12 Best Paneer Recipes For Babies

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Paneer or cottage cheese is made of curdled milk and is a rich source of protein. If you plan to add this nutrient-dense food into your little one’s diet, our list includes some paneer recipes for babies. This milk product is available in most grocery stores, and you may also prepare it with plain milk. If your child isn’t lactose intolerant, paneer is a good source of many vitamins and minerals that help in proper growth and development. In addition, paneer is widely used in Indian cuisine owing to its neutral taste that blends with most dishes. So, keep scrolling for some delicious paneer recipes your baby would enjoy.

12 Yummilicious Paneer Recipes For Babies

Look through these delicious Indian food ideas for baby with paneer as the main ingredient.

1. Cottage Cheese, Strawberry And Peach Wonder:

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You Will Need:

• ½ cup of cottage cheese

• 4 strawberries

• ¼ cup water

• ½ peach

How To:

1. Peel and deseed the peach and cut into pieces.

2. Remove the stem and hull from the strawberries and cut into quarters.

3. Place the peaches and strawberries into a microwave safe bowl. Add water, cover with plastic and microwave on high for 2 minutes.

4. Check if the fruit is soft or not. If the fruit is still hard, then heat for another 30 seconds.

5. Place the cottage cheese in a shallow bowl and pour the cooked peaches and strawberries on top.

Here is the paneer recipe for babies you can give them without a doubt.

2. Mashed Cauliflower And Paneer:

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You Will Need:

• 500 grams cauliflower

• 200 grams of full fat cottage cheese

How To:

1. Remove the cauliflower from the stems and place in a steamer. Steam for 15 minutes or until the cauliflower is soft.

2. Let the cauliflower stand for 5 minutes.

3. Place the cauliflower and cottage cheese in a shallow dish and mash until you get a desired consistency.

4. You can also season with salt and pepper.

Quick tip

You may add spices such as nutmeg, cumin seed powder, or cinnamon powder to give your baby’s dish a pleasant aroma.

3. Peach, Pear And Paneer Puree:

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You Will Need:

• ½ cup cottage cheese

• 1 serving of peach puree or mashed peaches

• 1 serving of pear puree or peeled and mashed pear

How To:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and stir well.

2. If you want a smoother texture, then place all the ingredients in a food processor and process until you get a desired consistency.

4. Vegetable And Paneer Puree:

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You Will Need:

• ¼ cup of fresh peas

• 1 small sized red potato, cooked and cut into pieces

• 6 ounces of paneer

• ½ teaspoon of onion powder

• ¼ cup of diced carrot

• 4 asparagus spears

• A dash of pepper

How To:

1. Steam the peas, carrot and asparagus for 15 minutes.

2. Add all the ingredients, including the vegetable in a blender and puree to a desired consistency. You can also add breast milk or water to thin the puree.

Infants and babies would definitely enjoy this delicious homemade paneer recipe mentioned above.

5. Paneer Rice:

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You Will Need:

• 1 cup fresh peas, steamed

• ½ cup cottage cheese

• ½ cup cooked rice

• A dash of black pepper

• A dash of onion powder

How To:

1. Steam the peas and leave it aside for 15 minutes.

2. Add the peas, onion powder, rice, and black pepper and blend to get a puree like consistency.

3. Then either mix the paneer in the puree, by hand or fork.

6. Palak Paneer

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You Will Need:

• 1 cup of paneer, cooked

• 16 ounces of paneer, cut into cubes

• 4 to 5 cloves of garlic

• 2 tablespoons finely diced onion

• ½ teaspoon of red chili flakes

• ½ teaspoon of olive oil

• 2 teaspoons of lemon juice

• ¼ cup water

• Salt to taste

How To:

1. Blend the spinach on high, to make a puree.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan and add red chili and garlic. Sauté for 30 minutes and serve.

