One of the most read post is the â Homemade Cerelac Powder for Babies or SathuMaavu powder for Babiesâ It is a very easy to make and simple version of the Health Mix powder.
I had made this while waiting for my mom to prepare the sprouted version of the Homemade Cerelac Powder.
Though both are nutritious and weight gaining food for babies, Sprouted version has the edge of being loaded with proteins than the normal easy SathuMaavu Powder for Babies.
Why Sprouting is good for Babies?
1. Sprouting helps increase the nutritional value of the grain.
2. Sprouting process makes it easier for the body to absorb nutrients especially Iron, Zinc and Vitamin Cš
* Alert *
Making this sprouted Sathu Maavu powder is a very tedious process and proper care has to be taken during every step of preparation. This is my motherâs recipe and she makes it once to last a year. Since many readers were asking for the recipe for sprouted homemade cerelac , we prepared a fresh batch specially for this article đ
If you want you can still save the time and effort of buying the ingredients, sprouting, roasting, grinding, etc. by ordering homemade Sathu Maavu Health Mix here.
How to make Sprouted Homemade Cerelac or Sathu Maavu powder for Babies ?
Ingredients
We have used the following ingredients for this homemade cerelac, Please note all the ingredients cannot be sprouted, please go though the method to know which of them can be sprouted.
- White or Brown Rice â 200gm
- Wheat â 200gm
- Ragi â 200gm
- Jowar â 200gm
- Roasted Gram â 200gm
- Green gram â 200gm
- Black gram â 200gm
- Corn â 200gm
- Sago or Sabudhna â 200gm
- Groundnuts â 200gm
- Chickpeas â 200gm
- Horse Gram â 100gm
- Cowpeas â 100gm
- Omam or Ajwain â 10gm
- Dry Ginger â 10gm
- Elaichi â 15 gm
- Cashew â 100gm
- Pista â 100gm
- Badam â 100gm
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Method
How to sprout the ingredients for Homemade cerelac or SathuMaavu Powder ?
The following grains can be sprouted
- Ragi
- Green Gram
- Black Gram
- Chickpeas
- Cowpeas
- Jowar
- Horsegram
- Wheat
- Corn
Steps
1. Rinse all the ingredients separately to remove debris or stones.
2. Soak them in water overnight or atleast 8 hours.
3. Drain and rinse all the grains separately.
4. The grains can be tied in a soft cotton cloth like below and place the individual bundles in a tray in a dry place.
5. After 8 to 10 hours you can see small sprouts from the grains. If you want longer sprouts they can be left for a longer period.
Sprouted Grains like Ragi will be moist and little bit sticky to touch, you donât have to be worried about it. If you detect a putrid smell or very sticky and greasy texture of the sprouted grains, it is better to discard them.
Please Note â Sprouting depends upon the climatic conditions and also on the type of grain, some may take longer than others.
Safety Precaution for sprouting the Grains
The SafetyFood.org and FDA cautions that â Seeds and beans need warm and humid climate to sprout, these conditions are also ideal for the growth of bacteria like Salmonella, Listeria and Ecoli â.
To reduce this risk, FDA advices cooking the sprouts thoroughly before consumption, in this recipe we are roasting the sprouted ingredients thoroughly to prevent risk of infection.
Drying the Sprouted Ingredients.
Dry the Sprouted ingredients in sun for a day.
Roasting the Ingredients
1. After drying the sprouted grains, each should be dry roasted well separately.
2. The other ingredients like dry fruits, sago, fried gram, Ajwain to be dry roasted individually.
3. Cool all the ingredients.
Making the Powder
After all the ingredients have been roasted, with dry ginger it can be powdered in a Power Mill, as unlike the easy sathumaavu mix, they cannot be powdered at home.
Update: We have also put together a video so you can see the step-by-step process in action!
No time to prepare this powder at home? Donât worry, we prepare it hygienically and ship it to your doorstepÂ
Storage
This Sprouted Homemade Cerelac Powder or Sathu Mavu powder can be stored in airtight container in refrigerator for more than 6 months, and it can be stored outside for 2 to 3 months in a cool dry place. I usually store the bulk in a tupperware box inside the refergeriator and place 1 week of stock outside for daily use.
Can I give my baby Health Mix or Homemade Cerelac?
For babies between 6-8months
This powder can be given without dry fruits and after having introduced the basic food like dal, rice and wheat. Please follow the 3 day rule while introducing the healthmix.
For Babies 8 months
The Homemade cerelac can be given to babies above 8 months with all the suggested ingredients, it is safe to follow the 3 day rule.
How to make Sprouted SathuMaavu Porridge for Babies?
In a heavy bottom pan, mix 1 cup of water with 2 tablespoons of Sprouted SathuMaavu powder without any lumps. Heat it, and stir it continuously so that it doesnât stick to the pan. Â The porridge is fully cooked when a nice aroma arises from the mixture.
For babies above 1 year, a tablespoon cowâs milk can be added while cooking.
For my toddler, I mix one tablespoon of powder in 100 ml of milk cook and can be given as Health drink.
- White or Brown Rice - 200gm
- Wheat - 200gm
- Ragi - 200gm
- Jowar - 200gm
- Roasted Gram - 200gm
- Green gram - 200gm
- Black gram - 200gm
- Corn - 200gm
- Sago or Sabudhna - 200gm
- Groundnuts - 200gm
- Chickpeas - 200gm
- Horse Gram - 100gm
- Cowpeas - 100gm
- Omam or Ajwain - 50gm
- Dry Ginger - 10gm
- Elaichi - 15 gm
- Cashew - 200gm
- Pista - 200gm
- Badam - 200gm
- Sprout wheat, ragi, jowar, green gram, black gram,corn,chickpeas, horsegram, cowpeas.
- Dry the sprouted ingredients in sun for a day.
- Roast all the sprouted and unsprouted ingredients individually.
- After it cools give the ingredients in a power mill to make a fine powder.
- For making the porridge mix 1 cup of water with 2 tablespoon of powder without lumps.
- Heat it in a heavy bottomed pan, and stir continuously without lumps.
- The porridge is cooked when a nice aroma arises.
2. For preschoolers and kids, the sathumaavu powder can be cooked in 150ml of milk and can be given as health drink.