Tri-lentils Khichdi with Bell Pepper Raita

Khichdi
Ingredients:
2 cups rice (Basmati or sona masuri)
1/3 cup bengal gram
1/3 cup split green gram
1/3 cup split pigeon peas
2-3 cardamoms
4 cloves
5-6 peppercorns
1 small onion finely chopped
1"  ginger finely chopped

3-4 green chilies slit
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
cilantro for garnish
Tempering:
Oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
Few curry leaves

 

Soak the rice and lentils in water for 15 mins and wash and strain the water and keep aside.Crush the cardamoms, peppercorns and cloves and keep aside.
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a pressure cooker.Add mustard seeds when it splutter add cumin seeds and curry leaves. add chopped onion and saute for a min. add green chilies and ginger saute until the onion turn to light golden.
Now, add the crushed spices and turmeric powder and saute it for a min.
Add rice and 6-7 cups of water (depending upon how mashy and soft you want) and season with salt.
Cover the pressure cooker lid and put its weight and cook in medium flame for 10-12 mins or until its done.

Bell Pepper Raita
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups yogurt beaten
2 small green bell pepper finely chopped
salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Tempering:
2 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp mustard
1 red chilies
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder

 

In a bowl beat the yogurt add salt and temper it and keep aside.
Heat a oil in a small sauce pan and fry the bell pepper until light golden and soft. Let it cool before adding to yogurt mix. lastly garnish with finely chopped cilantro.

Black gram dal rice

One more recipe from the cookbook Dakshin.Normally, Black gram is used for tempering or making idlis when I read this sounded unique but it is easy,simple and tasty recipe. This rice recipe goes well with Mango Raita

Ingredients:
2 cup Soan masoori rice
2 tbsp cashewnuts
2 green chilies
salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp black gram
1 tsp bengal gram
2 red chilies
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
Masala
2 tbsp Black gram
1 1/2 tspblack peppercorns
2 tbsp white sesame seeds
2 tbsp copra grated

 

In a pan roast all the ingredients from masala list and grind to fine powder. keep aside
Now, heat a oil in saucepan add mustard seeds,when it splutters add black gram, bengal gram,cashewnuts, green chilies, red chilies, curry leaves and saute for a min. Add rice, salt and ground masala powder. Mix well and serve hot.

Besi Bele Bath

One of the famous dish that every South Indian will have. Besibelebath is mix of rice and lentils with hot spices. Poha/Thick rice flakes can be added instead of rice.

Ingredients:
2 cup Sona Masoori rice
1 cup Toor dal
Lemon sized piece of Tamarind pulp
1 small Onion chopped
1 Red/Green pepper chopped
1 cup mixed Beans and Carrot chopped
3 baby pototoes or 1big regular potato chopped
1/2 cup green peas(optional)
1/2 tsp turmeric
Salt to taste
Oil
Paste:
3 tbsp Coriender seeds
3 tsp Bengal gram
1'' inch long Cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp Poppy seeds
4 Cloves
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
1/3 cup Coconut grated
7-8 Red chilies
1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder
Masala:
3 tbsp Fried gram dal
3 tsp uncooked rice
1 1/2 tsp Poppy seeds
Tempering:
4 tbsp Oil
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 1/2 tsp Bengal gram
1 1/2 tsp Balck gram
2 Red chilies
Few Curry leaves

Pressure cook toor dal and rice with water.soak the tamarind pulp in water for 20 mins and starin the juice.
In a sauce pan roast all the Paste ingredients except coconut and grind to fine paste
In a heavy sauce pan, dry roast the ingredients from masala and grind to powder. keep aside
Heat the oil in a hevay sauce pan. add mustard seeds when it splutters add cumin,begal gram, black gram, red chilies, and curry leaves and saute for a min. Add onions and saute until it is light golden. Now add chopped bell pepper,beans, carrots, potato and green peas and saute it. when vegetables are partly cooked add tamarind juice, salt to taste and turmeric, mix well and cover the lid and cook in a medium flame for 4 mins.
Once vegetables are soft add ground paste and cook for few mins. Now simmer on a low heat add cooked rice-dal mix well make sure no lumps form. Cook until well blended. Lastly, add the dry masala mix well remove from heat. Serve with Bhondi or Chips.