VEGETABLE KHICHDI
Vegetable Khichdi is a wholesome, nutritious, healthy one pot meal. Served with some roasted papad, pickle and plain yogurt or raita it is comfort food. This recipe is versatile as you can add vegetables of your choice, use any dal or lentil and doesn't need to be served with kadhi.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup rice
- 1 cup green moong dal
- 3 cups water
- 2 cups mixed vegetables
- 2 cups spinach chopped
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 2-3 cloves garlic sliced or minced
- 1 tsp ginger paste or 1" cut into thin strips
- 1 tsp chilli paste or 2 chillis, slit lengthwise
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ghee or oil
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp carom seeds
- ⅛ tsp asafoetida
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
Instructions
- Mix the rice and lentils and wash thoroughly. Soak in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.
- In the meantime get the vegetables ready.
- Heat oil or ghee in a deep pan.
- Add mustard, cumin and carom seeds. When they begin to splutter, add hing and immediately add the sliced onion.
- Saute the onion till it is light pink in colour. Add garlic, ginger and chilli and saute for a further 30 - 60 seconds or so.
- Add turmeric powder and the vegetables except for the spinach.
- Stir fry the vegetables for 2 minutes or so. Add the rice and lentil mixture with the water.
- Add salt and the remaining water.
- Cover the pan and cook over low heat till its done. Stir occasionally so that it does not stick to the bottom of the pan. The mixture will appear a bit gooey.
- Add the chopped spinach, mix and cover immediately. Let it stand for 5 minutes. This will help the spinach to wilt.
- Add the garam masala. Stir and serve hot with some roasted papad, pickle and yogurt or raita on the side.
Notes
- Vegetables that can be used are peas, diced carrots, potatoes, french beans, eggplant, doodhi (bottle gourd), turia (ridge gourd). Make sure you taste the ends of the turia before you chop it as some can be bitter. Can add any other vegetables of your choice.
- Can use any lentil of your choice like yellow moong dal, toor dal, chana dal, or a mixture of dals.
- Can make without onions and garlic and it still tastes great.
- Add more water if required during cooking as the amount depends on how old the rice is and the heat you use.Or also if you need the khichdi to be extra soft and gooey.
- Can pressure cook it for 2 whistles.