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

Pudina Rice

When I was having a casual talk with my sister the other day, she said she prepared pudina rice for dinner using left over pudina chutney. The blogger instinct in me got the recipe from her immediately. I have always been impressed with my sister's presence of mind and agility in the kitchen. She finds and adopts new ways of easy cooking, but without compromising on the taste and flavour of the dish. Pudina rice is yet another easy and flavourful recipe from her. I don't mean to say that no one else has ever made pudina rice before..But I just loved her version of the recipe. Even if you don't have left over pudina chutney, you can try this recipe from scratch which I did. :-) Its worth it.

Ingredients to serve two adults

Cooked basmati rice that can serve 2 people(ordinary rice can also be used)
Pudina leaves: 2 cups(cleaned)
Onion: 2 medium size chopped
Dried Red chilli: 3
Channa dal: 1 tsp
Urad dal: 2 tsp
Coconut: 1 tbsp(grated)
Salt to taste
Refined oil: 2 tbsp

Procedure

1. Cool the cooked rice by sreading it in a wide bowl.
1. In a pan/kadai, add 1/2 tbsp oil. When it is hot, add mustard seeds. When it splutters, add channa dal, urad dal, coconut and red chily. Saute till the channa dal turn slightly brown and tranfer it a bowl.
2. In the same pan, add 1/2 tbsp oil and saute the pudina leaves. It will shrink and come to less than a handful.(around 2 to 3 minutes). Transfer to another bowl.
3. In the same pan add 1 tbsp oil and saute the onion until it is soft.(3 to 4 minutes)
4. Grind the dal mixture and pudina leaves by adding some water if needed..The consistency should be semi solid. It is OK if the ground mixture is a bit coarse.
5. Saute the ground mixture and onion in a pan for 2 minutes, add salt and mix well.
6. Once the rice is cooled down, add the pudina mixture and mix well but gently so that the rice does not break much.
7. Serve with onion raita. I generally add a tbsp of eggless mayonnaise to the raita. It make the raita tastier and creamier.

Note: My sister toldme to add 5 red chilys. Since we do not like it very spicy, or rather can't tolerate spicy food, I reduced the quantity to 3.

Spinach(palak) and carrot rice

I have been thinking of making spinach and carrot rice eversince I saw the recipe in Tarla Dalal's mini series cookbook titled Fun food for children. The only reason I kept on postponing was, I was not sure if my 2 year old son would eat it or not. Finally I got to make it this weekend. Surprsingly, my son ate it and we all too liked it very much. According to Tarla Dalal, its a easy, healthy, colorful and tasty dish and I too second it.

I did not use onions and garlic(mentioned in the original recipe) as I was not sure if my son would like it(we have not introduced him to onions and garlic as yet), also I am not a big fan of onion.:-) Son had the rice as it is, we had with onion raita(onion pieces mixed with seaosoned yogurt)

Ingredients to serve four adults

Cooked rice: 4 cups or 670 gms(I used Basmati rice)
Palak/Spinach: 3 1/2 cups or 200gms(chopped into small pieces)
Carrot: 1 1/2 cups or 170 gms(grated)
Cumin seeds: 1 tbsp
Pepper powder: 1/2 tsp
Onion: 2 sliced(I did not use it)
Garlic: 2 large cloves(I did not use it)
Seasoning cube(vegetarian): 1(I did not use it)
Butter: 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Procedure

1. Heat butter in a pan/kadai and add the cumin seeds.
2. Add the onions and garlic and saute for 2 minutes.
3. Add the carrots and spinach and saute for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the cooked rice, seasoning cube, pepper powder, salt and 1/4 cup and mix well.(I did not add water)
5. Cook on low flame for 5 to 7 minutes till the moisture evaporates.(as I did not add water, I removed from heat after mixing well)

Healthy spinach and carrot rice is ready.

Note: I did not add onions as I have not yet introduced onions to my son. I think for older kids, onions and garlic can be added and it would definitely improve the taste of the dish. It is also mentioned in the book that 1/2 cup of uncooked rice makes approximately 2 cups of cooked rice.

I am sending this to Cooking for kids-Leafy greens guest hosted by Pavani, event originally started by Sharmi and EFM Theme -Breakfast Series hosted by Srilekha of Srishkitchen.

Brinjal Rice/Vangi bhath

This is one of my mother's authentic recipes for variety rice, liked by everybody who tastes it.

I would definitely not classify this recipe as a very healthy one as she uses a lot of oil. When I protest against her for using so much of oil, she reverts back saying "If you don't eat such stuff at this age, when will you?". I know its not a very good argument, but I generally give up as I too want to savour her delicious food. Once she goes back to her native, she will also follow a strict diet plan as both my parents have high BP and she is diabetic too..I too go back to my usual sambar, rasam, vegetable curry routine devoid of coconut or ghee with just 1/2 tsp of oil going into the items in the name of seasoning. Food can't become healthier than this...

So, I have decided to relish whatever she makes for these 2 months that she is going to be here in Bangalore..

Here is the recipe for brinjal rice loved by everybody at home..

Ingredients that serves 4

Brinjal: 8 pieces cut into small cubes
Gingely oil: 6 tbsp
Turmeric: a pinch

For grinding

grated Coconut: 4 tbsp
Sunflower oil: 1 tbsp
Bengal gram/channa dal: 2 tbsp
Urad dal split: 1 tbsp
Tuvar Dal: 1 tbsp
Red chily: 5 long pieces or according to your spice tolerance level.
Tamarind: small lemon size ball(around 10 gms)
Asofoetida: a pinch

Procedure

1. Add sunflower oil in a sauce pan. Once it is hot add all the grinding ingredients except for tamarind and fry until the dal becomes light brown in color. Allow it cool(10 minutes)
2. Grind the above roasted ingredients, tamarind and salt in a mixer until the chillies are ground well.(Add water if needed and the final mixture should be coarse)
3. Add gingelly oil in a pan. Add bengal gram and stir.Once the gram turns slightly brown add the cut brinjal and turmeric and stir once.
4. Keep in medium flame, close the pan with a lid. Stir occasionally so that the brinjal does not get burnt.It might take around 15to 20 minutes for the brinjal to cook completely. You can test by putting one piece of brinjal in a plate and pressing it with your finger. If it easily crushes, its cooked.
5. Add ground powder to the vegatable and mix well. Stir for 5 to 10 minutes and then remove from heat.
6. Mix this well with cooked rice. If the salt is less, add some more at this stage. 7. If its very spicy, add some ghee and mix well.

Spicy and tasty brinjal rice is ready.

It can be served with tomato raita. (cut tomato into small pieces and add some yogurt and salt to it.Season it with mustard and a red chilli)

This is my entry to Colors of Taste - Powders: Flavored Rice by Smitha of Kadumanga