Fada ni khichdi- a healthy one pot meal recipe from Gujrat

If you asked me what was the most commonly made one-pot nutritious meal made in India, I would say just one word- Khichdi. Across the length and breadth of the country, everybody makes khichdi, by whatever name they call it.

Although commonly made with rice, vegetables and dal, this unusual recipe from Gujarat is made with broken wheat (aka Daliya -Hindi or Fada- Gujarati).

This recipe is from my sister’s kitchen. Try it, its really yum.

Ingredients

Broken wheat ( Dalia, Fada)- 1/2 cup

Mung dal, split- 1/4 cup

Cinnamon- 1 inch

Cloves- 2

Cumin seeds- 1 tsp

Asafoetida(hing)- 1 pinch

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Ginger and green chillies paste- 1 inch ginger, 2 green chillies- 1 tsp

Onions- 2 med- 1/2 cup chopped

Tomatoes- 1/2 cup chopped

Pav bhaji masala- 2 tsp

Potatoes- boiled – 2- 1/2 cup

Green peas- 1/2 cup

Salt- to taste

Ghee- 2-3 3 tbsp

Method

Soak the broken wheat and mung dal for 15 minutes.

Blanch the green peas.

Boil and cube the potatoes.

Now in a pressure cooker, heat half of the the ghee. Add the cinnamon and cloves . Then add the cumin seeds and asafoetida (hing)

Now add in both the dal and the dalia. Add the turmeric powder and the salt. Mix well.

Now add in 4 cups of water and cook the contents till soft. This should take about 10 minutes on sim after the first whistle or 4 whistles, if you cook by counting whistles.

Now in a large wok, heat the remaining ghee. When hot, add in the ginger & green chilli paste and saute for just 1 minute. Do remember that this tends to stick at the bottom, so u have to keep stirring.

Now add in the onions and saute for 2-3 minutes till translucent and soft.

Add in the tomatoes, add the salt and cover and cook for 4-5 minutes, till the tomatoes soften.

Now open and add in the pao bhaji masala. Mix well and cook until the ghee separates from the spice mix.

Add in the rest of the vegetables- the potatoes and the peas. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Do make sure the peas are soft and cooked and everything is coated in the lovely spice mixture.

When the pressure drops, open the lid of the pressure cooker and add in the cooked dalia and dal mixture- to the vegetable spice mix.

Mix really well till all the flavours mix together.

Serve hot with a dollop of ghee on the top.

I know you are thinking that that is a lot of ghee.

But did you know that ghee actually helps digest the gluten and helps the brain stay in ship shape- the brain has at least 60 percent fat after all.

So before you ditch that ghee, think again!