Moghlai Kichidi (Green gram rice)

While searching for a rice recipe with green gram , I came across this wonderful kichidi from the web.
I was blown over by the title Moghlai Kichidi and I am sure no one can deny the delicious pulaos and kichidis from Moghlai recipes. Surprisingly the end result resembled much like a biryani to me .
In the original recipe they soaked the Basmati rice and green gram for 2 hours before cooking. I used brown Basmati rice (soaked for 2 hours) and sprouted green gram. Brown Basmati rice has a lot of fiber content and so it can be used as a best substitute for white rice.
Here goes the recipe.



Ingredients:
Organic Brown Basmati Rice - 1 cup
sprouted green gram - 1/2 cup
onion - 1 (chopped)
green chillis - 4 (slitted)
Tomato - 1 (chopped)
ginger - 1 inch
garlic - 3 pods
cilantro , mint leaf - a handful
Bay leaf - 2
salt - to taste
oil - 2 tbsp
To powder:
shahi Jeera - 1/2 tsp
cloves - 3
cardamom - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
To temper:
curry leaves - 1 brig
cashew nuts - 10
ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:
1. Wash and soak rice for 1 hour.
Soak green gram overnight.

2. Make a powder of the items given.
Chop onion, tomato and green chilli.
Make a coarse paste of cilantro, mint leaf, ginger and garlic. Keep aside.

3.Heat oil in a pan, put the bay leaf. Then add onion and green chillies till they become soft.
Then add the tomato and cook till it becomes mushy.
Now add the ginger garlic paste and bay leaf.

4. Fry till the raw smell goes. Add the spices powder and mix.

5. To this, add the soaked rice and green gram. Add the salt and fry till the rice turns a bit white.
Then add water just enough to immerse everything. Cover and cook in very low flame till done.
If all the water is sucked add little more water if necessary.

6. Garnish with cashew nuts and curry leaves fried in ghee.

Moghlai kichidi is ready!

Serving suggestions:
Cooking time : 1 hour.
Serves 2.
Enjoy with any raitha.

Moghlai Kichidi goes to Trupti's CFK - Rice event. Cooking for Kids event is a master mind of Sharmi of Neivedyam. This kichidi full of fiber is good to overcome obesity and other related problems. Hope all the kids like my Brown Basmati - Moghlai Kichidi.

Simple Tomato koottu (Thakkali koottu)

Many may be very familiar with a side dish made with tomato. Just posting this for the new chefs and for my record.
This is one of the most simple but delicious dishes made by my mom. I always consider this koottu as my mom's signature dish. Though the version seems so simple, I have never achieved the mom's touch in this koottu.
Whenever my mom ran out of any vegetables in her fridge, then she used to make a simple dhal and this thakkali koottu along with rice. I always love these kind of quick to fix recipes, as they won't demand me to stay in the hot stove for long hours. Just a gentle serving on plain steamed rice can do the magic. Good for a lazy cook. huh:)
A very simple dish but surely a mouthwatering one.

Thakkali koottu.

Ingredients:
Ripen Tomato - 4 (250 gms)
Green chilli - 4
Shallot onion - 6
Shredded coconut - 2 tbsp
salt - to taste
oil - 1 tbsp
mustard seed - 1/2 tsp
cumin seed - 1/4 tsp
curry leaf - 1 brig.

Method:
Chop the onion and tomato very finely and keep separate.
Heat oil in a wok.
Put the mustard seeds and after they crackle add the chopped onion, slitted green chillies, curry leaf . Fry till the onion gets soft. (Not red).
Then add the chopped tomato , 1/2 cup water, salt and cook covered, till the tomato turns mushy.
After the tomato gets cooked completely, add the cumin seeds, shredded coconut and heat for a minute. The consistency should be like a thick curry.
Switch off flame.
Tomato koottu is ready !

Serving suggestions:
Goes well with chapathi , plain rice , curd rice, any sambar rice.
Serves 4 people.
Time taken : 15 minutes.

Note:
The Vine tomato, Indian country tomatoes, cherry tomatoes or plum tomatoes add more taste to this koottu.
But the Bangalore tomato or Roma tomato won't bring the real flavor.