Korean rice porridge for baby. Only two ingredients are needed!
In case you don’t know, I have a young baby who’s now just around 6 months old.
She’s been exclusively breastfed until now and I thought it’s about time I introduce her first solid food. Her bottom two teeth are already half way up and she certainly has shown interest in other food by staring at it when I eat and also by trying to grab and reach out for my food. My mummy’s gut tells me that she’s definitely ready for it.
For her solid food, I’m fully intending to feed her home-made food. More specifically I want to feed her so-called, “Korean baby food”. The food I grew up with and the food I perceive to be healthier than other (western) style of baby food in my mind.
Well, for that matter, I really don’t have much idea on what is considered as western style baby food. Because they can be prepared in a similar/same manner with similar/same ingredients as with Korean style baby food i.e. all finely pureed, soft and easy to swallow food for the babies.
The first food I am introducing to my daughter is Korean Style Rice Porridge (Ssal-Mium, 쌀미음).
I think it’s the most common starting point solid food among other Koreans as well. It’s super simple and quick to make, so I was very relieved. As a busy mum with a demanding baby, I’m sure many mums with limited time available would agree with me on this. 😉
The immediate response of my daughter was even more pleasing to watch. She was very eager to enjoy this new food. She tried to grab my feeding hands towards her mouth. She was like a baby lion. 🙂
The below ingredients gave me about 5 serving portions, so I packed them away in individual containers for later consumption. I hope your baby enjoys this food too!
P.S. You might also like to try my Brown Rice and Pumpkin Porridge recipe!
Ingredients for Korean Rice Porridge (5 servings – 30ml each)
- 1 Tbsp short / medium grain white rice
- 1 cup water (250ml) – You can reduce this if you want to make it a bit thicker porridge
How to Make Korean Style Rice Porridge
1.Wash/Rinse the rice in cold running water a couple of times. Soak the rice in some water for about 30 mins then drain the water off.
2. Pour 1 cup of water on the rice then pour the mixture into a blender. Blend it.
3.Pour the rice water from step 2 into a sauce pan. Boil it for about 2 mins on high heat then reduce the heat to low and simmer it for about 3 mins. (While it is boiling, stir it often so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.)
4.Sieve through the boiled porridge. (Discard what is left on the sieve).
5.Cool it down for 10 to 20 mins then serve it. (You can save some for later in a portioned container for later consumption.)
Korean Style Rice Porridge (Ssal-Mium)
Ingredients
- 1 Tbsp white rice , short / medium grain
- 1 Cup Water , you can reduce this if you want to make it a bit thicker porridge
Instructions
- Wash/Rinse the rice in cold running water a couple of times. Soak the rice in some water for about 30 mins then drain the water off.
- Pour 1 cup of water on the rice then pour the mixture into a blender. Blend it.
- Pour the rice water from step 2 into a sauce pan. Boil it for about 2 mins on high heat then reduce the heat to low and simmer it for about 3 mins. (While it is boiling, stir it often so the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pan.)
- Sieve through the boiled porridge. (Discard what is left on the sieve).
- Cool it down for 10 to 20 mins then serve it. (You can save some for later in a portioned container for later consumption.)
Notes
Nutrition Info (per serving)
The nutrition information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
Would love to see your take on korean porridge with veggies or chicken, perfect for upcoming season. Korean food is my comfort food and and as much as I hate cooking, your recipes always provide the best guidance and give the most delicious effects 💕
Delicious❤
Hi this kind of porridge is the base for all of them? Or only the babies can eat them? I guess this could be like in Mexico we drink oats porridge.. I will try it.
What you use it for?
Keep the baby food recipes coming! I’m about to be a new mom and I really want my child to be exposed to different things. Rice porridge is something so simple and in so many cultures and so easy to make. Can’t wait to see your other baby food recipes!
Thanks for this simple and completely doable recipe. As a new mom, I find it difficult to find time for anything except for when my baby is down for her naps/bedtime. We got the green light from her pediatrician to start her on solids but since I know zip about Korean baby food, I decided to look it up and found your recipe! I will definitely be trying this out in a couple weeks.
Hope your baby like it, Angela! Definitely a doable recipe. 🙂
Hi Sue. I just commented on your Facebook page about the Bibimbap recipe last night.
I just found this section on your website. We have a 9 month old girl and like to feed her homemade foods that help develop her palate for different tastes and textures, especially “exotic cuisines” (I’m Cambodian but love to cook dishes from different countries and cultures). E.g. She is currently loving her lunch of cumin-spiced sauteed vegetables and couscous! I will be watching this section closely. Thanks for all your recipes.
P.S. Your bubba is so cute!
Hi Joey, yes, I read your comment on my Facebook page. I’m glad that your husband really enjoyed my bibimbap recipe. I also want my baby to develop her palate for different tastes. So far I think she’s pretty good. She even eats vegemite at her day care even when the rest of the family doesn’t eat it at home. lol
With time permitting, I would love to share more kids friendly recipes going forward on my blog! So stay tuned! 🙂
Hello, Sue, my baby girl is about ready to start on solids, and I wanted to find a home made rice cereal/porridge recipe, like congee. Most call for boiling the rice for hours and I just don’t have time for that. I was ready to go get some store-bought instant rice cereal, as I did with my son, but then I found your recipe, which looks like it can be prepared in a much more reasonable amount of time. Thanks!
