Khichari (Rice and Lentil dish)

Khichari is one of my favorite food. It is Satvic, and very light on the stomach. In Ayurveda, khichari diet is recommended for cleansing the body, it actually acts as a detox. 

Serves 4

Ingredients:

Split moog daal 1/2 cup

Basmati rice 3/4 cup
1 medium sized potato diced
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas

7 cups of water

1 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp garam masala

1 tbsp ghee

Pinch of hing (asoefetida)

1 tsp cumin seed

2 cardamom whole

2 cloves whole

1 bay leaf

1 whole red chilli

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Soak rice and moong daal for about 20 to 30 minutes.

2. Heat ghee in a pan, add cumin seeds, heeng, bay leaves, cardamom, and cloves. Let the cumin cook till it turns brown.
3. Add potato, peas, turmeric, red chilli powder, and salt. Saute for 2 minutes.
4. Strain water from the rice and daal and add it to the pan. Saute for a couple of minutes.

5. Add water, boil on medium heat till rice and daal is completely cooked. It should not be watery, but of thick consistency.

6. Once cooked, add garam masala powder and mix well.

7. Khichari is now ready to be served. You can have it with Aloo chokha (mashed potato), yogurt, papad and achar (pickles). 



Baigan Bharta (Eggplant)

Baigan bharta is a popular dish in Bihar and also in some other parts of India. This particular recipe is a combination of Bihari and Punjabi style. Give it a try and let me know how it comes out.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large Eggplant 

1/2 medium onion chopped

2 medium tomatoes chopped

2 green chillies chopped

1 tsp ginger grated or paste

3 cloves garlic grated or paste

1/4 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 lemon squeezed

2 sprig coriander chopped

Pinch of heeng (asafoetida)

1/2 cumin seeds

1 tbsp mustard oil

Directions:

1. Wash eggplant thoroughly. Use a knife to prick the eggplant from all sides. Brush it with oil.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degree. Bake the eggplant for an hour. Keep turning every 15 minutes to make sure all sides are evenly cooked.

3. Once cooked, peel off the skin from the eggplant, and mash the flesh. Sometimes if the eggplant is not fresh, the flesh doesn't mash properly. Use a food processor to get rid of the chunks. Pulse mode is the best.

4. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, green chilli and heeng (asafoetida).

5. Add onions, saute till translucent. 

6. Add garlic, ginger, red chilli powder and coriander powder. Saute it for a few seconds.

7. Add tomatoes, cover and cook till tomatoes are cooked.

8. Add eggplant and salt. Let it cook on low flame for a couple of minutes. Turn off the flame.

9. Add lemon and coriander leaves, mix it well. 

10. Eggplant is now ready to be served. You can serve it with rice and daal combo, paratha, or naan.

Lemon Rice

Lemon rice is a dish from South India. A very simple and flavorful dish. One of the easiest recipes if you are not in a mood to cook :)

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rice

1 tsp turmeric powder
20 curry leaves

8 green chillies sliced

1 tsp urad daal soaked in warm water for 10 minutes

2 tbsp peanuts

1 tsp black mustard seeds

2 tbsp Mustard or Sesame oil

3 lemons sqeezed

Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Boil rice in a pot with plenty of water. Wait till it cooks, make sure it is not too soft. Drain the rice completely.

2. Add turmeric powder, green chilli, salt, 1 tbsp oil, curry leaves, lemon juice to the rice

3. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a ladle, Add black mustard seeds, urad daal, and peanuts. Let it splutter for a couple of minutes, then add to the rice.

4. Mix the rice so all the spices and other ingredients are evenly mixed. 

5. Lemon rice is now ready. Serve with raita or kadhi.

Note: You can add a little less of green chillies. But I have found that adding more of green chilli adds heat to the rice, and it tastes good.

