Palak Khichdi Recipe | Vegetable Palak Khichdi

Khichdi is a great comfort food for many of us,I would prefer to make it especially on those days I am lazy to prepare anything. It requires minimal effort with basic ingredients available in the pantry.You can pair it with pickle,papad and curd and it does not need any side dish,but it tastes nice with kadi too.There are various versions of Khichdi - it can be prepared with toor dal or moong dal.with or with out vegetables.

Today's recipe is a variation to the usual khichdi - Palak Khichdi, the addition of palak and vegetables makes it extra nutritious and makes it a wholesome meal.One can add chopped palak or grind the palak to a puree and add to the khichdi, either ways it tastes delicious. But grinding the palak gives a nice color to the khichdi.You can avoid vegetables and make simple plain palak khichdi too, even it tastes delicious.I have made this khichdi umpteen number of times after my son is born and of course with no spices and now as I have introduced spicy food to him, I prepare it in a same way but reduced the spice level in the recipe.

Check out other Dal based One Pot meals recipes in my blog:

• Bisi Bele Bath -Truly Karnataka Style
• Ven Pongal | Ghee Pongal
• Pulagam Pacchadi Recipe
• Pappu Biyyam/Chana dal Rice
• Sambar Sadam

Palak Khichdi Recipe:

Serves:3-4  | Author: Prathibha

Prep time: 15 mins | Cooking time: 30 mins | Total time: 45 mins

Cuisine: Indian | Category: Mains - One Pot Meal

Ingredients:

1 cup Rice(Ponni or Sona masuri)

1/2 cup split Green Moong dal(Pottu Pesarapappu)

1 cup small diced Vegetables(Carrot,Beans,Potatoes,Peas)

1 Onion, roughly chopped

2 Garlic pods, finely chopped

1 tsp Coriander powder

3/4 tsp Cumin powder

Salt to taste

3 tbsp Ghee(or 2 tbsp ghee and 1 tbsp Oil)

to grind:

1 medium bunch Spinach(Palak),chopped

2 Green chilies

3/4" Ginger, chopped

to temper:

7-8 Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Asafoetida

1 tsp Cumin seeds

1/2" Cinnamon Stick

2-3 Cloves

Method:

• Chop all the vegetables, onions,garlic,ginger and keep them ready.Soak split moong dal and Rice separately for half an hour.

• Grind chopped spinach, green chilies and ginger to a fine paste.
• Heat ghee in the cooker and add the ingredients mentioned under tempering - cloves, cinnamon,cumin seeds, curry leaves and asafoetida in the order and fry until the cumin seeds sizzle.

• Add chopped garlic and onion and fry nicely until they turn translucent.Add all the chopped vegetables and green peas and fry them for 3-4 mins.
• Now add the ground spinach puree and fry nicely for another 3-4 mins.Add soaked and washed moong dal and fry for another couple of minutes.

• Add coriander, cumin powder and salt and fry for another couple of minutes and then add soaked and washed rice and give a gentle stir.

• Add 4.5-5.5 cups of water based on the consistency you need. If you want it soft and slightly liquidy use 5.5 cups of water.
• Let water come to a boil and then close the pressure cooker and cook it for 4 whistles.

• Once the pressure comes down check the consistency of khichdi. If you still want it watery you can boil some water in another vessel and add it to khichdi and boil it again for a couple of minutes.

Serve it hot with kadi/Curd,Papad and pickle.You can add some ghee on top before serving.

Notes:

1. The addition of vegetables is optional but I find it as a complete meal by itself and hence add vegetables to the khichdi.
2. You can add Toor dal instead of split green moong dal in the recipe.
3. You can also add 1/4 tsp Garam masala while adding coriander powder and all.It gives a nice taste too.As I add it in the tempering I avoid to add it again.
4. I added a final tempering of finely chopped garlic and cumin seeds fried in ghee until crisp and also added a fat pinch of red chili powder and added the tempering to the khichdi before serving.Those cripsy bites of garlic in between tastes yumm.

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