NUTRI- RICH KHICHDI FESTIVAL; GOING GLOBAL BEING LOCAL

9 min read

Khichdi one of the most popular and nutritious dish from our country has left its footmarks on a global platform as it has now been considered to the most versatile and high on balance food from our cuisine and my innovative twists on khichdi have now evolved a number of unusual varieties to the basic recipe as well.

The Covid pandemic and lockdown, restricted movements and limited availability of ingredients in the recent challenging times left hardly any options with us but to adjust with whatever we had in house and still cook something healthy and beneficial for our immunity levels to be strengthening.

Khichdi has always been a very enjoyable moment for me to prepare and also enjoy it as a meal with a bowl of curd or raita and papad, salad alongside. While I also accepted a challenge sometime back of creating global desi khichdi varieties to suit a menu card of a client it truly made me put on my thinking chef cap and scribble down some combinations and concoctions answering the how and what to add into the khichdi in order to make it taste and look new and tasty.

During the course of time i was able to work on almost 12 different options with global cuisines attached to our desi dal khichdi concept and the trials and experiments were great fun, the tasting panel of course had the best time having every single bit full of flavor and twist of taste in it. Some of my creations included indo- Italian dal khichdi, indo- mexican tadka khichdi, Spanish olive and lentil khichdi, the tender coconut spiced Filipino style fusion khichdi, the schezuan tadke wali chicken tikka khichdi and many more.

Here are a few ideas for all our readers to try with Khichdi on the go!

Recipe-1] ACHARI DAL KHICHDI

Ingredients

For the tempering:

Oil/ghee-2 tsp

Hing-1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Ginger-1 tsp chopped

Green chili-1 tsp chopped

Red chili-1 -2 slit

Roasted crushed peanuts- 2 tsp.

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp. chopped.

Mango pickle with masala- 2 tsp

For the khichdi mixture:

Rice-1 cup soaked for 20 mins

yellow moong dal/ Toor dal- ½ cup soaked for 20 mins.

water- 4-5 cups

assorted veggies- carrots/ beans/peas/ cauliflower/ potatoes to be cut into small pieces/pre-prep to be done for all.

Tomatoes-2 small chopped

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

  1. Prepare all the ingredients for the khichdi recipe.

 

  1. In a thick bottomed pan combine together the dal, rice, salt, water, turmeric and veggies of your choice and tomatoes, simmer them for 20-25 mins or until well cooked and lightly mash it.
  2. Heat oil/ghee in a tadka pan add in the ingredients for the tadka and allow them to crackle and splutter for 20 seconds, add this hot tadka into the almost cooked dal rice mixture and add coriander leaves and cover and cook for 8-10 mins on low flame. Serve hot.

 

Recipe-2] DESI DALIYA WALI KHICHDI

Ingredients:

oil-2 tsp

ghee-2 tsp

mustard seeds-1/2 tsp

cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

hing-1 pinch

curry leaves- 4-5 no

slit green chilies-2 no

ginger-garlic-1 tsp chopped mix

onion-1 small chopped

tomato-2 med sized chopped

salt to taste

daliya/ cracked wheat- 1 cup soaked in 4 cups water for 1 hour.

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Red chili powder-1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder-1/4 tsp

Water-to cook as needed

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp. chopped

Slice of lime/ lime juice- 2 tsp to add and serve.

Method:

  1. Prepare all the ingredients for the khichdi and keep aside.
  2. Heat oil and ghee in a thick bottomed pan and add in the ingredients for tempering one by one and add onions and saute until light browned, add tomatoes and salt, all powdered spices, add the drained daliya and veggies of your choice and mix well.
  3. Add water little more than double the amount of daliya to start with and add more gradually as it cooks up on a low flame. Cover and allow to cook in steam for 20-25 mins, adjust salt and texture.
  4. Add in the coriander leaves and mix, add a little fresh lime juice on top and enjoy this khichdi with a bowl of fresh cut salad and curd.

 

Recipe-3] JHATPAT CHICKEN KEEMA KHICHDI

Ingredients

Brown rice/white rice -1 cup boiled and cooled

Toor dal/ yellow moong dal-1/2 cup soaked for 20 mins

Oil-2 tsp

Shahi jeera-1 tsp

Bay leaf- 2 no

Black peppercorns-3-5 no

Ginger-garlic-chili paste-1 tsp mix

Onion-1 chopped

Tomato-2 med chopped

Salt to taste

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Cumin powder-1 tsp

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Red chili powder-1/2 tsp

Kasuri methi-1 tsp

Water- as needed to cook

Green peas-1/2 cup

Brown onions-1 cup fried

Cashews and raisins- 2-3 tbsp. fried for garnish

Rose water-2 tsp

Fresh coriander and mint leaves- 2 tbsp. chopped

Method:

  1. Prepare all the ingredients for the chicken keema khichdi
  2. Heat oil and ghee in a pan add in the ingredients for the tadka to start with and after few seconds add in the onions, ginger-garlic-chili paste and cook for a few minutes.
  3. Add in the tomatoes and salt, masalas, kasuri methi, drained dal and cook for 1 min, add in the chicken keema and green peas and some potato cubes if desired.
  4. Saute everything well in the pan and add little water and allow to cook on a low flame for 20-25 mins until dal is cooked and keema is done as well.
  5. Now add in the cooked brown/white rice and mix it well with the dal and keema mixture, check for salt and adjust texture accordingly. Also add the browned onions and rosewater and cook in steam for 2-3 mins and serve hot garnished with coriander leaves, fried nuts and add some fresh lime juice before eating.

