Ugadi Special: Chana Dal In Addition To Barley Khichidi

Ugadi is our traditional New Year's Day according to the Hindu Calender. This yr it is today. We ever gear upward a special feast amongst lot of sweets to celebrate the occasion. We also buy together with habiliment novel clothes. It is a novel outset afterward all. In my mind, I was all prepared to celebrate the occasion amongst 2 of my favorite dishes: sugariness khichidi together with valval ( a veggie stew). But jurist what, when I got dwelling final night, what practise I encounter on my door?? This honor below:
What no gas for 2 weeks!!! I cannot ready anything. Of course, I receive got a rice cooker.. But how much tin y'all brand inwards that??

Well, y'all see, ane time I laid my heed on something, I don't surrender easily! Being that it is a Saturday, I decided to practise closed to cooking together with prep at a closed friend's house who lives non likewise 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 primary ingredients inwards this dish are broken wheat or couscous , Chana dal together with freshly grated coconut. Chana dal is split upward chick peas. I didn't receive got whatever broken wheat/couscous. But I did receive got closed to onetime barley that was sitting inwards my pantry. I decided to live on brave together with experiment using barley instead of wheat. I must country that the terminate effect was a pleasant surprise! It was absolutely delicious! I didn't have whatever bananas on mitt together with thus didn't add together them. I similar it to a greater extent than amongst bananas inwards it. It is ridiculously tardily to do, salubrious together with super-yum! The kids loved it together with then did our friends. My blood brother came likewise together with nosotros had a prissy surprise Ugadi feast amongst 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 dry 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 ready it together amongst 2 cups H2O using a describe per unit of measurement area cooker, crock pot or rice cooker.
If using a describe per unit of measurement area cooker, ready it for fifteen mins afterward the firstly whistle. The consistency of both the dal together with the barley should live on such that it should live on tender simply private grains should live on visible. Therefore don't overcook or add together likewise much water. Don't opened upward the describe per unit of measurement area cooker until the steam has completely been released.

Take the pot amongst 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 ready it on depression flaming until the jaggery has melted completely. Turn off the flame.Now add together freshly dry soil cardamom pulverization . This tin live on made past times grinding cardamom seeds from the pod , using a mortar together with pestle!

At this indicate y'all tin mix inwards the banana slices if y'all wish.

Heat ghee inwards a pocket-sized 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 swallow this hot or cold. I similar it both ways!

Enjoy!

Cooking made easy:

If y'all don't receive got a describe per unit of measurement area cooker, soak the Chana dal/ barley mixture for couplet of hours or fifty-fifty overnight together with ready it amongst H2O on the stove piece of job past times until it reaches the desired consistency. You tin practise this amongst whatever lentil, peculiarly the ones similar Chana dal that accept a long piece to cook.

Tip for salubrious living:

Barley is a whole grain that is rich inwards fiber together with is real nutrient-dense together with thus considered a superfood. It is ane of the oldest grains known to mankind together with is rich inwards phytochemicals together with minerals, helping piece of job along the trunk healthy. It is peculiarly beneficially for diabetics due to it's depression glycemic index, thereby helping maintain the blood carbohydrate levels. Diabetics would greatly practise goodness past times substituting barley for rice inwards their daily meals. Because it is a fiber rich whole grain, barley helps cut adventure of coronary pump disease, constipation, high blood describe per unit of measurement area together with diabetes. It also makes y'all experience amount faster together with keeps y'all 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 y'all create upward one's heed to rest inwards the shallow terminate of the puddle or y'all exit inwards the ocean. Christopher Reeve