Wednesday, July 25, 2007

Mothaan di khichdi, Sukke aloo and Paneer di kadhi

Three dishes, so different from each other :). And all three are pretty simply, yet delicious! The first one, a very simple khichdi. Now, this khichdi is the simplest ode to this whole genre of dishes-dal+chawal=khichdi! As simple as this sounds :). Moth/matki and rice cooked together to creamy perfection with just some salt and ghee! Its a lovely meal, and is my favorite since childhood. My Bibiji used to make it a lot.....daal and rice slowly blending together on angeethi (movable earthen stove) and the final taste and aroma would come from moth, ghee and the smoke! Yes, food cooked on slow fire on an earthern stove has that distinct touch.....and sometimes, simple food can be the most delicious :). Anyway, years later, when i was in the hostel, i once wrote a letter to my Mom telling her how much i craved this khichdi. and in her really cute response she wrote, "You've to learn to cook, to eat something delicious". If it were chat, you would see some wink symbols after this ;). So yes, i love this one. I don't have an angeethi or a chullah (fixed earther stove), so i can't get that real smokey flavor, but hey, its still delish :)).

The next one, the sukki aloo sabzi is another quick eat and is a Multani style recipe. Sliced potatoes cooked with dry spices. Yummy and tangy :). The last one, is one of those really old fashioned dishes, sounds quite odd, but is real easy to make and easier to fall in love with. The only pre-requisites: sour curds and freshest possible paneer :). I have had it a few times, long ago.....The memories of this dish were rekindled again during a casual conversation with an acquaintance, who fondly mentioned how his Mom makes the best paneer kadhi :).

So lets start:

Mothaan di khichdi:


We need:

  • 1/2 cup moth/matki (soaked 1 hr. in warm water)
  • 1/2 cup rice (non-basmati, i used brown rice)
  • salt to taste
  • a pinch of red chilli powder and garam masala
  • 1-2 tsp. ghee

Pressure cook the moth daal in 1 and 1/2 to 2 cups water(4-5 whistles) till its really soft. Add the washed rice and add some more water. Add salt and chilli powders to taste, a tsp. ghee and stir. Pressure cook for another 2-3 whistles. The result should be a liquidy, creamy khichdi.

Bubbling with joy ;)

Blend in the remaining ghee and enjoy with mango pickles, dahi and papad. Occasionally also with raw onions (broken with your fist, pendu/rural style). The khichdi looks gorgeous with its reddish color and tastes great!

Sukke aloo:

We need:

  • 2-3 potatoes (sliced into rounds)
  • 1/4 tsp. cumin seeds
  • 1/4 tsp. coriander seed powder
  • 1/4 tsp. ajwain (ground coarse)
  • a pinch of strong heeng/asfoetida
  • 1 tsp. sunddh/saunth/dry ginger powder
  • 1 tsp. amchoor (traditionally its anardana/pomegranate seeds, i was out of it so i used amchoor)
  • Salt and red chilli powder to taste
  • Turmeric
  • 1 tsp. oil
  • Crushed, dried poodna/pudina/mint leaves or mint leaves powder (to taste)

This is a low-fat adaptation :). The original calls for deep frying potatoes. I usually either bake the slices or stir-fry and then cook with a lil' drizzle of water. So, heat some oil and splutter the cumin seeds, add the rest of the spice powders except amchoor. Add the potato slices and stir on medium heat for 4-5 minutes. Add amchoor, drizzle enough water, so that the slices do not stick to the pan. Lower the heat and cover to cook till the slices are tender. Don't forget to stir a bit in between. Finally, add the pudina powder or crushed dry leaves and serve hot as a side dish :).



One of the interesting recipes i found on the internet is a coriander take on this classic and involves baking. Its called Multani Aloo (the author says that this dish gets the name from Multani masala, but for some reason doesn't have the masalas like ajwain, heeng and sunddh, which are very popular in Multani food). Paging Rachna :).

Paneer di kadhi:

We need:

  • 10-15 cubes of fresh paneer
  • 1 and 1/2 cup buttermilk or beaten curd (sour preferred)
  • 3 tbsp. besan
  • 1/4 tsp. each Shah-jeera (black cumin), methi dana (fenugreek seeds) and kalonji (nigella seeds)
  • a pinch of strong hing
  • Turmeric and red chilli-powder (to taste)
  • Kasuri methi
  • 2 tsp. oil

Prepare the besan-curds mix by first beating the curd smooth and then slowly blending in the besan. Heat 1 tsp. oil and add methi dana and heeng. Add the cubed paneer and stir till the cubes are lightly toasted. If you are using fried paneer then just throw the cubes in and proceed to the next step. Add the turmeric and chilli powder and mix. Reduce the heat to very low and stir in the besan-curds mix slowly. Stir again and add some water and mix thoroughly. Bring this to a boil and cook on low heat till the kadhi thickens. Now with the remaining oil (or melted ghee, if you will) prepare another quick tadka of shah-jeera and kalonji and pour it over the kadhi. Stir in some kasuri methi and garnish with hari-mirch. Enjoy this kadhi hot with rice or pulaav (and if you are like me, even with a sourdough panini sandwich).



