Egg fried rice

Name: Egg fried rice
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 2 adults and 1 baby
Ingredients: 200 g (1 cup) white rice; 2 medium carrots; 100 g (⅔ cup) frozen peas; 2 eggs; 1 tbsp vegetable oil; 2–3 tbsp water

Soft rice warmed in a little oil with firm-cooked egg, soft carrot and squashed peas. Contains egg: offer it once your baby has had egg and rice each on their own. The baby's portion comes out before any soy sauce goes in.

From: 6 months
Time: 40 min
Makes: 2 adults and 1 baby

Contains egg

Ingredients

200 g (1 cup)white riceor about 500 g (3 cups) cooked rice that was cooled within 1 hour and kept in the fridge for no more than 1 day
2 mediumcarrots
100 g (⅔ cup)frozen peas
2eggs
1 tbspvegetable oil
2–3 tbspwater

Steps

1Wash your hands. If you're cooking the rice now, boil it in plenty of unsalted water, like pasta, until very soft, a little past how adults like it, then drain it. Scrub the carrots under running water, peel them and cut them into sticks about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), never round coins.
2Steam or boil the carrot sticks for about 10 minutes and the peas for the last 5, until both squash easily. Set a few carrot sticks aside for a young baby, and chop the rest into pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Press each pea flat with a fork.
3Beat the eggs. Heat half the oil in a wide pan over medium-low heat, pour in the eggs and cook as a thin, flat omelet, flipping once, until set all the way through with no runny egg. Slide it onto a board and cut it into finger-length strips. Wash your hands after handling raw egg.
4Heat the rest of the oil in the pan, add the rice and water and stir over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, until the rice is steaming hot all the way through, 165°F (74°C). Stir in the peas. For a baby under 9 months, spoon a little rice and peas into a bowl now, before the chopped carrot goes in. Then stir the chopped carrot into the pan. Don't add salt or soy sauce.
5Take your baby's portion out now, before any soy sauce or seasoning goes in (for a baby under 9 months, use the bowl you set aside). Put omelet on their plate: finger-length strips for a young baby, or pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) from 9 months. Chop the rest of the omelet into pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) and stir them into the family rice. Spread your baby's portion on a plate to cool, and check it's only just warm before serving.

How to serve it by age

6 months+

Once your baby has had egg on its own without a reaction, offer finger-length omelet strips and the soft carrot sticks you set aside to hold. Mash the rice and peas you set aside with a little water until there are no whole grains or whole peas left, and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon. If rice is new, offer it on its own first, earlier in the day: rice can cause a delayed reaction (FPIES). If your baby vomits once or twice a few hours later and seems alert and like themselves, call your pediatrician or GP. If they vomit again and again, or are pale, floppy, very sleepy or hard to wake, call your emergency number.

9 months+

Stir a little water through the rice so it's moist and easier to pick up, with egg and carrot pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) and every pea pressed flat.

12 months+

Serve the portion you took out before the adult seasonings went in, with egg and vegetables in pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch) and peas still squashed. Once your child has had wheat and soy each on their own, you can add a few drops of a reduced-salt soy sauce to that portion, or leave it out. Don't serve your child from the pan after sesame oil, chili or other adult seasonings go in.

Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe

United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting

USDA FSIS gives 3 to 4 days in the fridge for cooked leftovers in general. For rice, we follow the stricter UK rule for everyone. The CDC lists whole kernels of cooked grains as a choking risk for young children, which is why the rice is mashed for young babies.

United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting

The Food Standards Agency says to cool rice quickly, ideally within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and never reheat it more than once. The NHS lists cooked rice among finger foods from around 6 months, and lists soy sauce among sauces that can be high in salt.

We cover US and UK guidance in detail. Elsewhere, check your national health service's advice too.

If your baby reacts

This recipe contains egg. Introduce one new allergen at a time, mixed into a food your baby already eats, before serving it in a dish with other new foods. Contact your pediatrician, GP or health visitor if you notice mild signs after eating, such as a few hives or a little vomiting. See signs of a reaction.

Call 911999your local emergency number (such as 112 in Europe or 000 in Australia) now if your baby has trouble breathing, wheezing, can't cough or cry, has lips, mouth, tongue or throat that suddenly swell, or becomes pale, bluish, floppy or unresponsive. Also call if hives come with repeated vomiting.

Leftovers and the rest of the family

Storing it

Rice needs extra care. If you made this with rice cooked earlier, warming it in the pan was its one reheat, so throw away any leftover fried rice. If you cooked the rice fresh, cool leftovers within 1 hour in a shallow container, keep them in the fridge for no more than 1 day and reheat only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl. Don't leave fried rice at room temperature for more than 2 hours, or 1 hour if it's hotter than 90°F (32°C).

For the grown-ups

Take your baby's portion out first, then add reduced-salt soy sauce, sliced scallions, a little sesame oil or chili to the pan for the adults and toss for a minute until hot.