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Saturday, 2 May 2020

Khichadi / खिचड़ी (Indian Vegetarian Polenta)

Khichadi With Pomegranate raita and pickle
The word khichadi or khichdi in Hindi literally means mixing up two or more than two things so as the identity of individual thing is lost. In shot khichadi means hotchpotch.
For some unknown reason to me Khichadi is associated with sickness, food for people who are unwell. But a nicely cooked khichadi with vegetables and spices is tasty, healthy, nutritious wholesome food. I call it comfort food, because of the ease of cooking and wonderful taste.
Earlier I blogged sabut Urad Daal Khichadi,  https://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2020/02/sabut-urad-whole-black-gram-ki-khichadi.html. Urad daal khichadi is slightly heavy to digest, but today the khichadi recipe I am blogging is not only tasty, nutritious but very light on stomach, thus can be had by one and all.
If khichadi is being made for someone suffering with fever, stomach ailment then chilies, veggies can be omitted.

Preparation Time: 10-15 minutes
Cooking Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 3 Generous servings

Nutritional Value of Khichadi made from Given Ingredients (Approx. values)
Energy:  750 Cal
Fats:  7.5gm
Carbs:  150gm
Protein:  39gm
Sodium:  165mg
Potassium:  479.75
Dietary fibers:  20gm
Sugars:  6gm
Iron
Calcium

Ingredients Required For Making Khichadi:
  • 100 gm: Rice (I use small grain rice not basmati rice)
  • 50 gm: Masoor Daal (Red Lentil)
  • 50 gm: Dhuli Moong Daal (Petit Yellow Lentil)
Mixture of Red and yellow Lentil
  • 50 gm: Carrot (1 Medium Size)
  • 100 gm: Tomatoes (2 medium size)
  • 100 gm: Onions (optional)
  • 1: Medium size potato (optional)
  • 1Teaspoon: Chopped/grated Ginger
  • 4-5Pods: Garlic (optional)
  • 2: Green Chilies
  • 2-3 Teaspoons: Chopped Fresh Coriander
  • 1/2Teaspoon: Turmeric
  • 1 Teaspoon: Red chili powder (or to taste)
  • 1 Teaspoon: Cumin seeds
  • 2Teaspoon: Ghee (Clarified butter)
  • Salt to taste
Direction For Making Khichadi:
  • Wash and soak rice in 200 ml. water.
  • Mix Masoor daal (Red lentil) and Moong daal (Petit yellow lentil), wash till milky water comes out. Soak in 200 ml. water.
Mixture of Lentils cleaned and soaking
  • Wash, peel and chop carrot and keep aside.
  • Chop onion finely.
  • Peel and chop garlic.
Chopped Vegetables
  • Slit green chilies and remove the seeds.
  • Heat ghee (Clarified butter) in a cooker, when the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and slit green chilies. Let the cumin seeds splutter and chilies change the color.
Tempering Ready For Onions...to be added
  • Add
    • Onions
    • Garlic
    • Ginger
    • Cook on medium heat with constant stirring for 60 sec. The onion will chage the color to translucent and raw smell of garlic will be replaced by wonderful smell of cooked garlic and ginger.
Onion-ginger-garlic cooked 
  • Add
    • Tomatoes
    • Carrots
  • Cook on medium heat till tomatoes become mushy, It will take 2-3 mi nutes.
Carrots and Tomatoes cooked
  • Sieve water from soaked daal and add daal to the vegetables in cooker. Keep water aside for further use.
Soake Mixture of Red and Yellow Lentils
  • Cook with constant stirring for 1-2 minutes on medium heat.
  • Sieve soaked rice. Keep water aside for further use. Add soaked rice in cooker ans mix nicely.
  • Cook on medium heat with constant stirring for 2-3 minutes.
Dal and Rice added
  • Add
    • Salt
    • Chili powder
    • Turmeric powder
  • Mix nicely.
  • Add water sieved from daal and rice. The measurement of water to be added is it should be almost an inch above from the rice+daal+vegetable mixture in the cooker. Use handle os spoon or fork for checking water level. Water requirement may change with different variety of rice. Use your judgement.
Spices and water added.
  • Close the lid of cooker. Put the weight (Whistle) and bring the heat to high.
  • Let the pressure be built in the cooker.
  • Once the pressure is built bring the heat to low and cook for 8-10 minutes.
  • Switch off the heat and allow the cooker to cool. Do not open when the pressure is yet inside the cooker.
  • Khichadi is ready to be served and enjoyed with curd/raita, chutney, achar (Pickle), salad, and papad.
Khichadi
Mixed Daal Khichadi
Cucumber Pomegranate raita
Khichadi with Pomegranate Raita
  • Garnish with fresh coriander to give that extra color and flavor.

Tips:
  • Do not cook the onion till they turn brown, cook only till they become translucent.
  • Less water will make khichadi dry and too much mushy pulpy. So add water carefully.
  • If thick pulpy khichadi is required then add double the amount of water and cook for 3-4 minutes extra.
  • Pour melted hot ghee over khichadi after serving. It adds amazing taste to khichadi.
Alternate suggestions:
  • Vegetables like cauliflower, French beans, finely chopped spinach can be added along with tomatoes and carrots.
  • Shallow fried Badi/Moongodi can be added before adding spices. Khichadi with badi/moongodi tastes amazing.
  • Soaked nutri nuggets can be added to cooked onions before adding vegetables. This will increase the protein and dietary fiber content of khichadi.
http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2013/05/how-to-make-moongodi-moong-dal-badi.html
http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.in/2016/06/beetroot-raita-indian-savory.html
https://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2013/07/tomato-dates-chutney-thick-sauce-of.html

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