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

साबुत उरद दाल की खिचड़ी Sabut Urad (Whole Black Gram) ki Khichadi

Khicadi Is Ready To Eat

Sabut Urad Daal Khichadi Served With Curd

Khichadi is a wholesome, nutritious, sumptious and healthy food. In different part of India it is known by different names. Many versionof khichadi existthrough out India but basic ingredients (Rice and dal) are common. Different dals, and the assortment of vegetables gives it the different regional taste. Khichadi is also given in India to people suffering from digestive disorders, throat problem. But the recipe today I am sharing is not for people who are unwell (I will share the recipe for the same later). Urad Dal Khichadi is khichadi is festive food of magh Mah in Kumaon.

Urad dal khichadi is made in Uttarakhand in the month of Magh (month of Hindu calendar which falls in January). Sankranti is the day when delicacies made from Sweetened dough, til-gud (Sesame seeds and jaggery). In Kumaon apart from til-gud laddus and shakkarpare(ghughut), Urad dal khichadi is made for lunch and is served with dollops of ghee, this is the reason Uttarayini /Makar Sankranti is also known as ghyu-khichadi Sankranti in Kumaon. 

(http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/04/til-ke-laddu-balls-made-of-sesame-seeds.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/04/shakkarpare-wheat-flour-cryspies.html)

Usually this khichadi is made of split black gram (Chilke wali urad dal), without onion and garlic. I realized night before Sankranti that I had only whole black gram (Sabut urad dal), so decided to make khichadi from sabut urad dal. Onion and garlic not only add great flavor and taste, but also aids in digestion. 

The experiment was great success. My husband said “pet bhar gaya par dil nahin bhara”(my stomach is full but I yet want to eat more).

Today I am sharing the recipe of the same khichadi with you all. The vegetables in the khichadi add great taste and flavor along with the much needed micronutrients and dietary fibers.

There is a saying in Kumaon “Khichadi ke char yaar, Dahi, Mooli, Ghee, achar”.

Try serving khichadi with all four friends. The experience of having khichadi will be enhanced multifold.

Preparation Time: 15 minutes

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Serving: Four Large helping

Nutritional Value of Khichadi (For total amount cooked with the given ingredient proportion. For one helping just divide  each nutritional value by four.)

Energy : 1370cal

Carbs :   294 

Fats    :  105g 

Folates : 216ug

Niacin : 1.75mg

Vit. A : 40 iu,

Sodium :150 +rest from salt 

Potassium : 1400 + from salt 

calcium : 1.5 g 

copper : 1062 mg,

magnisium:: 534mg,

Iron : 22 mg

phosphorous:  758mg,

Zinc : 6.70mg

Sugars : 10.5 g sugars

Protein : 57g 

Dietary Fibers : 30 gm 

Ingredients Required For Making Sabut Urd Dal Khichadi:

• 200 gm : Sabut Urd
• 150 gm : Rice(I use either basmati or Surti Kolam rice)
• 1 00 gm : Onion
• 100 gm: French beans
• 100 gm : Carrot
• 100-150 gm : Tomatoes
• 100 gm : Capsicum
• 3-4 cm Piece : Ginger
• 8-10 pods : Garlic
• 2-3 : Green Chilies
• 5-6 Sprigs : Coriander Leafs
• 1/2 Teaspoon : Turmeric Powder (Optional)
• 1 Teaspoon : Cumin Powder
• 1Teaspoon : Red Chili Powder
• 1 Teaspoon : Garam masala Powder
• Salt to taste

Spices For Tempering:

• 2-5 : cloves
• 2-3 : Bay leafs (tej patta)
• 1 teaspoon : Cumin seeds
• 2-3 : Black cardamom
• 2-3 : Green cardamom
• 2-3 cm Piece : Cinnamon
• 1 pinch : Freshly grated nutmeg powder
• 1-2 : Whole Red Chilies
• 50 gm : Ghee (Clarified butter)

Directions For Making Sabut Urad Dal Khichadi :

• Wash and soak Sabut Urad dal for 6-8 hours. I prefer soaking it overnight if I am making it for lunch.
• Chop Onion, garlic, coriander leafs and all vegetables.
• Grate ginger.

