We can begin with a smooth mashed dal, and moong, the yellow split kind, is the one most homes start with. Boil or pressure-cook it until it is really soft, then mash it smooth so no firm grains are left. Keep it thick enough to sit on the spoon, not thin and runny. If it turns stiff, soften it with a little warm water, or stir in a drop of ghee.

Keep her dal free of added salt while she is little, and add no sugar until she is two. A vitamin-C food in the same meal, like a squeeze of lemon, helps her body take up more of dal's iron. Offer just a spoon or two to begin, and let her appetite lead.

Now she can take a thicker, lumpier dal, and she is ready to start feeding herself too. On its own, dal is hard for her to pick up, so fold thick dal into soft rice and press it into little bites she can grab. Picking up those soft bites is good practice for feeding herself.

If moong dal cheela is already part of your kitchen, she can have a piece from around this age.

Keep everything soft enough to squash between your fingers. A little ghee is still good, and her food still needs no added salt or sugar.

By the time she is one, dal is simply part of the family's meals. She can have dal chawal, dal with soft cooked vegetables, or dal stirred into whatever the family is eating, chopped or mashed down to a texture she can handle. By now she leads on how much she eats, next to the rest of her plate.

Cheela stays welcome if it is already a favourite.

Keep her share light on salt, and still no added sugar until she is two, which is good for the whole family too.