Question: did you use a jasmine/Thai rice or something more plain? And was this your baby’s very first food after breastmilk? It looks nice and thin and soupy, which should be perfect for a first semi-solid food. Can’t wait to try!
By the way, I have the exact same food storage containers. Perfect for baby foods! Congrats on your adorable baby and successful blog.
Hi Angela, It’s so great to meet you here. As a fellow mum, I also understand the importance of feeding nutritious food to your little precious and it can be quite challenging due to the lack of time mum often has. This rice porridge was my baby’s first solid food after breastmilk. (I never fed her bottle milk.) The rice I used was just plain medium grain rice – not Thai, Jasmin anything fancy like that. Then I introduced her with this brown rice and pumpkin porridge, which she immensely liked. I think it was the sweet flavour from the pumpkin she really liked. https://mykoreankitchen.com/brown-rice-and-pumpkin-porridge-hyunmi-danhobak-mium/ I didn’t need to do these kind of solid for too long as I also started baby led feeding soon after. Hence, I don’t have as much baby food recipes as I would like. Let me know how you go. 🙂
Hi, Sue! We tried the porridge for the first time this evening, using a white medium grain rice, and it went pretty well. I wanted to use breast milk to thin it out as needed, so I made the porridge with a little less water than the 250 ml called for in your recipe. But it turned out just as I wanted that way, like a slightly thickened broth, so we just went with it! My little Amira enjoyed it , and she will eat the other portions tomorrow (it made 3 portions).
Yes, pumpkin/squash is one of the first — or maybe the first — vegetables we’ll try. We did acorn squash with my son, and he loved it. I think those kinds of gourds are not as sweet as some fruits, and not bitter like other vegetables, so they make good starter foods.
Thanks for all the recipes and tips!
It’s good to hear that your little Amira enjoyed it! All the best with cooking for Amira. She’s very cute! – just checked out your blog. 🙂
Hi,
How many days can you store the porridge in the refrigerator?
Thanks,
4 to 5 days in an air tight container.
Hi there I have been following your blog for a while but have not visited for ages. I came back today for a chicken recipe and saw that you have a daughter 😉 congratulations! she is very cute. I have been looking up korean baby food also as my 2 year old loves korean food (I;m vietnamese but I love korean foods and have learnt to cook a lot from your site). My daughter loves rice porridge and seaweed soup and beef bone broth (she must be a korean baby in the past life) haha. anyway thanks for sharing and all the best. With love x
Thanks, Mimi’s mum! I’m going to try (blended) seaweed soup for my baby soon . I think she’ll really enjoy that. I will share more baby/kids friendly recipes going forward so stay tuned! 🙂
She is so cute! I have been waiting for some pictures of her. It is so fun to cook for kids and to introduce them to so many different flavours. Treasure these days, they go so fast! 🙂
I know! Time really flies. I think I’m just barely keeping up with it. 🙂 Thanks.
Oh, our baby girls have like the same age, mine is 6 months, too. 🙂 Congrats on Ara!
This rice porridge might be a good first food, thanks for sharing, I will try it!
Greetings from Germany, Becky
Thanks Becky! I hope your baby loves this food too. It’s very simple to make and Ara certainly liked it. I have more Korean baby food to share, so I hope you get to try them as well some day. 🙂
Hey Sue, I just tried your Ssal Mium and my daughter loved it! I posted it, too, so check out, if you like: http://cookingworldtour.wordpress.com/2014/02/27/korea-ssal-mium-reis-porridge/ (There’s a translation button on the right side.)
All the best, Becky
Thanks Becky! I’ll sure to check it out. I’m so happy to hear that your daughter loved it too. 🙂
Yes, she really did. She ate it for the last 3 days and seemed to be really pleased. 🙂 I’m looking forward to se more baby food on your site.
Awww congrats on Ara! She’s SO adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It’s been 6 months already?! Wow time flies! Congrats on the first solid food Ara. 🙂 She’s going to be a foodie, and a great cook after mommy’s gene. 🙂 I went through the same porridge stage with my kids. Enjoy every moment with her… they will grow up WAY TOO FAST!
Thanks Nami! Yes, it’s been already 6 months. So scary! I hope she becomes a great cook too! At least, she will have my blog as her starting point reference. 😉
Hi Sue, your rice porridge is similar to the Chinese congee. When my kids were first introduced to solids I gave them rice cereal from the can. Then I started cooking them rice porridge with chicken meat, carrot and dried anchovies (the Asian anchovies) until they are soft. Then blend them into very fine porridge. They loved it and it was easy. All the best with your baby.
Thanks Veronica for sharing your tips. I think the baby food seems universally similar. 🙂 You’ll see lots more from my blog soon.
Oh Sue, she is adorable! Welcome to foodie life Ara:)
I started feeding my kids around 5 mon. with oatmeal and rice then every week at 6 mo i would add cooked and mashed veggie or fruit with it. Porridge is def great way to introduce a baby to new food and look at her, she is enjoying it! Great post!!!
Thanks Sandra! Yah, that’s what I’m thinking of doing it too – mixing in with veggies and fruit. The other day she tried to eat my PIZZA! That freaked me out a bit. I think she’s ready for more chewable content. 🙂