Khatti Meethi Khichdi & Kala Chana Beetroot Sundal.
Synonyms of this meal for me would be comfort food, soul food, heart warming meal and more. A simple weekend lunch on a cold winter day looks like this in our home. Simple, quick, wholesome and nutritious!
Growing up, I saw my mum using a variety of dals everytime and never cooked with just one kind. So carrying forward that tradition, I have used a mix of red masoor, yellow moong and chana dal. Also, local par boiled red rice is used to make this delicious savoury porridge. While the khichdi pressure cooked, I quickly stir fried the boiled kala chana lying in my refrigerator with minimal spices, beetroot and fresh coconut. The khichdi is tempered with flavourful aromats, and then simmered with tamarind and jaggery.
How to make this –
Soak 1/2 cup kala chana overnight and pressure cook the next morning with enough salt. Drain and keep the kala chana aside.
Rinse and few times and soak 1/4 cup red rice or any other rice of choice. Also rinse 1/2 cup mixed dals of choice and soak it with the rice for at least 30 mins.
Pressure cook the soaked dal and rice with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt to taste.
While the khichdi cooks, heat 2 tsps groundnut oil in a pan. Add and let it sizzle – 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 6-7 curry leaves, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 2 dry red chillies. Mix in 1/3 cup grated beetroot and sauté it for 2-3 mins. Add in the cooked kala chana and mix it well. Add salt but taste before adding more salt. Mix in 1/4 cup grated coconut, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. Mix in 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper too. Garnish with more fresh coconut.
Now, in a tempering pan, add 1 tsp ground nut oil and 1.5 tsps ghee. Sizzle 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing), 1 tsp grated ginger. Add 1 tsp red chilli powder and immediately add some water. Let the tempering simmer and then add this to the khichdi.
Put the khichdi on low flame and mix in 1 tbsp tamarind pulp and 1 tbsp jaggery. Simmer until it blends well together. Taste and adjust flavours as needed.
Serve with the Sundal and enjoy!!!
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Khatti Meethi Khichdi & Kala Chana Beetroot Sundal
Ingredients
Kala Chana Beetroot Sundal
- 1/2 Cup Kala Chana
- Salt to taste
- 2 Tbsps Groundnut oil
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
- 6-7 Pcs Curry leaves
- 1/4 Tsp Hing
- 2 Pcs Dry red chillies
- 1/3 Cup Beetroot - grated
- 1/4 Cup Coconut - grated
- 1/2 Tsp Sugar
- 1 Tsp Lemon juice
- 1/2 Tsp Black pepper powder
Khatti Meethi Khichdi
- 1/4 Cup Red rice or any rice
- 1/2 Cup Mixed dals - red masoor, yellow moong, chana dal use any dals of choice
- 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 1 Tsp Groundnut oil
- 1.5 Tsps Ghee or oil
- 1 Tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/2 Tsp Mustard seeds
- 1/4 Tsp Hing
- 1 Tsp Ginger - grated
- 1 Tsp Red chilli powder
- 1 Tbsp Tamarind pulp
- 1 Tbsp Jaggery
Instructions
- Soak 1/2 cup kala chana overnight and pressure cook the next morning with enough salt. Drain and keep the kala chana aside.
- Rinse and few times and soak 1/4 cup red rice or any other rice of choice. Also rinse 1/2 cup mixed dals of choice and soak it with the rice for at least 30 mins.
- Pressure cook the soaked dal and rice with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and salt to taste.
- While the khichdi cooks, heat 2 tsps groundnut oil in a pan. Add and let it sizzle - 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 6-7 curry leaves, 1/4 tsp asafoetida, 2 dry red chillies. Mix in 1/3 cup grated beetroot and sauté it for 2-3 mins. Add in the cooked kala chana and mix it well. Add salt but taste before adding more salt. Mix in 1/4 cup grated coconut, 1/2 tsp sugar and 1 tsp lemon juice. Mix in 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper too. Garnish with more fresh coconut.
- Now, in a tempering pan, add 1 tsp ground nut oil and 1.5 tsps ghee. Sizzle 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing), 1 tsp grated ginger. Add 1 tsp red chilli powder and immediately add some water. Let the tempering simmer and then add this to the khichdi.
- Put the khichdi on low flame and mix in 1 tbsp tamarind pulp and 1 tbsp jaggery. Simmer until it blends well together. Taste and adjust flavours as needed.
- Serve with the Sundal and enjoy!!!
