Kichdi(Bengali style) and aloo bhaja

Khichdi was the only food I used to eat in the hostel mess during my engineering days in West Bengal, Durgapur precisely..Unfortunately they served it only once in a year on Saraswathi puja's day. The combination of kichdi and aloo fry used to be so tasty that I would go and stand near the mess door much before they started serving.

I got the recipe for Kichdi sometime back from one of my Bengali friends at office and prepared it for breakfast. It came out really good and we had it with aloo bhaja. This can be had for both breakfast and lunch. The best part is my son had the kichdi with aloo bhaja without any complaints. Do checkout Venpongal recipe for the South Indian version of this delicious kichdi made of rice and moong dal.
Here is the recipe

Ingredients for the kichdi to serve 4 to 5 adults
Raw Rice: 1 cup
Yellow Moong dal: 1/2 cup
Masoor dal: 1/2 cup
Water: 5 cups
Onion: 2 to 3 medium(cut into small pieces)
Mustard Seeds: 1/2 tsp
Ginger: an inch(skin removed) and grated
Green chily: 1 medium sized
Red chili powder: 1/2 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tsp
Jeera/cumin seeds powder: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Mustard oil/Refined Oil: 1 tbsp(I used 1/2 tbsp of each)
Dry roasted jeera/cumin seeds: 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure
1. Dry roast moong dal for a minute or 2 and keep aside. Wash rice and keep aside.
2. In a large pan, add oil and fry onion and ginger.( I used the same vessel that I keep inside the cooker)
3. Once it becomes soft, add rice and both the dals and mix well.
4. Add all the four powders and salt and mix well.
5. Keep the flame in medium and stir frequently so that rice does not get stuck at the bottom.(around 5 minutes)
6. Add 5 cups of water and pressure cook till 3 whistles. I like the kichdi to be well cooked, so I generally keep in sim after 3 whistles for 5 minutes and then switch off the stove.
7. Before serving, powder dry roasted jeera(I powdered coarsely with a pestle and mortar) and mix with kichdi.
8. Serve warm with aloo bhaja.

Ingredients to make aloo bhaja/potato wedges
Potato: 4 medium sized(peeled and cut into wedges)
Chilli powder: 1/2 tsp or less
Salt to taste
Vegetable Oil for frying: around 4 tbsp or more if needed

Procedure
1. Heat oil in a wide mouthed pan. Add potato wedges, as much the pan can hold.
2. Fry well on both sides and drain oil in a paper.
3. Follow the same for the rest of the wedges.
4. Add chilli powder and salt and mix well.

Serve with kichdi

Reminiscing grandma & Mung dal and Green peas pancake recipe

My maternal grandmother(whom we grandchildren affectionately called "ammai") passed away last Sunday at the age of 80. She was a very hard working, honest person who has nothing but showered love on her grandchilden.Even at a very ripe age she used to make something special for me to eat when I visited her. Even before few months, I would lie on her lap, she would gently brush my hair and tell some stories from Mahabharatha and like. Her memory power was just amazing that she would remember every small incident of her younger days and would be sharing with me, one of them was when she saw Gandhiji at the age of 7 or 8. We shared a special bond and loved each other's company. She has been a guiding factor to all of us and her passing away is a big loss for us but her blessings would always be with us.

I really don't feel like doing anything other than the regular chores. Anyway, I can't be like this forever and have to come out of it. So thought of posting this recipe which I had drafted to be posted last Monday.

So here it is..

This is one easy, tasty and healthy pancake(or dosa??) that I have come across. Mung dal and green peas makes it a high protein breakfast whose taste is accentuated by the addition of onions, coriander leaves and ginger. My son called it green dosa and he liked it very much. I generally don't add onions for my son(almost 3 years old), thinking it might be spicy for him, but this time I wanted to give it a try. Surprisingly, he ate the dosa without any fuss. Everbody else also liked these pancakes and it tastes best when served hot. We ate the pancakes as it was, but I think ketcup might be a nice accompaniment.I found the recipe here.

Ingredients to make around 10 pancakes
Yellow Mung Dal(spilt): 1 cup
Green Peas(not the dried ones): 1 cup(I used frozen)
Ginger: 1 tsp (skin removed and grated) 
Coriander Leaves: 1 tbsp(chopped) 
Green Chilies: 1 long or 2 medium sized 
Onion: 1/2 cup or 1 medium sized onions(chopped 
Salt to taste
Olive Oil/Vegetable oil for sprinkling on the pancake while cooking

Procedure
1. Soak mung dal in warm water for 30 minutes.
2. After 30 minutes, drain the water and blend dal and green chilly in a mixer until it is ground well(no need to add water now)
3. Add grean peas and grind to an almost smooth paste.
4. Tranfer the batter to a bowl and add ginger, onion and coriander leaves and salt.
5. Add water to the batter to bring it to a spreadable consistency(round /4 to 1/2 cup) and mix well.
6. Heat a griddle/pan in medium flame. Add 1/2 tsp of oil and spread it.
7. Now spread a small ladle ful of the batter on the pan(like dosa) and sprinkle oil in the corner.
8. On medium heat, cook the pancake until side that is toucing the griddle is cooked well.(It would turn golden brown)
9. Flip the pancake so that the other side also gets cooked well.(This side looks greener than the other side)
10. Transfer to a plate and server hot as it is or with tomato ketcup.