Indira posted a recipe with paneer and dahi some time back, and i find it to be a kinder, gentler version of a kadhi. That dish requires addition of beaten dahi in the end and has no besan. Do try that as well, because it is a lovely one :).


So folks, enjoy these yummy dishes :).

And, these dishes are my contribution to RCI: Punjab, an event hosted this month by Richa (As dear as salt) and originally envisaged by Lakshmi of Veggie Cuisine, to celebrate the regional cuisines of India.

42 comments:

Srivalli said...

excellent..send me some...esp paneer dish...

Srivalli
www.cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com

musical said...

Hey Srivalli,

Sure :). How about dropping by home for a lunch or dinner :). Thanks dear!

Coffee said...

Thali paros bachcha!! Hum aa rahe hain! ;) :P

I am an absolute khichdi lover and love it with all forms of dals... so this is going to be my new addition to the list of khichdi's I make! And paneer kadhi sounds alsolutely divine! Soft smooth paneer swimmming in sour kadhi.... ummmmm......!!!!!!!!! Great entries! :)

musical said...

Swami Coffee ji:

Avashya padharen ;). please don't forget to bring the pickle :).i love ur description of kadhi, yaar. soft smooth paneer.....yes! after a late dinner, i am hungry again :-D.

Coffee said...

bachcha, khana hamesha thode intervals ke baad khana chahiye ;) warna pet me paneer or khichdi kabbadi khelne lagte hain ;)

Anonymous said...

I love aloo every which way - and the Multani recipe looks great! And the paneer kadhi is something I had never heard of (till you commented on Indira's post).

Unknown said...

Lovely recipes, esp, Kadhi and kichidi... yummyyyy..
Iam ready with my plate and fork :)

Viji said...

Lovely dishes. Viji

Nupur said...

Everything looks sooo delicious, and the matki khichdi? Well, I'm going to make that tonight for dinner! I am always worried about cooking brown rice in the pressure cooker....that it will stick, but I'm going to follow your directions precisely. Will come back and report :)

Sia said...

do u have any leftovers musie??? thoda kum hai tho bhi chalega...nahi doudega :)

Anonymous said...

that khichdi is divine...along with the sukhe aloo, thoda acchar dedo, mera to pura dinner ho gaya!

FH said...

I am drooling over that Kadhi and the whole plate of dinner M!! I want some, NOW!!!!

Sharmi said...

hmm that looks heavenly! reminds me of my Naniji. lovely plate full of khichdi. paneer di kadhi is new to me. never heard of that. looks so comforting.

musical said...

Coffee:

Haanji, lekin imagine karne mein kya jata hai ;). aankh moond kar dhyan karo, garma garam kadhi ka :-D.

Anita:

I know your love for potatoes, and am with you on that :). That paneer kadhi, as i said is a really old times thing, but is the quickest kadhi :).

Cinnamon:

Join in, dear. the party is just beginning to roll :).

musical said...

Viji:

Thanks dear, enjoy :).

Nupur:

Do try this one :). I had the same worries for brown rice (the one i used is a slightly sticky variety), but with ample water it was OK. After i open the cooker, i just simmer it to thicken the khichdi. Enjoy it with that lovely quick gajar pickle you posted :).

Sia:

Aa jao behna :). Nahin bhi hoga to phir se banayenge :). after all hot food is blissful :)).

musical said...

Trupti:

Hey, good to see you :). Sure, khichdi and some real spicy pickles and a lil' sabzi sounds totally a great dinner (actually makes a lovely lunch too, i had it y'day). Enjoy sweetie :).

Ashakka:

Yes, yes, please join in. With you around in the party, it will be great fun. Lemme me make some khichri for you and you make me some benne kadubus in turn :). Thanks Akka, you are ever encouraging.

Sharmi:

You make me emotional, sweetie.....This recipe is from my Bibiji (Grandma) and that adds to the nostalgia factor. That kadhi really isn't very popular for some reason, but i recently got into making it again and enjoyed it :).

Unknown said...

yum, yummier, yummiest. if you want nice brown caramalised aloos without much oil, cook it in a cast-iron pan or a carbon steel wok.

musical said...

Thanks Jai, its yummy indeed :).

i have to get a carbon steel wok. But for regular pan this worked well (1 tsp. or less oil).

Anonymous said...

Love, love, love, this kind of earthy rustic food which depends on just good basic ingredients, like in the kadhi, as you mentioned. And the smoke, ah yes. Thanks so much for this post, everything looks great! I have eaten very similar potatoes in a Sindhi home too.

archana said...

