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.