About
A home kitchen, a toddler, and a lot of trial and error
Daily Bites Diary started the way most food blogs should: out of necessity. A small person needed feeding, most of the advice online did not fit a South Indian kitchen, and the recipes that did work were never written down anywhere properly.
So they got written down here. Everything on this site has been cooked in an ordinary home kitchen in Madurai, with ingredients from the local shop, and eaten by a genuinely difficult critic. Nothing gets published until it has worked more than once.
What you will find here
The food is South Indian and everyday, and it is written for the people who cook it most: mothers with a baby on one hip and twenty minutes to spare.
- Baby food — first porridges, purees and finger foods, with the ages they suit.
- Toddler meals and smoothies — food that is actually finished, not just served.
- Family cooking — the breakfasts, chutneys and everyday meals everyone else at the table is eating.
- Kitchen things that work — a short, honest list, on the shop page.
How these recipes are written
Most recipes tell you what to do but not what to watch for. The difference between a smooth ragi porridge and a lumpy one is a single detail in the first step, and it is usually left out. Every recipe here tries to include those details — what it should look like, what it should smell like, and what to do when it goes wrong.
Quantities are in cups and spoons, because that is what is in the kitchen. Where an ingredient has a Tamil name, both names are given.
On advice about feeding children
These are recipes from one home cook, not medical guidance. Ages given are a general guide only. Every child is different — please talk to your paediatrician about starting solids, allergies, or any concern about your child's growth.
Say hello
Questions, recipe requests and corrections are all welcome — the fastest way to reach us is Instagram, or through the contact page. Brands and agencies, there is a separate page for you.
Cook along
Two new videos a week, and a written recipe for every one.