Day Six : Kadhi Khichadi

On Day Six of the Blogging Marathon #7, brainchild of the lovely Srivalli , we have the ultimate comfort food : Kadhi Khichadi.
Personally, this combo meal is one of my absolute favorite dish.
I loved Kadhi Khichadi as a child hence it was one of the first dishes that I learnt to cook.
It is supposed to be my specialty. My family and friends send requests (farmaish) for me to cook this simple yet extremely wholesome and tasty comfort food.
No get together of our family is complete without me cooking this dish.
I know that most people have highly complicated dishes as their specialty. But then I do not claim to be good cook ( I am still learning and have a long way to go) and I believe that it is not easy to make even simple dishes tasty and consistently good :))
In Maharashtrian weddings, kadhi khichadi and sheera puri are served for dinner on the wedding eve(simantpujan)
Though generally khichadi is made with moong dal and rice, I prefer to make it with Tur dal.

Kadhi Khichadi :

Khichadi :
Ingredients :
3/4 cup Tur dal / Arhar Dal ( Split Red Gram)
3/4 cup Rice (whole uncooked)
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 8-9 cloves
Onions - 2/3 
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Water - 4 and half cups
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida (hing)- pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Sugar - pinch

Salt - as per taste.

Godha masala - 1 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Method : 

Wash tur dal and rice with water together and after rinsing off the water keep aside for half an hour.

Cut onions into small pieces.

Grate ginger finely.

Chop cloves of garlic into small pieces.

In a pressure cooker, heat one tablespoon of oil.

When the oil gets heated, add mustard seeds and let them splutter.

Add cumin seeds and hing. 

Add onions and stir them continously for 5 minutes.

After the onions turn translucent, add turmeric powder.

Add tur dal and rice which was kept aside after washing and stir continuously.

Add godha masala,red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, salt and sugar and mix well.

Stir for 5 -10 minutes and add water.

Cover it with the lid and whistle and let it pressure cook on medium heat.

After 2 whistles, lower the heat and let it cook for 5 minutes before removing from heat.

Tips :

Do not add turmeric powder before onions as it might get burnt in hot oil and also you will not be able to see the changed color of onions.

Water to be added should be heated separately so that the khichadi cooks faster.

Water to be added may vary as per the brand of rice being used.

My family generally likes khichadi to be of semi liquid consistency. If you prefer khichadi to be of more firm consistency like biryani add less water and use Basmati rice.

Kadhi :

2 cup curd (dahi)

Water

Gram flour (besan) - 2/3 teaspoons

Ginger - 1/2 inch

Garlic - 7-8 cloves

Green chillies - 3/4 

Salt to taste

Sugar - pinch

Coriander leaves(optional)

Curry leaves (optional)

Ghee

Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

Asafoetida (hing)- pinch

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Fenugreek Seeds (methi dana) - 1/2 teaspoon

Beat the curd adding water in a blender.

Grate the ginger and fine chop half the garlic into small pieces.

Take 2 green chillies and fine chop them.

Grind ginger, garlic, coriander leaves, cumin seeds and green chillies in a mixer to a coarse consistency.

Add this mixture into the curd and mix well.

Add salt and sugar.

In a small cup take some water and add besan in it.

Stir continuously till there are no lumps seen in the water.

Add this in the curd and water mixture and mix well.

In a heavy bottom vessel pour this and keep it on medium heat.

Stir continuously. When this mixture comes to boil, switch off the heat.

Heat ghee in a small pan.

When the ghee gets heated, add cumin seeds and hing.

Add the remaining cloves of garlic and green chillies.

Add fenugreek seeds and turmeric powder.

Pour this tempering (tadaka) over the kadhi and let it boil for 5 minutes.

Tip : Check the sourness of curd and add sugar / gud according. Gujarati kadhi is generally sweet but in Maharashtra sugar is not always added.

Stir the mixture continously when you cook it as otherwise the curd may start cuddling and the curd & water separate. The kadhi should be a mixture of curd and besan.
As stated above, I made khichadi with tur dal and rice instead of moong dal.
Also my ratio of tur dal and rice is exact half and half unlike the usual 3:1 ratio of moong dal and rice.

Kadhi Khichadi is ready.

Take a look at what the rest of the marathon bloggers are upto....