Thursday, July 3, 2008

Monsoon Specials: Bengali Khichdi with Beguni

Bengali khichdi
Come monsoon, and our taste buds remind us of savoring something delicious. And what's better than treating yourself with steaming "khichdi" and bhajis? The heavy downpour outside perfectly matches with the sweet aroma of hot khichdi and fries. Of all the khichdi varieties, the authentic Bengali one is perhaps the best in taste and very easy to prepare. While khichdi can be prepared with both masoor and moong dal(lentils), the one made with moong dal definitely tastes best.

So here's the recipe for Bengali khichdi with moong dal for all you foodies:)

You will need: Precooked rice(one of those aromatic varieties, which Bengalees call "Atop Chawl"), Moong dal, Diced Vegetables-(Potatoes, Cauliflower, Tomato, Green peas, Green beans, Carrots), Ginger paste, Green chillies/Chilli paste,(Use onions if made with masoor dal) Ghee, Salt to taste, Sugar, Turmeric powder.

Procedure--Take equal quantities of rice and dal. First rinse the rice. Fry the dal golden brown in a dry pan. Take a shallow pan or hollow pot and heat oil(vegetable or mustard oil). Sprinkle some bay leaves and cumin seeds and add rice and dal in it. Saute for a while. Add the masalas, salt, and turmeric powder; saute for a while and add 3/4 cups of water. When it boils, add the diced veggies. Mix all ingredients properly and make sure that the rice and dal are boiled properly. The consistency should be thick and mushy. When the rice, dal, and veggies are boiled properly and the whole thing becomes thick, add sugar to taste. Add garam masala and generous dollops of ghee. Serve hot.

Beguni(Eggplant slices deep fried in batter)eggplant fry

You will need: 1 big eggplant; for the batter--Besan(gram flour), Rice powder(little),Black pepper, Salt, Chilli powder.

Procedure: Prepare the batter by mixing all of the above ingredients. Make sure that the batter is thick in consistency. Cut fine slices of eggplants. Dip the slices in batter, coating them evenly. Heat the oil properly. Keep the flame low and fry the slices golden brown.

Awards...once again!

I got this sweet ""GIANT BEAR HUG AWARD"

from my friend Andhra Flavors. Thank you very much! My hugs goes out to you as well:)

I would like to pass this award to:

Notyet100 for her wonderful culinary creations

Sagari for her yummy recipes and photos

Madhavi for her delicious and healthy dishes

Meera for her yummy Indian dishes










ENJOY YOUR AWARDS!!!

I'm also glad to get this beautiful YUM YUM AWARD



from another friend Notyet100. Thanks a lot! I really appreciate it!

I'm passing this award to:

Sireesha for her mouthwatering recipes

Swati for her delectable and artistic creations

Sowmya for her irresistible recipes

ENJOY YOUR AWARDS!!! YOU ALL ROCK!!!

My friend Sireesha has tagged me. Thanks a lot Sireesha! I really liked penning down my thoughts:) Here it goes...

What was I doing ten years ago?
I was fresh out of college and very happy:)

What are five things on my to-do list for today (non-work related)?

1. Blogging
2. Listening to music
3. Watching good films
4. Working out and yoga
5. Chatting with mom and sis

What are five snacks I enjoy?

1.Phuchka(panipuri)
2.samosa
3.Bhelpuri
4.egg/chicken rolls
5.chicken pakoras

What things would I do if I were a billionaire?

Travel to some exotic destinations of the world, do some charity, buy a house in NYC, open my own company...list goes on and on:)

Places I’ve lived:

Kolkata, Kharagpore, Stillwater(Oklahoma)

Jobs I’ve had:

I worked as a content writer,editor, copyeditor, and now a freelance journalist and writer.

27 comments:

notyet100 said...

thnks alot ,..for the gaint bear hug,..lotz of hug to u too...ur khichi idea is nice..looky healthy and delicious..happy bloggin...

Swati said...

The khichudi and beguni look awesome...

Thanks dear for the award.. Its nice to see friends think of you..You've got me smiling :))

FH said...

Both are great combo together! Love the color, looks good!:)
Have a great weekend Indranee!

vandana rajesh said...

yummy kichdi and congrats on ur awards

Unknown said...

Thanks a lot indranee.That award is so cute..so kind of you to pass me this award...Btw..khichdi looks yum..

Meera said...

Congrats on your awards. Thanks for thinking about me. I feel honored. Enjoy!!

Deepthi Shankar said...

congrats on your award .. beguni and khichdi look good .. making khichdi with precooked rice is new to me. got to give it a try :)

A_and_N said...

Congrats on the awards Indranee! Delicious looking recipes :)

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Unknown said...

wow Indra great choice khichdi with brinjal bajji[beguni] that's my fav lovely post

Thistlemoon said...

Sounds like delicious comfort food!

Andhra Flavors said...

hey good to read ur meme.
brinjal bajji is good, its new to me.

Laavanya said...

Both dishes look gorgeous INdranee.. comfort food at its best.

Indian Khana said...

Khichdi and beguni looks yummy...and reading your meme..and you write..wow now thts cool..

vandana rajesh said...

thks for visiting my blog...lovely recipess here. Here is the aamir khan blog url u wanted
http://www.aamirkhan.com/

Shreya said...

hi, simple and tasty recipe for Khichdi.

ST said...

Sounds delicious comfort food....Love the color....Congrats on all ur awards. U deserve more.Thanks dear for the award......Love reading ur meme....

Swati said...

Hi Indranee, You have a meme to write..
Wanna know more about you..

Medhaa said...

Thank you for dropping by. love this khichidi anytime..

Sailaja said...

wow, great recipe. My first time to here. You have a great blog.

Madhavi said...

Yummy Yummu khichdi, looks mouth-drooling!!!

Congratulations on ur well deserve awards, and thank you so much for thinking of me :)))

Ramya Bala said...

Thanks for dropping by..and I really love kolkatta food,had a neighbor from kolkatta n vah reh vah..have enjoyed the food:)will chk for ur recipes hereafter n add u to my bloglist

Anamika:The Sugarcrafter said...

khichdi, beguni and a gracious dab of home made ghee...with ...papad...what do you say, indranee ?

Swati Raman Garg said...

wow i love begun n khichdi... good to know ppl from bengal its like second home to me.... and thanks a ton for the award...

Sia said...

comfort food in every season :)

Bharti said...

I loovve bengali khichdi! I also make it with the moong dal but also add garlic and tomatoes in the beginning. Is that not authentic?

Asha said...

Nice :-)
Do checkout my blog on Indian Recipes