BARLEY KHICHDI

Barley Khichdi:

This is not to be mistaken for the North Indian Style Khichdi. Well, this dish is made more along the Maharashtra and North Karnataka side.  Khichdi of this type is generally made with Sago (sabudana) during fasts. It’s very filling and tasty. I love the sago khichdi, but my husband doesn’t relish it as much..This is the reason why I had to try the same dish with barley in it. It tastes just like sago khichdi and is definately more healthy. This dish is ideal and wholesome for breakfast.

You’ll need:

Pearl Barley : 1 cup (soaked and pressure cooked)

Cucumber: 1-1.5 cup finely chopped

Boiled potato diced: 1/2 cup (optional as I haven’t added any)

Green chillies: 2-3 finely chopped

Sesame (til)-peanut powder- 2 tablespns ( dry roast peanuts and white til and grind to fine powder)

Salt: to taste

Lime juice: 1 tspn

sugar: 1/2 tspn

Oil: 1.5 tablespns

Mustard seeds: 1 tspn

Cumin seeds: 1 -1.5 tspn

Cumin powder: 3/4 tspn

Asafoedita (hing): a pinch

peanuts: less than 1/4 cup

Grated coconut: 1/2 cup(optional, I have added grated carrots)

Coriander to garnish.

Procedure:

Soak the barley for 4-5 hours then pressure cook and keep aside. In a wok, add some oil, add mustard and cumin seeds, let them splutter.Further add hing , peanuts and chillies. Once the peanuts are cooked add the cucumber, potatoes and saute a little bit. Add cumin powder, til-peanut powder, salt and sugar and stir for a while till the cucumber starts leaving all the water. Add cooked barley and mix it well. Add grated coconut/ carrots and lime juice. Cover the wok with a lid and let it cook for 2-3 mins. Garnish with some coriander ans serve hot.

This dish goes to Priya’s and Sanjeeta’s event WWC-Barley for Breakfast.