# Light, easy meal to ease your tummy : "KHICHDI"



## raym0nd (Nov 28, 2010)

"Khichdi/Khichadi" is a light, easy-to-make meal made of MAINLY mung/moong lentil and basmati rice. Mung lentil and basmati rice can be purchased online (search in google -> mung UK) or locally. Turmeric is a good addition for flavor - it is nice/easy on the tongue and stomach. Some times people make khichdi a little watery and some times moist (but never dry, hard and almost dehydrated). It can be eaten during fasting or when you want to "give a break" to your tummy. So, if you feel like starving yourself - AVOID .Try a few spoons of khichdi instead. There are many variants of khichdi which may use veggies too. Some variations are also there which use lot of oil and spices (you will *NOT* use those variants because you have IBS-C). Then there is khichdi for babies too. Perhaps, the baby variant is the best for patients of all types who have been advised to take "light food". Here is a recipe along with a little trivia from a website : http://www.khichadi.com/recipes/khichadi.shtml*A nice fruit* : papaya (eat only naturally ripened ones, if you can get them at your place)Here is the text from the above mentioned website (i cut out some of the trivia part) : *What is Khichadi ?*Khichadi (also Khichdi, khichdee, khichuri, khichari and many other variants) is an Indian dish that contains a combination of rice and lentils. Khichadi is commonly considered to be India's comfort food, and was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish of kedgeree.As a simple way of providing a reasonably balanced diet, it is probably very ancient. Khichadi is identifiable from the writings of Afanasiy Nikitin, a Russian adventurer who travelled to the Indian subcontinent in the 15th century.Rice and lentils are simmered till mushy, seasoned with turmeric and salt and fed to infants to introduce them to "adult" food. It is also a favourite campfire food owing to the convenience of being able to cook Khichadi in a single simmering pot.Khichadi when well cooked with little oil is considered as a light and nutritious dish and is especially popular amongst many who follow ayurvedic diet practices or nature cure.*The Recipe :*There are, of course, variations to this dish. However, the recipe below is the basic one.*Ingredients :* * 1 cup white basmati rice, washed in water and drained * 1 cup yellow lentils (Also known as yellow moong dal), washed and soaked in water and drained * About 4 cups of water * 1/2 (half) teaspoon cumin seeds * 1 teaspoon oil * Salt to taste *Method :* * Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. (Preferably one with a cover, which will be able to contain the amount of rice and lentils cooked.) * When oil is hot, add cumin seeds. Allow cumin seeds to splutter but do not let them get burnt. * Fold in the yellow lentils and rice. Mix cumin seeds thoroughly with the lentils and rice. * Stir in water and salt. * Bring to boil. * Lower the heat, partially cover the pot and cook until the rice is cooked. * Serve hot with a sprinkling of coriander. This dish can also be served with some plain yoghurt. Khichdi can also be cooked in a pressure cooker or in a microwave. In both cases, the cooking time should be reduced to about 20 - 30 minutes.END OF "BASIC RECIPE" , NOW THE EXTRAS BEGIN :_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________*Variations :*Other ingredients can be added to the khichdi. These can be experimented with to vary the taste of the final dish.*Spices :* * Cinnamon sticks * Chilli * Cloves * Bay leaves * Turmeric powder * Asafoetida (From Persian aza, for mastic or resin, and Latin foetidus, for stinking. A gum from a giant fennel used in Indian cooking.) * Fenugreek * Peppercorns * Chopped onions and ginger can also be added. These spices should be added after the oil has been heated. They should not be added all together, as too many spices can spoil the flavour of the dish.*Vegetables :* * Green peas * Cabbage * Pumpkin * Potato * Cauliflower * Carrot These are just examples of the types of vegetables that can be added. Feel free to experiment. *A word of caution:* use only combinations of 2 - 3 vegetables together. Otherwise, the khichdi will taste like a hodgepodge of conflicting flavours.god bless and take care.PS : If you wish to tinker with the recipe and add some "fun factor" to it, go and search khichdi or khichadi on www.google.com for variant recipes. Google is a lot of people's best friend ! OH AND DON'T make plenty of any food/recipe, store it in the fridge and use for days - EAT FRESHLY PREPARED MEALS INSTEAD !!!If you liked this recipe, then say so in a reply to this post so that others may be able to see your experiences.


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