Kichidi

Kichidi is one more thing that I fall back to when i have absolutely no patience to cook. I guess i learnt this from my mom :))


Ingredients:

1.)Basmati rice -1 and 1/2 cups

2.)Moong dal/Pesarapapu - 3/4 cup

3.)green chillies - 4(slit vertically)

4.)onion - 1 small(chopped length wise)
5.)Cloves - 3
6.)cinnamon - 1/2 inch
7.)tomato - 1 (optional)
8.)turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
9.)ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
10.)oil - 1tbsp
11.)salt - to taste

Procedure:
Wash the dal(lentil) and soak for 15 to 30 mins(first start the cooking process by washing and soaking the dal). Take oil in a pan. When it is hot add cloves and cinnamon. Once it starts giving an aroma, add onions and green chillies. When the onions get translucent add turmeric and fry till the raw aroma of turmeric is gone. Now add ginger garlic paste and fry well till the raw flavor is gone. At this point, add the tomatoes(optional) and salt, and cook for 5 mins. Now to the above mixture add dal and rice and stir until all the grains are properly coated. Fry for 5 mins(this prevents the rice from getting mushy). The next step is to cook the above mixture in cooker(electric), with 4 and 1/2 cups of water. Kichidi is ready to be served. This goes best with the tomato curry, curd and pickle(Indian).