Palak Khichdi

Palak Khichdi (Spinach khichdi) is an easy-to-cook, tasty and nutritious khichdi made from pulses and spinach. It is a good example of a one dish meal. On days when you want to eat something light and healthy, you can just cook this dish and enjoy the taste as well as take care of your calorie intake. This khichdi has a pleasing green colour that makes it very appetizing..

Ingredients :

For Spinach Puree :
1 large bunch of Spinch leaves
5 cups Water
1/2 tspn Salt
1 tspn Sugar

For Palak Khichdi :
1 cup washed rice
1/2 cup washed Pigeon pea (Tuvar daal)
1/2 cup washed Golden gram / Mung bean (Moong Dal)
1 & 1/2 cups Spinach Puree
1/2 cup chopped spinach
1 cup chopped onion
4 cups Spinach stock (as above)
Salt to taste

For Seasoning
3 tbspns vegetable oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
5-6 pepper cons
1 tspn ginger paste
2 tspns garlic paste
1 & 1/2 tspns green chilly paste
1 tspn Turmeric powder
2 tspns Garam Masala powder
1-2 tspns lemon juice

For Top-up Seasoning :
2 tbspns Ghee
1 tspn cumin seeds
1/4 tspn asafoetida (Hing)
3-4 chopped garlic cloves
2-3 dry red chillies (broken into pieces)

To Serve with :
Roasted Papad
Cut Salad
Raita
Mango Pickle

Method :

To make Spinach Puree :
Boil approximately 5-6 large cups of water in a broad pan. Add salt and sugar to it. Once it reaches the boiling point, add spinach leaves to it. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes and remove it immidiately from the water. Pour cold water over it to retain the green colour. Then, transfer the blanched leaves into a blender with some water, if required. Blend it into a smooth paste. Set it aside .

To make Palak Khichdi :
Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds and pepper cons. Saute it for a minute. Then add ginger paste, garlic paste, green chilly paste and saute it for a minute. Add onion and cook till it is transculent.  Then add chopped spinach leaves, washed rice and pulses. Saute it for 3-4 minutes. 

After sauteing, add spinach puree and mix it. Add turmeric powder and garam masala powder. You may also add corriander-cumin powder to it. 

After adding spices, add spinach stock to it. Cover the pan with lid. Stir it at regular intervals till the rice is cooked. Add some spinach stock or water to adjust the consistency. Once the rice is cooked, turn off the flame. Lastly, add lemon juice to it. 

Heat ghee in a small pan. Add cumin seeds, asafoetida, chopped garlic cloves and red chilly pieces. Pour the tempering over the khichdi. 

Serve hot with cut salad, pickle, raita and roasted papads.

Notes :

• If you dont want the khichdi to be mushy, then dry roast the rice and pulses after washing. Also reduce the quantity of water to 2 or 2 1/2 cups. 
• You may add vegetables or pulses of your choice to make this khichdi more healthy.

Stepwise Pictures :