June 16, 2008

Baja Kichuri, Mixed veggies Mosaranna

A nutritious and a quick breakfast of Baja Kichuri is my contribution to Raaga of "The singing chef" blog who is hosting WBB this month with a theme of "Express Breakfasts". "Weekend Breakfast blogging" event is the brain child of Nandita from "Saffron Trail". Thank you for hosting Raaga, hope you like this dish! :)
Kichuri also fits for "Mixed rice", EC's event. You can take this too if you like EC!:)

Kichuri or Khichdi:
Khichdi literally means "hodge podge" of things thrown in together to make a delicious dish, a popular one dish meal in India. With two quick cooking and "easy on the tummy" dals, rice for energy and veggies, this makes a nutritious dish for Indian style breakfast and a quick one at that if you use a pressure pan or a cooker as we usually do in India. If you have prepared veggies already in the fridge night before, you can make this dish within 15 mins in the morning!
Work and school starts late in India than US, you also get ravenously hungry in the morning in India unlike here, so it's possible and practical to make a good breakfast like this for the family.
For us here in US, I make Khichdi for lunch or dinner with Yogurt salad and a pickle since everybody is out of the door by 6.30am for school and work, grabbing cereal or toast or Muffin with OJ! No work for me! :)

Baja Kichuri:
Baja Kichuri means fried/sauteed Khichdi in Bengali. I found this recipe in an old Indian magazine called "Womans Era", which I used to love for their authentic Indian recipes and subscribe regularly. Now a days, it's full of "fusion" Indian cooking most of the time, so I have stopped the subscription. Anyway, I loved the simplicity and taste of this dish. Enjoy.

You need:
1 cup Long grain rice,
1/2 cup Moong dal (yellow split Moong),
1/2 cup Masoor dal (split red Lentils),
Veggies: (Can use any mixed veggies you have in the fridge, these are what I used)
1 cup or more of Cauliflower florets,
1/4 cup each of Green peas and Carrots,
few Pearl onions,
1 peeled and cubed Potato,
Few strips of red bell pepper.
To season:
(If kids wouldn't like whole spices to bite in the dish, powder all these except Bay leaves instead if you like)
1 tbsp oil and 1 tbsp ghee,
2 Bay leaves,
1" Cinnamon/Dalchini stick,
1 green chilly,(optional but for taste)
2 cloves,
2 Whole green Cardamoms, crushed lightly or 1/4 tsp powdered,
1 onion sliced,
Spices:
2 tsp Cumin seeds powder,
1/2 tsp good quality Turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp more Chilli pd,
salt and Lemon juice to taste.
To make Kichuri:
1. Heat oil and ghee in a small pressure cooker or pressure pan. Add all the seasoning ingredients one by one, fry until onions are slightly golden.
2. Add Veggies, saute for few mins. Add both dals, saute and add rice and saute for few minutes.
3. Add salt and spices to it, add enough water and mix well. I added about 3 cups or 1" above the mixture. Use your judgment when adding water for the type of rice you use, can't give you exact amount of liquid. Khichdi should be little wet, not very dry when it's done.
4. Turn down the heat to low (low heat is very important so you don't burn the bottom of the cooker or overcook the dish), cover the lid of pressure cooker and let it cook for 1 or 2 whistles or 3-5 mins after the pressure locks in.
5. Open the cooker lid when are able to and gently mix, adjust the spices and salt.

Serve with plain Yogurt. Traditionally, Baja Kichuri is served with fried Eggplants, Parval and Potato dish, pickle etc.

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EC of "Simple Indian Cooking" has announced a "Mixed or flavored rice Varieties" event this month. As Indians, we can think of literally thousands of mixed rice dishes. Lightly seasoned Mosaranna/Yogurt rice with added fresh veggies is my entry to this event, a much loved south Indian delicacy, is also one of the easiest rice salad to make at home. Enjoy EC!:)

Mosaranna or Yogurt and rice salad, Karnataka style:
Mosaru+anna literally means Yogurt and rice in Kannada, Thair Sadam in Tamil, Dadhojanam in Telugu, which is a very popular dish in South India, specially eaten on Summer days to cool you down when heat is intense and when you don't feel like eating hot food. Usually it's lightly seasoned with some sweet chopped onions added to give it a crunch as my mother makes it back home in Bangalore/Bengaluru!
For this event, I have added fresh veggies to the traditional dish to make it more colorful and interesting and made this into a light, refreshing Summer lunch. Hope you enjoy!

