Home-style Braised Lamb with Board Pumpkin and Chestnuts

As the weather turns colder, we need to make some nutritious and warming dishes for our babies.The main ingredient is mutton. Mutton has a sweet taste and is warm in nature, which can remove dampness, warm the stomach and intestines, and help babies get through the cold winter. I remember most vividly when I was in college. Every winter, after eating several meals of mutton hotpot, I instantly became much more resistant to the cold. While others relied on clothes for warmth, food like me needed to rely on eating for warmth!

Mutton's nutritional value is similar to beef. and slightly higher than pork. Moreover, the iron content in mutton is not only high but also easier to absorb by the body, which can prevent babies from developing anemia. However, babies may dislike the gamey smell of mutton. Therefore, Ms. Xiao Si uses chestnuts and

pumpkin to cook with mutton together. Chestnuts and pumpkins have a sweet and soft texture; after absorbing the meat juice, they become even more delicious. Mutton also gains a hint of sweetness, making it easier for babies to accept.Ingredients Main ingredients:100g chestnuts, 150g mutton, 150g pumpkin, and an appropriate amount of water

　　Steps 1. Prepare the ingredients: 100g chestnuts, 150g pumpkin, 150g mutton.PS: When giving babies mutton to eat, it's best to choose leg meat.

Leg meat is tender and has fine fibers, making it suitable for babies to eat.

2. Boil the chestnuts in cold water for about 20 minutes.

PS: Chestnuts come in two types - board chestnuts and oil chestnuts. Board chestnuts are larger while oil chestnuts are smaller and cone-shaped.Personally, I prefer to buy small oil chestnuts as they are sweeter and creamier! 3. Cut the chestnuts in half with a knife after they're cooked.

Board chestnuts can be difficult to peel; first, boil them until they're done, then cut them in half with a knife. Peel off the shell by hand along the cut edge; though this method results in more broken pieces, it's easier for babies to chew and digest.

If you have better methods of peeling chestnuts, please share them in the comments! PS： 4. Remove the chestnut shells. PS: Chestnuts come in two types - board chestnuts and oil chestnuts. Board chestnuts are larger, while oil chestnuts are smaller and cone-shaped.

Personally, I think oil chestnuts are sweeter, creamier, and tastier!

Here's what they look like; generally, I prefer to buy small oil chestnuts.5. Put the peeled chestnuts in a small bowl.6. Remove the skin and seeds from the pumpkin and cut it into 1 cm-sized pieces.

PS: Pumpkin becomes very soft when cooked; for bigger babies, you can cut it into larger pieces.

7. Wash the mutton thoroughly, then slice the long fibers of the meat across to make them about 1 cm in size.

When cutting beef or lamb, always slice against the grain. Otherwise, the meat won't absorb flavors well and will be harder for babies to chew and digest.

8. Place the washed mutton in cold water and boil until it turns white. PS： When blanching meat, use cold water instead of hot water; if you use hot water, the meat will contract quickly, causing proteins to coagulate and seal blood water inside, making it harder to remove the unpleasant smell.

9. Skim off any foam or impurities during cooking. PS： 10. After blanching the mutton, take it out and prepare with chestnuts and pumpkin.11. Heat a small amount of oil in a pan and add onion and ginger pieces to stir-fry until fragrant. In making this dish, I would add some ginger and scallions for better removal of meaty smell.

12. Then, add the already blanched mutton.

Since mutton is difficult to cook through, it's best to stir-fry it in a wok first before transferring to a pressure cooker to slow-cook the mutton; this will make the meat extremely tender.

To film the video better, I used an aluminum pot as a substitute.13. Then add chestnuts and pumpkin, stir-fry briefly. 14. Pour in enough boiling water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low heat. PS: Always pour in boiling water; it's best to fill up the water once.

Adding cold water or opening the lid to add more water will affect the taste of the dish. PS： 15. Cover and simmer for about an hour. PS: If you want the mutton to be even softer, use a pressure cooker; if using a regular pot, cook longer. If you're concerned about chestnuts or pumpkins becoming too soft, add them later.16. For babies over one year old, taste can be adjusted with a little salt just before serving. PS: If not drinking the broth is preferred, it's possible to further concentrate the broth so that it absorbs into the mutton.

Salt should be added only at the last minute; if added too early, it will gradually lose its flavor. Adding it just before cooking ensures maximum saltiness while reducing babies' sodium intake.

Pour in enough boiling water, bring to a boil over high heat, then simmer on low heat. PS: You must use boiling water. It's best to add it all at once. Adding cold water or opening the lid during cooking will affect the taste of the dish.

15. Cover and simmer for about an hour on low heat.

PS: To make the lamb softer, you can use a pressure cooker if available; otherwise, increase the cooking time slightly. If you're concerned about overcooking the pumpkin or chestnuts, add them later.

16. Babies older than one year can be given a little salt to taste just before serving based on their preference.

PS:If you don't want to drink the soup, you can reduce the liquid further so that the sauce is absorbed by the lamb. Salt should be added right before serving; if added too early, it will gradually become less salty. Adding salt just before serving maximizes its flavor and reduces children's sodium intake.