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Chef Solanki Roy’s Vegetable Millet Kichdi

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The United Nations declared 2023 International Year of Millets (IYM 2023).

 

Millets have high nutritive value, are gluten free and have low glycemic index.

 

Even though millets have been a nutritional staple in diets throughout Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia for thousands of years, the UN has noted that their cultivation is declining in many countries just as their potential to address climate change and food security is beginning to come to light.

 

Therefore, we’re celebrating Climate Week with a staple millet dish from India. Every time this dish is cooked, we use the entire vegetable to preserve maximum nutritional value and eliminate waste. Any vegetables with their peel can be added to this recipe and slow cooking is the key, as it’s one of the cooking techniques which retains the maximum color of vegetables and preserves vitamins minerals during the process which helps nourish and heal the body.

Vegetable Millet Khichdi

Ingredients

  • ⅓ cup millet
  • ⅛ cup yellow moong dal
  • ⅛ cup pink masoor dal
  • 2 tablespoon ghee
  • 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
  • ¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)
  • 2 cloves (laung)
  • 2 dried red chillies
  • ¼ cup chopped onion
  • 1 tablespoon ginger garlic paste
  • ¼ cup chopped tomato
  • 1 ¼ teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1 teaspoon red chilli powder
  • ½ teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
  • 1 cup chopped mixed vegetables (carrot, potato, broccoli, peas)
  • 2 ¼ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh coriander

Method

  1. Rinse the millet with water. Transfer to a bowl and soak in water for 30 minutes. (Soaking reduces the cooking time of millet.)
  2. Combine both lentils in a bowl, rinse them with water, then soak in water for 15 minutes.
  3. Heat oil in a stovetop pressure cooker. Once hot, add cumin, cloves, dried red chillies, and asafoetida. Sauté for 20 – 30 seconds to release the aroma of spices and infuse their flavour into the oil.
  4. Add onion and sauté them till they turn light brown. This takes 2 – 3 minutes.
  5. Next, add ginger garlic paste, tomato, salt, turmeric powder, and red chilli powder. Stir to combine. Sauté the masala till the tomatoes break down.
  6. Add soaked vegetables, millet, and lentils. Sauté for 2 minutes.
  7. Add water, mix, and pressure cook millet khichdi for two whistles over low heat. After two whistles, turn off the heat. Allow the steam to release naturally from the pressure cooker.
  8. Once you open the lid of the pressure cooker, add ghee, fresh coriander leaves, and mix one last time. Millet Khichdi is ready to serve.

Serve Vegetable Millet Khichdi warm.