“Food is the most primitive form of comfort” 

Comfort Food for me is almost always food that’s traditionally made at home , mingled with a gazillion  memories  of partaking it with my sisters. Everyting seemed a lot more fun with them around. Even a simple meal of Vethakuzhambu, Alu Fry, and Pepper Rasam would feel almost like nectar. Eating out was almost a rarity and when it does, my staple order would definitely be Restaurant Style Vegetable Fried Rice and Gobi Manchurian.  Most recently since we have started having Gujarati Thali at  Saravana Bhavan Gujrathi Restaurant at T.Nagar, Chennai, we are a big fan of their Gujrathi Khichdi. Its almost a replica of mushy dal rice, simply seasoned with cumin seeds and a glob of ghee. Try it piping hot, and its instant comfort food. This Khichdi is made with millets and spiced with spinach ground with cilantro leaves to give it that zing., This is my entry for the Shhh Cooking Event for the month of October 2014.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Cup Brown Rice.

1/2 Cup Millet.

1/4 Cup heaped Moong Dal.

5 Cups Water.

1 Tsp Ghee.

Salt to taste.

Grind to a Paste:

1 Cup Spinach chopped and cleaned.

1 bunch cilantro cleaned.

2 Green Chillies.

1 Red Onion roughly chopped.

Seasoning:

2 Tbsp Ghee.

2 Tsp Jeera.

1 Cinnamon Stick.

10 Curry Leaves torn.

PREPARATION:

• Wash the brown rice , millet and moong dal  a couple times and allow to soak for about 30 minutes.
• Measure out the ground paste. The paste + Water must roughly add to about 5 to 51/2 cups of liquid.
• Add the ground paste+ water, salt to taste, a tsp of ghee and give it a quick mix.
• Pressure cook the rice-millet- dal mix for  1 whistle and reduce the flame to sim for 10 minutes and switch off.
• When the pressure is released, mash the rice/millet well.
• Take a wide mouthed pan and add ghee, and when hot, the seasonings.
• Pour out the khichdi on to the pan and mix and serve HOT with Mango pickle or Rajma Gravy.
• Mouth watering, simple, healthy yet tasty Spinach Khichdi is ready.
• Substitute Brown Rice for Basmati Rice/ Sona Masoori/ Cracked Wheat etc.