Spinach Khichdi

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1/4 cup
• Moong Daal - 1/8 cup
• Spinach (finely chopped ) - 1/2 cup
• Onion (finely chopped) - 1/4 cup
• Peas - 1/4 cup (optional)
• Green Bean - 1/4 cup (optional)
• Dry Red Chili -1
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Salt - as per taste
• Water - 2 cup

Directions:

1. Put pressure cooker on medium flame.
2. Add oil and let it warm
3. Add cumin seed and dry red chili
4. As soon as it starts to splutter, add onion, spinach, peas (optional) and beans (optional) 
5. Stir it well for a minute and then add rice, moong daal, turmeric powder and salt
6. Let this cook for 3-4 mintues and then add water
7. Pressure cook this for 10 minutes or 3-4 whistles which ever is early
8. Mix well and then serve Spinach khichdi with papad and mango pickle.

Tips:

• I used frozen spinach, peas and beans and Khichdi tastes same as the one cooked with fresh vegetables. Try fresh vegetables or frozen ones, whichever is convenient for you.
• I used Basmati rice, you can use any rice.

Enjoy
Ani

Plain Rice - traditional style

Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1/2 cup
• Water - 1 cup
• Oil - 1/2 tsp

Direction:

1. Take rice and water in a deep bottom vessel
2. Add oil and mix well
3. Put this on medium-high flame(4-5) for 5 mins
4. Once it starts to boil, reduce the flame, and cover it with lid
5. Allow it to cook on slow flame(2-3) for 10 mins (Don't stir at all!)
6. You will see rice is fully cooked (see image below)
7. Serve hot.

Tips:

• I personally feel this is quick and tastes better than the ones cooked in rice cooker. Try this once.

Kadhi Chawal

Ingredients:

• Besan -  2 tsp
• Curd(sour) - 6 tsp
• Panch Phoran - 1 tsp
• Onion (finely chopped) - 1/8 cup
• Garlic (finely chopped) - 1 pod 
• Ginger (finely chopped) - 1/2 tsp  
• Green chili - 1
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Turmeric - a pinch
• Salt - as per taste
• Water - 1 cup

Directions:

1. Heat pan on medium flame, add oil.
2. When oil gets warm, add green chili and panch phoran.
3. As soon as it starts to splutter, add finely chopped ginger and garlic.
4. After a minute, add onion and stir well.
5. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 5-7 minutes or until it turns translucent.
6. Meanwhile, prepare besan-curd mix by adding besan, yogurt, water, turmeric and salt in a bowl and mix well.
7. Once onion is nicely cooked, pour this mix in the pan and let it cook for another 5 mins.
8. Serve hot with plain rice.

Tips:

• If Kadhi becomes thick, add more water to have a flowing consistency.
• Add 1/2 tsp tamarind paste or tamarind in the besan-curd mix to give a sour taste, if you don't have sour curd.

Enjoy Kadhi Chawal!
Ani

Rooh Afza - refreshing drink

Ingredients:

• Rooh Afza - 1.5 tsp (Indian store)
• Ice cubes - 4-5
• Water - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 tsp

Directions:

1. Take chilled water in a jar
2. Add Rooh Afza and sugar (adjust as per your taste)
3. Mix well with a spoon and pour it to serving glass
4. Add ice cubes

voila...Relax and Enjoy :-)

Ani

Ghee - easy and homemade

Ingredients:

Unsalted Butter - 2 sticks

Direction:

1. Take a thick bottom pan
2. Add unsalted butter stick
3. Turn on the burner to medium flame and let it boil for 5-7 minutes
4. As soon as it starts turning golden brown, remove pan from flame and let it settle down
5. Transfer ghee into storage jar.

Note: You can make Ghee rice with the residue. See ghee rice recipe for more details

Khichdi - healthy meal

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1/4 cup
• Moong daal - 1/8 cup
• Green chili - 1
• Onion - 1/4 cup
• Eggplant - 1/4 cup
• Tomato - 1 small
• Carrot - 1/8 cup
• Cauliflower - 1/4 cup
• Bean - 1/8 cup
• Peas - 1/8 cup
• Potato - 1

Spices:

• Black mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Bay leaf - 2
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp (adjust as per taste)
• Garam Masala powder - a pinch

Directions:

1. Add 2 tsp oil in a cooker.
2. Once oil gets warm add all black mustard, cumin seeds, bay leaf and green chili
3. As soon as spices start to splutter add all vegetables
4. Add turmeric powder, cumin powder and salt 
5. Now add rice and moong daal
6. Stir it for 5-6 mins and add garam masala
7. Add 2 cup water and pressure cook for  3-4 whistles (or 10-15 mins)
8. Once done, add 1/2 tsp ghee and serve hot with papad, mango pickle and yougurt

Note:

• Add vegetables as per your taste, Generally, I add all vegetables from above list
• While serving make sure its not dry, if so just add some water and stir well

portable Heater - save energy and $$$

Hello Friends!


With the beginning of Fall, its time to look around for options to keep your apartment/house warm without spending much. Trust me relying on inbuilt room heaters for winters is not the most efficient and economical way!

Story: Last year during winter, I got electricity bill as $250 for two months which was pretty high from usual. Generally, bills are in the range $30- $50 in Seattle. Soon I figured out that the inbuilt room heaters are not energy efficient and they consume lot of electricity. So I started my research for alternate heating options.

During this process, I came across couple of portable heaters and finally settled on "Lasko full circle ceramic heater". This heater is very energy efficient and warms your room in minutes. It comes with a remote which is cool! Now, my electricity bill is in the range $50-$70 during winters for two months. I definitely recommend this to all my friends - buy today, save energy and some dollars :-)

Recommendation: Lasko 6462 Full Circle Ceramic Heater with Remote

Buying Option: I got mine from Amazon

Stay Warm!
Ani