COOKING KHICHDI

In Nepal , when someone is ill or recovering from illness, then dalia and moong dal khichdi are often served to him/her. even doctors recommend khichdi to patients. in ayurveda, moong is one lentil which is recommended for balancing all three doshas (kapha, pitta & vata). even plain mung dal khichdi sans any seasoning or spices is consumed as part of a detox diet.

i already have two more moong dal khichdi recipes on the blog but both are no onion no garlicrecipes. moong dal khichdi recipe made for ganesh chaturthi festival and bengali moong dal khichdi(bhaja muger khichuri) for durga puja celebrations.

in this moong dal khichdi, onions & tomatoes are added and thats how i make a simple basic khichdi at home on regular days. moong beans are healthy and easy to digest. so when your stomach is upset then it is best to have khichdi. it can also be served to small babies, since it is easy to digest.

i usually prepare khichdi in the pressure cooker. if you do not have a pressure cooker, then make the khichdi in the pot. you will have to add some more water when cooking in a pot.
you can serve moong dal khichdi with curd or an accompanying raita or papad. i also like to drizzle some lemon juice on the khichdi and prefer with some finely chopped vegetable salad. also don’t forget to top the khichdi with a spoon of ghee while serving

here is a variation of a khichdi recipe that is slightly spicy and includes mix veggies. warm, comforting and nutritious.

i started cooking this particular recipe many years back and still do. it is one of our favorite rice-lentils based one pot recipe. any khichdi recipe is quick to prepare in a pressure cooker and so is this veg masala khichdi. thus a better cooking option after a tiring day.

usually the veggies that i add in this khichdi are the usual mix of carrots, capsicum, cauliflower, peas, potatoes and french beans. however, i also add one more veggie and that is brinjal or aubergines. so whenever there are brinjals in the fridge, i add them to the masala khichdi. in the recipe post, i have not added brinjals. but if you do have them, then do add. they give a very nice taste in the khichdi. you can just add veggies you like or the ones you want to use up quickly.

depending on the amount of water added, you can make a porridge like consistency or keep a pulao like consistency in the khichdi. so choose whatever you prefer. the entire recipe has been made in a pressure cooker. though you can also make this khichdi in a pan. just soak the rice+mung lentils in water for 30 minutes before cooking.

how to make the recipe:

1. take rice and moong dal in a bowl. rinse with water for a couple of times. drain and keep aside. also chop the veggies and keep aside.
2. heat 1 tbsp ghee or oil in a pressure cooker.
3. add the following garam masala or whole spices - ½ tsp cumin seeds, 1 small to medium tej patta, ½ inch cinnamon, 2 cloves, 2 green cardamoms. saute till the spices crackle and become fragrant.
4. add ⅓ cup chopped onion and saute them till they turn translucent.
5. add 1 tsp ginger garlic paste. stir and saute till the raw aroma of ginger-garlic goes away.
6. add ¼ to ⅓ cup chopped tomatoes and 1 to 2 green chilies (chopped). saute for a minute or two.
7. then add 1 to 1.25 cups mixed chopped veggies along with ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ¼ tsp red chili powder and a pinch of asafoetida. for a more spicy khichdi, add ½ tsp red chili powder. saute for a minute.
8. add the rice and moong dal. mix the rice and moong dal with the rest of the ingredients.
9. add 2 cups water. this much amount of water gives a khichdi which has a consistency not like a porridge, but not even dry like a pulao. for a more liquid consistency, you can increase the amount of water to 2.5 to 3 cups.
10. season with salt. pressure cook for 14 to 15 minutes or for 7 to 8 whistles. when the pressure falls down on its own, remove the lid.
11. serve vegetable masala khichdi hot drizzled with a teaspoon of ghee if you prefer. accompany a side veggie salad, raita, pickle or plain curd by the side.  Dal khichdi recipe with step by step photos1. Add rice and dal to a pot and wash it several times until the water runs clear. Soak it for sometime if possible. To make this dish any kind of rice can be used. The day I made this I had only basmathi rice at home so i used it. I used half brown and half white rice, soaked for about 30 mins. You can also use all brown rice or white rice alone. You can also replace brown rice here with millets. Any kind of rice too will just go well to make a khichdi. Drain off completely and set aside. Usually ghee is used to make khichdi. You can also use oil. Heat ghee in a pot or pressure cooker. Add cumin and bay leaf. If you do not have bay leaf you can just skip it or use curry leaves. Both lend a different aroma to the rice.Masala Khichdi is a spicy variation of simple khichdi. This is healthy but ultimate comfort food. Khichdi is basically prepared with rice and lentils. Every hosehold has their own recipe for khichdi. At my home khichdi was made just with rice and moong dal. Adding a few vegetables with spicy tomato seasoning makes khichdi a complete meal. 

