Bengali Kichdi - A Tasty Medley Of Rice Dal And Vegetables

BENGALI KICHDI 
D2 and I wanted to prepare a quick one pot meal so that we could enjoy it comfortably while we watched a movie without having to run up and down for the side dishes. We wanted something that was not very spicy or tangy as it was a very hot day. I offered to make the simple but nutritious Bengali Kichdi which I had learnt to cook from Dibs. 

INGREDIENTS 

Rice - 1 cup 

Green gram dal - 1 cup 

Bengal gram dal - 1 tbsp 

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch 

Ghee - 2 tbsps 

Cumin seeds - 1tsp 

Whole black pepper - 1/2 tsp 

Red chillies - 2 

Curry leaves - a few 

Cinnamon - few pieces 

Cloves - 6 

Cardamom - 4 

Onion - 1 

Potatoes - 2 

Carrots - 2 

Drum sticks - 2 

Green brinjals - 2 

Salt - 1 1/2 tsps 

METHOD 

1. Dry roast green gram dal and Bengal gram dal together till you get a pleasant aroma and keep aside.(This step makes the kichdi more flavoursome.) 

2. Peel and slice the onions. 

3. Wash, peel and chop potatoes and carrots into one inch sticks. 

4. Wash and cut drumsticks into one inch long pieces. 

5. Wash and quarter the brinjals lengthwise, and then cut them into one inch long pieces and keep  them immersed in water till needed. 

6. Wash rice and the roasted dals together and drain. 

7. Heat ghee in a kadai  and add cumin seeds. 

8. When the cumin seeds splutter add whole pepper corns and wait till they crack. 
9. Add cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, broken red chillies and fry them. 
10. Fry curry leaves and onion slices with the seasoning and then add the vegetables (drain the brinjals before adding), and saute for two more minutes. 

11. Add the washed rice and dal mixture and saute till you get a pleasant aroma. 

12. Transfer the ingredients into a pot / vessel which will fit into your pressure cooker, and add turmeric powder, six cups of water and salt. 

13. Pressure cook the kichdi until the cooker gives out three whistles. 

14. When the pressure subsides carefully remove the pot and gently mix the kichdi uniformly using a spatula.

Enjoy the simple, flavoursome Bengali Kichdi topped with  ghee.