One of my favourite dishes is this brown rice and lentil kichdi which is highly nutritious and perfect for brunch. You can use a pressure cooker to make this. I am able to make this using instant pot. The quantity I am making here is enough for 2.
There are 3 items to be prepared for this dish - the kichdi, coconut chutney and huli (which is the watery spicy, pungent, tangy and slightly sweet sauce). Although this blog seems long with 3 dishes, it is really quite quick and easy. Only long part is the waiting for the Instant pot to release pressure. You could just chill out while you wait :-)
Soak 1/3 cup of mung dal over night for 12 hours. You can skip this step. But it is better to soak as it helps reduce phytates and therefore the nutrients in the lentils can be absorbed by our bodies.
Before turning the instant pot on, I want to show you these stackable containers that you would normally use in a pressure cooker. It came in handy for the instant pot. It has a stand and three stackable containers. But I needed only 2 for this recipe.
Drain the water from the soaked lentils. Transfer the soaked mung beans into one of the stackable containers. Add a cup of water.
Take 1 cup of brown rice into the second stackable container.
Add 2 1/2 cups water to the rice. Stack the 2 containers. Place them on the stand and close the stand.
To the instant pot insert add 1 1/4 cup of water. You can add a few drops of lemon juice as well just so the pot insert will not be stained.
Place a steaming rack at the bottom of the instant pot insert
Place the containers over the steaming rack.
Close the instant pot lid. Turn the vent to seal. Turn on the pressure cooker and set timer to 20 minutes.
While the instant pot is cooking. You can quickly make couple of side dishes that goes very well with the kichdi.
The first one we are going to make is the coconut chutney. To the blender jar add 3/4 cup water, 1/8 cup almonds, 1/2 cup shredded coconut and 4 green chillies broken up into 1 inch pieces.
Blend until smooth
Pour the chutney into a bowl and add salt to taste
Now prepare seasonings for this chutney. Heat a small sauce pan. I use an egg cooker for this.
Add 1.5 tsp oil.
After the oil heats up add some curry leaves, 1.5 tsp lentils (urad dal) and then add mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds start popping, close with a lid and turn off stove.
Add 1/4 tsp asafoetida powder. Pour the contents onto the chutney.
Now for the second side dish called huli, heat a small or medium sized wok or any pot.
Heat 2 tbsp oil. Add lentils, 1 sprig of curry leaves. lentils and 2 dried red chillies. After the lentils turn slightly brown add mustard seeds. As soon as the mustard seeds start popping, add 1 tbsp of rasam powder. Stir for a couple of seconds and immediately add 1 1/2 to 2 cups of water. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric powder. Now add 2 tsp jaggery and 1/4 tsp tamarind paste. To a tsp of rice flour add 2 to 3 teaspoons water and mix. Add this rice flour mix to the huli. Add 1/2 tsp of asafoetida powder. After boiling for 4 to 5 minutes turn off heat and set the wok aside.
Now we will prepare the kichdi. After the instant pot is done with the cooking, open the lid and remove the stacked containers and the steaming rack. Remove the water and dry the instant pot insert. Put the insert back into the instant pot and turn on the saute mode. Add 2 tbsp of ghee or butter or coconut oil whichever you prefer.
After the instant pot indicates "hot" add 1 1/2 tsp blackpepper corns, 1 1/2 tsp cumin seeds and 1 sprig of curry leaves. Add 1 tbsp of lentils.
After the lentils turn slightly brown add the cooked rice and lentils. Add 1/2 cup of water. Add required amount of salt. Mix well and after 1 to 2 minutes, mix again and turn off saute mode.
Now the kichdi is ready to serve. Put desired amount of kichdi in a bowl. Pour some huli over it and serve with the coconut chutney on the side.
Ingredients:
For the kichdi:
Brown rice - 1 cup
Mung dal - 1/3 cup
Oil or ghee or butter - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Black peppercorns - 1 1/2 tbsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Urad lentil - 1 1/2 tbsp
Salt
Method:
Soak mung dal overnight for 12 hours. Drain the water and put the soaked lentils in a stackable container. Add a cup of water to this.
Take a cup of rice into another stackable container. Add 2 1/2 cups water to the rice.
In an instant pot or a pressure cooker pour in 2 cups of water. Put a steaming rack and over it place the stackable containers. Secure lid for the pressure cooker or the instant pot. If you are using the instant pot set the cooking time to 20 minutes. Follow the instructions for the pressure cooker.
While the rice and dal is being cooked, prepare the chutney and the tamarind sauce.
For the Coconut Chutney:
Water - 1 1/4 cup
Almonds - 1/8 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup shredded
Green chillies - 4
Salt - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1/2 a sprig
Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
Method:
In a blender combine the ingredients in the following order - Water, almonds, shredded coconut and green chillies. Blend until smooth. Pour the chutney into a bowl. Add a teaspoon of salt and mix well.
Now to make the seasoning for the chutney, heat a small saucepan. Put 1/2 a tablespoon of oil. Add curry leaves and urad dal to the oil. After the urad dal turns slightly brown add mustard seeds. Once the mustard seeds start popping, turn off stove and add asafoetida. Put this seasoning onto the coconut chutney and mix. Now the chutney is ready to serve.
For the huli or the sauce:
Oil - 2 tbsp
Dried red chillies - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
Rasam powder - 1 tbsp (you may use MTR brand available at any Indian store)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind - 1/4 tsp
Jaggery - 2 tsp
Rice flour - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp
Water as needed
Method:
Heat a small wok or any pot. Heat some oil. To this oil add dried red chillies, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal. After the dal turns slightly brown, add rasam powder. Immediately add water.
Add turmeric powder, salt and jaggery.
After it boils for a minute or two add tamarind paste. Mix rice flour with a little water and add this mix to the boiling huli.
Add asafoetida powder. Mix and remove from heat. Now the huli is ready to serve.
Method for serving the Kichdi:
To serve the dish put required amount of the kichdi in a bowl. Pour little bit of the huli over the kichdi. Serve some chutney on the side.
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