Sweet potato khichdi — a naturally sweet, calorie-rich lunch for healthy weight gain (6–12 months)
The first khichdi made sweeter and richer — sweet potato and ghee for calories babies happily take.
Why am I making this?
When a baby needs to gain, the trick is more nourishment per spoonful of a food they already accept. This khichdi adds sweet potato — naturally sweet and energy-rich — and a little extra ghee to the familiar rice-and-dal base, so each soft bite carries more calories. Sweet, smooth and gentle, it is an easy lunch that supports gentle weight gain without forcing larger portions.
Ancient text
Ghee is foremost among nourishing fats; rice-and-ghee is among the gentlest, most nourishing of meals.
The classical scriptures place ghee first among nourishing fats, describing it as strength-giving and suited to children — the reasoning behind enriching a baby's khichdi with a little ghee.
Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana — the chapters on nourishing fats (Sneha) and on rice. Reviewed by the Aayu Ahaar editorial team.
Modern research
Sweet potato adds easily digested complex carbohydrate and beta-carotene; rice and moong dal together form a complete protein; and energy-dense ghee raises the meal's calories without raising its volume — the recommended approach for healthy weight gain in infants.
Indian Food Composition Tables, National Institute of Nutrition (ICMR), 2017 — sweet potato, rice, moong dal and ghee composition. World Health Organization — complementary feeding and energy-dense foods for infants 6–12 months. Indian Academy of Pediatrics — guidance on added fats to raise dietary energy density.
How to make it
What you'll need
- 2 tbsp rice
- 1 tbsp yellow moong dal
- 3 tbsp sweet potato, peeled and cubed
- 1.5 tsp ghee
- A pinch of cumin and turmeric
- Rinse the rice and dal together. Pressure-cook with the sweet potato, cumin, turmeric and 1.5 cups water for 4 whistles, until very soft.
- Mash smooth. Stir in 1 teaspoon of the ghee while warm.
- Cool to lukewarm; add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon ghee on top just before feeding.
- Check the temperature on your wrist before serving.
How to feed it
| Texture | Smooth and soft for 6–8 months; lightly mashed from 9 months |
| Quantity | 3–5 tablespoons as a full meal |
| Frequency | Daily, as a main lunch within a varied diet |
| Best time | Lunch, when digestion is strongest |
What's inside
Grow this recipe with your child
| 6–8 months | Mash fully smooth; 1 tsp ghee is plenty |
| 8–12 months | A few soft lumps for chewing; add more vegetables |
| 1 year+ | A fuller khichdi with curd and a ghee drizzle |
What every mother asks
Is sweet potato too sugary for a baby?
How much ghee is right?
Will it really help weight?
Can I add salt?
A few honest notes
- Introduce only from 6 months, when your baby is ready for solids.
- No added salt before age one.
- Introduce new vegetables one at a time, with a 3-day gap, to spot any reaction.
- Serve lukewarm and freshly made; if your baby is persistently not gaining weight, see your paediatrician.
Storage & make-ahead
Best made fresh and served lukewarm. Keeps covered in the fridge for a few hours; warm gently with a little water and add the final ghee fresh at serving. Don't store overnight to reheat for a baby.
A gentle, honest note — this is one nourishing food among many, not a complete meal on its own. Aayu Ahaar walks beside the doctor's care, never in its place.