Tofu veggie stir-fry
Soft strips of tofu with carrot, zucchini and broccoli, steam-fried until tender and served with soft rice. Contains soy: offer it once your baby has had soy on its 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 soy
Ingredients
- 1 block (400 g / 14 oz)firm tofu
- 2 mediumcarrots
- 1 mediumzucchini (courgette)
- 1 headbroccoliabout 300 g (10 oz)
- 1 clovegarlicfinely minced, optional
- 1 tspgrated fresh gingeroptional
- 1 tbspvegetable oil
- 4–6 tbspwater
- 200 g (1 cup)white rice
Steps
- 1Wash your hands. Scrub the carrots under running water and peel them. Rinse the zucchini and broccoli. If you use fresh ginger, rinse it, peel it and grate it very finely, throwing away any stringy bits. Cut the carrots and zucchini lengthwise into sticks about 6–8 cm long and 2 cm wide (2½–3 × ¾ in), never round coins, and cut the broccoli into large florets with a long stem, peeling the tough outer layer off thick stems. Drain the tofu, pat it dry and cut it into strips of the same size.
- 2Cook the rice in plenty of unsalted water, like pasta, until very soft, a little past how adults like it, then drain it.
- 3Heat the oil in a wide pan or wok over medium heat. Add the carrots and 4 tbsp of water, cover and cook for 6 minutes. Add the broccoli and zucchini, cover again and cook for 6 to 8 minutes more, stirring now and then and adding a splash of water if the pan dries, until every vegetable squashes easily.
- 4Push the vegetables to the side, stir the garlic and ginger in the oil for 1 minute, then add the tofu. Warm it gently for 3 to 4 minutes, turning carefully, until hot all the way through but still soft, not crisp. Don't add salt or soy sauce.
- 5Take your baby's portion of tofu, vegetables and rice out now, before any soy sauce or other sauce goes in. Spread it on a plate to cool, squash a carrot stick between your thumb and finger to check it's soft, check there are no stringy bits of ginger, and make sure everything is only just warm before serving.
- 6Cool any leftover rice quickly, ideally within 1 hour: spread it in a shallow container, then refrigerate it.
How to serve it by age
6 months+
Once your baby has had soy on its own without a reaction, offer finger-length strips of tofu, soft carrot and zucchini sticks and a broccoli floret held by its stem. Mash a little rice with water and serve it on a pre-loaded spoon.
9 months+
Cut the tofu and vegetables into pieces no bigger than about 1 cm (just under ½ inch), and stir the soft rice through them so it's moist and easier to pick up.
12 months+
Serve the family stir-fry with soft rice, with tofu and vegetables in bite-sized pieces about 1 cm (just under ½ inch). Go easy on soy sauce: leave it out, or add just a few drops of a reduced-salt one. Most soy sauce also contains wheat, so check the label and use it only once your child has had both wheat and soy on their own.
Where US and UK guidance differ on this recipe
United States(AAP and CDC)Your setting
The AAP says fresh baby food should be cooked with no added salt or seasoning, and doesn't give an age for garlic or ginger. If you'd rather follow that closely, add the garlic and ginger after your baby's portion is out, or ask your pediatrician.
United Kingdom(NHS)Your setting
The NHS says not to add salt, stock cubes or gravy to your baby's food. Its general salt advice suggests herbs, spices and garlic to add flavor instead of salt, and lists soy sauce among sauces 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 soy. 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 has its own, stricter rules: cool it quickly, ideally within 1 hour, keep it in the fridge for no more than 1 day, and reheat it only once. Or freeze it within 1 hour of cooking and use it within 3 to 4 months; thaw it in the fridge, eat it within 24 hours of thawing and reheat it only once. Keep leftover tofu and vegetables in a covered container in the fridge for 3 to 4 days. Reheat everything only once, until steaming hot, 165°F (74°C), then let it cool before serving. Throw away anything left in your baby's bowl, and any tofu and vegetables left out at room temperature for more than 2 hours (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, chili and a squeeze of lime to the pan for the adults, and toss for a minute until hot.
Foods in this recipe
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