SWAMINARAYAN KHICHDI, how to make Akshardham khichdi

Was so blessed to be in Akshardham in Ahmedabad.....was so taken aback at the size, cleanliness and their water show...this being my first visit...Also, in their Premvati restaurant, tasted this temple prasaad, their famous khichdi, also called Swaminarayan khichdi or Akshardham khichdi....
For those of you, who haven't heard about Swaminarayan....he was an ascetic and a yogi, who renounced everything in his young age, and went in pursuit of a suitable Guru...many believe, he was the incarnation of Lord Badrinath.....
A staff was so kind enough to share this wonderful  recipe with me, out and out in hindi, and I quickly jotted down in a piece of paper, so that I will not forget anything...here I am, reliving in my memory of this superb, fantastic visit..........and also documenting this sacred, divine recipe......so healthy.......it is definitely a comfort food...
Please check my other Khichdi varieties:
Gujarati khichdi
Pancha prayag khichdi
Palak khichdi
Sprouted green gram khichdi

Ingredients

Raw rice/basmati rice - 1/2 cup

Tur dhal - 1/4 cup

Water - 3 1/2 cups

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Peanuts - 1/4 cup, soaked over night, pressure cooked

Veggies (shown above), yellow pumpkin, potato, carrot, fresh peas and beans, all chopped - 1 1/2 cups

Tomato - 1, chopped

Salt to taste

To season

Cooking oil plus ghee - 3 tbsps

Bay leaf - 1-2

Hing powder - 1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp

Jeera/cumin - 3/4 tsp

Red chillies - 2, broken

Cloves - 2

Cinnamon - 3 small bits

Star anise - 1-2 small bits

2-3 green chillies and a small piece ginger pulsed

Curry leaves - handful

Recipe Cuisine: Gujarati; Category: Lunch/dinner

Prep time: 10 mts; Cooking time: 25 mts

Serves 4

Measured rice and dhal taken, with turmeric powder

Ginger and green chillies

Crushed/pulsed

Rice and dhal pressure cooked

Soaked peanuts also pressure cooked, with some water, which we can use to adjust the consistency of the khichdi

Rice and dhal mashed

Mashed rice and dhal and cooked peanuts added , not wasting the  water, and look! the consistency has become right now.

Veggies cooked for 3-4 whistles

Cooked vegetables and salt to taste added

All mixed well

Seasonings done in cooking oil and ghee

allowed to splutter

and added to the khichdi mixture

In 1/2 tsp oil or ghee, saute the curry leaves and tomato, tomatoes need not become mushy..just have to shrink a bit, that's all.

and add

Serve this healthy khichdi, loaded with proteins, really really hot-hot, with  kadhi.

This post first appeared in www.malpatskitchen.com

Notes

* This is not a very spicy khichdi. If you want it to be spicier, you can add some slit green chillies. But, this is the word-to-word recipe, told at Akshardham.

* Some might think,why can't we cook the veggies along with rice and dhal. That's not advisable, since, while mashing the rice and dhal, the veggies also will get mashed up, they will lose their beautiful shape.

Categories: Healthy Cooking, Khichdi varieties, No Onion-no garlic, Rice Varieties, Temple prasaad