COOKING PIZZA

This is a tried and tested vegetarian pizza recipe and if everything is followed correctly, you will be able to make great pizzas with a choice of your toppings for your family and friends. the vegetarian pizza beat all the pizzas i had in indian metros like the dominos pizza, smokin joes and even pizza hut.

there was a time when i used to make pizzas at home with ready made pizza breads. but after making breads at home and finding out they are far far better than the outside ones, i make even the pizza base at home now.

this recipe of homemade vegetable pizza is a pizza recipe made from scratch. except the cheese, no ready made sauces or pizza bread bases are used. this is a basic veg pizza. i have used onion and capsicum as the only veggies. you can use your own assorted veggies for the pizza.

for the flavorings of the sauce i have used dried oregano and basil. however you can use fresh oregano and basil too. i have made many pizza sauces right from my teen years. but this was the best sauce i have made. it has become a personal favorite.

the pizza bread is made from maida/all purpose flour. wheat flour can be used too. but wheat flour will make the pizza bread base a little dense.

COOKING CHICKEN TANDOORI

Tandoori chicken recipe – one of the world famous Indian chicken starter that has its roots from the Mughali cuisine of the Mughal era. This recipe can be used to grill drumsticks or boneless fillets to make kababs. I am sharing the recipe to grill in oven or on stove top/ gas stov.


This mouth watering delicious chicken is well known as murgh tandoor or tandoori murgh, murgh meaning chicken and tandoor is a clay oven in which the spice and yogurt marinated chicken or meat is grilled. We get to see little variations to the authentic recipes such as addition of chickpea flour or besan etc which adds aroma to the appetizer. This is done mostly to the tangri or tangdi kabab meaning the legs.
 
Today I am sharing an easy recipe to make a restaurant style tandoori chicken in an oven & on gas or stove top without using color or butter, making this a low fat chicken starter. I have not charred the meat, I do not suggest eating charred meat as it is dangerous to health.
 
This tandoori chicken recipe yields spicy chicken drumsticks or kababs that are soft and juicy with all the flavors of spices infused. These are spicy but not hot, even kids can enjoy them.
 
You can use store bought / ready made tandoori masala, however I have never used one to suggest. All the ingredients mentioned here for the masala will be present in most Indian kitchens, so try it from the scratch, 

COOKING PANEER

paneer butter masala is one of the most famous paneer dish along with palak paneer kadai paneer chilli paneer and matar panee. paneer butter masala is served in almost all indian restaurants and is loved by many people. no wonder, this recipe is one of most popular recipe in the blog and made by many readers. you can read the comments below which has lot of tips from readers as well as myself.

this recipe of paneer butter masala is similar to the way i would make butter chicken many years back. for the first time i had learnt how to make butter chicken during my home science days. later i used to use the same recipe for making paneer butter masala. some adaptations and improvisations have happened throughout the years.

the paneer butter masala gravy is made of tomato puree and the regular indian herbs-spices. it has a slight sweet taste and very mildly spiced. thus making it an excellent gravy with chapatis for kids.

