The Recipe Room

In my previous post on Rice Pudding I highlighted a few facts from Asia about rice like an average Asian eats about 150 kilos of rice annually compared to an average European who consumes just 5 kilos. Check the post to read more such interesting facts. No matter what the facts say, it is true that Rice is a versatile ingredient. You will find it in every cuisine of the world and while the name changes from Pulao to Pilaaf to Fried Rice, everyone enjoys eating it.

More about Rice

A lot of people are very conscious when it comes to eating rice, may be due to its carbohydrate content. However, nothing is harmful when consumed in the right quantities. In fact, there are quite a few nutritional benefits of rice as well

• Rice is easy to digest. It is low in cholesterol, low in fat and high in starch.
• It is a rich source of energy, as it comprises of 77.5% of carbohydrate (33% of our daily food intake must be carbohydrates).
• Good energy source.
• A good source of vitamins and minerals such as thiamine, niacin, iron, riboflavin, vitamin D, calcium, potassium and fiber.
• Low sugar and no gluten.
• Contains resistant starch.
• Non-allergenic.
• Rice is a low-sodium food for those with hypertension.
• It is a fair source of protein containing all eight amino acids.

For the more calorie conscious, Basmati rice, brown rice and parboiled rice are a good substitute for the regular white rice. One should also wash thoroughly before cooking it. In fact, wash it 2-3 times. And hey wash the rice, don’t do what the blondie did on Wednesday

Blondie Diary – Entry on Wednesday

A great day for rice. The recipe said wash thoroughly before steaming the rice. It seemed sort of silly, but I took a shower. I can’t say it improved the rice any.

Ahem! Jokes apart, most rice recipes can be made in a matter of a few minutes. Khichdi (rice with lentils) is one such dish that can be prepared in just about 15-20 minutes. It can be prepared with a variety of Lentils like Mung Dal(golden gram), Toor Dal (pigeon peas), Masoor Dal (Orange/Red Lentil), etc.

Khichdi – Quick Indian Rice with Lentils

Serving Size – Serves Two
Estimated Preparation Time – 5 minutes
Estimated Cooking Time – 15 minutes

1 Tbsp Oil (Vegetable oil/clarified butter)

Pinch of Asafoetida

1 tsp Cumin Seeds

1 tsp Mustard Seeds (Optional)

4-5 Cloves Garlic chopped (optional)

2 medium Onions diced

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 Cup Rice

1/2 Cup Lentil (Mung Dal has been used in this recipe)

Salt to taste

In a bowl, mix rice and lentils, wash thoroughly with water. Drain the water. Pour 2 cups of drinking water in the bowl and soak the rice and lentils for a few minutes before cooking.

Place a pressure cooker on medium heat and pour 1 Tbsp oil. After 2-3 minutes, add asafoedtida, followed by Cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

Once the cumin and mustard seeds start popping, add garlic and diced onions. Saute till the onions turn golden brown.

Add Turmeric Powder and heat for a minute or two. Add salt and mix well.

Drain the water from the rice and add the rice and lentils to the cooker, mix well.

Add 2 cups of water and stir for a minute. Close the lid of the cooker and heat on medium flame till the rice is cooked well. (Around 8-10 minutes for a regular pressure cooker)

Serve with Indian Pickle or any Chutney.

 

Khichdi can also be made with Toor Dal (Pigeon Peas) or Masoor Dal (Red Lentils).

One can also add diced tomatoes, cauliflower, peas and/or brinjal (eggplant) and garnish with chopped cilantro.

 

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Related articles

• Phirni – Rice Pudding – Subtle Pleasure(quickasianrecipes.com)

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• Bhuna Khichuri (Fried rice with lentils)(yummyfoodmadeeasy.wordpress.com)

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• Rice with Mango Chutney, Chicken and Fried Vegetables(http://recipes.hellomagazine.com/easycooking)

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Tags: asian, food, indian, khichdi, lentils, quick, recipe, rice, spicy, vegan, vegetarian

This entry was posted on Tuesday, 12 June, 2012 at 9:15 pm by Ashish Negi and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the feed RSS 2.0. You can leave a comment, or make a trackback from your own blog.