I know what some of you might be thinking…”whoa, curry for a baby??” but keep in mind it is very mild and none of the spices in this recipe are actually spicy! I like introducing new flavours to my baby (the boss) because I think it’s important for her to develop her taste buds and be open to lots of different kinds of foods and cuisines. Plus, many of these spices and aromatics have lots of natural health benefits. For example, turmeric has been shown to have several positive effects on our body, ginger can sooth upset tummies, and it has long been known that garlic and onions can help boost your immune system. Giving your baby exciting new tastes instead of bland purees while boosting her health is a great way to start solids!

prep: 10 min   cook: 20 min   yield: 5 small mason jars

what you need:

• 1 large sweet potato
• 1 cup cooked chick peas
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 thin slices of fresh ginger
• 1/2 small cooking onion
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 tsp cumin
• extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper *optional

what to do:

1. Line cookie sheet with parchment paper and preheat oven to 425 F.
2. Wash and peel sweet potato, then cut into half inch discs.  Place them on the cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil all over them, season very lightly with salt and pepper, then move them around so that all sides get coated.  Place into oven, middle rack, and bake for about 7 minutes per side (until fork tender, and just gently golden browned).
3. Smash garlic, dice onion, and cut ginger into thin pieces.
4. While your sweet potatoes are roasting, heat up 1 tsp oil in a small frying pan (medium-low heat).
   
   

   sautéing

   Sauté garlic, onions and ginger until softened, and onions are almost translucent.
5. Add the ground spices (cinnamon, cumin, and turmeric) and at this point if the pan seems to dry add a little bit more olive oil.  Once you smell all the aromas coming together, turn off the heat.  This should only take about 30 seconds or so.
6. While the onions cool, blend chick peas until smooth. Then add onion mixture and blend until a fine purée.
7. Sweet potatoes should be about ready now – remove from oven and allow them to cool just until they are ready to handle.  You can add them to the puree and blend – or, if you want more texture, simply mash them gently with a fork and then add them to the chick pea mixture, then store into mason jars. You can keep this in the fridge for a few days or freeze them in smaller jars to pull out for meals later.