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Arroz e feijão amassadinho for babies
Mashed rice and beans for babies
9m+ · Brazil's everyday rice and carioca beans, cooked without salt or bacon and mashed together to soft lumps (plus overnight soaking)
Rice and beans are on almost every lunch plate in Brazil, from São Paulo office canteens to family tables in Minas Gerais, and babies join in from about eight or nine months with an amassadinho, a soft fork-mashed version. The beans are simmered with a little onion, garlic and bay leaf for flavour instead of salt, bacon or stock cubes, then mashed into soft rice with their thick broth. It is creamy, earthy and filling. It is free of the major allergens: no milk, egg, gluten, nuts, soya, sesame or fish. Chef's tip: mash the beans well and press them through a sieve the first few times; the skins are the part babies find hardest.
- Total time
- 50 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 6
Baby & toddler safety
- Age: from 9 months+.
- Allergens: none of the common allergens found in the ingredients. Offer one new allergen at a time, in the morning, so you can watch for a reaction.
- Texture and choking: purée or mash smoothly for 6–9 months, then soft, finger-sized pieces that squash between your fingers. Cut round foods such as grapes and cherry tomatoes into quarters lengthways, never give whole nuts, and always stay with your child while they eat.
- Under 1: no honey, no added salt or stock cubes, and no added sugar.
Every child is different. If you are unsure, especially about allergies, check with your health visitor or paediatrician.
Ingredients
For the beans
- 3 ½ oz dried carioca or pinto beans
- 3 cups waterfor cooking the beans
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 tsp olive oil
- ¼ onionfinely chopped
- 1 garlic clovecrushed
For the rice
- 2 ⅛ oz white ricerinsed
- 1 ¼ cups water
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Method
0/7 doneStep 1: The night before, cover 3 ½ oz dried carioca or pinto beans with plenty of cold water and soak for 8–12 hours. Drain and rinse, and throw away the soaking water.
5 minStep 2: Put the beans in a pressure cooker with 3 cups water and 1 bay leaf. Cook for 25 minutes once at pressure, then let the pressure drop on its own. In a pan, simmer covered for 1–1½ hours. The beans are ready when they squash completely between finger and thumb. Common mistake: serving beans that are merely tender; for babies they must be very soft, so cook on if any bean has a chalky centre.
30 minStep 3: Meanwhile, simmer 2 ⅛ oz white rice with 1 ¼ cups water in a covered pan on a low heat for 20 minutes, until very soft.
20 minStep 4: Heat 1 tsp olive oil in a small pan over a low heat and cook ¼ onion and 1 garlic clove for 5 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned.
5 minStep 5: Remove the bay leaf from the beans. Add a ladle of beans and broth to the onion, mash roughly and stir it back into the pot. Simmer for 5 minutes, until the broth thickens.
5 minStep 6: For each portion, mash 2 tablespoons of rice with 2 tablespoons of beans and a little broth with a fork to soft, moist lumps. Cool until just warm.
Step 7: Cool the rest quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze beans and rice in small pots for up to 1 month. Reheat only once, until piping hot all the way through, then cool before serving.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 95 kcal
- Protein
- 5 g
- Carbs
- 17 g
- Fat
- 1 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does arroz e feijão amassadinho for babies take?
- About 50 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 40 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 6 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of garlic clove?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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