Vegetable - Dal Khichdi

Recipe Source: Vaishali Sabnani

Usually whenever I came across a recipe that piques my interest, I keep filing them in the memory folders of my brain or computer. However I hardly try them as I keep mostly going to the same, traditional recipes that have been in our families for generations. Because of the familiarity and the experience, those seem pretty easy and quick to put together, how elaborate the procedure may be. I think this must be a pretty familiar scenario to many of us here.

My recipe repertoire again increased as expected due to BM#21. This time however I tried a couple of recipes without procrastinating. One was this yummy khichdi, from the Saurasthra region of Gujarat, posted by Vaishali. It is a nourishing and comforting one pot meal full of goodness with nutritive dals and veggies. Besides it is very delicious and healthy, easy to put together and needs no side dishes if prepared according to one's preferred spice levels. I used just oil for tadka and didn't use any ghee while serving and so this was not greasy at all.

Ingredients:
1 cup rice (I used Extra long grain as I love mushy khichdis.)
1/2 cup yellow moong dal
1 Tbsp each - chana dal (Bengal gram) & toor dal (pigeon peas)
1 cup chopped vegetables (I used carrot, potato, beans and peas.)
1 tomato chopped
1 cup chopped spinach
Salt to taste
1 tsp chili powder or according to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
For tadka:
1 Tbsp oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 4 cloves, 2 red chillies, 2 one inch piece cinnamon, 1 bay leaf and a pinch of asafoetida

Method:
* Soak rice and dals in water for about 30 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
* In the mean while, prep the veggies that you are going to use.
* Heat the oil in a pan or directly in a pressure cooker and add the tadka ingredients. When cumin starts to brown, add the veggies and saute for a couple of minutes. Add the rice - dal mixture and saute for a couple of minutes more.
* Next add the chili powder and about 4 cups of water to the mixture and pressure cook for 2 whistles.
* When the valve pressure is gone, add salt and mix well.
* Serve warm with a pickle and ghee if desired.

Note:
1. I actually don't add salt when dal is being cooked. It hinders the cooking process of dals usually and so I always add it at the end. I added 3 cups of water while pressure cooking the rice - dal. At the end, I added salt and 2 more cups of water to reach the desired consistency.
2. Also because of where we come from, this was not spicy for us. :) I had increased the spice levels according to our taste though above measurements is good for those who prefer moderate heat, speaking in terms of Indian cuisine.
3. The original recipe recommends the addition of raw spinach and tomato at the end of cooking. I had however added them along the other vegetables to cook. 

Check what other marathoners of BM#21 are cooking here.

Comments