Comfort food and one pot meal: Moogachi khichadi ( different version)

For a quick but nourishing meal, we all resort to our comfort food. In all likelihood, your comfort food is the same as mine, Khichadi (rice, moong daal cooked with minimal or no spices added).

We all have the *most* basic version. But sometimes, even the humble version needs a makeover with almonds and raisins and some spices. 

And then we all have that version where we want to sneak in vegetables and make children ( and in some cases, older people) eat them.

During my recent India trip, my father caught a bug and came down with fever and had lost all his appetite. He lost weight and weakness enveloped him. It was so heart breaking to see him like that. 

Of course in a few days he was on the mend, slowly and along with medication and tonics, good food was needed.

This khichadi, has warming spices that give it the taste and perk up blah! taste buds. The vegetables and the moong daal (split and skin on) amp up the nutrition. 

While it tastes good on it's own, with the (mandatory, imho) generous drizzle of ghee, the popular saying, Ghee, Papad, Dahi, Achar : Khichadi ke hai char yaar, is perfect for this version.

Source: Here

1 cup split Moong daal with green skin on
1.5 Cup Basmati / Ambe Mohar rice
1 cup cauliflower florets 
2 small Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 med Onion chopped
1/2 C Green peas
2-3 tbs oil
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Red chilies powder 
5 green cardamoms, peeled
2 small sticks Cinnamon 
4 Cloves
2 tsp Cumin
4 Bay leaves
2 tsp Coriander seed powder 
10 small garlic cloves or 4 large ones
1 inch Ginger 
Salt and sugar to taste 

Lightly roast the moong daal. 

Combine the daal and rice and wash  3-4 times until the water runs clear.

Powder the cardamom, cloves and the cinnamon.

On a separate burner, set 5 cups of water to boil.

Heat oil in an heavy bottom pan ( I prefer to use my pressure pan) 
add the cumin, bay leaves and onion.

Add the ginger- garlic paste. Add the washed and drained rice and daal.

Add the coriander seeds powder and the masala and the red chilies powder. 
Add the chopped vegetables ( you can add the vegetables with the rice and daal as well).

Sauté.

Add the boiling water, salt and sugar to taste.

Lower the heat and cook till done.

Alternatively, use a pressure cooker ( 3 whistles and on low heat for 10 mins)

Drizzle, generously, with ghee and chopped cilantro and serve.

Khichadi with vegetables and golden home made ghee

I have another version of khichadi that I make often, involving usage of 'goda masala' and hopefully I will blog about it soon (not too soon, though).

After all, there is no such thing as 'too much khichadi'. 

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The softest idlis, ever!

This summer, after a lot of back and forth I finally gifted myself a Wet Grinder. 

Finally.

Why did I not do this earlier? What a fool I have been.

I was always happy with the idlis I have made previously. I used Idli Rava. Urad daal and Idli rava (1:3). It was easy, I only had to grind the soaked Daal. The idlis never disappointed. 

So why would I want to change something *that* good. The only reason I changed this was, there is a difference between a good idli and a fantastic idli. 

Immodest as this sounds, I make fantastic idlis now. (yes, yes, I'm all puffed up at my success).

I read the term 'pillowy goodness' on Nupur's OHS and now, now I know what she meant. 

The grinder grinding away is sheer music to my ears. Every week.
What else can get me so excited? The very first time I made idlis using the grinder and the proportion mentioned, I could hardly wait to taste them, I did not. As soon as I could get them off the mold, I nibbled on the piping hot idli. Oh heaven! Before I knew it (well, I did, but let's just pretend I was in a trance) I had polished off 2 more. With nothing to accompany them. Just like that.
Then I ate them with just chutney.
Then with sambar.
Then with chutney and sambar.
And as if that wasn't enough, I also ate them with ghee and sugar.
Yes, I did it.

We ate nothing but idlis that day.
They are *that* good.

The weeks following haven't changed much.
My friends also declare that these idlis are far superior to the ones I had made earlier and those were superb, in their opinion.

Here's how I make the idli:

1 cup Gota Urad Daal  (Whole, skinned Urad daal)
1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
3 cups Idli Rice (specially labelled and easily available in any Indian grocery store)

Wash the daal in several changes of water, till it runs clear. Refill with fresh water and soak the daal along with fenugreek seeds for at least 8 hours or overnight.

Wash the idli rice in several changes of water and then refill with fresh water and soak alongside the urad daal.

Before grinding, discard the soaking water and rinse the daal and rice briefly.
Now, if you are using the wet grinder, add the daal in one go and some water and start grinding. Slowly add water as required.
Grind till the daal (and fenugreek)  is a smooth paste and is white in color.
As you scoop, it feels light and well, fluffy. That is what best describes it.
Once the daal is done, remove it to the container you want to use to ferment the batter.
Now, to the wet grinder, add the rice and some water and switch it on.
Grind till the rice is smooth.
Add this to the daal and mix gently.
At this stage a lot of women like to add salt and let the batter ferment. I usually do not add any. 
I add salt before I make idli.
Leave the container in a warm place to ferment. This can take from 8-12 hours.
I leave the batter in my oven and switch on the light.
Once the batter has risen, you can either make idlis immediately or transfer the batter as is to the fridge to keep until you are ready to make idlis.

To make idli:
Add about 1-1.5 tsp salt to the batter and mix *very*gently to evenly distribute the salt.
Grease the idli mold.
Fill the idli steamer /cooker with water at the bottom. Know your cooker levels and make sure that water does not enter the mold at the bottom.
Set it on the stove and let the water heat up.
Spoon the batter intot he mold cavities and stack them up.
Carefully place the idli stand n the cooker/ steamer and place the lid.
Steam on medium high ( if your stove has buttons going from 1-9 and HI, use 7.5) and steam the idlis for about 20 mins.
Once done, switch off the heat, remove the lid and let some steam escape.
Remove the stand (use a napkin or wear a baking glove) and set it aside.
Use a blunt knife (butter knife) to remove the idli from the mold and serve hot with chutney of your choice and sambar.

These idlis freeze very well. To reheat, place 3-4 idlis on a microwave safe plate and cover with a damp napkin and microwave on high for 1-1.25 mins.


NOTES:

• Make sure the batter is light and fluffy.Airy.
• Do not add too much water, that will not give you fluffy idlis.
• Do not over mix the batter, this will release the air that is incorporated into the batter while grinding.
• After adding salt to the batter, mix / fold gently.
• If using blender to grind the daal, start at a low speed and then increase gradually. When the daal starts looking pasty, give it the max speed and let it grind for a while till it looks fluffy.
• In winter when fermentation takes longer, I add 1-2 teaspoons of thick poha. Adding poha to the rice (after the soaking water is discarded and rice is rinsed) helps the process. 

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