All the three dishes look nice and toooo tasty. Paneer kadhi is new to me. The hot khichadi with the achaar and curds is looking very tempting :)Aloos are my favorite too.

musical said...

Evolvingtastes:

Thanks,dear :). Smoked stuff, yes! i am all for it, gives an extra bosy and flavor to the dish!! and thanks for chipping in the information about similar recipe in Sindhi homes.

Archana:

One more aloo fan :). Khichdi with achaar is heavenly, ain't it :).

Richa said...

haanji! khichadi te gheyo paake ghotana, makes it the yummiest ever just like u said, te naal dai :) kuch gall haegi khichadi ch', no wonder it's a comfort food!
alu'ch ajwain bot changey laggey :) btw paneer kadi thuadde kolo suni, i make paneer dai paake par o' thodi alag subzi haegi :)
cheers for this lovely post!

Suganya said...

This is one comfort food. Look at that plate. Vl have it for bf, lunch and dinner. Sure that stove gives an unique aroma that nothing can match.

musical said...

Richa,

Haanji, khichdi di gall hi kuchh hor e, je naal dai hove taan zayqa hi kuchh vakhra hunda e. tusi taan achaar de shauqin nahin o, par achaar vi mainu bada vadhiya laggda e. Tusin ani dahi-paneer vali sabzi de baare kadi likho, mainu badi pasand e :). aloo and ajwain go well, isn't it. btw, i love ajwain a LOT!

Suganya:

yes, it is a comfort food, rice and daal in any combo for that matter :). Be it khichdi, pongal, daal chawal, amti-bhaat, sambar rice, bisi bele bhaat.....list is endless! This may well be the national food of India :-D.

Saju said...

All three dishes look very yummy, great entries for RCI. I love the way you write.

musical said...

Hey Saju,

Thanks a ton :). and do you know that Chachi's Kitchen has been an inspiration for many a wonderful party dishes for me and my friends :).

Priyanka said...

Wow, you come up with the most amazing recipes... thanks for a great post and stepwise pictorial- will definitely try it out sometime

musical said...

Hey Priyanka:

Thank you so much :). Do try them, am sure you'll enjoy them :).

Roopa said...

so comforting food! just last week i bought moth beans was thinking whether can we make khichadi, and there you are with the recipe :) next on the list. gonna try that panneer kadhi too looks excellent!

Pelicano said...

That last pic of the khichdi with dahi, achaar, papads, and sukke aloo did it for me! I need something this simple right now, so I'll start the potatoes and moth right now, and save the panir kadhi for next time I have panir handy.

Nupur said...

The moth khichdi is beyond amazing! Thanks to you, we had a wonderful dinner last night. You are the best, Musical!

Kajal said...

Whole dish looks yummy and nice combination khichdi with lemon pickle, curd and dry aloo curry.....What a great idea my dear. Thanks for sharing.:)
Paneer di Kadhi is very different and nice idea. I think this is more tasty because of curd.

musical said...

Roopa:

Telepathy :).yes, do make some khichdi with moth daal, its a simple, lovely meal :). am sure you'll love it.

Pel:

You fell into the trap ;) like i do for a lot of recipes :)). Khichdi and aloo is more than enough for a good dinner, with some dahi thrown in :). Enjoy!

musical said...

Hey Nupur:

Thank you, dear! That's what i call true sharing :). and thank you too dinner, for the countless dinners i continue to enjoy from the hot stove :).am glad you enjoyed it!

Kajal:

Thanks a lot :). its been a childhood favorite. do try it sometime.

Rachna said...

HI musy, finally i get to comment.... i remember we used to have dal moth kichri with kachori...ufff...it was amazing.. and i heard of paneer kadhi a lot, now i have the recipe!!... aalo sabzi tho my jhaiji used to make...brought back so many memories with this post.....from my little knowledge, yur multani masala seems on the dot, except probably anardana seeds??

musical said...

Finally here, Rachna :). Haanji, tussin bilkul sahi ho :). I was out of anardana, so used amchoor-but i shoudl add this note that its actually meant to be anardana :). Khichdi te kachori, lajawaab :)).

Anonymous said...

I would appreciate the recipe for 'DOLI KI ROTI '
Kindly post to svir@rediffmail.com

musical said...

Hey Anonymous:

You won't believe, but i wanted to blog about it for RCI:Punjab. i have had Doli ki roti a number of times, but never prepared it myself. So right now i only have a recipe idea. it involves fermentation and so i want to try it first :). will post the full recipe once i try it. however, whenever i find some time, i can give you a rough recipe.

Thanks for dropping by.

Anonymous said...

Hi: Can someone give me the recipe of multani masala.. i once had a great sabut moong dal served over rice with this yummy masala sprinkled on top..cannot get the recipe out of the hostess!!

Meera said...

Musical,
I made this mothan di khichdi over weekend. It was delicious! will write about it tomorrow for Nupur's blog bite - pressure cooker event. Thanks for sharing an awesome recipe!

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