Overview
Mompox Rice, Carrot and Guava or Ahuyama Porridge
Make a smooth Mompox-style rice porridge with carrot and cooked guava or ahuyama, adapted without added salt or sugar for complementary feeding from around 6 months
Colombian National Dishes
Mompox Rice, Carrot and Guava or Ahuyama Porridge
Make a smooth Mompox-style rice porridge with carrot and cooked guava or ahuyama, adapted without added salt or sugar for complementary feeding from around 6 months
Colombian National Dishes
Ingredients
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 20 g finely ground rice flour
- 80 g carrot, peeled and finely chopped
- 80 g cooked ahuyama (Colombian squash) or cooked ripe guava, with all seeds strained out
- 180 ml safe drinking water
- 60 ml breast milk or infant formula prepared exactly as directed, added after cooling; for children 12 months and older, pasteurized whole milk may be used instead (optional, to adjust texture)
Method
Method
Method
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Prepare the produce and equipment Wash your hands and use a clean small saucepan, spoon and serving bowl. Rinse the carrot and ahuyama or guava under safe running water. Peel and finely chop the carrot and ahuyama. If using guava, cook it whole or in large pieces so the seeds are easy to remove later.
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Cook the carrot and fruit or squash until soft Place the carrot and chosen ahuyama or guava in a covered pan with a little of the measured water. Simmer gently for 12–15 minutes, until completely soft and easy to mash with a fork. If using guava, press the cooked fruit through a fine sieve and discard every seed. Mash or puree the produce until smooth.
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Cook the rice flour fully Whisk the rice flour into the remaining cool water until no dry pockets remain. Set the pan over medium-low heat and bring it to a gentle simmer while stirring. Cook for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the rice is fully cooked and the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the soft produce and stir until evenly combined. Blend again if needed for the child’s current texture skills.
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Cool and add the age-appropriate milk Remove the pan from the heat and cool the porridge promptly. For a child under 12 months, stir in up to 60 ml breast milk or infant formula that has been prepared exactly according to its package directions; do not boil breast milk or prepared formula. For a child 12 months or older, pasteurized whole milk may be used instead. Add only enough to reach a thick, smooth texture. Do not add salt or sugar.
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Serve a small portion safely Check that the porridge is comfortably warm, not hot. Place a small amount in a clean bowl and feed by spoon while the child sits upright and is watched by a caregiver. Let the child guide the pace and amount; do not force feeding. Discard what remains in the child’s bowl after the meal.
Practical guidance
Practical
Nutrition per serving
These are high-uncertainty estimates for the adapted ahuyama version. They exclude optional breast milk, infant formula or whole milk, and the guava version will differ. The traditional inventory does not provide ingredient quantities, so the estimate describes the measured home formula above.
Alimento de arroz y zanahoria - guayaba - ahuyama
A smooth, gently cooked rice porridge with carrot and a choice of guava or Colombian squash, prepared as a small complementary food for a child who has begun eating solids. In Santa Cruz de Mompox, Bolívar, this preparation is recorded as an early-childhood colada: ground rice cooked with milk, carrot and either guava or ahuyama. The recipe below keeps that local combination but adapts the method for current complementary-feeding guidance. It cooks the rice and produce in water, adds age-appropriate milk only after cooling, and leaves out added salt and sugar. Use this smooth version for a child around 6 months or older who is ready to begin complementary foods. Every child develops differently, so follow the child’s feeding cues and the advice of their health professional. For a child under 12 months, breast milk or infant formula remains the appropriate milk choice; use formula prepared exactly according to its directions. From 12 months, pasteurized whole milk can be used instead. Choose either ahuyama, a mild Colombian squash, or ripe guava. The squash gives a mellow, even puree. Guava adds a brighter fruit flavor, but its seeds need to be removed completely through a fine sieve. Offer the porridge as one small food within a varied diet; rice and vegetables alone do not make a complete infant meal.
Practical guidance
Match the texture to the child: Early complementary foods should be thick and smooth, not watery. If the child is just beginning, puree the cooked mixture thoroughly. As feeding skills develop, texture can gradually become less smooth, following the child’s needs and professional guidance. Always remove guava seeds. Use milk by age: For children under 12 months, use breast milk or formula prepared exactly as directed and mix it in after the porridge has cooled. Never dilute formula or use whole cow’s milk as the recipe liquid for a child under 12 months. From 12 months, pasteurized whole milk is an option. Keep the recipe unsweetened: The documented ingredient list includes sugar and salt, but this contemporary version omits both. Do not add honey, sweeteners or extra salt. The fruit or squash provides the flavor. Offer it as part of a varied diet: This porridge contributes rice and produce, but it is not a complete meal. Continue breast milk or appropriate infant formula and offer other age-appropriate foods, including iron-rich foods, as part of a varied pattern. Follow local health-professional advice for allergies, premature birth, swallowing concerns or other individual needs. Store leftovers carefully: Feed from a separate serving bowl with a clean spoon. Discard any food touched by the child’s spoon after feeding. Refrigerate untouched porridge in a clean covered container within 2 hours and use within 1–2 days. Reheat only once until steaming throughout, stir well to avoid hot spots, then cool and check the temperature before serving. Do not save leftover prepared formula or milk from a used bowl.
Allergens and food safety
Milk is present only if the optional milk is used. Standard infant formula may contain cow’s-milk proteins; check the package and follow advice for a child with a milk allergy. For children under 12 months, use breast milk or correctly prepared infant formula rather than cow’s milk as the recipe liquid. Wash produce, use clean equipment, cook the rice flour fully, strain out all guava seeds and supervise spoon-feeding. Discard spoon-contaminated leftovers.
Final notes
Remember 1: Cook the rice flour until fully done and the produce until soft, then blend to the texture the child can manage. Remember 2: Cool before adding breast milk or prepared formula, leave out salt and sugar, and serve only a small supervised portion.
Nutrition per serving
Nutrition per serving
- Serving basis: 1/4 of the ahuyama version, before optional milk
- Calories: 30 kcal
- Carbohydrates: 7 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Fat: 0 g
- Fibre: 1 g
- Sodium: 15 mg
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