Skip to content

Gemüse-Kartoffel-Fleisch-Brei (vegetable, potato and beef mash)

6m+ · Germany's first lunch mash: carrot, potato and a little lean beef blended smooth with rapeseed oil

In Germany the first proper lunch for a baby of about six months is the Gemüse-Kartoffel-Fleisch-Brei, a smooth purée of carrot or parsnip with potato and a little lean beef, finished with a spoonful of rapeseed oil. Many parents stir in a little unsweetened fruit juice or purée too, as vitamin C helps the body take up the iron from the meat. It tastes sweet and mild and is made with no salt. It contains none of the common allergens (milk, egg, gluten, peanut, tree nuts, soya, sesame, fish). Chef's tip: add the oil to each portion after reheating rather than before freezing, so it stays fresh-tasting.
Total time
40 min
Difficulty
easy
Serves
4

Baby & toddler safety

  • Age: from 6 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.

One step at a time, big text, timers, read-aloud. Your screen stays on.

Ingredients

Serves4
  • 2 ⅞ oz lean beeftopside or rump, fat trimmed, cut into small cubes
  • 1 cup water
  • 12 ½ oz carrotsor parsnips, peeled and sliced
  • 5 ½ oz potatoesfloury, peeled and diced

Per portion, at serving

Shop this recipe on Amazon

What you'll need

Spices & pantry

Fresh ingredients (4)

Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.

Method

0/5 done
  1. Step 1: Put 2 ⅞ oz lean beef and 1 cup water in a saucepan, bring to the boil and skim off the foam. Cover and simmer gently for 10 minutes.

    12 min
  2. Step 2: Add 12 ½ oz carrots and 5 ½ oz potatoes, cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes more, until a knife slides into the potato with no resistance and the beef is cooked through with no pink (at least 160°F).

    18 min
  3. Step 3: Blend everything with the cooking liquid until completely smooth. The common mistake is under-blending the meat: there should be no fibres at all at six months. Add a little boiled water if it is too thick to drop from a spoon.

  4. Step 4: Divide into 4 portions. For the one you are serving, stir in 1 teaspoon of 4 tsp rapeseed oil and 1 tablespoon of 4 tbsp unsweetened apple purée, if using, and cool to lukewarm.

  5. Step 5: Cool the other portions quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, or freeze for up to a month. Reheat until piping hot all the way through, stir in the oil, then cool before serving.

Nutrition per serving

Calories
115 kcal
Protein
6 g
Carbs
13 g
Fat
5 g
Fibre
3 g

Nutrition values are estimates.

K
Recipe by

KrazyBadal

All recipes by this chef →

Good to know

How long does gemüse-Kartoffel-Fleisch-Brei (vegetable, potato and beef mash) take?
About 40 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 30 minutes to cook.
How many people does it serve?
4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
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 carrots?
Parsnip or sweet potato, same weight.
What can I use instead of potatoes?
Sweet potato, same weight (sweeter, cooks a little faster).

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.

Rate this recipe

Sign in to rate and review this recipe.

Pork souvlaki

This is a pork recipe. Walk through any Greek town after dark, from Athens to Thessaloniki, and the smell of souvlaki stands drifts down the street; cubes of pork shoulder grilled on thin skewers are the country's favourite cheap supper, eaten standing up or at a plastic-table taverna. At home you marinate the meat in lemon, olive oil, garlic and dried oregano, grill it hard and fast, and pile it on warm pitta with tzatziki, tomato and red onion. Chef's tip: cut the pork into even 2.5 cm cubes and leave a little fat on; lean loin dries out, shoulder stays juicy over high heat.

32 minGreekMeat
by KrazyBadal 1 views

Pfälzer SaumagenStuffed pig's stomach

Saumagen is the pride of the Palatinate, served at wine-village festivals and family dinners from the Haardt hills to Ludwigshafen. A cleaned pig's stomach is stuffed with diced pork shoulder, pork sausage meat, potato and carrot seasoned with marjoram and nutmeg, poached slowly, then sliced thick and fried until crusty. The stomach works only as a casing and is ordered from a butcher; if you can't get one, bake the same filling in a covered terrine in a water bath. Serve with sauerkraut and mashed potato. Chef's tip: fill the stomach only three-quarters full, or it bursts as the potatoes swell.

225 minGermanMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 1 views

Chha goshtLamb in buttermilk gravy

Up in the hill villages of Himachal Pradesh, where flocks are walked to summer pastures, lamb is often cooked in chhaachh, the thin buttermilk left after churning butter. Thickened with a spoonful of gram flour, it makes a pale, gently sour gravy that is milder and lighter than the red curries of the plains, and it is a favourite at dhams, the festive meals of the Kangra and Chamba valleys. Serve it with steamed rice or makki ki roti. Chef's tip: whisk the gram flour into the buttermilk until there are no lumps before it goes near the pot; once it hits the heat, any lumps stay lumps.

105 minIndianMeatGluten free
by KrazyBadal 1 views