Chicken Khichda

I started so happily with the preparations only to swear at the middle of the process that Im never going to make this dish again.............. No No n No............. But the end result landed just making me proud that I took efforts to make this.

Ive heard about khichda now and then, and once last year my neighbor had sent us I finished up everything I felt it was yumm, but there was surely few things missing. Since then this was in my backup mind to make it some day or the other. 

So I made up my mind making khichda when I was having mutton meat with me, but dropped the plan coz mom dont like mutton. I switched to chicken and had to wait till I get chicken and other important  ingredients. Finally the day came and mean while I had searched up  an recipe which I could trust on! I studied the working process of this dish in various websites and knew what I have to proceed the recipe like! When I was browsing I came across a website which said Khichda is similar to Haleem and Cousin of Harees and this line really brighten my mood :D

So I was all ready to get set go...............  I leisurely started my work yesterday morning 9am with so many breaks I ended up cooking by 1.30pm Long time isnt it? But its not tiring coz we are not putting much efforts as we do for haleem. It was wholesomely pressure cooking process and lets see how........................ 

Ingredients & Method:

Whole wheat - 100gms
Barley - 200 gms
Moong daal - 1/2 cup heaped
Channa Daal - 1/2 cup heaped
Urad daal - 1/2 cup heaped
Masoor daal - 1/2cup heaped
Salt - 1tsp + 1tsp
Cooking soda - 1tsp

Soak Whole Wheat and Barley together for whole night.
Soak all the lentils together for whole night

After soaking over night it becomes nice and soft

We shall prepare Chicken gravy 1st

Chicken Gravy Preparation:
Chicken 500gms -1kg depending upon availability with bones
Onion paste from 5 medium size onion
Ginger Garlic paste - 2 tsp heaped
Turmeric Powder - 2tsp heaped
Chilli powder - 1tsp level
Coriander powder - 3 tsp heaped
Cumin powder - 1tsp heaped
Salt - 1tsp
Oil - 2-3 tablespoon
Whole spices - 1 cinnamon stick, 4 cardamon, 4 cloves
1 glass of water.

- In pressure cook add oil, once heated add whole spices, onion paste and give a stir.
- Add in ginger garlic paste and mix, add powder spices, salt, chicken and water, mix everything well and pressure cook for 3 - 4 whistles in medium flame. 
- Once done, let the pressure drop. Discard the bones and let small pieces of meat sit in the gravy. I possible also remove the whole spices.


Working With lentils: 
Wash lentils and Pressure cook with enough water and 1/4th tsp salt in low medium flame for 4-5 whistles. Once this is done let the pressure drop. Open the lid and mash up the daals. Remove it in a bowl.

Working With Whole Grains: 
Wash wheat and barley. Pressure cook with enough water 1/4th tsp salt and cooking soda. Let the pressure build in to get 1st whistle, then lower the flame and cook it for 20-30. Put off the flame and allow it to sit till pressure drop. Now mix lentils with the whole grains and mix well. 

Some extra ingredients needed
- Tandoori masala 1tsp heaped (optional)
- 1 inch ginger - Mince
- Coriander Leaves - 1/4th cup
- Mint leaves- 2-3 tbsp
- Ghee - 2-3 tbsp + 1tbsp butter
- Fried Onion out of 6 onions used while serving
- Lemon - used while serving

Making Of Khichda
- In a big pot put in the gravy 1st. Then add the lentil grain porridge mix mix mix, Also if possible use daal masher.
- This mixture will be runny kind, if its thick do add water and make it runny kind. 
- Add tandoori masala, Coriander and mint leaves and then switch on the flame.
- As it get heated keep stirring, or else the mixture will catch the bottom. Use a little energy and muscles hehe 
- Adjust for salt, add ghee and butter and switch of the flame once the mixture gets nicely hot, but still looks runny.
- Close the lid of the pot and allow it to rest for 15-20 mins
That is when the actual cooking by itself will take place.
- When u open the lid u might find the mixture has thicken nicely. Check for salt add more salt if needed

Just before serving:
- Again switch on the flame and add ginger mince, and mix well. keep stirring till u get the porridge consistency.

Remove in a bowl and serve it along fried onions and lemon!

Yummmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyyyy Khichda Is Ready!!



Notes:
- Adding ghee and butter gives extra flavor
- Dont miss adding mince ginger as it gives a very gud complement to khichda while eating
- Also fried onion and lemon juice is important to get fine authentic taste.
- Adjust salt and water accordingly when ever needed
- You can reheat it easily but make sure u keep stirring from the bottom, as its prone to stick easily.
- This amount serves almost 8-10 people satisfyingly, or maximum 15!! If you are a small family, please half the recipe and in this case you can pressure cooked grains and lentils together. There will be no need for separate cooking. Making sure enough water is there to maintain the cooking, or it might stick at the bottom of cooker

Behind the scene:
When I mixed whole grains lentil mixture to chicken gravy I was getting aroma of a chicken gravy what mom prepares and I tasted the mixture when It was still in runny state, I was really sad! wondering what to do with such a great quantity of khichda? It was almost half the container of wat mom makes 3-4kg biriyani, Nobody would like it. The taste was no different than gravy which we eat with rice. So many questions running in my mind and I was just swearing to myself never to make it again. I was trying to correct it by adding ghee and tandoori masala, as garam masala was not available with me but a certain kind of aroma was too much dominating as regular chicken gravy, I switched off the flame, all disappointed.

I got online and started Troubling +Monu Well poor thing what would she know hw did the khichda taste like and what alteration can be done, I spent almost 15-20 mins on net trying to find out alternatives.  So finally when I got back to the pot, I saw that extra runny water has been absorbed by the mixture, and the consistency has set as same as porridge. Now as it has absorbed all the flavors, whole grain and lentil mixture with chicken gravy was tasting really awesome. I can now feel the difference, I also made my mom taste and she nodded her head agreeing to my taste :D

I was all joyful Wat a pleasureful moment it was when the whole thing is at the edge of spoiling and sudenly it changes to be so yummy!! So Be careful when u prepare this yummy treat mite trick you as well :)


Plus Points Of This Khichda / Difference between Haleem and Khichda:

- Khichda does not need full attention as Haleem does. Just counts of pressure cooker whistle is enough to track the process.
- Khichda can be prepared with masalas n ingredients available at home itself no spl spices/ flavoring required
- Khichda dont require constant stirring as Haleem does and we dont need a paste kind dish as Haleem. 
- Quantity of Haleem decreases as cooked more and more. And quantity of khichda increases 
- Haleem is so much of meat u can just feel it and has to be like a paste melt in mouth. Khichda has whole grains soft which can be felt while eating and adding of meat can vary 

With whole lot of differences between between these 2 dishes, One can still make out some similarity between both when eaten.

Talking so much about this dish and my 1st experience with it my post has gone long so much :)

But Isnt it Totally worth? Splly for ones who want to try khichda in future for first time :)

Do share your experience and feedbacks

Till then bubye ......

Stay Tuned For More

Yours Loving 
Aara!!!

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