Annapurna: Bajra Khichdi

Monday, 13 November 2017

Bajra Khichdi

Bajra Khichdi is a delicious and healthy variation to the usual rice and dal (lentil) khichdi in which rice is replaced with pearl millet (Bajra). Bajra khichdi is popular in the Indian states of Haryana and Rajasthan. A wholesome yet light food option, this khichdi is creamy in consistency , is delicious and a great source of protein , iron and folic acid which makes it a perfect food for pregnant women too. Usually served with plain curd or raita and some salad, this makes a comfort food during winters. The khichdi is Onion-garlic free, mildly spiced and has a unique taste . The traditional recipe does not use any spice powders except the turmeric powder and whole cumin seeds. It does not have any veggies too. I have slightly modified the recipe and added spices and vegetables to suit the taste of my family. A very easy one pot meal which can serve as a breakfast, lunch or brunch.

What is Khichdi?

Khichdi or khichri needs no introduction in India. It has its roots in South India and is cooked in most households in the country. Prepared using rice and lentils (dals) it is mostly fed to small babies as their first solid food. Khichdi is also a comfort food for most of us owing to the convenience of being able to cook the dish in a single simmering pot. There are many variations to khichdi and it becomes a wholesome food and a complete meal by itself when paired with fresh vegetables and spices.

Khichdi as Indian Super Food

In 2017, this humble dish (Khichdi) came into news as Indians set the world record by cooking about 918 kg Khichdi dish at the World Food Indian event in Delhi. The dish was prepared using multi-grains, rice, pulses , coarse cereals and vegetables. The move was an attempt to promote the dish as Brand Indian Super food. The traditional dish - relished by both rich and poor , has been selected because it symbolizes the country's unity in diversity. Source

Source: Network18Creative

Khichdi has a story in my life too. When Kiran and i met for the first time after our engagement, out of curiosity, i asked him his favourite dish and guess what ..? he spontaneously answered khichdi ! I was like ..what ?? How can khichdi be anyone's favourite dish ? I being a foodie and the fact that i love cooking to the core would learn and cook any dish of the world for him and he just craved for a humble khichdi. The story does not end here. After my marriage , to my surprise, not only he (kiran) alone but everyone in my in-laws family loved khichdi and had it daily for dinner. And the khichdi was mildly spiced and without any vegetables. Poor me..in my parents home we had khichdi only when some one was unwell and hardly once in a month and that too when served with our favourite sweet kadhi. I had no option, until 2 years after marriage, i cooked khichdi for him and Varan Bhat (dal-rice) for me as we both were not in a state to sacrifice our comfort food for each other until then. Then as it happens in most of the arrange marriages, we starting caring for each other's likes slowly and steadily and today after 14 years of marriage, we have khichdi for our dinner twice a week , my favourite Varan Bhat twice a week and on remaining 3 days, we have Jeera Rice, Fried-rice or Pulao which is our son's favourite :) Now over the years our khichdi too has got a make over. Instead of having a bland khichdi without veggies, now i cook a multi grain khichdi with loads of fresh vegetables, especially green peas, coriander , carrots, potatoes . It has lots of garlic in it and peanuts for a crunch. I some times even adds sprouts and soya chunks to it.

Video Recipe for Bajra Khichdi

What goes into this Bajra Khichdi - The Ingredients:

Bajra / Pearl Millet : Use good quality pearl millet, preferably an organic one. Bajra needs time for cooking and it is therefore necessary to soak the bajra overnight.
Skinned and split Green Gram / Moong Dal : I have used both moong dal and bajra in the ratio 1:1.You may add moong dal a bit less if you want a prominent bajra taste to the khichdi.
Vegetables: Traditionally made bajra khichdi does not have any veggie but i have added carrots, green peas and coriander to my khichdi to suit the taste of my family. You may add more veggies or skip it altogether as per your wish. The khichdi is Onion-garlic free though
Spices: Bajra Khichdi is mildly spiced. I have used basic spices like whole cumin seeds, asafoetida, turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala. You may skip use of asafoetida for a gluten-free version.
Ghee : Bajra Khichdi is typically made in ghee but you may use any cooking oil instead for a vegan version.
Salt to Taste.

Related Event:

This is an old post that i had published in 2017. I have updated this post Today with new pics and written content, the recipe remains unchanged though. I have many such old posts where, i feel the photography is dull and not appealing or the recipe is not up to the mark( at times, we keep changing our own recipes to make a better version of it). Such posts needs to be updated. All thanks to my dear friend and a fellow blogger, Renu who came up with a Facebook gourmet group, Foodies_Redoing Old posts, where in a bunch of like minded food bloggers can update their old posts with new pics and written contents every 2 week. This is my 25th entry into the event (27th November). The pic below is my old pic of Bajra Khichdi. You can make out the difference between old and new photographs and the food styling techniques.

#Khichdi is the theme for our #118th FoodieMondayBlogHop and this healthy and nutritious bajra khichdi is my contribution towards it. Do check my fellow bloggers post for some more variations of this humble dish.

Dietary Notes:

Vegetarian
Onion-Garlic free (Jain Recipe)
Healthy Winter food
Diabetic friendly
For a Vegan version, replace ghee with oil
For a gluten-free version, skip adding asafoetida (Hing)

Preparation time : 8 hours
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Serves : 4

Ingredients: Measurements used 1 cup = 240 ml

1/2 cup black millet / pearl millet / Bajra
1/2 cup skinned and split green gram / dhuli moong dal
1/4 cup fresh green peas
1 carrot finely chopped
2-3 tablespoon fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
1/4 teaspoon garam masala (optional)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds / jeera
Pinch of asafoetida / hing
2 teaspoon ghee
Salt to taste

Method:

Wash and soak the black millet / bajra in enough water for 6-8 hours / overnight.

2. Drain and rinse it in a colander , keep aside. Rinse the green gram well in water .

3. Heat a pressure cooker and add ghee to it. Add cumin seeds . Once the seeds crackle, add green peas followed by carrot, asafoetida and turmeric powder.

4. Now add green gram and pearl millet and stir fry for 1-2 minutes. Add spice powders ( red chili powder and garam masala ) if using and mix well.

5. Now add 4-5 cups of water depending upon how you like the consistency of your khichdi to be. Garnish its with coriander leaves . Lastly add salt to taste , give a quick stir and put on the lid of the pressure cooker.

6. Pressure cook the khichdi for 5-6 whistles and then simmer for 10 minutes. Put off the flame. Open the lid of the pressure pan, once all the steam has been released .

7. Creamy delicious Bajra khichdi is ready to serve! Serve it with some raita or plain curd or some salad.

Recipe Notes:

I have used black millet and green gram in 1:1 proportion, you may use 1/2 cup of green gram to 1 cup of black millet if you like the taste of black millet to be prominent.
Adding vegetables is purely optional but iwould recommend as it makes the khichdi more wholesome, fiber-rich and delicious.
The khichri thickens further as it cools down.
Bajra Khichdi is traditionally served topped with desi ghee.

Would Love To Hear From You !

I hope you would love trying out this healthy and delicious Bajra Khichdi a try. If you do so, feel free to share your feedback with us in the form of likes and comments in the section below this post.

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