Masala Khichadi with 'Batata Tameta Nu Shak' ('Potato and Tomato Gravy')

There's something really comforting about this dish in a way that it REALLY satisfies you with just simple flavours and fills you up with a sort of joyous contentment. It truly is a humbling experience savouring such a peasant dish on a rainy monsoon afternoon.

Khichadi is an extremely basic dish that is a celebration of rice and lentils enjoyed all over the country. Everyone SHOULD master the art of such simple cooking because it teaches us how to make full use of the ingredients at hand. 

When paired with a simple, yet fragrant potato gravy, it is the only way to brighten a gloomy monsoon day. Really. You can use any vegetable in this you like such as carrots, peas, french beans, cauliflower. I would particularly  suggest using potatoes. They help thickening and making the khichadi into a rich sort of savoury porridge, and of course- carbohydrates, healthy. 

 I have also taken the liberty of serving this with a saute of fresh pigeon peas with finely chopped onions and coconut. It really complements this dish providing not only a texture component but also sort of sweet and savoury kick.

Check out the recipe down below and share it with your friends. Click on the 'Subscribe' button on the top right of the page for weekly updates directly into your mailbox.

Let me know your thoughts on the recipe. 

Peace.

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INGREDIENTS (Serves about 3 really hungry people) 

For the Khichadi

- 3/4 cups of rice
- 3/4 cups of lentils (I suggest masoor, my favourite or even toor dal is good)
- 6 cups of water (it's not a lot. Trust me. It will all be soaked into the rice and lentils making a nice lush dish)
- salt to taste
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 2 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala

For the potato gravy

- 5 medium potatoes, peeled and dice
- 1 tbsp ghee/oil (preferably ghee)
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp asafoetida
- 5-6 curry leaves
- 2 tsp chilli powder
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 4 chopped medium tomatoes
- A pinch of garam masala
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 1 tsp sugar, because I am a Gujarati. Also to balance the acidity and sourness from the tomatoes.
- Squeeze of 1/2 lime
- Handful chopped coriander

For the Pigeon peas sautè

- 100 grams of fresh green pigeon peas (similar to peas but smaller, juicier, tastier and more difficult to separate)
- 4 tsp dessicated coconut
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
- 5 to 6 curry leaves
- salt to taste 

How to make Masala Khichadi and Batata Tameta nu Shak

• In a pressure cooker, set up the rice and lentils with the water and spoon in all the dry spice powders and salt. Cook for 7 whistles. Once ready, it will be a little watery, but once everything else is ready, it will have thickened more. So don't worry.
• In another pressure cooker, make your potato gravy. 
• In ghee, crackle the cumin seeds and add the asafoetida.
• Throw in the tomatoes and add the salt, curry leaves, turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala. Cook it covered on a low flame for 5 minutes till the tomatoes are soft
• Throw in your potatoes, season and mix to combine with the tomatoes.
• Add water just enough to cover up the potatoes. Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• While the potatoes are cooking, in a frying pan, fry the onions and mustard seeds with the asafoetida. 
• Once the onions are translucent, add the dessicated coconut and fry till light brown. 
• Throw in the curry leaves, pigeon peas and salt. Cook on a low flame for 5 minutes.
• In a plate, serve the khichadi topped off with the gravy and the pigeon peas. Oh! Don't forget garnishing with coriannder leaves, ghee and lime juice.