races etc. As we celebrate Onam, I thought it would be fun to share some pictures with you all from the picturesque Kerala. [Please note these pictures are not taken by me but borrowed from the internet.]

OK for those who do not know about Kerala - it is a green strip of land on the South Western part of the Indian peninsula. Bordered on one side by the deep blue Arabian sea and on the other side by the lush green Western Ghats hills. I grew up in Ernakulam, part of Central Kerala and my parents still live there.

An Ernakulam City Map for you to understand the city better.

Ernakulam is more of a city and is a shopper's paradise. People from all over come to Ernakulam to buy rich Kancheepuram, silk, cotton and other types of sarees. Old Kochi is the place to visit if you want to enjoy Kochi's heritage and culture.

Old Kochi comprises of Jew street in Mattancherry and nearby areas. Do you know that Kerala had Christians, Muslims and Jews living in harmony way before 1000 AD? One of the first trade hubs, Mattancherry still houses a lot of spice shops and antique shops on both sides of the narrow street. Here are few pictures taken at Fort Kochi and Mattancherry; Old Kochi.

The above pictures are of the Streets at Fort Kochi.

The Way-side Food Stalls at Fort Kochi.

Fort Kochi Beach.

The Jewish Synagogue at Mattancherry, Fort Kochi.

Knick Knacks and interesting sights at Mattancherry, Fort Kochi.

The wide variety of spices available at the Market.

Any cliche picture of Kochi has a Chinese fishing net (cheenavala) in it. So here is a picture for you all to enjoy, taken just before sunset.

The floodplains of coastal Kerala. Kerala had a lot of paddy fields, a major part of which is destroyed to make room for the concrete structures and rubber plantations. Still we can see some beautiful paddy fields like these. The backwaters and lush green fields, together give a refreshing treat to your eyes and mind.

Now you will agree with me on one thing: Kerala is one of the most beautiful places on this planet ,don't you ?

Hope you all had a very Happy Onam. For making a feast/sadya, please refer to the page dedicated for Kerala sadya recipes on the blog. Hey a sumptuous Sadya can be prepared even after Onam, so go ahead and try the recipes! :)