Loach has long been considered a nutritious and delicious ingredient in Vietnamese cuisine. It is commonly used in baby weaning foods, especially when cooked into porridge. Let’s explore some nutritious loach-based baby weaning dishes in the article below.
1. Benefits of Loach for Babies
Loach is a nutritious food with very few bones, making it an ideal choice for mothers to cook porridge for their babies.
According to nutrition experts, 100g of loach contains at least 300 Kcal of energy and 18.7g of protein, 0.9g of fat, 150mg of phosphorus, 39mg of calcium, 1.6mg of iron, and various essential vitamins such as A, B1, B2, PP, and E.
Loach is a nutrient-rich food with very few bones.
The high content of protein, calcium, and phosphorus supports the baby’s overall physical development, including height and bone health, and promotes healthy weight gain. Additionally, loach contains a type of amino acid called arginine, which improves muscle function.
High levels of protein, calcium, and phosphorus support the baby’s overall development.
The Vitamin A in loach is excellent for the baby’s eye health, and the fatty acids like DHA and EPA are beneficial for brain development, emotional well-being, immune function, and allergy prevention.
Furthermore, loach is a natural source of omega-3 fatty acids, which strengthens the baby’s overall health and helps prevent respiratory issues like asthma. It also promotes healthy blood circulation and supports the baby’s nervous system. Thus, loach is indeed a fantastic ingredient for infants.
2. How to Choose and Prepare Loach to Remove the Fishy Smell
Selecting Fresh and Delicious Loach
When buying loach to cook porridge for babies, it is best to choose loach weighing around 400g each. Look for loach with distinct yellow bellies and black backs, as this indicates firm flesh. These are typically wild loach, which have sweeter and more delicate meat.
Look for loach with distinct yellow bellies and black backs.
Loach that is black from head to tail is usually farmed and has softer, less tasty meat.
It is recommended to purchase loach from reputable seafood shops or large supermarkets to ensure the highest quality and safety.
Preparing Loach to Remove the Fishy Smell
Loach is a type of seafood and can have a strong fishy smell. Here are some quick and easy steps to reduce the fishy odor:
Use ash, lemon juice, or rice water to remove the slime from the loach.
Soak the loach in diluted saltwater to reduce the fishy smell.
Note: If you are cooking porridge or other dishes for infants, it is recommended to remove all the bones. In the final step, you can marinate the loach in a mixture of rice wine, a small amount of salt, and turmeric powder to completely eliminate the fishy smell. Avoid using strong spices like chili, pepper, or ginger as they may be too pungent for the baby’s digestive system.
3. Loach-Based Baby Weaning Dishes
Porridge with Loach and Green Pumpkin
Ingredients
-
2 loach, cleaned and prepared
-
A few pieces of green pumpkin
-
1 tablespoon of quinoa
-
1/2 teaspoon of Moringa powder
Porridge with Loach and Green Pumpkin
Instructions
First, boil the loach and remove all the bones. Soak the quinoa in water for about 2 hours. Steam and mash the green pumpkin. Wash the rice and cook it for about an hour until soft and mushy.
Next, add the loach, quinoa, and green pumpkin to the porridge and cook for 10 minutes. Then, add 1/2 teaspoon of Moringa powder and stir until dissolved. Adjust the seasoning to your baby’s taste and turn off the heat. Let it cool down a bit before serving to your little one.
This dish is suitable for babies aged 6 months and above.
Porridge with Loach and Mung Beans
Ingredients
-
500g of loach
-
50g of mung beans
-
1 cup of rice
-
1 small piece of ginger
-
1 teaspoon of fish sauce
Porridge with Loach and Mung Beans
Instructions
Clean the loach and use a small amount of rice wine to remove the fishy smell. Rinse the mung beans and soak them for 30-45 minutes to soften them and make them easier to cook.
Boil the loach, remove the bones, and set the meat aside. Cook the rice and mung beans together to make the porridge. When the porridge starts boiling, add the loach and 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, stirring well. Turn off the heat and serve with 1 teaspoon of baby-safe oil.
