Food Post #201: Khichdi

Khichdi is the perfect dish to make and consume when one faces certain situations, some of which I list as below:

1. You don't know what to cook

2. You know what to cook, but are feeling lazy

3.  You are sick and tired of eating lavish foods, and your tummy needs some TLC

4. Extrapolating #3: Your tummy has had it, and you are sick and tired of popping those fruity, calcium rich Tums into your system. Your tummy needs some TLC

5. You are suffering from a fever, or a cold, or a cough, or a cold and a cough, or a fever, a cold, and a cough

6. You desire for some comfort food, and are quite tired of eating soup

7. You need to cook something ASAP

8. You miss the time when your kids had just started eating solid foods, and all you needed to cook for them was khichdi, and they would eat it up very happily

9. You remember your childhood when Mom used to cook khichdi for you, and the rest of the family on certain occasions. I am pretty sure she too encountered the aforementioned situations that drove her to cooking this wonderful dish. And I do say "wonderful" without any ounce of sarcasm. Really! No, really!!

The Very Basic Khichdi made with Rice and Mung Dal 

Yield: 2 adults

Ingredients: 

Rice- 1/2 cup

Mung dal- 1/2 cup

Asafetida (hing)- 2 pinches

Cumin seeds- 2 tsp

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Pepper- fresh ground- 2-4 tsp

Oil or Ghee- 1 tablespoon 

Salt to taste

Water to cook- 2-4 cups 

Method: 

1. Wash rice and dal and keep aside. Meanwhile in a pressure cooker, pour in some oil or ghee, or a combination of oil and ghee, get the heat going, add a couple pinches of asafetida, followed by cumin seeds, turmeric, and pepper powder. Then throw in the washed rice and dal. Stir for a minute or so. 

2. Add water. I like my khichdi a bit "watery," nice and mushy. If you prefer it dry- then add only double the quantity of water. Add salt to taste. Cover lid. Pressure cook for 5 minutes. Done! 

Khichdi almost ready to be eaten!

3. At this point the khichdi is ready to be eaten. I like it a bit mushy, so I stir it and make it so. Then add a bit of ghee (yum!), and eat away. Some Indian pickle on the side is a good way to eat it. Or perhaps some sliced onion. Or just some plain yogurt. Any way you like it! 

Mushy khichdi for me please! 

Khichdi with some ghee and Indian pickle on the side- Yum!