Ugadi is our traditional New Year's Day according to the Hindu Calender. This twelvemonth it is today. We e'er railroad train a special feast alongside lot of sweets to celebrate the occasion. We also buy together with vesture novel clothes. It is a novel outset afterward all. In my mind, I was all prepared to celebrate the occasion alongside 2 of my favorite dishes: sweetness khichidi together with valval ( a veggie stew). But gauge what, when I got dwelling final night, what exercise I run across on my door?? This detect below:
What no gas for 2 weeks!!! I cannot gear upward anything. Of course, I receive got a rice cooker.. But how much tin give notice yous brand inwards that??
Well, yous see, in i lawsuit I laid my hear on something, I don't surrender easily! Being that it is a Saturday, I decided to exercise or together with so cooking together with prep at a unopen friend's house who lives non every bit good far away from me. Me together with the kids laid out at that topographic point inwards the evening.
Sweet khichidi evokes nostalgia inwards me for the nutrient that is served inwards our temples. Traditionally, the head ingredients inwards this dish are broken wheat or couscous , Chana dal together with freshly grated coconut. Chana dal is carve upward chick peas. I didn't receive got whatsoever broken wheat/couscous. But I did receive got or together with so one-time barley that was sitting inwards my pantry. I decided to endure brave together with experiment using barley instead of wheat. I must tell that the cease number was a pleasant surprise! It was absolutely delicious! I didn't have whatsoever bananas on manus together with hence didn't add together them. I similar it to a greater extent than alongside bananas inwards it. It is ridiculously slowly to do, salubrious together with super-yum! The kids loved it together with and so did our friends. My blood brother came every bit good together with nosotros had a dainty surprise Ugadi feast alongside them. All that ends well.
Servings: 6-8
Ingredients:
Chana dal(Split chick peas): 3/4 cup
Barley: 1/2 cup
Water: 2 cups
Freshly grated coconut: 1/2 cup
Jaggery ( or brownish sugar): 3/4 cup
Cardomom powder: 1/8 tsp, freshly soil from 3-4 cardamom pods.
Ghee( clarified butter): 1 tsp
Raisins: 1 tbsp
Cashew halves: 1 tbsp
Salt: pinch
Banana: 1 slices into 0.5 cms thick pieces ( optional).
Method:
Wash barley together with Chana dal together together with gear upward it together alongside 2 cups H2O using a pressure level cooker, crock pot or rice cooker.
If using a pressure level cooker, gear upward it for xv mins afterward the foremost whistle. The consistency of both the dal together with the barley should endure such that it should endure tender simply private grains should endure visible. Therefore don't overcook or add together every bit good much water. Don't opened upward the pressure level cooker until the steam has completely been released.
Take the pot alongside the dal together with barley out.
Now add together jaggery, freshly grated kokosnoot together with tabular array salt to the dal-barley mixture together with gear upward it on depression open fire until the jaggery has melted completely. Turn off the flame.Now add together freshly soil cardamom pulverization . This tin give notice endure made yesteryear grinding cardamom seeds from the pod , using a mortar together with pestle!
At this indicate yous tin give notice mix inwards the banana slices if yous wish.
Heat ghee inwards a modest pan together with fry the cashew halves together with raisins for a few seconds until lightly golden inwards color.
Add virtually of it to the pot, reserving a few for garnishing.
You tin give notice consume this hot or cold. I similar it both ways!
Enjoy!
Cooking made easy:
If yous don't receive got a pressure level cooker, soak the Chana dal/ barley mixture for twosome of hours or fifty-fifty overnight together with gear upward it alongside H2O on the stove overstep until it reaches the desired consistency. You tin give notice exercise this alongside whatsoever lentil, peculiarly the ones similar Chana dal that accept a long spell to cook.
Tip for salubrious living:
Barley is a whole grain that is rich inwards fiber together with is rattling nutrient-dense together with hence considered a superfood. It is i of the oldest grains known to mankind together with is rich inwards phytochemicals together with minerals, helping run on the torso healthy. It is peculiarly beneficially for diabetics due to it's depression glycemic index, thereby helping maintain the blood saccharide levels. Diabetics would greatly exercise goodness yesteryear substituting barley for rice inwards their daily meals. Because it is a fiber rich whole grain, barley helps bring down run a hazard of coronary catch disease, constipation, high blood pressure level together with diabetes. It also makes yous experience sum faster together with keeps yous satiated.
References:
http://wholegrainscouncil.org/whole-grains-101/health-benefits-of-barley
http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=127
http://www.lef.org/Magazine/2008/12/Barley/Page-01
Food for thought:
Either yous create upward one's hear to remain inwards the shallow cease of the puddle or yous become out inwards the ocean. Christopher Reeve