Quinoa Khichdi

My take on the plain old khichdi

It has been getting really difficult for me to find new recipes that check all the boxes of clean carbohydrates. Here is my version of khichdi with quinoa for your weekly winter rotation. You can replace quinoa with millets or rice if you want to try something different. Cinnamon and mustard seeds add the magic in this recipe.

Ingredients:

1 cup quinoa
1/2 cup mix daal(any daal works - I added a mix of moong, masoor and toor)
2 tbsp ghee
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
3-4 peppercorns
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds(optional)
1 pinch hing
1 cup onion, sliced
1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste
1/2 cup potatoes, chopped
1/2 cup carrots, chopped
1/4 cup peas
1/4 cup beetroot, chopped(optional)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/2 tbsp chilli powder
2 tsp cumin-coriander powder(optional)
2 1/2 cups chicken broth or water
2 tbsp peanuts(optional)
salt to taste
2 tbsp cilantro, chopped for garnish
1 tsp lemon juice

Method:

1. Soak quinoa and daals for at least 2 hours.

2. Heat your pressure cooker on medium flame and add ghee.

3. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, cloves, peppercorns, bay leaf and hing.

4. Once the mustard seeds start to crackle, add onions and cook till translucent.

5. Add ginger-garlic paste and cook for a couple of mins on medium flame.

   

6. Add chilli powder, turmeric, and cumin-coriander powder, mix well and add vegetables and peanuts, if using. Sauté for a minute.

   

7. Add soaked daal and quinoa.

   

8. Add broth or water, taste and adjust salt. Let it come to a boil and cover and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles.

9. Let the pressure escape naturally. Garnish with cilantro and lemon juice and serve warm with dahi or raita.