Khichdi with Egg cubes

Egg Khichdi

This is another khichdi from my collection. Egg in khichdi is not so an usual combination. But the way we will be using the eggs in this recipe is also unique. I had prepared this recipe quite a several times and believe me when I served this dish to my friends, everybody mistook the egg cubes for paneer. Overall they liked the taste and appreciated the recipe.

This particular recipe is very easy to make and since I will be using pressure cooker, it also saves time. In this recipe I have not added “tadka” separately at the end of the recipe and have tried to use oil as minimum as possible.

Ingredients for Egg Khichdi

Ingredients :

Rice : 2 cup,
Moong Dal : ¾  cup,
Masoor Dal – ¾  cup,
Egg : 2 nos,
Turmeric Powder : 1 tablespoon,
Green chilly paste – 1 teaspoon,
Jeera powder : 2 tablespoon,
Onion – 1 medium size (finely chopped),
Ginger Paste – 1 tablespoon,
Tomato – 1 medium size (finely chopped),
Bay Leaves – 2 nos,
Cumin Seeds – 1 teaspoon,
Red chilly – 2 nos,
Coriander leaves – ½ cup(finely chopped),
Whole garam masala – 1 tea spoon,
Ghee – 1 tablespoon,
Salt to taste,
Oil & Water

Method :

Steamed Egg

To make egg cubes :
1) Whip 2 eggs in a bowl. Add salt & green chilly paste and stir constantly. If required, you can add one tablespoon of chopped coriander leaves.
2) Take another bowl, oil the base of the bowl and pour the mixture.
3) You can microwave the mixture for 2-3 minutes.
4) If you do not have microwave, then put some water in a pressure cooker and put the egg mixture. Put the lid of the pressure cooker but take out the weight of the pressure cooker. Steam for 15-20 minutes.
5) Once the egg mixture is steamed, cool the steamed egg and then cut them into cubes.

To make the khichdi:

1) Add 2-4 tea spoon of oil in a pressure cooker. Once heated add the red chilly , bay leaves and whole garam masala. Then add the cumin seeds.
2) Stir for a minute, add the tomato slices followed by the onion slices and fry until they are transparent. Then add the ginger paste.
3) Once the onion, ginger and the tomatoes are fried , add the jeera powder and fry for 2- 3 minutes. Add salt and turmeric powder.
4) Add the egg cubes in the fried spices and stir for a while.
5) Once the mixture is fried, add 4 cups of warm water and bring to a boil.
6) Then add the rice, moong dal & masoor dal.
7) Close the lid of the pressure cooker and allow 3 whistles.
8 ) After the whistles, open the pressure cooker. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee and mix it.
9) Serve hot after garnishing with coriander leaves and boiled egg pieces.

How to make Garam masala
Garam masala means hot mixture of spices in Hindi. It is a blend of spices that are used in most of the Indian dishes. Garam masala can be used either wholly or as powder. Whole garam masala or powdered masala are available in the market. The main problem with powdered garam masala is that if it is stored for long time it loses it aroma. If we know what all spices are used in the garam masala, we can make garam masala powder in home as per our need and store them.

Spices in Garam Masala

Spices used in Garam masala:
1 tsp whole cloves
3 to 4 bay leaves
2 green cardamom pods
4 black cardamom pods
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 or 2 freshly grated nutmegs
6cm to 7cm cinnamon

Method :
1) Crush 4 black and 2 green cardamom pods with the back of a spoon or spatula until they split. Collect the seeds and discard the empty pods.
2) Grate the nutmeg.
3) Heat a non-stick frying pan over a low to medium heat. Add whole cloves, bay leaves,green & black cardamom seeds, black peppercorns and break up the cinnamon into the pan.
4) Stir for about 30 seconds. This will release the aromas within the spices.
5) Remove the pan from the heat, and add the grated nutmeg. Since the nutmeg is already ground, it will burn easily if the pan is too hot. Stir slowly and constantly to keep from burning. The nutmeg will begin to brown.
7) Grind the mixture to a fairly smooth powder.