This nutritious and tasty dish is suitable for babies aged 6 months and above.
Porridge with Loach and Bok Choy
Ingredients
-
1 small loach
-
A handful of bok choy
-
A handful of rice or pre-cooked porridge
-
Dashi stock and baby-safe oil
-
A small piece of ginger
Porridge with Loach and Bok Choy
Instructions
First, remove the fishy smell from the loach using fresh ginger. Then, boil the loach and remove the bones. Wash the rice and cook the porridge, or skip this step if you have pre-cooked porridge.
When the porridge starts boiling, add the loach and cook for a few minutes. Then, add 1 tablespoon of dashi stock and cook for another 5 minutes. Clean and chop the bok choy, then add it to the porridge and cook until tender. Turn off the heat.
Blend the porridge in a blender until smooth. Pour it back into the pot and heat it up before serving. This dish is suitable for babies aged 6 months and above and is both tasty and nutritious, ensuring your little one enjoys mealtime.
Porridge with Loach and Carrots
Ingredients
-
3 tablespoons of partially cooked porridge
-
40g of small loach
-
30g of carrots
-
1 small piece of ginger
-
2 shallots
Porridge with Loach and Carrots
Instructions
In a pot, add ginger, shallots, and 40g of cleaned loach. Simmer for about 10 minutes to remove the fishy smell, then remove the loach and reserve the broth. Cut the carrots into small cubes and remove the bones from the loach once it has cooled down. Mash the loach meat.
In a separate pot, combine the porridge, carrot cubes, loach broth, and mashed loach meat. Cook until the porridge boils, then turn off the heat. Strain the porridge through a sieve to make it smoother. Adjust the seasoning to your baby’s taste and serve. This nutritious dish is suitable for babies aged 6 months and above.
Porridge with Loach and Bananas
Ingredients
-
500g of cleaned small loach
-
1 bowl of rice
-
2 bananas
-
Seasonings as needed
Porridge with Loach and Bananas
Instructions
First, wash the rice and cook it into porridge. Remove the fishy smell from the loach using rice wine, then blanch and debone it. Lightly stir-fry the loach and set it aside. Steam the bananas and mash them.
When the porridge is cooked, add the loach and mashed bananas and cook for another 10 minutes. Adjust the seasoning to your baby’s taste and turn off the heat. Let it cool down slightly before serving.
The sweet and creamy flavor of the bananas blends beautifully with the rich taste of loach in this dish, making it a sure favorite for your little one. It is suitable for babies aged 6 months and above.
Porridge with Loach and Potatoes
Ingredients
-
200g of cleaned small loach
-
100g of rice
-
100g of diced potatoes
-
Shallots
-
Seasonings: baby-safe oil, fish sauce, and pepper
Porridge with Loach and Potatoes
Instructions
First, wash the rice and potatoes and cook them together into a soft porridge. Remove the fishy smell from the loach using rice wine, then blanch, debone, and cut it into small pieces. Marinate the loach with 1/2 teaspoon of seasoning powder.
In a separate pan, heat some baby-safe oil and
Remember to add this seasoning to any fish dish, it’ll make the fish tasty and flavorful, without any fishy smell.
By using just one simple trick, your braised fish dish will be more flavorful and guaranteed not to have any fishy taste.
Cooking fish soup: Don’t forget to use warm water and ginger – Follow this recipe to get rid of the fishy smell and achieve a flavorful broth.
Using the recipe below, you will have a delicious and nutritious fish soup that everyone will love.
Put this handful of leaves into the pot, steam the fish without marinating, the meat absorbs evenly, sweet and not fishy
To experience the genuine flavor of fish, people often prefer to steam it. Steamed fish has a sweet and aromatic taste, with a tender texture that is incredibly enticing.
Is it better to fry the fish first before adding it to the pot for soup?
What impact does pre-frying the fish before putting it in the pot to cook the fish soup have on the flavor?
The meat of this fish is nutritious in every part, especially the eyes and brain, making it a favorite for both adults and children.
This is the kind of meat that is both tender and sweet, and nutrient-rich, so you can regularly buy it to cook delicious meals for your family.
