Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale

Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale 

Lohri

Lohri is a Punjabi folk festival, celebrated to mark the new harvest. Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale is to celebrate Lohri with the special khichdi with the new rice. It is time to harvest sugar cane, peanuts, rice, dal and mustard.

Bhogi

On the contrary, in Andhra, Bhogi is celebrated albeit a little differently. The first day of the three-day festival is the celebration of Bhogi. The Bhogi fire is lit early morning with wood and dried cow dung cakes at the centre of the road. It indicates the end of one phase and the commencement of a new chapter. People take a traditional oil bath. In the evening, children blessed by the elders in the family sprinkled with flower petals and given berries known as Bhogi Pandulu and coins to ward off the evil eye.

Lohri Celebration

A huge bonfire is lit at night on Lohri. Women go around the fire singing and dancing to Sunder Mundriye hoye, tera kaun vichara and other songs… which is associated with a Punjabi folk tale. Around the bonfire sesame bars or chikki, popcorn, flattened rice or chivda, rewaris and roasted peanuts and dates are distributed and eaten.

Children in the family are given a token amount of money by the elders. In the north, this festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm. Traditionally, Lohri is celebrated in a grand way, especially if it’s a couple’s first Lohri or a baby’s first Lohri. Today is my nephews’ son Ryan’s first Lohri and we are going to party tonight.

May this Lohri and Bhogi bring lots of laughter and joy in your home.

Happy Lohri & Bhogi to everyone!

Cherished Memories

Most important of all, I remember, in my childhood, my aunt (mamiji as we call her and my second mom) used to make a huge cauldron of khichdi for the entire clan. But right now she is getting on in years and sent us all packets of basmati rice and dal to make khichdi on our own. My mamiji makes the best Sweet Rice ever….meethe chawal! Yummy!

Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale

Her khichdi used to be simple and made with love and always tasted great. I decided to make something different this Lohri and made the Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale. Kale is every foodie’s much-loved cruciferous vegetable. Organic kale is growing in my garden and I keep looking for new ways to use it in my cooking. I chopped a few fresh leaves and added it to the Khichdi.

I have some interesting Kale recipes. Do check them out.Shakshuka with panner and kale, Kale Mushroom Quiche Cups, Kale Frittata, Kale Stuffed Paratha, Kale Mushroom bread crusted quiche cups, Kale Noodle quiche cups. Kadhi with Kale pakoras, Egg in a hole recipe with Kale, Kale Paratha

Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale

Actually, this Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale demands a lot of ghee so please be generous and add ghee. Green Moong dal adds the much-needed protein kick and the Kale adds the punch to it. The khichdi is cooked in diluted buttermilk and has a unique taste of its own. Certainly, with the addition of a little spice, this Khichdi is very flavoursome.

Khichdi History

Ibn Batuta, the famous Moroccan traveller who visited India in th14th century said, “Mung is boiled with rice, then buttered and eaten. This is what they call Kichri, and on this, they breakfast every day.”

It is said that Emperor Jahangir was so fond of a khichdi enriched with pistachios and raisins that he named it “lazeezan”!

Aurangzeb’s favourite was the Alamgiri Khichdi, made with fish and boiled eggs.

The brits took this back to England and called it “kedgeree”

Such an interesting experiment with khichdi was not limited to the regal repasts of the Mughals.

Every state has its own variant; the chefs of Hyderabadi Nizams had created the unique keema ki khichdi — a spice-laden mix of rice, lentils and minced meat that was served with sour and soupy khatta.

 In AP we have this lip-smacking Sweet shakkari Pongal and savoury. And in TN it is the classic khara pongal or the fiery milagu pongal

If all this food talk has made you hungry, check out my unique khichdi recipe you can try at home.

INGREDIENTS for Sabut Moong Ki Khichdi with Kale Recipe

1 cup whole green grams (sabut moong) soaked for 1 hour

1 cup kale shredded (you can even use spinach or palak

2 cups Rice soaked

5 tbsp Ghee

4 Cloves

4 cardamoms

1-inch cinnamon

1 tsp Cumin seeds

¼ tspTurmeric powder

Salt to taste

2 Green chillies

4 cups diluted Buttermilk

4 cloves Garlic finely chopped

1 tsp Ginger finely chopped

METHOD

Firstly, heat 2 teaspoon ghee in a pan. Now add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cumin seeds and let seeds crackle.

Next, add the sabut moong dal and saute for a couple of minutes.

Subsequently, add the rice, salt and saute for 2 minutes.

Consequently, add the chopped kale leaves then the turmeric powder. Stir well and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Last, but not he least,  add the slit green chillies and mix well.

Transfer to a pressure cooker and add the buttermilk. Stir to mix everything, cover and pressure cook on high heat for 2 whistles.

Lastly, lower the heat and cook further for 2-3 whistles.

Additionally, switch off the heat and open the cooker lid only when the steam has been let out.

Open the lid and mix well.

In a pan heat 2 tablespoons ghee and add the garlic and ginger. Afterwards, sauté till garlic and ginger are well browned.

Finally, pour this over the cooked khichdi and mix well. Subsequently, drizzle some ghee while serving. To sum up, Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale is a one-pot meal that is nutritious for the whole family.

Serve Sabut Moong Ki Khichdi with Kale Recipe super-hot. Serve Green Moong Ki Khichdi Recipe with Kale with Khichdi ke chaar yaar; dahi, papad, ghee, achar or serve it with pickle, papad, ghee and curd to really enjoy this delicious repast.

Happy Lohri!

https://youtu.be/_ChWOBAvxZ0

https://youtu.be/h6Bbz0v-oNs

https://youtu.be/FrpNoeVfA5Q

This is a healthy, nutritious one-pot meal for the whole family, isn’t it?