Jun 27, 20233 min

Mixed Millets & Quinoa Khichadi

My favorite meal during busy working days- Sattvic khichadi with mixed millets, quinoa, moong dal, vegetables, soya chunks, peanuts and cashews! I take it with a glass of home made buttermilk garnished with pinch of black salt and hing/Asafetida. YUMMM!!!

Namaste!

I am excited yet feeling nervous and a tiny bit funny also. My first attempt to write down ingredients and steps for one of my usual meals. YAY!

Believe me.. it was harder than I thought!

Most of my meals are simple, sattvic, healthy and quick. The interesting part is I don't always follow very specific instructions! My constraints were/are mainly due to my job, time at hand and ingredients available in the house. :-)

And I want my readers- our Sundar yoga students to add their own spin to these recipes I am planning to share going forward.

Stick to Yoga principles. Eat healthy- Sattvic, fresh! Be creative- experiment- gradually reduce the 5 white ingredients we talk about in our yogic diet discussions- Rice, Sugar, Salt, All Purpose Flour/Maida, Milk.

Be ready to take some critics from the family members first few times. :-) All Good!

I did not know millets can be so tasty! - Sundar Yoga Students

Let's start with this one which I made for my students for our IDY 2023 celebrations and everyone loved it! As always, it's them I thank to get this going... Thank you!

Protein Packed Mixed Millets Khichadi

Ingredients

  • ¼ cup Finger Millets

  • ¼ cup Kodo Millets

  • ¼ cup Foxtail Millets

  • ¼ cup Barnyard Millets

  • ¼ cup Little Millets

  • ¼ cup Mixed Quinoa

  • ¼ cup Yellow or Split moong dal

  • 4-5 Green chillies finely chopped

  • 5-6 Curry leaves finely chopped

  • 1.5 teaspoon Dhana-Jira powder (Cumin+ Coriander seeds powder)

  • 1.5 teaspoon Sea salt/to taste

  • 1.5 teaspoon Jira/Cumin seeds

  • 1.5 teaspoon Mustard seeds

  • 1.5 teaspoon sesame seeds

  • 1.5 teaspoon turmeric powder

  • 1 tea spoon Hing/Asafetida

  • 1 tb spoon canola oil, 2 tb spoon ghee

  • 2 tb spoon dry/Desiccated coconut flakes

  • Handful Raw peanuts

  • Handful Cashews

  • Fresh Coriander

  • ~2.5 cups of warm water.

Directions

Prep:

  1. Soak the Millets and Quinoa for an hour.

  2. Cut the chillies and Curry Leaves

Steps:

  1. Start the Instapot on saute mode

  2. OR start a cooking pan or pressure cooker on a medium flame

  3. Add oil and 1 tb spoon of ghee and once it is hot, add raw peanuts- keep stirring them to make them crunchy. Peanuts stay crunchy if you fry them first

  4. Add cashews- stir them till light brown

  5. Do a tadaka of spices - add Mustard Seeds first, Jira/Cumin seeds, Sesame seeds, then Hing/Asafetida. (This technique is called - tempering the spices)

  6. Add curry leaves, then chillies

  7. Saute for 2 mins. You should feel the fragrance of tadaka + spices

  8. Add rinsed millets and saute for 4-5 mins. Add the turmeric powder. Mix it well

  9. Add the remaining ghee, mix it

  10. Add Dhana-jira powder and salt (salt can be adjusted to taste after you add water)

  11. Add 2 cups of water

    1. If Instapot, cook it at pressure cook for 5 mins

    2. In a traditional pressure cooker, 2 whistles and then simmer it down and keep it for 2-3 mins and then switch it off.

    3. If in a cooking pot with lid, cook for longer time-> stir occasionally and cover it with lid. Check to see if the grains are cooked.

  12. Garnish with fresh coriander.

Note: Check the water level, should be usually 1/2 inch above the millets mix. Please gauge for the specific pot/pressure cooker, being used for the cooking.

Optional:

Fresh lemon juice, Vegetables like Onions, Carrots, Green Peas, Capsicum, Cauliflower, Soaked Chopped Soya chunks, Jalapeños

Oh.. the key ingredient is our "Bhav" - our intention- Keep it SATTVIC (pure & positive) while cooking and everything will taste amazing! I promise!

Thank you!