A - Z Indian Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi Series ~ Q for 'Quinoa' Panchkuti Dal Khichdi

I already have a Hyderabadi version qabooli on my blog and so it was going to be a Jodhpuri version this time, I thought when planning for my 'Q' recipe this month. I cooked this week's dishes well ahead except for the qabooli for the lack of good pomegranates here locally. I waited all through the end of fall, then winter and now through these early days of spring which by the way looks more like winter considering that I had a full day blast of snow early this week. The poor husband kept bringing whatever pomegranates he could lay his hands on during these months. The sorry looking fruits had arils looking like someone sat leisurely and leeched off the color without missing even a single one. Kashmiri pulao was done without them but not qabooli, I decided. 

Biryani and pulao names kept piling up when I started listing the dishes for this marathon. Khichdis were almost like last minute addition to justify the title of this marathon's theme. I came across a version of 'Panchkuti dal khichdi' after I cooked 'Pariba khechudi' and it got bookmarked to try later. When the qabooli didn't happen, I cooked it using quinoa. I am not sure if this khichdi belongs to a particular region. There was a Sanjeev Kapoor recipe with rice version which suggested that it may be from the western regions of India. Another recipe floating around the web is a millet based one, seemingly one from Himachali cuisine. I am sure both taste yummy and are wholesome. I have been eating quinoa for years and love it in khichdi consistency dishes. And so this combo was a 'match made in heaven' to me.

This khichdi uses five different varieties of lentils as the Rajasthani panchmel dal. Toor dal, Moong dal in both yellow and green colors, masoor dal and chana dal feature in this recipe. One can keep the grain and lentil ratio equal or go with a slightly higher lentil ratio to rice. Soaking some of the lentils for an hour or two before cooking will ensure that all lentils and rice are cooked at the same time, qualifying it to be a quick one pot meal. Use whatever grain that is preferred in your home to prepare this khichdi - millet, oats, quinoa, rice and also any combo of lentils you have on hand. The final result would be a khichdi that is still delicious, nutritious and filling. One can soak the lentils the previous night or use any pre- soaked ones to make it a quicker meal option to cook during morning rush. This version doesn't even involve any vegetables and so can be a cooked as a quick lunch box item or a meal that needs no side dishes and can be served on it's own. I didn't feel the lack of veggies in the khichdi but one can always add them to make it wholesome. Serve it warm with some spicy pickle / achaar and yogurt to make it a wholesome meal.

Ingredients: (yield 2 servings)
1/4 cup quinoa / rice / millets
1 tbsp. split yellow peas / chana dal
1 tbsp. green gram / sabut moong dal
1 tbsp. pigeon peas / toor dal
1 tbsp. yellow moong dal
1 tbsp. red lentils / masoor dal
1.5 cups water (divided)
1/8 tsp. turmeric powder
1 tsp. salt

Ingredients for tempering:
2 tbsp. ghee and /or oil
1 tsp. mustard seeds
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 cloves
1/4 tsp. crushed black pepper (Use whole pepper corns if you prefer them that way.)
1 inch piece cinnamon stick
2 green or dried red chillies

Directions:
* Wash and soak yellow split peas, pigeon peas and green gram in water for about 1 to 2 hours. Drain the water and keep aside.
* Rinse quinoa with water thoroughly and drain. Rinse moong dal and red lentils in two changes of water and drain.
* Pressure cook together quinoa, lentils, and turmeric adding a cup of water, for 3 whistles. (I usually avoid adding salt since pigeon peas are not cooked well.)
* Heat ghee in a small pan for tadka / tempering. When it melts, add all the other ingredients mentioned under 'tempering'. Turn off the stove when mustard seeds start to splutter. 
* Remove the cooker lid when the valve pressure is gone. Add salt and 1//2 cup water to the cooked quinoa mixture. Stir well and check the consistency of the khichdi. Add extra water if a thinner consitency khichdi is prefeered. Add the tempering and mix well.
* Turn on the stove and let the mixture simmer for few minutes. 
* Turn off the stove and serve the khichdi warm with achaar, papad and yogurt to make it a wholesome meal.

Note:
The tempering can be done initially, directly in the pressure cooker before adding quinoa and lentils and cooked together.

So far in my Biryani / Pulao / Khichdi series,
A - Ambur Biryani
B - Basanti Pulao / Misthi Pulao
C - Corn - Fenugreek Greens Pulao
D - Donne Biryani
E -  Ek Toap na Dal Bhaat
F - Fada ni Khichdi
G - Gutti Vankaya Biryani
H - Hyderabadi Vegetable Dum Biryani
I - Iyengar Puliyogare
J - Jaipuri Mewa Pulao
K - Kashmiri Pulao
L - Lucknowi Biryani

M - Motiwale Pulao
N - Nei choru
O - Oodhala Pulao
P - Pariba Khechudi

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#99.

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