Garam Masala Tuesdays: Khichdi

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This might not be one of the most popularly known Indian recipes. Most of you (and by that I mean non-Indians) probably have never heard of it. The Indians reading, of course, have- and probably have horrible stomach upset stories related to this dish.

So why am I sharing it today?

Because for the last three nights this is what are dinner has looked like. And whether or not there are bad experiences surrounding this dish, it is one of the most beloved comfort food cooked in Indian kitchens.

And I don’t know if its because of eating this at night or just a reduced appetite because of what happened on Thursday, I am feeling lighter and have lost 1 kilo in 2 days. Since Thursday I have actually lost 2 kgs! But I know once I am back to eating properly (which I am, as of today), those kilos lost will be gained again! But hopefully they will be gained in muscle and not fat.

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MAMA’S QUICK CHANNA MASALA

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This is the picture collage I posted with the original blog post. Yup, my photography has come a long way and still there is a long way to go!

Yesterday was feast day for V and me. Not that yesterday was any special  day but I just felt like cooking a grand meal. Probably, a reason for the special dinner was that V worked every day of last week. While his parents were here he had taken two days off, for which he had to make up by working Saturday, Sunday too this week. Another reason was that I wanted to try a few dishes that I had been postponing for a while. So, as a result, the dinner table was laden with my quick version of shahi paneer (an Indian cottage cheese dish), mama’s channa masala (a chickpea/garbanzo dish), spinach pooris (Indian fried flat bread) and for dessert shrikhand!

Shrikhand is one of the main desserts in Gujarat (a state in western India) and quite popular in Maharashtra too. Its fairly easy to prepare and delicious to eat. To make it, you need to strain the yogurt in a muslin cloth under pressure, so that all the water drains off. Then, to the strained yogurt, you add green cardamom powder and powdered sugar. In a tablespoon of hot milk, dissolve saffron. Add this to the yogurt. Mix well. Top with finely chopped pistachios and pomegranate, chill for a while and its ready to eat!:)

The shrikhand, spinach pooris and the paneer were something I tried on my own and forgot to note the measurements down. So, I am only posting the recipe for the chhole/chana masala, (but have given the general idea to prepare shrikhand above). The recipe is fairly quick to make and freakingly tasty! Enjoy making and eating it!

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