3. Add diced onions and sauté for another minute.

4. Now add paneer cubes and water and cook for 5 minutes.

5. When just a teaspoon of water in the pan, add pureed spinach, lemon juice, and salt.

6. Simmer on low heat for 5 minutes.

7. Fruity Paneer

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You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon of ripe banana, chopped

• 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese

• 1 tablespoon of ripe papaya

How To:

1. Mix or mash all the ingredients.

2. Serve the tasty and nutritious fruity paneer as a meal or snack for babies.

8. Apple And Cottage Cheese

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You Will Need:

• 1 apple, cored and diced

• ½ teaspoon of ground flax

• 1 tablespoon of cottage cheese

• A pinch of cinnamon

How To:

1. Place the diced apples in a saucepan and add a bit of water to it.

2. Cook for a few minutes until the apple is under, but not completely broken

3. Top the crumbled paneer with warm apple and sprinkle some cinnamon.

4. Sprinkle some ground flax seed and serve.

9. Blueberry Delight

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You Will Need:

• 1 tablespoon of chopped blueberries

• 1 tablespoon of mashed banana

• 1 tablespoon of cooked brown rice

• 1 tablespoon of paneer

• A drop of vanilla

• A pinch of cinnamon

How To:

1. Stir together every ingredient and serve.

2. You can also blend the mixture if it is too lumpy for your baby.

10. Spinach And Paneer Rice

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You Will Need:

• ¼ cup chopped spinach

• ¼ cup rice washed and rinsed

• ¼ cup chopped paneer

• ½ teaspoon of ghee

• Salt to taste

How To:

1. In a pan, add clarified butter or ghee, chopped spinach and cooked rice. Cook for 1 minute.

2. Then add paneer, salt, a bit of water and cook for a few minutes.

3. Serve when the rice is at room temperature.

This recipe is easy, delicious, and a healthy and filling meal option for babies. You may also pack this as a lunchtime meal for your toddler with their favorite curry.

Quick tip

You may add finely chopped coriander, fenugreek, and mint leaves to enhance the flavor and aroma of the dish.

11. Pan Fried Paneer

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• Paneer cubes
• 1 tbsp ghee/butter

How To:

1. In a small pan, melt one tbsp of ghee/butter.
2. When the ghee/butter has melted, add the paneer cubes.
3. Saute them for about 2 minutes on one side, then carefully flip and cook for another minute until done.
4. Remove them from the pan and drain excess ghee/butter on a kitchen towel or tissue.
5. Cool it a little and serve it when warm.

12. Paneer Omelette

Image: Shutterstock

You Will Need:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup grated paneer
• ¼ tbsp cumin powder
• 1 small onion (finely chopped)
• Salt to taste
• ⅛ tbsp pepper powder
• 2 tbsp ghee/ butter

How To:

1. Begin by grating paneer, slicing onions, and green chilies.
2. Add pepper, cumin powder, and salt to the eggs until foamy. Mix thoroughly.
3. Saute onions and green chilies in a pan with one tbsp of butter till golden brown.
4. Add the grated paneer and cook briefly before turning off the heat.
5. Transfer the cooked mixture to the beaten eggs and mix well.
6. Melt a tbsp of butter in a separate pan and add the egg-paneer mixture.
7. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side on a low-medium heat.
8. Once done, turn off the heat, cut it into pieces, and serve.

A Word Of Caution

If your baby is prone to allergies like asthma, eczema or rashes, then avoid giving him paneer or any other dairy products until he turns a year old.

Infographic: Best Paneer Recipes For Babies

Paneer, also known as cottage cheese, is a good vegetarian protein source. It is loaded with vitamins and minerals. Paneer’s flavor and health advantages are undeniable, so consider including it in your little one’s diet. Read this infographic to discover healthy paneer recipes for babies.

Illustration: Momjunction Design Team

Illustration: Best Paneer Recipes For Babies

Image: Stable Diffusion/MomJunction Design Team

Explore four delicious paneer recipes that will satisfy your child’s taste buds. Learn how to make nutritious and delightful meals for your baby with these easy-to-follow recipes.

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Angela HoulieMS, RDN, CDN

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Swati Patwal is a clinical nutritionist, a Certified Diabetes Educator (CDE) and a toddler mom with more than a decade of experience in diverse fields of nutrition. She started her career as a CSR project coordinator for a healthy eating and active lifestyle project catering to school children.

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