Cooking Japanese in Jamaica: Kabocha no Okonomiyaki - (Super baby/toddler food)

Ai Irisawa-Coney

My eight-month-old is now having three meals a day with his four front teeth. I was told by his paediatrician that he is the size of a one-year-old. So coming up with a healthy menu and keeping up with his meals is becoming quite a task.

Fortunately, he loves trying new flavours and textures and he eats everything from pasta with tomato sauce to Japanese somen noodle with vegetables and egg in fish stock soup. One of his favourites is a rye breadstick with tomato, avocado, cheese and olive oil. It may sound like I am trying to nurture him into a little gourmet foodie, but that's not the case. I just want to introduce him to a variety of foods at a very early age so that he will eat well when he grows up.

The Danish National Board of Health stresses the importance of weaning babies to solids preferably when they are around six months old.

As they get older, it is important to prepare foods with more and more texture. There seems to be a 'critical window' at the age of seven to eight months, where the baby is more likely to accept a new taste and consistency, especially chewable food.

A few weeks ago, he was not feeling very well and so did not have much of an appetite. So I wanted to create a snack that's packed with nutrients and is still delicious.

I then came up with Kabocha no Okonomiyaki. I have introduced Okonomiyaki to this column before. This is a baby or toddler version of Okonomiyaki. I am pretty confident that a lot of busy mothers will appreciate this recipe as it is easy, nutritious and can be frozen. This is also perfect food if your child is learning to feed himself using his fingers.

It will also certainly attract the attention of your big boy (husband). I have caught my husband stealing a few bites of my baby's snack!

Don't be afraid to add different things than indicated in the recipe above. Just chop or mash them up and add them into the mix. For children who may have food allergies, just omit the egg and tomato and replace them with more yam, carrot or something else they like. If you want to add more protein, tofu, minced chicken or mince beef will do well with this recipe.

Itadakimasu!

Ai Irisawa-Coney managed a Japanese restaurant in Soho, London. She is also a founder of Epiphany Media Solutions (www.facebook.com/epiphanymediaja and ACI Consultancy www.aci-consultancy.com).

Kabocha no Okonomiyaki

Cooking time 20 minutes

Makes about a dozen

Ingredients

1 cup of finely chopped cabbage or

callaloo

1 stalk scallion

1 small carrot

1/2 small plum tomato

1/2 lb pumpkin

1/2 lb yam

1 egg

Small amount of olive oil or vegetable oil

Method

Remove skin from pumpkin and boil until soft.

Chop cabbage (or callaloo) and spring onion into tiny pieces.

Peel and chop tomato into tiny pieces.

Peel and grade carrot and yam and mix all the ingredients. Make sure the pumpkin is mashed and mixed evenly.

Heat a small amount of oil in a frying pan. If you wish, use non-stick frying pan so that no oil is required.

Take a tablespoon full of the mix and add to oil.

Cook
each side for about 3 minutes on medium heat (flip them just like
pancakes) This should make about a dozen okonomiyaki 11/2 inch in
diameter.

When cool, wrap them in PBA free cling film and
freeze in a Ziploc bag. Make sure to remove the film before reheating in
the microwave.