Kitchi, Comfort Food the Indian Way (Rice and Lentils)

My mother would definitely say that I would not touch this stuff as a child but lately, I can't get enough. I even talked to my father the other day and said, "Don't laugh, but guess what I'm eating"...I'm sure he laughed once the words poured out of my fingers into that little GChat box! Haha! But seriously, Kichdi, Kichadee, Khichdi, Kitchouri...whatever you want to call it boils down to two main ingredients - dry lentils and rice and I'm telling you it's convenience and comfort in a bowl! In India, more bland versions are used to help fight the common cold and often, it is the first solid food introduced to babies. How's that for a little food trivia?

So what exactly are we talking about here...well 30 minutes start to finish...no soaking, just a little rinsing and chopping and a ton of nutritional value! I like to keep my Kichdi basic but you could certainly experiment with adding vegetables, varying the ratio of lentils and rice and using different spices.

Kichdi

1 tbsp olive oil or vegetable oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 tsp cumin seeds

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp tumeric

1 small tomato, finely diced

1/2 cup basmati rice, rinsed

1/2 cup red lentils, rinsed

2 cups water

1/2 cup chopped cilantro

In a medium saucepan, heat the oil. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add all of the spices and saute for one minute, then add the tomatoes and saute until cooked down a bit (approx 2 minutes). Add the rice and lentils, stir, then add the water. Stir and cover pot mixture. Bring the mixture to a boil, then set to a low heat setting on the stove. Cook until water is gone (about 15 minutes). When cooked mix in cilantro. Serve with a little plain yogurt on the side for some added calcium and comfort.

I don't think it gets much easier! You can add a mixture of vegetables before you add the rice and lentils such as peas, carrots, corn, green beans, potatoes, etc. I recommend cooking them a bit before adding the rice and lentils and adding just a little more water. Make sure the veggies, rice and lentils have about a half inch of water on top when you start the boiling process. In any case, its purest form as pictured here, this meal has about 17 g of protein (that's with the yogurt!). Not so low with the carbs (65 g) but still worth the post and indulgence!