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Can Babies Eat Shiro? A Soft First Stew

Shiro is a smooth Ethiopian stew of ground chickpeas or beans, naturally soft for babies. Serve a mild, low-salt version from around 9 months.

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When to introduce: Around 9 months
Common allergen?: Often milk (spiced butter); check yours
Texture: Naturally smooth and soft
Key nutrients: Plant protein, fiber, iron, folate

Yes, babies can enjoy shiro wat, usually from around 9 months, and its texture is one of the friendliest things about it. Shiro is an Ethiopian and Eritrean stew made from finely ground chickpeas or broad beans simmered into a thick, smooth, almost velvety sauce, so there are no chunks or shapes to worry about. The catch is the flavor: traditional shiro leans on spicy berbere and is often finished with niter kibbeh, a spiced clarified butter. For your baby, make a mild, low-salt version and know it may contain milk.

Prep School: how to prepare shiro wat for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées

🍴 Baby-led weaning

9 monthsServe the shiro thick enough to cling, and let baby dip soft, torn strips of injera or bread into it to self-feed. Loaded-spoon feeding also works well at this age. Make it mild and low-salt, use plain oil or note that niter kibbeh adds milk.

12 months+Offer shiro as a dip alongside soft injera, bread fingers, or a scoop of rice for practicing pincer and spoon skills, still mild and unsalted.

🥄 Purées

9 monthsShiro is already a smooth puree by nature. Simmer it until thick and velvety with no gritty bits, thin with water or breast milk or formula if needed, and spoon-feed it warm. Keep it mild and low-salt, and use plain oil or note the milk if made with spiced butter.

12 months+Spoon-feed shiro as a smooth stew, thinned to your baby's liking, still made mild and without added salt.

Is shiro wat safe? Choking & prep

Shiro is naturally soft and smooth, so it is gentle on texture: just simmer it until fully smooth with no gritty or gummy lumps, and serve it warm rather than hot. The bigger points are flavor, dairy, and the beans. Shiro can be made from chickpeas or from broad beans (fava); if it is made with fava and G6PD deficiency runs in your family, or your baby has not been screened, check with your pediatrician before a first taste, since fava beans can cause a reaction in babies with that condition. Traditional shiro is spicy from berbere and can be salty, so make a mild version and add no salt, since babies need very little. It is also usually finished with niter kibbeh, a spiced clarified butter, which means it often contains milk; if milk is new for your baby, use plain oil instead or introduce the buttered version on its own and watch for a reaction. Chickpeas and beans are legumes, not a top-9 allergen, but as with any new food, offer shiro by itself for a few days at first. Legume stews can be a little gassy at first, which is normal.

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Nutrition

Shiro is built from ground chickpeas or broad beans, so it delivers plant protein and fiber along with iron and folate, all useful for a baby from around 9 months. The iron in legumes is the non-heme form, which your baby absorbs better alongside a vitamin C food, so serving shiro with tomato or a bit of pepper in the sauce can help. Because it is often finished with butter or oil, it also carries some fat and calories, which growing babies use well. Made mild and unsalted, it is a nourishing, comforting bowl.

Goes well with

Torn soft strips of injera for dipping · A scoop of plain rice to soak up the stew · Soft-cooked greens like spinach or collards stirred in · A little tomato in the sauce for a vitamin C boost to help iron absorption · Soft bread fingers for self-feeding

Storage & freezing

Refrigerate leftover shiro in a sealed container for up to 3 days, or freeze in small portions for up to 3 months since it reheats well. It thickens as it cools, so loosen it with a splash of water when you warm it, and heat it through until steaming, then let it cool to warm before serving. Discard any portion your baby has already eaten from.

More proteins to explore

🦐

Shrimp (chopped)Around 9 months

🐟

SkateAround 6 months+

🐟

SmeltAround 6 months

🐟

Smoked salmon (lox)Skip; serve cooked salmon instead

🐟

SnapperAround 6 months

🥛

Soy milkAround 6 months (in food or a small cup)

Common questions

Can babies eat shiro wat?

Yes, usually from around 9 months. Shiro is a smooth stew of ground chickpeas or beans and is naturally soft, which makes the texture easy. Make a mild, low-salt version without heavy berbere, and know it often contains milk from the spiced butter.

At what age can babies have shiro?

Around 9 months is a good time, once your baby is comfortable with a range of soft foods and thicker textures. The stew itself is smooth, so the age note is more about the beans and the traditional spicing than the texture.

Is shiro a choking hazard for babies?

Shiro is a smooth, thick stew with no chunks, so the sauce itself is a low choking risk. Just make sure it is fully smooth with no gritty lumps. Watch the texture of anything you serve alongside it, like injera or bread, and keep those soft.

Does shiro contain dairy?

Often, yes. Traditional shiro is finished with niter kibbeh, a spiced clarified butter, which contains milk. For a baby, either use plain oil instead, or if you use the butter, treat it as a milk-containing food and introduce it carefully if milk is new.

Is shiro too spicy for babies?

Traditional shiro is spiced with berbere, which can be quite hot and salty. For your baby, make a mild version: skip or greatly reduce the berbere heat and add no salt. Gentle aromatics like onion and a little garlic are fine and help build flavor.

How do I make shiro for a baby?

Simmer chickpea or broad-bean flour with plenty of water, onion, and a little garlic until it is thick and smooth. Leave out the berbere heat and any salt, and use plain oil in place of the spiced butter, or note that the butter adds milk. Serve warm.

Is shiro an allergen?

Shiro is made from chickpeas or broad beans, which are legumes and not one of the top-9 allergens, though legume allergies do exist. The more common consideration is the milk from the spiced butter. Offer shiro on its own for a few days at first and watch how your baby responds.

Can shiro make my baby gassy?

It can at first, since it is a bean-based stew and legumes are naturally high in fiber. This is normal and usually settles as your baby gets used to legumes. Start with small amounts and offer it regularly.

Can I use store-bought shiro powder for my baby?

You can, but check the ingredients, since many shiro powders already include berbere and salt. Look for a plain or mild blend, and add no extra salt when you cook it. When in doubt, a mild homemade version gives you the most control.

Do I need to cook shiro before giving it to my baby?

Yes. Shiro is always a cooked stew; the flour is simmered until thick and smooth. Cook it fully so it is not raw or gritty, then let it cool to warm before serving.

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Last updated July 2026. Next review January 2027. How we write these: grounded in widely published pediatric guidance (the AAP, WHO, the NIAID 2017 allergen guidelines, and the LEAP study), and pending independent review by a pediatric professional. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these.

This is general information, not medical advice, and has not been individually reviewed for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

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