Puneri Daal Khichadi

I came across Daal Khichadi in menu cards of the restaurants in Pune. Khichadi is favourite comfort food but Daal Khichadi sounded different. I tried it once and then ordered it over and over again whenver I went to restaurants in Kothrud or JM road. Its really a delicious comfort food. It resembles to the karnataka's Bisibelle bhat but its not that spicy.

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked Toovar dal (split pigeon peas)

1/2 cup curd

2 cups steamed rice

1 medium sized onion finely chopped

2 cloved of garlic chopped

2 red/green chillies cut into big chunks

2 medium sized tomatoes diced

2 tablespoon Ghee

1/2 teaspoon of mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds

3-4 Whole Black peppers

Few curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon corriander powder

1/4 teaspoon garam masala

Salt to taste

Directions:

Daal should be boiled with little oil and turmeric, till mushy and form a thick paste.

1. Heat ghee in a pan. Add fenugreek seeds, mustard and cumin seeds. Let them crackle.

2. Add peppers, onions, garlic, chillies and curry leaves. Saute till onions turn light brown.

3. Add tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes are tender.

4. Add corriander powder, garam masala and salt. Saute well.

5. Now add curd and lower the heat. Cook for 2 min.

6. Add cooked daal. Mix well to incorporate curd and daal together.

7. Add 2 cup of water to loosen the mixture. Bring it to boil.

8. Now add steamed rice and cook covered on low flame for 10 min.

Serve with some potato chips and little butter on top of the Daal Khichadi.

Masala Bhaat/Spicy Rice Maharashtrian style

Ingredients:
Basmati rice 2 cups
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Garlic -5-6 cloves
Green chillies - 3
Shredded Coconut -1/2 cup
Cinnomom sticks- 2 no.
Black Cardamom - 2 no.
Cloves - 3 no.
Green Cardamom- 2 no.
Black pepper seeds - 5-6 no.
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoonful
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoonful
Bay leaves -2 no.
Oil
Salt
Turmeric - 1 teaspoonful
Diced selected vegetables(potatoes, cauliflower, green peas etc)
Cashew nuts and peanuts
Corriander

Preparation:
Wash and drain the basmati rice. Add 3-4 cups of water and soak for 1/2 an hour.
Roast the Cinnamon, black and green cardamom and cloves. Grind it in mixer to make a fine powder.
Make a fine paste of ginger, garlic, coconut and green chillies.
Heat 2 tablespoon of oil or ghee in a vessel/cooker. Fry the peanuts and cashews. Keep aside.
Add Bay leaves, mustard and cumin seeds and pepper corns. Add the coconut paste and mix well. Add the dry powder and mix well. Add the peanuts and vegetables and cook for a min. Season with Salt and turmeric. Now Add the soaked and drained rice. Add three cups of water. When water comes to boil and rice absorbs the water, put on the lid and cook on low heat for another 15 min.

Garnish with fried cashews and corriander. Masala bhaat is ready to serve.