generally in butter chicken or butter paneer, cream is added. in this paneer butter masala recipe to give a creamy consistency and a sweet tinge, i have added cashew paste.

i never use any coloring agents in the food i make at home. what you see in the pics, is the way the paneer butter masala gravy actually looked. the organic tomatoes had such a beautiful red color and the final curry had beautiful tones of orangish red.

so when making paneer butter masala, make sure to use ripe, red and firm tomatoes. also use good quality fresh paneer or make your own homemade paneer. making paneer at home is easy and i always use homemade paneer for my dishes. vegans can make the same recipe with tofu and vegan butter as substitutes for paneer and butter respectively.

there are some variations in the genre of gravy recipes made with paneer and butter. below are some of the paneer recipes posted which come in this category

COOKING THOKPA

Thokpa is boiled noodles, filtered and mixed with vegetables and meat items. Thokpa is also called Thukpa, It is very popular in Kathmandu and Mountain region of Nepal.It is eaten mostly during winter. Thokpa is noodles dipped in very hot soup, so it is good in cold places. It keeps you warm. 

It has its own chili dipped vinegar source. People prefer hot and spicy tomato Achar with this item too. Thokpa is eaten generally for Khaja at noon or meals in night.   

Method

Boil half liter water in a big pan.  When the water starts having bubbles add the Spaghetti.

In the same time take a blender and mix all soup paste ingredients into a thick paste; reserve in a small     bowl.

When the spaghetti is soft take it off the heat and soak the excess water.

Wash the spaghetti in running cold water.

In a sauce pan heat cooking oil; add soup paste, fry for about 30 seconds

Add chicken broth and mix well.

Bring to a boil; set heat to low and cook for a few minutes; adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Add all vegetables into the soup mixture; cook for a few minutes or until tender.

Add the Spaghetti in the mixture

You may add more broth if a soupier consistency is desired.

Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To serve, pour soup broth into a serving bowl and add grilled chicken slices and cooked rice noodles.

Serve immediately.

Add hot chili sauce or tomato achar to the soup if you desire spicy soup broth.

COOKING GAJAR KO HALUWA

gajar ka halwa  made with condensed milk or milkmaid. this is a quick and easy version of carrot halwa recipe made with condensed milk. i am adding this recipe as a few readers did ask me on how to prepare carrot halwa with condensed milk

i usually make good quantity of gajar halwa and keep in the fridge. it stays good for a week. i usually make halwa with the traditional method of cooking the grated carrots in milk. this time i made the halwa with condensed milk. this is a quick method than the traditional one and takes less time.

i did use 1.5 kgs carrots and it took about 45 mins to make the halwa. so if you halve or reduce the proportion, it will be much quicker. i used sweetened condensed milk (nestle milkmaid) and did not have to use any sugar.

gajar halwa is one of the most popular halwa variety in india. it is made for any festive occasions. there are many variations to make this halwa.

1. gajar halwa made with mikl – although, this takes more time to prepare as compared to this condensed milk recipe. but i prefer this method more because taste wise it is the best.
2. vegan carrot halwa recipe – made with almond milk.
3. microwave carrot halwa recipe– a quick method to make gajar halwa in microwave.

COOKING DAL

Nepal is one of the few countries that is blessed with variety in almost every aspect, food being the most obvious one. The unquestionable love and celebration of good food has been bringing people together for many years, and when we think of good food, one of our most loved preparations comes to mind - the quintessential Dal.

What may seem simple and basic at first glance, actually encompasses an amazing variety. From masoor, tuar, channa, moong and urad, Dal is something that constitutes an integral part of every neplease  meal. You'll find it whistling away in cookers in every home and hotel. Simple or elaboratenely cooked; it's the lifeline of a regular Indian platter.

Flavourful, simple and full of nutrients, one is sure to get an amalgamation of great taste with wholesome goodness. And now, your crash course to crack the art of cooking Dal is here, from simple to sophisticated.