Lauki Sabji

This is a very easy and healthy recipe to make. The spices used are very mild, just for flavor. I learnt this recipe from my mother-in-law when she was visiting this summer! Fresh squeezed Lauki juice is very popular in India, supposed to have a lot of health benefits.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 small lauki (bottle gourd) cut into small cubes
1 green chilli chopped
1/s tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp amchur (dried mango powder)
1 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp methi (fenugreek) leaves
1/2 cup water
1 tsp sugar
1 tbsp oil
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Peel the lauki, then cut it into small cubes.
2. Heat oil in a pressure cooker (Note: this dish comes out good in a pressure cooker and takes very little time).
3. Add cumin seeds and black mustard seeds, let it crackle.
4. Add the chopped green chillies, then add lauki.
5. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, and salt. Mix it for about a minute.
6. Add 1/2 cup water. Close the pressure cooker and let it take pressure. After one whistle, turn the flame on low and leave it for about 4 minutes.
7. Turn off the flame and wait for the pressure to release.
8. Add amchur (dried mango) powder, garam masala powder, methi (fenugreek) leaves, and sugar. Mix it well.
9. Serve with roti or paratha. This also goes well with rice and daal.

Pudina Paneer

This recipe came into being as a result of mint leaves sitting in my refrigerator that I desperately wanted to use :-) When I lived in Patna, we went to this really nice restaurant called "Maurya". Their food was fabulous at the time. I had a paneer dish there which contained mint, simply delicious! I thought of re-creating this and it honestly it came out very close to what I tasted decades ago in Maurya.

Serves 5

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cup paneer
1 cup pudina (mint) leaves
1 cup yogurt
2 tbsp cashew powder
1 large onion chopped finely
2 small tomatoes chopped finely
1 inch ginger
3 cloves garlic
1 green chilli
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
1 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp chaat masala (optional)
2 tbsp oil
1 cup water
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tsp sugar


Directions:

1. Add ginger, garlic, and green chilli in a blender with a little water and make a paste. Keep it aside
2. Add pudina, yogurt, and cashews in a blender and make a paste. Keep it aside.
3. Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds, wait for it to crackle. Add chopped onion, sauté until it turns into a brown color.
4. Add the ginger/garlic paste created in step 1. Saute it for a few seconds.
5. Add chopped tomato, cover and cook on a medium flame until tomato is cooked.
6. Add coriander powder, red chili powder, cumin powder, and chaat masala. Saute it for 2 minutes on a medium flame.
7. Add 1 cup of water, cover and cook for about 2-3 minutes. The spices will all blend together.
8. Turn off the flame, and keep the pan on a cold surface.  Wait for about 2-3 minutes for the curry to cool down. Add the pudina paste created in step 2 to the mixture. Mix it well.
9. Add paneer pieces to the curry. Serve with rice, naan, or paratha.

Zucchini Sabji

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 large Zuchchini or 3 small zucchini
1/2 cup onions
1 green chilli chopped
1/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil 
1/2 cup water
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil, add cumin seeds and green chilli. Wait for the cumin seed to crackle.
2. Add onion, saute until translucent.
3. Add zucchini,salt and turmeric. Cover and cook on a medium flame for about 3-4 minutes.
4. Add water, cover and cook for another 5 minutes or until zucchini is cooked.
5. Add coriander powder, and red chilli powder. Mix it well for a few seconds, then turn off the flame. The sabji is ready to be served.
6. Serve with roti, paratha or rice.

Mixed Vegetable

Ingredients:

1 large potato peeled and cut into small squares
2 cup carrots cut in small sqaures
2 cup green beans
1/2 cup corn
1/2 cup green peas
1 cup onions
1/2 cup pureed tomato
1 tbsp ginger
1 tbsp garlic
1 green chilli
2 tbsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tbsp cashew powder (or you can use Rasoi brand Paneer Pasanda masala)
4 tbsp oil 
Salt to taste

Directions:

1. Heat oil, add cumin seeds and green chilli. Wait for the cumin seed to crackle.
2. Add onions saute until translucent.
3. Add potato, cover and cook until partially cooked.
4. Add green beans, carrots, corn, green peas. Add turmeric, then cover and cook on medium heat until it is cooked.
5. Add salt, ginger and garlic.
6. Add coriander powder, red chilli powder, cashew powder, and roasted cumin powder. Mix it well.
7. Add tomato puree, then saute on high flame till the puree is cooked. Serve with roti, paratha or rice.