Friday 19 / April / 2024
ROYAL KHICHDI
A regal mix of vegetables, rice and lentils work wonders as a one-pot meal for those lazy days.
Ingredients
• 1 cup rice
• 3/4 cup toor dal
• 1 tbsp ghee
• Water 3 cups
• Salt to taste
For tempering
• 2 tbsp ghee
• pinch of cumin seeds
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 small cardamom pods
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp coriander powder
• 1 medium, chopped onion
• 1/2 inch, ginger, chopped finely
• 2 pods of garlic, finely minced
• 1 large tomato, chopped finely
• 2 green chillies, chopped finely
• 1 cup mix vegetables of cauliflower, French beans and carrots
Preparation
• Wash rice and toor dal. Soak them for 15-20 minutes in sufficient water.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pressure cooker.
• Add mixture of dal and rice, salt and water.
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker and let it cook on medium heat.
• After 2 whistles switch off the gas.
• The plain khichdi is done. Next step is the tempering.
• Heat ghee in another pan. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves and cardamom pods.
• Add chopped onion and saute till it turns translucent.
• Add ginger and garlic and saute for about 1 minute.
• Add green chillies, all the vegetables and chopped tomatoes. Cook them on low heat till the vegetables get cooked and the tomatoes soften.
• When the vegetables get cooked, season with turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt. Saute for almost 2 minutes.
• Add cooked khichdi to the tempering and mix well to combine.
• Let it simmer for 5 minutes on low to medium heat .
• Serve hot topped with ghee or butter.
MOONG DAL KHICHDI
This is dal and rice cooked together in a simple way, with hints of pepper and the goodness of turmeric and ghee.
Ingredients
• 1 cup yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 8 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• Salt to taste
• 2 1/2 tbsp ghee
Preparation
• Wash and soak dal and rice together in enough water for at least 30 minutes.
• Drain and keep aside. Combine dal and rice with turmeric powder, peppercorns, cloves, salt and 4 cups of water in a pressure cooker and pressure cook for 10 minutes or 3 whistles.
• Allow the steam to escape before opening the lid.
• Just before serving, add ghee and mix well.
URAD DAL KHICHDI
A unique mix of rice and split black gram hailing from the North of India.
Ingredients
• 1 cup rice
• 1/2 cup urad dal with skin
• 5tbsp ghee
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• Pinch of asafoetida
• 1/2 tsp garam masala
• 2 finely chopped onion
• half an inch piece, grated ginger
• 1 finely minced garlic
• Water 3 cups
• Salt to taste
Preparation
• Wash dal and rice together and soak
for about half an hour.
• Heat ghee in a pressure cooker.
• Add asafoetida and cumin seeds, once they crackle add onions and saute till pink. Add ginger and garlic and saute till the rawness goes.
• Season with dry spices of turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala.
• Mix well and add rice and urad dal with water and stir well.
• Pressure cook for 3 whistles or open cook for 45 minutes and serve hot.
OATS AND SPINACH KHICHDI
This is a healthy mix of oats and lentils with the goodness of spinach.
Ingredients
• 1/2 cup moong dal
• 1 cup instant oats
• 1 tsp cumins seeds
• 1 inch ginger, chopped
• 1 green chilli, chopped
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup, finely chopped spinach
• 4 cups water
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• Pinch of asafoetida
• 1 tsp ghee
• Salt to taste
Preparation
• Wash and soak moong dal in water for 5 minutes. Drain the water.
• Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds and asafoetida.
• Once they splutter, add the ginger and saute for about a minute.
• Add chopped onions, green chilli and saute till the onions turn pink.
• Now add spinach and saute for about 2 minutes.
• Now add the moong dal with oats and saute for 2 minutes.
• Season with turmeric and salt and stir well.
• Pour 4 cups of water and give it a stir.
• Pressure cook for 2 whistles. Serve hot.
Oneza Tabish is a food blogger, consultant, and columnist based in Oman. She is also the owner of Oman’s popular Facebook group ‘What’s Cooking Oman.’