Chopped Vegetables For Khichadi

• Wash and soak rice for 30-45 minutes.

Soaked Rice

• Drain water from soaked dal and give it one or two gentle wash in flowing water.

Soaked Sabut Urd Daal

• Drain water from rice and keep the water for further use.

Soaked Rice After Draining Water

• Pound Black cardamom and Green cardamom, Black Pepper, grate nutmeg and keep all spices ready for tempering.

Spices For Khichadi

• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, do not make it smoking hot. Add
• Cumin seeds
• Cloves
• Green cardamom
• Black Cardamom
• Black Pepper
• Bay leafs
• Whole red chilies
• Once the spices start spluttering add Nutmeg powder, and stir.

Spices in Ghee

• Immediately add chopped onions.

Onions added To spice and Ghee Mixture

• Cook on medium flame with constant stirring for about 2 minutes. Onions will become translucent and soft.
• Add garlic and ginger to the sautéed onions. Cook on medium heat with constant stirring for a minute or so or till the raw smell of garlic disappears.

Garlic  Ginger Added to Sauteed Onion

• Add all chopped vegetables except coriander leafs, Cook with constant stirring for 2 minutes. The color and texture of fresh vegetables with start changing and tomatoes will become soft.

All Chopped vegetables being Sauteed

• Immediately add soaked Sabut Urad dal. Stir and cook on high heat for 2-3 minutes with constant stirring.

Soaked Daal added 

• Add soaked, drained rice and mix nicely. Cook on high heat for a minute or so with constant stirring.

Rice Added And Mixed Nicely

• Add
• Turmeric Powder
• Cumin Powder
• Chili Powder
• Garam Masala
• Salt
• Mix nicely and cook for 1-2 minutes on high heat with continuos stirring, for the flavor of all spices toget mixed with rest of the ingredients.
• Add the water drained from soaked rice and mix.

Water Added 

• Add water according to the requirement. The water requirement varies from one variety of rice to other. I added 200 ml of water ( rice was surti kolam).
•  The yard stick of measurement is to quickly dip the spoon handle touching the surface of solid ingredients. Water level should be 11/2-2cm above the solid (Rice + Dal + other ingredients).
• Adjust salt and chili as per your liking for more spiciness.
• Close the lid. Keep the heat on high till pressure builds in cooker.
• Bring the heat to low and cook for about 8 to 10 minutes or till the cooker gives two whistles.
• Switch off the heat and allow the khichadi to cool in cooker. (Allowing the cooker to cool naturally lets the khichadi cook under pressure even when heat is off. It aslo helps in sealing all the flavors spices in khichadi). Open the lid only when the pressure in the cooker subsides.

Serve and enjoy the Khichadi with Dahi (Curd), Mooli (Radish), Ghee (Clarified Butter) and Achar (Pickle)

http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/mango-pickle-north-indian-style.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2012/06/tangy-mango-pickle-maharashra-style.html http://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2013/03/healthy-least-oily-tomato-pickle.html https://jyotsna-pant.blogspot.com/2013/01/lal-mirch-ka-bharwa-acharindian-red.html

Sabut Urad Daal Khichadi Served With Curd

Tips :

• Ghee should not be smoking hot while adding spices for tempering. Because this will cause the spices to burn/overcook imparting unsavory taste and color to khichadi, instead of the wonderful flavor we want.
• Do not add Cauliflower to this khichadi. Personally I feel its flavor interferes with the subtle flavor of Urad dal.
• While serving smoking hot Mustard oil is also poured over khichadi. It is awesome.

Suggested Variations :

• Mustard oil can be used instead of ghee for making khichadi.
• Potatoes cut to medium size (roughly 2 inches) pieces can be added along with rest of vegetables.
• Turmeric can be avoided to get contrasting colors in khichadi. We always add turmeric to dal, vegetables and khichadi as per custom of Uttarakhand.
• If using brown rice soak it for longer time (3-4 hrs.).
• Fresh/Frozen peas (100gm) can be added along with the rest of the vegetables.