Comfort food.. Masala Khichdi :)

Hello People!

Do you have days where you are tired of eating hot, spicy , fried food from outside? All your heart longs for is something simple, light comfort food... Easy to digest, quick to make and yes reminding you of your land.

Well I am having a day like that today and the most basic comfort food I can think of is Khichdi.
It not only reminds me of my Sunday lunches but also of a comedy series we used to watch while having it, also called "Khichdi".

Okay before I get more nostalgic, I should start with the simple ingredients needed to make this tasty and healthy dish.

Ingredients:

1. Rice                                                            1 cup
2. Moongdal Chilka (split green gram)             1 cup
3. Chopped Mixed peppers                             1/2 cup
4. Chopped carrots                                          1/2 cup
5. Chopped beans(optional)                            1/2 cup
6. Chopped tomatoes                                      1/2 cup
7. Ghee                                                           2  tablespoons
8. Hing (asafoetida)                                        a pinch
9. Jeera                                                           1 teaspoon
10. Kadi patta                                                   7-8 leaves
11. Dried red chilies                                         1-2 
12. Chopped Garlic                                          2 teaspoons
13. Turmeric powder                                        1/2  teaspoon
14. Red chilli powder                                       1/2 teaspoon
15. Coriander powder                                       1 teaspoon
16. Garam masala                                             1/2 teaspoon
17. Salt                                                              to taste
18. Water                                                          4 cups

Preparation:

1. Take a pressure cooker , place it on the burner and add ghee.
2. When the ghee is hot, add jeera, asafoetida, curry leaves, dried red chilies and chopped garlic.
3. When you start getting the slight aroma of burnt garlic, add carrot and beans.
4. Saute for a minute and add the dal and rice.
5. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
6. Stir until the rice and daal are covered in the masala. Add water.
7. Add chopped peppers and tomatoes.
8. Close the lid of the cooker, put it on medium flame and wait for the whistles.
9. After approx 4 whistles, switch the flame off.
10. Let the pressure cooker cool and then open the lid.

Serve with raita, poppadoms and pickle and enjoy. :)

Tip:

Soaking the rice and daal together for sometime will help make your khichdi faster.