Cooking Flavorful Eel Congee for Babies Under 1 at Home, Just as Delicious as in Restaurants

Is your little one getting bored with the usual porridge made from meat, fish, or cheese? No matter how much you try, they just shake their head and turn away. Well, change things up with this guide on making eel congee – guaranteed to have your baby eagerly digging in!

• Preparation and cooking time: approximately 2 hours. 

At what age can your baby start enjoying eel congee?

• Introduce eel congee to your baby after about 1-2 weeks of starting solid foods to acquaint them with different flavors.

• As your little one reaches around 7-8 months, you can incorporate eel congee into their diet more frequently to ensure they get enough nutrients.

Tips for choosing tasty eels

• Opt for slender eels with distinct black markings on the back and a shiny golden belly. Avoid overly large ones as they may not be as delicious.

Proper Eel Preparation to Avoid Fishy Taste

Use lime or coarse salt to clean the eel.

Step 1: Use a bit of lime or coarse salt, hold the eel's head with one hand, and scrub vigorously with a rough dishcloth to remove the slime. Then, use a knife to make a horizontal cut across the neck and anus (for easier gutting). Insert the knife straight from the neck to the anus along the belly's midline, and remove the eel's guts.

Step 2: Rinse the eel once again to remove any blood on its body, then squeeze a lemon over the eel, inside and out, to eliminate any fishy taste. Finally, rinse it one more time with water.

Step 3: Use a knife along the spine of the eel to separate the meat from the eel bones.

Step 4: Note that in Step 1, you can place the eel in the freezer for about 20 minutes to make it easier. Here, I skip boiling water as I've tried it, and the meat becomes tough and loses its aroma.

Step 5: For the eel bones, it's advisable to simmer and strain the broth to use in cooking porridge for your little one.

1. How to Cook Eel and Carrot Congee for Baby's Introduction to Solid Foods

- Pediatricians recommend introducing solid foods to babies at 6 months. By this time, their digestive system can absorb nutrients beyond breast milk. However, moms should focus on offering porridge with more vegetables and tubers than animal meat.

- Avoid combining too many spices, vegetables, and meats. Keep it simple to prevent stomach discomfort, bloating, or diarrhea.

- In this article, for babies transitioning to solid foods, I use finely ground rice flour for cooking instead of whole rice, as it's quicker and more convenient. You can also use rice for porridge, but it takes more time since you need to grind it after cooking before feeding the baby, which can be quite cumbersome.

Eel and carrot congee is an excellent combination that promotes the development of vision and strengthens the skeletal system in growing babies.

Ingredients:

- Prepared eel meat

- A small piece of carrot, enough for a serving

- Fish sauce (or bouillon cubes), cooking oil - suitable for babies starting solid foods

- 1 teaspoon of rice flour

Instructions:

- Grind the eel meat and carrot into a smooth paste one after the other.

- After grinding the eel meat, sauté it with a bit of cooking oil, fish sauce (or bouillon cubes).

- Mix sautéed eel meat, carrot, eel broth, and rice flour in a small simmering pot. Stir well to prevent lumps, ensuring the ingredients blend for a tastier result.

- Simmer for about 3-5 minutes, add cooking oil, stir thoroughly, and serve in a bowl for the baby to cool before feeding to retain its freshness.

2. How to Cook Eel Congee for Babies from 8 Months to 1 Year Old

For babies aged 8-10 months, mothers need not be overly cautious; continue feeding finely ground food. At this stage, babies have teeth, so offer coarser food for chewing and saliva gland development. Transition from ground porridge to grainy porridge for chewing practice, making the feeding process more relaxed.

2.1. How to Cook Eel and Taro Congee for Babies

Eel and taro congee for babies.

Ingredients:

- Rice or broken rice for cooking porridge

- Green onions, shallots, coriander

- Prepared eel meat

- Eel broth

- Taro: a few small diced pieces

How to Prepare:

- Cook rice for porridge; when it's almost done, add the diced taro to simmer together.

- Finely chop the eel meat.

- Sauté the chopped green onions, add the eel meat, stir-fry until well-cooked, and season with fish sauce.

- When the porridge is cooked, add the eel, stir well, simmer for an additional 5 minutes, then remove from heat. Add green onions, coriander, and enjoy hot.

2.2. Nutrient-Rich Eel and Pumpkin Congee for Children.

Eel and pumpkin congee for babies.

Ingredients:

- Rice or broken rice for cooking porridge

- Red pumpkin

- Spring onions, onions, coriander

- Eel meat

- Bone broth

- How to make:

- Dice red pumpkin into small cubes, chop onions, and finely cut coriander

- Simmer the rice until almost cooked, then add the diced red pumpkin to simmer until both are tender.

- Sauté finely minced eel until cooked. After the porridge is ready, add the cooked eel and simmer for an additional 3 minutes. Garnish with herbs and then serve hot for the baby.

It's really not difficult to prepare a nutritious eel porridge for your little one. Quickly head to the kitchen and whip up a pot for your child.

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Wishing your little one a delightful and speedy growth with delicious meals.

Meet Khanh An, the extraordinary personality

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