Spicy Rice Kichadi

One pot meal and a comfort food, perfect for those lazy days. Kichadi is prepared using rice or semolina or even cracked wheat mixed with lentils and a variety of spices and vegetables. You can also add roasted peanuts or cashew nuts for a little crunch. This recipe can easily be doubled when you have company over. With just a few ingredients from your pantry and easy to cook vegetables, this kichadi will be perfect for lunch boxes too. Hope you will enjoy the dish just like i did. And here goes the recipe, 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Rice

1/4 cup Toor dal

! 1/2 cups Water

1/4 cup Peas

1/4 cup Carrot (chopped)

1/2 Onion (finely chopped)

2-3 Green Chili (Finely chopped)

1 1/2 tsp Garlic (minced)

1 1/2 tsp Ginger (minced)

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Chili powder

1/4 tsp Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp Black peppercorns

1/2" Cinnamon stick

1 Clove

1 pinch Asafoetida

1 tbsp Oil

Salt

 How to:

• Wash the rice and toor dal together, pour the water and soak for 20 mins.

• In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add cumin seeds, cinnamon stick, clove, peppercorns, asafoetida and turmeric powder.

• Add the onions, saute for a min. Then add the ginger, garlic and green chilies and saute for a couple of mins.

• Add the carrots, peas along with chili powder and salt.

• Now add the soaked rice and dal along with the water, check salt and pressure cook for 1 whistle.

• Switch off, fluff the rice gently and garnish with cilantro.

• Serve warm with potato fry or chips.

Milk Cake (Paalkova)

Paalkova is one of my childhood favorites. I remember the days, wherein we had this Aavin milk booth next to our house and they sell these paalkovas, packed just like butter sticks. I will eat the whole stick all by myself, licking the wrapped paper for any bits of it. It just melts in your mouth and i get the satisfaction only if i eat it with my hands(no spoon or fork can come b/w me and paalkova, hehe.) Also, don't prepare this sweet with reduced fat milk. (i.e, don't follow my first tip.) Instead, increase your workout time and enjoy this rich, decadent milk sweet as it is. And here goes the recipe,

Ingredients:

6 cups whole Milk

1/2 cup Sugar

2tbsp Lemon juice

2tbsp Ghee

1/8tsp Cardamom powder

1tbsp chopped Pistachios (For garnish)

How to:

• Grease a plate or a bowl with ghee and keep it aside.

• Heat the milk along with water at medium heat in a wide, heavy bottomed pan and bring it to a boil. 

• Let it boil for couple of mins. Slowly add the lemon juice and keep stirring the milk gently. The milk will begin to curdle and the whey starts to separate.

• Let boil for 5 mins, once the whey is completely separated, remove 1 1/2 cups of whey from the pan. It helps in reducing the sourness from the lemon juice.

• Continue cooking until whey is evaporated and reduce milk turns grainy.

• Now add the sugar and cook for couple of mins or until the mixture comes together.

• Then pour the ghee and cardamom powder and cook by stirring continuously until it starts to turn slightly golden brown.

• Transfer the mixture to a greased plate and press firmly into a square or any desired shape.

• Gently press the chopped pistachios on top of the milk cake while its hot.

• Once it is set, slice it with a knife and serve warm or cold.

Tips:

• You can use 3 cups of whole milk and 3 cups of 2% reduced fat milk or replace it with all 2% reduced fat milk. (The richness and thickness of the cake might vary.)
• For garnishing, you can use chopped almonds, walnuts or any other mixture of nuts.