Vegetable Khichidi

"KHICHDI" What comes to once mind if you got to pamper yourself after a busy work day with a quick delicious warm comforting one pot nutritious meal...Yup you got it right "The Queen of Comfort Food" = "KHICHDI". Its a South Asian cuisine, quiet popular in Indian subcontinent. Each state in India has its own version of preparing Khichdi, it is also equally popular in Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan. It is a suitable meal from babies first solid food to a person under health care, its a nutritious complete vegetarian meal, though there are few non-vegetarian variations to it as well.

I would like to share the most common variation of it all made mainly with "Rice and Lentils".

I am a Maharashtrian born and brought up in Karnataka, I grew up eating my moms simplest version of quick  plain Khichdi, prepared mainly from rice grains and moong dal with just salt added to it and topped with ghee. I savored it with pickle and a papad, and that's it my warm comfort evening dinner was done. In December 2018 we had to travel to Chennai, we as always opt to stay at GRT Grand at Chennai as they never disappointed my expectations. On one evening after a long day of travel and exhaustion in Chennai we did not want to get out of our room. We decided to order some comforting food that's when I got an opportunity to relish their version of Vegetable Khichdi, ever since then it has always been part of my nutritious dinner meal, and i represent this as my family recipe :)

A wonder food for people aiming for healthy weight loss here's my version of 

" MASALA VEGETABLE KHICHDI "

 

Making " CHEF STYLE MASALA VEGETABLE KHICHDI " in one pot Electric Pressure Cooker :

1. Wash and soak rice grains and mixed lentils separately for at least 20 mins.

2. Prepare the green paste by grinding together Ginger + Garlic + Green chili + Coriander leaves + lime juice in a mixer grinder.

3. Heat ghee (clarified butter ) to the inner pot of Electric Pressure Cooker.

4. Add mustard seeds allow it to splutter, now add cumin seeds let it sizzle for a while.

 

5. Add Asafoetida, few curry leaves and saute until curry leaves get fried.

 

6. Add minced green paste and saute it for a while in spiced hot ghee.

7. Add drained soaked mixed lentils to the pot.

 

8.  Add drained soaked rice grains, saute Rice, Lentils for sometime

 

9.  Add water, let it simmer for a while.

 

10. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala or kitchen king masala.

 

11. Add salt to taste.

12. Add mixed vegetables to the simmering mixture.

 

13. At this point check the taste, adjust the salt content accordingly.

 

14. Pressure cook on high for 20mins, let it self release for 20 mins, release the remaining pressure.

Some useful tips :

• Soaking rice grains speeds up the cooking process, some amount of water is absorbed by grains even before start of cooking process. Excess starch, most preservatives etc applied to rice get dissolved in water. Always strain the water left over after soaking process.
• Soaking lentils allows in quick cooking of lentils and better digestion. The outer shell of lentils contains anti-nutrients, which interfere in process of digestion, soaking them in water neutralizes these anti-nutrients.
• Minced green paste ( ginger + garlic + green chili + coriander leaves + lemon juice ) enhances the flavor, intensifying flavors for better tasting Khichidi.
• Simmering water before adding grounded spice masala, aids in quick and better infusion of spices in water, the result is a better tasting flavorful recipe. This reduces chances of intense flavor spots during cooking process of rice.

This Chef style Vegetable Masala Khichdi is definitely delicious, wholesome meal.

Author : Shilpa Nimbalkar for Food Canopy

Cuisine : Indian

Course : Main

Method : Electric Pressure Cooker

Prep Time : 10 mins

Cook Time : 20 mins

Servings : 4

Core Ingredients :

Rice = 3/4th cup washed and soaked

Mixed Lentils ( toor dal, moong dal and masoor dal in equal quantity ) = 3/4th cup washed and soaked

Mixed Vegetables ( Carrot, Green Peas, French Beans, Potatoes ) = 3/4th cup

Ghee/clarified butter = 2 Tablespoons / You can add more ghee per your preference

Spices :

Mustard seeds

Cumin seeds

Asafoetida powder

Curry leaves

Minced green paste ( grind together 1/2 inch ginger + 1 clove garlic + 2 green chilies + handful coriander leaves + 1/8 piece of squezed  lime juice )

Coriander powder

Kitchen King masala / Garam masala

Salt to taste

Water = 4 1/2 cups 

INSTRUCTIONS:

1. Wash and soak rice grains and mixed lentils separately for atleast 20 mins.

2. Prepare the green paste by grinding together Ginger + Garlic + Green chili + Coriander leaves + lime juice in a mixer grinder.

3. Heat ghee (clarified butter ) to the inner pot of Electric Pressure Cooker.

4. Add mustard seeds allow it to splutter, now add cumin seeds let it sizzle for a while.

5. Add asafoetida, few curry leaves and saute a bit.

6. Add minced green paste and saute it for a while in spiced hot ghee.

7. Add drained soaked mixed lentils to the pot.

8.  Add drained soaked rice grains, saute them well.

9.  Add water, let it simmer for a while.

10. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder and garam masala or kitchen king masala to the simmering mixture.

11. Add salt to taste.

12. Add mixed vegetables to the simmering mixture.

13. At this point check the taste, adjust the salt content accordingly.

14. Pressure cook on high for 20mins and let it self release for 20 mins, later release the remaining pressure.