Welcome back everyone,
Central Canada is is going to have longer winter this year and the storms will last right up to April which is almost here. Even now as I write , a storm or at least remenents of it are raging outside. A cup of hot chocolate or a bowl of soup with crispy garlic bread, wow!!! But wait ! What about other comfort foods like our own Khichdi. Oh no don't say its food for the sick because today I am going to make khichhdi for you which you can serve in a party and your guests will drool. Plus a quick mango launji and a tadke wala raita, I am already feeling hungry. So without much ado, lets get down to cooking.
Khichhdi
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup split moong daal (available in Indian grocery stores)
6 cups water
1" piece fresh ginger diced
2 cloves garlic diced
1 medium size tomato diced
1/2 cup fresh coriander diced
1' piece cinnamon
3 clove
1 big cardommom
1 tsp whole mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds-methi dana
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 whole red chillies
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp degi mirch or paprika
2 tbsp kari patta ( available in Indian stores)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp green chillies diced
2tbsp ghee(clarified butter)
Salt to taste
1 cup of mix diced vegetables( optional)
Put rice, daal, ginger, cloves cinnamon and cardommom with water in a pressure cooker. Let it boil. After 4-5 whistles turn off the heat. Let cool. Open the lid and if the mixture is too thick, add some more water. The consistency should be that of a daal.
Heat 1,1/2 tbsp ghee in a saucepan. add whole chillies. When they start spluttering, add mustard seeds, cumin, green chillies, kari patta and at last methi dana. Add to the khichhdi. Heat remaining ghee and add coriander powder, garlic, degi mirch and salt. Add to the khichhdi. Sprinkle garam masala on top. Serve hot with papad, raita and mirch ka tadka.
Mirch ka tadka(chilli tempering)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ghee
Heat ghee in a pan and add chilli powder. Heat for a few seconds. This can be stored. Add to khichhdi on top or serve in a bowl so everyone can take as much as they want
Mango Launji
Ingredients:
2 raw mangoes
2 little ripe mangoes
2 green chillies diced
1 tsp kari patta
2 whole chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp mustard or olive oil
Salt to taste
Cut mangoes in strips. Heat mustard oil and bring it to smoking point. turn off the heat and cool for a minute. Add cumin and mustard seeds green chillies and kari patta. Add mangoes. Add salt chilli powder, sugar and turmeric and cook till mango slices are tender. Serve warm with khichhdi or just plain parantha.
Tadke wala Raita
Ingredients:
250 gms. yogurt
1 cucumber grated or 1 cup salted boondi ( available at Indian stores)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 small onion cut thinly lengthwise
2 green chillies cut lengthwise
1 tbsp kari patta
1/2 tsp bhuna zeera powder( cumin seeds roasted brown and powdered)
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Grate cucumber and put in a sieve. Using a hand blender or egg beater, beat yogurt till smooth. If using boondi, wash in running water for a minute. Add to yogurt. In a fry pan heat oil. Add onions and fry till brown. Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add green chillies and kari patta. Add to yogurt. Sprinkle red chilli powder, bhuna zeera and salt on top. Serve with khichhdi, any vegetable or rice.
Central Canada is is going to have longer winter this year and the storms will last right up to April which is almost here. Even now as I write , a storm or at least remenents of it are raging outside. A cup of hot chocolate or a bowl of soup with crispy garlic bread, wow!!! But wait ! What about other comfort foods like our own Khichdi. Oh no don't say its food for the sick because today I am going to make khichhdi for you which you can serve in a party and your guests will drool. Plus a quick mango launji and a tadke wala raita, I am already feeling hungry. So without much ado, lets get down to cooking.
Khichhdi
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice
1/2 cup split moong daal (available in Indian grocery stores)
6 cups water
1" piece fresh ginger diced
2 cloves garlic diced
1 medium size tomato diced
1/2 cup fresh coriander diced
1' piece cinnamon
3 clove
1 big cardommom
1 tsp whole mustard seeds
1/4 tsp fenugreek seeds-methi dana
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
3 whole red chillies
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp degi mirch or paprika
2 tbsp kari patta ( available in Indian stores)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp green chillies diced
2tbsp ghee(clarified butter)
Salt to taste
1 cup of mix diced vegetables( optional)
Put rice, daal, ginger, cloves cinnamon and cardommom with water in a pressure cooker. Let it boil. After 4-5 whistles turn off the heat. Let cool. Open the lid and if the mixture is too thick, add some more water. The consistency should be that of a daal.
Heat 1,1/2 tbsp ghee in a saucepan. add whole chillies. When they start spluttering, add mustard seeds, cumin, green chillies, kari patta and at last methi dana. Add to the khichhdi. Heat remaining ghee and add coriander powder, garlic, degi mirch and salt. Add to the khichhdi. Sprinkle garam masala on top. Serve hot with papad, raita and mirch ka tadka.
Mirch ka tadka(chilli tempering)
Ingredients:
1 tbsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ghee
Heat ghee in a pan and add chilli powder. Heat for a few seconds. This can be stored. Add to khichhdi on top or serve in a bowl so everyone can take as much as they want
Mango Launji
Ingredients:
2 raw mangoes
2 little ripe mangoes
2 green chillies diced
1 tsp kari patta
2 whole chillies
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric
2 tsp sugar
1 tbsp mustard or olive oil
Salt to taste
Cut mangoes in strips. Heat mustard oil and bring it to smoking point. turn off the heat and cool for a minute. Add cumin and mustard seeds green chillies and kari patta. Add mangoes. Add salt chilli powder, sugar and turmeric and cook till mango slices are tender. Serve warm with khichhdi or just plain parantha.
Tadke wala Raita
Ingredients:
250 gms. yogurt
1 cucumber grated or 1 cup salted boondi ( available at Indian stores)
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 small onion cut thinly lengthwise
2 green chillies cut lengthwise
1 tbsp kari patta
1/2 tsp bhuna zeera powder( cumin seeds roasted brown and powdered)
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste
Grate cucumber and put in a sieve. Using a hand blender or egg beater, beat yogurt till smooth. If using boondi, wash in running water for a minute. Add to yogurt. In a fry pan heat oil. Add onions and fry till brown. Add mustard seeds. When they start to splutter, add green chillies and kari patta. Add to yogurt. Sprinkle red chilli powder, bhuna zeera and salt on top. Serve with khichhdi, any vegetable or rice.
