Quinoa Vegetable Kichadi

Its always a pleasure to cook, click and compose a post for my blog. As I had another bigger pleasure  which needs almost all my attention in the first week of February, this space was quiet and inactive for quiet some time!! :) 

 Yup..we are blessed with our second darling Daughter in February. :) :D 

I am trying to bounce back to the old routine, which has been not so easy or not easy as I thought!! Meanwhile, here is a quick fix from my kitchen to yours. Quinoa vegetable kichadi! 

Ingredients 

Quinoa -1 cup

Moong dal - Little less than 1/2cup 

Water - 3 cups

Vegetables - 1 cup (Carrot, beans, potato, peas, color capsicums, cubed in equal size) 

Onion -1(medium size)

Tomato -1 

Green chilly - 3 (adjust to your spice level) 

Turmeric powder - 1/4teaspoon

Cinnamon stick - 2

Cloves -2

Bay leaf - 1

Ginger garlic (freshly crushed) - 2teaspoons 

Salt 

Ghee - 2 tablespoons (or more!! ;)) 

To temper 

Oil - 2 tablespoons 

Red chilly -1

Pepper corns - 8

Cumin seeds -1 teaspoon 

Method

Wash and soak the moong dal & quinoa for 20 minutes.

Cut the vegetables into equal size cubes and keep it aside.

Chop the onions, tomato, green chilly. 

Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add the cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds and pepper corns and sauté for few seconds. Add the onions, green chilly saute, then add the crushed ginger and garlic. Once the raw smell has gone, add the chopped tomato and cook until it becomes mushy. 

Now add the cubed vegetables along with the bay leaf. Give a brief saute, then add the quinoa and dal along with enough salt and turmeric powder. Mix well, add 3 cups of water, close the pressure cooker.

Cook in medium flame for 3 whistles. 

Open the cooker once the pressure cooker cools down, add ghee mix it well and serve hot.

Tastes good as such, we don't need any side dishes..but you can always have some roasted papad and kadi, which is the traditional combo of kichadi. 

Broccoli Stir fry

Last fall, we set up a raised bed garden and started growing some winter vegetables, one of which is broccoli!! we had 6 plants and shared half of the broccoli sprouts with our `neighborhood squirrels. :D 

Ingredients

Broccoli (washed and chopped into small florets) - 11/2cup

Chopped onion - 3tablespoon 

Tomato - 1 (chopped) 

Garlic - 4 fat cloves (crushed) 

Green chilly -1

Masala powder - 11/2 teaspoon (Here Ive used Sakthi Vatha kuzhambu powder. You can use sambar powder or just chill powder according to your preference) 

Desiccated coconut -2 tablespoons 

Salt

Oil 

Cumin seeds -1teaspoon 

Pinch of Sugar 

Method 

Heat some oil in a wide pan. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds and let them crackle. 

Then add the chopped onion, green chilly and crushed garlic. 

Saute for a few minutes then add the chopped tomato. Cook until the tomatoes turn soft. Add the   broccoli florets, toss them well.

Now add the masala powder, salt and a big pinch of sugar. Sprinkle little water, close the pan and cook for 4-5 minutes on high heat.
Open the pan, stir the veggie once, add the desiccated coconut and put off the pan.
Quick and delicious Broccoli stir fry is ready. Goes well with all rice items or with roti.