Quick meal for babies to treat colds: scallion and white rice porridge
Babies who are suffering from a cold have a poor appetite and their bodies have to fight against viruses. At this time, a bowl of warm and soft food called scallion and white rice porridge becomes an excellent choice for conditioning. This porridge is super quick to make and is mild in nature. It can help your baby sweat and warm their stomach, thus relieving the discomfort caused by the initial cold. From the perspective of a professional food blogger, I will break down this quick and loving recipe for you.
Ingredients and dosage (suitable for babies over 1 year old)
- The main ingredients are rice, which is 30 grams, and water. The amount of water is 500 ml. The amount of water is about 15 to 20 times the amount of rice. If you like it thinner, you can increase it as appropriate.
- "Flavouring (optional):", ginger, 1 thin slice, used to dispel cold, can be omitted when you have wind, heat and cold, brown sugar or rock sugar, a trace amount, if the baby does not resist the original flavor, you can omit it.
Production steps and heat
Step 1: Preprocessing of ingredients (takes 2 minutes)
- Rice Tao: Put the rice into a bowl, add appropriate amount of water, gently hold it with your fingers and wash it once or twice. Be careful not to scrub too hard or too many times, otherwise the water-soluble vitamins and minerals on the surface of the rice will be lost, and these nutrients are particularly precious for sick babies. After washing, soak in water for ten to fifteen minutes so that the rice grains can fully absorb water and become easier to cook.
- **Processing green onions and ginger**: Wash the green onions cleanly and cut them into very fine pieces (the smaller the better, this will make it easier for the baby to swallow and allow the active ingredients to be released better). After slicing the ginger into thin slices, cut it into thin strips or reserve it for later use.
Step 2: Cook the porridge base (takes 20 minutes)
- Add 500 ml of water to the pot and let it boil over high heat. After the water boils, drain the soaked rice and pour it into the pot.
- Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to low heat and simmer slowly: maintain a strong fire and stir slowly in one direction with a spoon to prevent the rice grains from sticking to the pot. After the water boils completely again, switch to the lowest heat, cover the pot (leaving a small gap to prevent overflow), and start to simmer slowly. This process takes about fifteen to twenty minutes until the rice grains are completely opened, the porridge soup becomes thick, and a layer of delicate rice oil appears on the surface. This layer of rice oil is rich in nutrients and extremely nourishing.
Step 3: Add the "medicine" and seasoning (takes 3 minutes)
- When the porridge has reached the desired consistency, add the chopped scallions and ginger (if used) into the porridge, stir to make it even, and continue to cook for 2 to 3 minutes. The time cannot be too long, otherwise the volatile components of the green onions will be lost. Cook until you can smell a faint onion aroma.
- Turn off the heat of the pot, and then start the seasoning work: after completing the action of turning off the heat, if the baby likes the slightly sweet taste, then while the porridge is still warm, add brown sugar or rock sugar as big as a fingernail, use the remaining heat of the porridge to melt it, and stir until it is even. In this process, the role of sugar is not limited to flavoring, but it can also supplement a certain amount of energy.
Pro tips and tricks
- For cooking smooth porridge bottom, "rice soaking" and "boiling the pot under water" are two key techniques. Soaking in advance can make the rice grains absorb water, and boiling the pot under water can prevent the rice grains from sticking to the bottom. It can also use the temperature difference to quickly gelatinize the surface of the rice grains, thereby speeding up the cooking process and better releasing the rice oil.
- The following is the rewritten sentence: Scallions have wonderful uses. They are warm in nature and have the effect of causing sweating and relieving the body. It is very suitable for the initial stage of a cold and cold, when there is a runny nose and the body is afraid of cold. If the baby's symptoms tend to be wind-heat, such as sore throat, yellow sputum and thick texture, then you can only choose a small section, or do not add scallions, to avoid the adverse consequences of adding fuel to the fire.
- The following is the rewritten expression: For babies whose chewing ability is still very weak, the cooked porridge can be lightly beaten with a cooking stick or grinding bowl to make the porridge fine and smooth, making it easier to swallow. If the throat is very swollen and sore, you can filter the cooked porridge and give only the upper rice soup to your baby. It is also nutritious and can reduce the irritation caused when swallowing.
- The porridge mainly provides carbohydrates and water that are easily digested to help the baby replenish energy and prevent the baby from dehydration. In terms of nutrition, in terms of timing, it is recommended that when the baby has an appetite, it should be fed according to the principle of small meals and frequent meals, such as feeding half a bowl at a time, which can be divided into 4 to 5 times a day. Never force feed your baby when he has just finished taking medicine or when he is obviously resistant to eating.
- Important reminder: This recipe is only used as an auxiliary conditioning meal when the baby has a cold. It cannot replace drug treatment. If your baby's cold symptoms continue to worsen, or if you develop high fever or listlessness, you must seek medical treatment in time and let a professional doctor perform diagnosis and treatment.
