Vegetable Kichadi: Comfort Food

Kichadi. A lazy day idea. A meal which is complete in itself. I never thought I would ever post a kichadi recipe on my blog because this is easiest thing one can cook. Probably a recipe, that all mothers teach their kids when they leave home-either for job or further studies. My mother told me once-learn how to make kichadi properly, one day you will need it. Ah so true. Kichadi is my lazy day meal idea. Kichadi is my comfort food. A bowl of kichadi with dollops of ghee can do wonders.

So what is kichadi. Kichadi is a mix on lentils (yellow moong daal) and rice cooked together. The consistency is like mashed potatoes or mashed peas. There is basic kichadi which is just rice and lenthils cooked with salt and turmeric –this type is mainly served to someone who is recovering from some illness. The other type is vegetable kichadi where in you can add veggies like peas, spinach, potatoes, bell peppers and almost anything. This type makes it a complete meal and very fulfilling.

If you are keen on trying the recipe then I would strongly recommend to buy a pressure cooker. Pressure cooker not only gives you that perfect kichadi texture/consistency but it also saves a lot of time. Now how to serve kichadi. I have for you two traditional and yet evergreen ideas.

1)       Serve with plain salted yogurt, salad and papad.

2)       Serve with Kadhi, pickle and papad.

Now lets see the recipe. Vegetable Kichadi or Massala Kichadi

Ingridents:

2 cups rice (I used basmati)

3 cups yellow moong dal

1/4 cup green peas

1 potato chopped

1 bell pepper chopped

1 carrot, chopped

2 green chilies

1 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

1 tbsp ghee

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak rice and moong daal for 2-3 hours in water.

In a pressure cooker, add ghee. When ghee is hot add asafoetida. Add all vegetables.

Mix turmeric in it. Add 2 and 1/2 cups water as well.

Drain water from soaked rice and moong daal. Add the rice and moong daal in the cooker. Add salt. Cover and cook on medium flame for 4 whistles.

Open the cooker when steam is released.

Serve hot.

Notes:
Feel free to add more veggies like beans, tomato, spinach.
Serve it with dallop of ghee for that perfect kichadi taste.
If you dont have prssure cooker, cook it an large vessel/wok. Keep stiring in between.