Kichuri Comfort

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

I hope all of you had a wonderful start with the new year. This time, it was just the two of us on new year's eve waiting for the New Year to usher in, very very different from all those noisy parties that we would attend all these years. I really do hope this new year brings some cheer to the slowdown.

We were on much needed holiday & we had some wonderful time together. It really did bring the cheer back on Shankar's face. We are all rejuvenated & ready to be back to the grind.

After weeks of eating those unhealthy, bland & greasy food, we were really craving for some home made food. It really did see that it was ages since we had some Rice & Dal. Back home, we have been enjoying some authentic Indian food, particularly this & this.



I have this tendency of feeling home-sick rather fast, & the first thing I start missing is the comfort of home made food. When you start craving for the bowl of rice or rotis, even a warm bowl of pasta or the most delicious slice of pizza can satisfy those cravings.

In my opinion, Kichuri is one of the finest examples of comfort food. It is rather easy to put together & calls for the simplest of ingredients & is very very soothing on your tummy.

This is how I made my bowl of comfort

Preparation Time: 30 Mins

I used:
  • 1 cup rice - any variety
  • 1 cup Masoor Dal/Red Lentils
  • 1 onion - finely chopped
  • 2 tomatoes - chopped
  • 1 cup cauliflower florets
  • 1/2 cup french beans - chopped
  • 1 carrot - diced
  • 1 potato - diced
  • 1 green bell pepper - diced
  • A handful of green peas - fresh/frozen
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 3 green chillies
  • 2 pods of garlic
  • A small piece of ginger - grated
  • A handful of curry leaves
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • Salt as per taste
  • 2 tsp Desi Ghee/clarified butter ( substitute with vegetable/sunflower oil )
  • 1 tsp red chilli powder
  • A Pinch of garam Masala
  • A handful of chopped cilantro - for garnishing

Method:

  • Heat ghee/oil in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add cumin seeds, once they crackle, add green chillies, curry leaves, garlic pods, grated ginger & saute for about 10 secs
  • Add chopped onions & turmeric powder & saute till onions are browned.
  • Add chopped tomatoes & potatoes & saute for a minute.
  • Add rice & dal & add enough water to cook. Add salt & close the lid. Keep stirring in at regular intervals.
  • When it is half done, throw in the rest of the vegetables & add some more water & red chilli powder.
  • Let it cook on medium flame, Keep adding water as per requirement.
  • Keep stirring at regular intervals till the rice & lentils are completely cooked. They should have a semi-solid consistence.
  • Adjust salt, add lemon juice & Garam Masala & garnish with chopped cilantro.

Drizzle some desi Ghee on top (highly recommended) & Serve HOT with some fresh yogurt/pickle/Papad. Enjoi !!!

We devoured ours with some spicy mango pickle. My Dad makes the best kichuri ever, & it did rekindle those fond memories when he served us bowls of kichuri filled with warmth & love & ofcourse I did put a soothing end to our cravings.

Note:
  • I like my kichuri rather runny so I add more water. If you do not want it to be runny, reduce the quantity of water.
  • I you feel the dish has turned out rather thick, Add some more water & heat it up. This dish is rather forgiving that way .
  • You can prepare this with a pressure cooker too. If you are a little short on time or rather busy with things, use a pressure cooker. I personally prefer the stove top method. Watching the kichuri cooking up & the fragrance the emanates from the pot is pure bliss.
  • You can vary the proportion of Rice:Dal. You can either make it 1:2 or 2:1. Its entirely up to you.
  • You can pretty much use any combination of vegetables. If you are a little short on vegetables, this tastes great with only onions & tomatoes too.
This goes to SunshineMom's FIC-Yellow.

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