Wholesome food

For a nice wholesome lunch or dinner, a plain khichdi with an easy curry forms the ideal recipe. My mother - being the domestic goddess that she is - makes this recipe with ghee, cauliflower, toasted dal and rice - the works. The author likes her food a little simply prepared with as little fuss as possible. Except when she decides not to. This particular dish was created out of a desire to eat something - anything - other than the mess food. Usually I just throw everything in the rice cooker and then let the machine do all the work. The 35 minutes that it takes, you can chop up some potatoes and spinach for a quick sabzi and assemble a salad. This menu is healthy and tastes warm and delicious on a cold, foggy evening. All that is required is a few minutes of work and you are good to go.
This is also a good recipe when you have leftovers in the fridge and want to finish it off before market day.  Quick and tasty, this recipe takes so little and gives so much flavor back.

Ingredients:
1cup rice
2cup dal[preferably moong dal]
2 small onions, sliced
2 medium carrots, sliced
1/2 large capsicum, chopped
a handful of beans, chopped
1/2 cauliflower, chopped
2tsp red chili powder
1tsp coriander powder
1/2tsp turmeric
1tsp cumin powder
1tsp garam masala
salt to taste

Method:
Soak the rice and dal in the cooker. While they are soaking, you can chop all the vegetables.
Add the vegetables except capsicum to the pre-soaked rice and dal. Sprinkle all the spice powders. Adjust the salt.
Add around nine cups of water to the cooker. That is the rule of thumb. You should always add thrice the amount of water to rice and dal combined. Close the lid and cook.  If you are doing it in a pressure cooker then around four to five whistles should do it.
Before the last five minutes add the capsicum and close the lid again. In the pressure cooker it should be before the last whistle.
You will know when the khichdi is ready when the dal melts into the rice. If you like, sprinkle a little lemon juice before serving.