 

Recipe- 4] LASOONI TADKEWALI MIX KHICHDI

Ingredients

White rice/brown rice- 2 cups cooked.

Dal- yellow moong/ orange masoor-1/2 cup boiled.

Oil-1 tsp

Butter-1 tsp

Lemon grass-2 -3 pieces

Ginger-1 tsp sliced

Green chili- 1-2 slit

Garlic cloves- 3-4 no slit

Basil leaves- 4-5 no

Spring onion-2-3 sliced

Thai curry paste- red/ yellow/ green-2 tsp

Water- 2-3 cups

Coconut milk-1 cup

Peanut butter-2 tsp

Roasted crushed peanuts-2 tsp

Assorted veggies- carrots, Babycorn, broccoli, zucchini etc to be cut into small pieces and pre-cooked/blanched if possible.

Coriander leaves-2 tbsp. chopped

Method:

  1. Prepare all the ingredients for the tadke wali khichdi concept.
  2. In a thick bottomed pan heat some oil and butter add in the lemon grass, ginger, basil leaves and allow to flavor the oil for 15 seconds, add in the thai curry paste and 2-3 tbsp. of water and mix well.
  3. Add in the assorted veggies and boiled dal into the pan and add salt to taste, little water to be added and allow to simmer for 2-3 mins.
  4. Add in the coconut milk and cooked rice, peanut butter and mix, simmer for another 3-4 mins. Now heat a tadka pan and add in the ingredients for the tadka into it including the garlic, ginger, chilies, onions and saute to a light pink color, add in the peanuts and mix well, pour this mixture onto the prepared khichdi, mix lightly cover and cook in steam for 2-3 mins and serve hot garnished with basil/ nuts/ seeds etc.

 

Recipe-5] SCHEZUAN SUBZI HANDI KHICHDI

Ingredients

Oil-2 tsp

Butter- 1 tsp

Garlic-2 tsp chopped

Ginger-1 tsp chopped

Green chilies-1 tsp chopped

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves- 4-5 no

Onion-1 small chopped

Dry red chili-1 -2 no

Assorted veggies- carrots/beans/peas/potatoes/cauliflower/pumpkin etc cut into small pieces and blanched-1 cup.

Basmati/ kolam white rice/ brown rice- 1 and a half cup cooked.

Assorted dals, Cooked boiled ½ cup

Salt to taste

Water as needed

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Schezuan chutney-2-3 tsp

Tomato puree-2 tbsp.

Chili flakes-1/2 tsp

Mixed herbs-1/2 tsp

Cheese- 2-3 tbsp.

Coriander leaves-2 tbsp. chopped or spring onion greens.

Method:

  1. Prepare all the ingredients for the mix- n- match khichdi concept.
  2. Heat oil and butter add in the cumin seeds, add all other ingredients for tadka and allow to splutter for a few seconds.
  3. Add in the onion and saute for a couple of minutes, add in the veggies and dal, salt and all seasonings, flavorings and mix well.
  4. Now add in the tomato puree and schezuan chutney and mix well. Add in little water and allow to cover and cook for 8-10 mins then add in the cooked rice, and mix well, simmer for 4-5 mins and serve hot garnished with greens, grated cheese and a dash of lime juice.

 

Recipe-6] VEGGIE OATS KHICHDI

Ingredients

Oats-1 cup, lightly roasted

Sprouts-1/2 cup

Oil-1 tsp

Ghee-1 tsp

Hing-1 pinch

Cumin seeds-1/2 tsp

Green chilies-1 no chopped

Ginger- garlic paste -1 tsp

Onion-1 small chopped

Tomato-1 chopped

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Coriander powder-1 tsp

Red chili powder-1/4 tsp

Water as needed

Assorted veggies to add- carrots/ beans/ peas/ broccoli/ corn etc.

Coriander leaves- 2 tbsp. chopped

Fried cashews and raisins-2-3 tsp

Grated fresh coconut/ desiccated coconut-2 tbsp.

Lime juice-2 tsp add and serve.

Method:

  1. Prepare all the ingredients for the khichdi recipe.
  2. Heat oil and ghee in a pan add in the ingredients for the tadka and allow to crackle for a few seconds.
  3. Add in the ginger-garlic, onions and saute till pink add green chilies, tomatoes, salt and all masalas.
  4. Now add in the veggies, sprout which can be partially cooked/boiled and added as well.
  5. Oats go in next and mix up everything well, add water around 1 and a half cup and allow to simmer and cook in steam for 12-15 mins, add in the coconut, nuts and coriander leaves mix well cook for another 2-3 mins and serve hot with pickle/papad/ dahi.

 

BRIEF ABOUT THE AUTHOR: DR. KAVIRAJ KHIALANI – CELEBRITY MASTER CHEF IS A MUMBAI-BASED FOOD & HOSPITALITY CONSULTANT. HE HAS WORKED WITH ESTEEMED BRANDS LIKE THE TAJ GROUP OF HOTELS, KUWAIT AIRWAYS AND MANY MORE. BESIDES HAVING SPECIALISED IN OVER 33 PLUS INTERNATIONAL CUISINES CHEF KAVIRAJ IS A RENOWNED NAME IN THE WORLD OF HOSPITALITY EDUCATION, TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT. HE HAS ALSO BEEN FEATURED ON STAR PLUS & COLORS TELEVISION. AN AWARDEE OF THE BHARAT VIDYA RATAN AWARD, BEST CHEF ASIA AWARD AND MANY MORE ACCOLADES MAKE HIM ONE OF THE ICONIC NAMES IN THE CULINARY WORLD.

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