Our children have completed one year of schooling in India. I can scarcely believe how quickly time has flown by!
The girls were ecstatic to find out that they had more than two months of school holidays at the end of the academic year. This is more than what they have been used to in Singapore.
We had an incredible time over the break. As soon as the holidays began, we were delighted to play host for family. Soon after, we travelled with my parents to Japan for ten days during the cherry blossom (sakura) season. We weren't able to travel during the initial blossom forecast but by a glorious stroke of luck, for the first time in years, the sakura bloomed two weeks late, perfectly aligning with our visit! Despite the gloomy weather, we also enjoyed spectacularly clear views of Mount Fuji up close. The trip was everything I hoped it would be and more barring the crowds (note to self: do a blog post before the memories fade away 😛). After that, the girls and I went to my hometown Mysore and chilled out for close to two weeks. Close on the heels of that, the four of us embarked on a nostalgia trip to Singapore and spent a memorable ten days revisiting favourite spots, visiting familiar faces and shopping for things we realized we missed from there. We only had about a week to prepare for the new school term. Before we knew it, the holidays came to an end. The girls are back in school and we are all gradually (and grudgingly) getting back into a routine.
Switching gears to this post, if you know me well then you will know much I love leafy greens and herbs. I use them extensively in my cooking. I love the bright fresh flavours, the vibrant color and the texture (when consumed raw). I particularly love all varieties of spinach (green, red, Malabar), fenugreek, dill, mustard greens, amaranth, spring onion, colocasia, bok choy, lettuce, cabbage, arugula, fennel, basil, mint, coriander and chives. Come to think of it, apart from kale and curly parsley, I don't think I've eaten a leafy green I didn't like!
This is a recipe that is very close to my heart. I have been making palak khichdi (creamy spinach and lentil rice) for several years. It is a recipe that my children love because of the creamy texture and relatively mild taste. Whenever I ask them what they'd like for lunch on weekends, palak khichdi is invariably among their (many) suggestions 😀
I usually prepare palak khichdi in my instant pot, but it can easily be made in a traditional pressure cooker. I’ve provided instructions for both methods.
When I made this dish for the very first time, I used millets and still do most of the time. However, I occasionally switch it up with rice, which I find gives the khichdi a less mushy and more defined texture compared to the porridge-like consistency obtained from millets. It all depends on your texture preference really. My children prefer the texture of millets whereas some members of the family prefer rice.
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| Palak khichdi made with millets |
I’ve recently begun adding a tadka (tempering) of fried garlic and sliced onions, which elevates the dish to another level. This however is completely optional and can be skipped. I like to serve this palak khichdi with a simple cucumber raita and a crunchy element like chips or mixture.
This is a wholesome, delicious and comforting one-pot dish. You must try it if you haven't yet.
Without further ado, here is the recipe.
