Indian vegetable fried rice Khichdi Indian Fried Rice

Lentil & Vegetable Fried Rice 

Khichdi lentil, vegetable fried rice is an South Asian healthy dish made from rice, vegetables and lentils . Khichdi was the inspiration for the Anglo Indian dish and is also commonly considered to be the inspiration for the popular Egyptian dish called Kushari. In Indian culture it is considered one of the first solid foods that babies eat. 


Khichdi is a healthy but spicy and tasty as this ultimate comfort food of Indian cuisine requires knowledge of how to cook withmix of basmati rice and quinoa, and added vegetables like asparagus, green beans, zucchini, and carrots. The texture of the quinoa, rice and lentils gives you the feeling of a fried rice dish, without the added fat and calories. The  Indian spices like Turmeric, Cumin and Coriander are also added in dish. Hope you try it at home, and I hope you enjoy it as much!!


The Ingredients 
Serves 2 people

• 4 Tbsp Basmati rice
• 3 Tbsp Moong dal (lentils)
• 1 Tbsp quinoa
• Vegetables: 1 zucchini, diced; 1 carrot, diced; 1 lb asparagus, diced  (Note – you can also try this with Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Cabbage, Broccoli, etc – anything you like will work)
• 1.5 cups water
• 3 heaping tsp khichdi masala
• 1 Tbsp canola or olive oil
• Cilantro, chopped – garnish
• Optional: onion, garlic, ginger (to taste – I’d use a couple cloves of garlic, 1-2 tsp grated ginger and 1/4 onion for this amount)

Note: if you want to make your own Khichdi Masala from scratch – here are the proportions/ingredients:

• 1 Tbsp turmeric
• 1 Tbsp cumin
• 1 Tbsp fennel
• 1 Tbsp mustard seed
• 1 Tbsp coriander
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne

Optional: Serve with 0% unsweetened Greek Yogurt

Instructions

Step 1: Wash the mixture of rice, moong dal (lentils) and quinoa until all the sediment is gone and the water runs clear.

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Step 2: Chop your veggies. Combine all the ingredients (grains + lentils + vegetables) in a large pot, add the masala. Note: If you want to add the onion / garlic / ginger, saute it in olive oil first and then add it to the pot.

Step 3: Bring everything to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for 20-30 minutes until all the water has been absorbed.

Step 4: Garnish with cilantro, serve with yogurt if you like!
 

Directions

1. Wash the mixture of rice, moong dal (lentils) and quinoa until all the sediment is gone and the water runs clear
2. Chop your veggies. Combine all the ingredients (grains + lentils + vegetables) in a large pot, add the masala. Note: If you want to add the onion / garlic / ginger, saute it in olive oil first and then add it to the pot.
3. Bring everything to a boil, and then reduce to a simmer. Let it cook for 20-30 minutes until all the water has been absorbed
4. Garnish with cilantro, serve with yogurt if you like!

Notes

Note: if you want to make your own Khichdi Masala from scratch – here are the proportions/ingredients:

1 Tbsp turmeric, 1 Tbsp cumin, 1 Tbsp fennel, 1 Tbsp mustard seed, 1 Tbsp coriander, 1 tsp salt, 1/4 tsp cayenne