Recipe of the month: Palak Khichdi

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. 

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. 

Palak Khichdi

Preparation time: 20 min

Cooking time: ~20 min

Serves: 6

Recipe category: North Indian/Main Course

Recipe level: Easy

Recipe source: My own rendition

Palak Khichdi

 

For the khichdi:

2-3 cups green spinach (palak), washed thoroughly and drained

2 cups raw rice, washed well and drained

1/2 cup yellow moong dal

1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)

a pinch of asafoetida (hing)

2 large red onions, finely chopped

6 garlic cloves, minced

1-inch ginger, minced

3-4 bird's eye green chillies, finely chopped

2 large ripe tomatoes, finely chopped

2 tsp coriander (dhania) powder

1 tsp garam masala powder

1 tsp sugar

~3 tsp salt (adjust as needed)

8 cups water

5 tsp ghee, divided

1 tbsp kasoori methi

For the tempering/tadka:

2 byadgi dry red chillies

8-10 small garlic pods, peeled

1/2 cup red onions, sliced

Ghee as required

Method:

1. Switch on the sauté mode in your instant pot. Heat 3 tsp ghee, add 1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera) and let them splutter. Add a pinch of asafoetida (hing). 

2. Add two finely chopped onions and sauté until translucent.

3. Add minced garlic (6 cloves), ginger (1-inch piece) and 3-4 green chilies and fry till the raw smell goes.

4. Add 2 finely chopped tomatoes. Cook till soft and mushy.

5. Now add 2 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp garam masala, 1 tsp sugar & 3 tsp salt. Continue to sauté for 2-3 mins. 

6. Add 2 cups of raw rice, half cup moong dal, 8 cups water and 2 tsp ghee. Turn off the sauté mode and turn on the pressure cook mode. Make sure the valve/handle is in the sealing position. Cook at normal pressure for 4 min. After 10 min, you can manually release the pressure (turn valve to venting position using a wooden instrument) and open the lid when the pin drops or if you want a more mushier porridge-like texture, you can go for natural pressure release and wait for the pin to drop by itself.

7. While the Instant Pot is doing its thing, blanch the washed spinach (palak) leaves in boiling water for a 2-3 minutes. When the leaves wilt, quickly plunge them into an ice bath. Drain the water and puree in a blender without adding additional water. Keep aside. 

8. Once the pressure inside the instant pot has released completely, open the lid and switch the instant pot back to sauté mode (low). Add the prepared spinach purée. Use 1 more cup water to rinse out blender and more if needed. Add 1 tbsp kasoori methi (gently warmed with your hands or in the microwave).

9. For the tempering - heat ghee, add the sliced onions, sprinkle some salt and fry till light brown, add in the whole peeled garlic pods and continue to sauté until the onions get caramelised. Add the dry red chillies and sauté for a few mins before switching off the flame. Keep aside. 

10. The consistency of the khichdi typically should be flowy and creamy. Taste and adjust the seasonings. Just before serving, top the palak chichi with the garlic and onion tempering. Serve palak khichdi hot with chips or papad and raita of your choice.

To prepare in a pressure cooker:

Do the sauté steps (1-5) in the pressure cooker. After adding the raw rice, moong dal, water and ghee, close the pressure cooker lid, put on the weight and cook for 1 whistle. Manually release the pressure after 10 mins or for a more mushy texture, wait for natural pressure release.

Notes:

• Make sure the thicker stems of the spinach are completely removed and the leaves are washed properly several times under running water
• As I said earlier, this recipe can be made with millets instead of rice. Replace rice with millets of your choice in this recipe. I use proso millet but I'm sure other varieties will work too
• If you don't like the smell or taste of garlic, omit the tempering
• If you don't want to include onions in the tempering then skip (I love caramelized onions and hence included it)
• Instead of tomatoes you can use lemon juice. Omit the tomatoes and add lemon juice after adding the palak puree
• Ghee gives the khichdi a wonderful aroma. You can replace ghee with vegetable oil for a vegan customization of this dish

Cheers,

Megha