Spicy Khichdi with Vegetables

I've already posted a recipe for Masala Khichdi on here. And while the basic concept might be the same, I've added some ingredients to this recipe and changed it around for the better. I like the idea of adding vegetables to it, making it a more balanced meal. It’s perfect for a cold winter evening. This recipe has been pulled together from several different online recipes I was browsing through for ideas.

Spicy Khichdi with Vegetables

2 ½ cups khichdi mix, soaked in water for 30 minutes
2 onions, finely chopped
2 green chilies, slit
½ tsp ginger paste
½ tsp garlic paste
¼ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
1 medium potato, peeled and cut into cubes
½ packet frozen green beans, thawed
½ packet frozen peas and carrots, thawed
Salt to taste
About 1 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
7-10 whole black peppercorns
About 1/8 tsp asafetida
A few curry leaves

For the Vagar

1 tbsp ghee
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 whole dried red chilies
3 – 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped

Chop the onions and the potatoes and keep ready. In a pressure cooker, heat some oil and add the cumin and mustard seeds. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add the peppercorns, asafetida and curry leaves. Stir for a few seconds, and before the cumin seeds start to burn add the chopped onion. Cook till the onion is soft and translucent; add the turmeric, chili, coriander powders and the garam masala and salt. Cook for a minute or so, until it starts to smell less pungent. Now add the potatoes and vegetables, give it a thorough stir and add the drained khichdi mix. Mix everything together, add enough water to cover the mixture and put on the lid and whistle. Cook on medium heat for three whistles, then switch off the stove and allow the pressure to reduce. When you open the cooker, the khichidi should look moist and soft, like a hot pot rice dish. Give it a good stir and taste for salt.

In a small saucepan, heat the ghee, then add the cumin seeds. As soon as it starts to sizzle, add the garlic and the red chilies. Cook till the garlic starts to brown, then pour over the khichdi. Serve immediately.  

Notes:

*IF YOU ARE USING A PRESSURE COOKER, PLEASE FOLLOW ALL INSTRUCTIONS THAT COME WITH THE COOKER. IT CAN BE VERY DANGEROUS IF NOT USED PROPERLY! My recipe instructions are written with the assumption that you know how to use one and this blog is not responsible for your use of a pressure cooker. Every cooker has a slightly different cooking time, and water absorption rate. If there isn't enough water in the cooker, your food will burn and cleaning that cooker is a pain in the backside!

*If you don't get a readymade khichdi mix then mix together ½ cup moong dal and ½ cup toor dal to every ¾ cup of rice.

* You can add any vegetables you like, including cauliflower and/ or eggplant.

Thai-Style Tuna Burgers

This is an interesting recipe I found in a Better Home and Garden. It’s been sitting in my file of recipes-to-try for a while and we finally tried it a couple of days ago.

Thai-Style Tuna Burgers

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 tsp grated ginger

2 eggs, beaten

1 cup panko

1 tbsp fish sauce

1 tsp Asian chili sauce (Sriracha)

2 5oz cans wild albacore tuna (drain if in water or oil)

¼ cup celery, very thinly sliced

¼ cup chopped green onion

4 ciabatta buns, halved and toasted

1/3 cup micro greens

4 miniature sweet peppers, thinly sliced

Preheat the oven to 450F. In a small bowl combine the mayonnaise and ginger; transfer 2 tbsp to a large bowl. Cover remaining mayonnaise mixture and chill. To the same large bowl add eggs, panko, fish sauce, and Sriracha. Flake tuna and add to the bowl. Add celery and green onions and stir. Let stand for 10 minutes. With wet hands, shape tuna mixture into four ¾ inch thick patties.

Place tuna on a greased baking sheet. Bake 10 minutes or until done.

To serve, spread ciabatta halves with remaining mayonnaise mixture. Add tuna patty to the bottom half of each bun, bottom side up. Top with micro greens, thinly sliced peppers, and top buns. Serve with a salad and baked sweet potato fries.

Notes:

*I didn't have any micro greens, so I used baby spinach instead.

* I found the burgers rather bland and would recommend doubling the quantities of fish sauce and sriracha.

* I made the leftover tuna burgers on onion buns, after running out of ciabatta, and thought it tasted much better.