LounjeLounjePlan my week

Pap and Moringa Baby Food

Also known as Pap and Moringa Baby Food (Weaning Nutrition)

Pap with Moringa is a modernised version of the traditional Nigerian weaning food (Ogi or Akamu) that adds the extraordinary nutritional profile of moringa powder to create one of the most nutritionally complete weaning foods available to Nigerian mothers. Traditional pap alone provides carbohydrates but limited protein, vitamins and minerals.

Pap and Moringa Baby Food, Nigerian cooking

Ingredients

  • 1 big cup of Ogi powder (Akamu / fermented corn pap)
  • 2 glasses of water
  • 1 big tablespoon of dried moringa powder — for children over 6 months
  • 1 tablespoon of crayfish powder — for children over 6 months, for additional protein
  • A small amount of honey (for children over 1 year only) OR sugar for sweetening
  • Evaporated milk or breast milk for thinning — for younger infants

Method

  1. 01

    Dissolving the Pap. Mix the Ogi powder with 4 big tablespoons of cold water until completely smooth and lump-free — a perfectly smooth paste with no lumps whatsoever. This lump-free dissolving is critical for infant feeding.

  2. 02

    Cooking the Pap. Bring 1.5 glasses of water to a full rolling boil. Pour in the dissolved Ogi paste while stirring constantly and quickly. Reduce heat to medium-low. Continue stirring for 4 to 5 minutes until the pap is smooth, cooked through and at a consistency appropriate for the child's age — thinner for younger infants, thicker for older babies.

  3. 03

    Adding Moringa and Crayfish. Remove from heat. Allow the pap to cool slightly — do not add moringa to boiling pap as extreme heat reduces some of the vitamin content. Add dried moringa powder and ground crayfish powder. Stir very well until completely incorporated with no visible green clumps.

  4. 04

    Sweetening and Finishing. Add a small amount of sugar to taste. For children over 1 year, a very small drizzle of honey can be used instead. Thin with a little evaporated milk or expressed breast milk if needed.

  5. 05

    Temperature Check. Before feeding, always test the temperature on the inside of your wrist — the pap should feel warm but not hot. Infants are far more sensitive to heat than adults.

More health & therapeutic recipes