Vegetable Khichdi

Khichdi is a dish made of rice and pulses.

It is cooked with very little oil ,no spices, and lots of vegetables, hence a very light and nutritious dish.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Moog Dal ( either yellow or green ) - 1 cup
• Ghee - 2 tbsp
• Chopped Vegetables - as much as you like
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Chopped Onions- 1 small
• Chopped Tomatoes - 1 medium
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Water - 4-5 cups
• Salt - to taste

Note: A large variety of vegetables can be used, typically, potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, beans, peas, broccoli, baby corn, bell pepper.

Directions:

• A pressure cooker or pressure pan or a big vessel with a lid can be used to make khichdi. I use Pressure pan.
• Wash rice and dal together. Keep aside.
• Heat ghee in the pressure pan, add cumin seeds, let them splutter. Add hing.
• Add chopped onions and saute just for a minute , no need to brown them. Add turmeric powder.
• Add Chopped tomatoes or tomato puree and all the diced vegetables.
• Stir fry for just a minute.
• Add dal and rice mixture, water and salt and cook covered on high heat for 10 minutes and low heat for 5 minutes. If you are cooking in a vessel , cook till it is done.

It can be eaten with yogurt or raita or kadhi ,pickle, papad.

Variation :

• In some places, like Bihar, they make khichdi in semi paste consistency. If you like it like that, add more water. Instead of 2 whistles on cooker, let there be 3-4 whistles. Infact that makes an absolute wonderful baby food. It is so easy to eat and digest.
• Second variation could be, that you make the khichdi spicy. Typically it is made without spices, but if you like it, you can add ginger, green chillies, garam masala etc.