Tomato, Cucumber, Carrots and red bell pepper Mosaranna/Yogurt rice:

You need:
2 cups cooked and cooled Rice,
2 cups plain Yogurt,
1/2 cup milk, if needed,
1/4 cup sliced or chopped Pear or Grape or regular Tomatoes,
1/4 cup chopped Cucumber,
2-3 tbsp of fresh red bell pepper,
2 tbsp grated or chopped Carrots,
1 Garlic and 1/2" fresh ginger, (both crushed in 2 tbsp of water and squeeze to take out just the juice and discard the solids)
Few tbsps of raw sweet red onions, finely chopped, add only if you like to,
Salt, as much as you need.
To season:
2 tsp oil,
1 tsp each Mustard seeds and Chana dal,
few Curry leaves,
few cilantro leaves,
1-2 red or green chillies or 1/4 tsp Chilli flakes,
To make it:
1. Mix cooled rice, all the chopped veggies, Yogurt, salt, ginger-garlic juice, raw onion, mix ell in a big bowl.
2. Heat oil in a small pan, add all the seasoning ingredients one by one. When reddish, cool it down and add to the rice and veggie mix.
3. Mix well. Keep it covered and serve at room temperature when needed. Do not chill, rice gets stiff, doesn't tastes good!
4. As it sits, rice tends to absorb the yogurt and Masaranna gets very thick. If that happens, add some milk to it to thin it down, can add more yogurt if the dish is not already too sour. Dish should be semi-solid when you eat it.
Serve; as it is or with Lemon pickle, Mango pickle and/or with crispy papad on the side! YUMMY! :)

Here is the plain Jane Mosaranna without the bells and whistles.

Have a fun week ahead!:)

63 comments:

Purnima said...

Asha, I used to collect 'WE' pre-marriage days, precisely for same reason! BK n Mosaranna both are comforting to hungry tummy!! :D Lovely entries!

Unknown said...

Wow Asha ! Loved the mixed veggie yoghurt rice :) I too love colors in an otherwise white dish:)

FH said...

HeHe! Me too! I had a whole collection of pages from WE,had them bound into books but had to leave behind everything with mom when we moved to UK. WE is into more "modern" cooking now, I miss the old fashioned mags!:)

Finla said...

Hi Asha i remember the first 2 years of my marriag i too had a subscription for Womens Era, then had shyama so canceled it.
Now i just have the mallu magazine vanitha.
Hey i am from South and have never had Mosaranna.

FH said...

Roopa, white dishes are the hardest to photograph, thank God for the colorful fresh veggies, great for lunch too!:))

F, kids take so much from us, don't they? ;D
Trish just got perm Driving License this morning, that's why I posted this late and start blogging as soon as I cme home! No more sitting beside her when driving!YAY!
Mosaranna is Kannada, in Tamil it's called Thair sadam, different names but common dish in the South. Don't know what they call in Telugu and Malayalam though. Hope you try!:)

Cham said...

Mosaranna and kichuri looks delicious Asha :) Both got lovely bright summer colors... Mosaranna, i never added so many veggies looks yummy :)

Srivalli said...

both the dishes look great...what an idea for mosaranna!..hhehe..good to know abt the driving license..so you don't need to drive around..rather have yourself taken around...hhehe...good good..

Uma said...

wow, yummy dishes! kichuri looks so colorful and delicious too. And ofcourse, yogurt rice, a must for us everyday! We call it dadhojanam (or simply perugannam) in Telugu, Asha! Have a great week ahead!

Dee said...

I love Mosaranna Ashakka , it such a soul satisfying meal!!

Raaga said...

I love the kichuri... I will make this for dinner sometime... I have a khichdi coming up this week too :-)

The mosaranna looks so colourful and inviting.

Priya said...

That salad looks interesting for the summer Asha.

Anonymous said...

Nice entries ... would want to try out ur Baja Kichuri some time ... sounds interesting and healthy :)

Laavanya said...

Both rice dishes look very tempting. I'm a big of Kichdis but my husband not so much, so rarely make them, except BBB / Ven Pongal.
Mosaranna looks so pretty & cooling.

ranji said...

such simple and delicious dishes..baja khichuri is very very new to me..looks colorful and tempting :)...

Vanamala Hebbar said...

Mosaranna thumba changidhe :)..lovely asha. will try to make your way.

FH said...

Cham, they taste good together as a meal too. Plain Mosaranna is yummy as it is, veggies make it a bit healthy instead of just eating rice and yogurt!:)

Sri,NOPE! She can drive herself between 6am to 9pm now for another 6mnts, after that no restrictions ie if she doesn't get speeding ticket or cause accidents!
No complete freedom for me though, have to teach Tushar how to drive now!:D

Uma, yes! I remember now, it's Dadhojanam. I have seen it in many blogs. Thanks for that, now I just need Malayalam word!:D

FH said...

It is Dee! I love it too ,specially in Summer.It feels so good to eat it for lunch. Cucumber and Carrots make it almost like Raita too!:D

Raaga, we can make so many types of Khichdis. Choices are endless, waiting for your's too!:)
This recipe is so simple, loved it.

FH said...

Priya, excellent for Summer days, I love it, specially with the addition of veggies which gives it a crunch!:)

It is very nutritious with 2 dals and veggies S, hope you try. Enjoy, good to see you here!:)

bee said...

that mosaranna sure looks awesome. i once saw a kannada recipe for mosaranna with garlic.

FH said...

Laavanya, Arvind too, not a big fan of Kichadi, I love it. It's almost like BBB with lot less spices!:)

Ranji, simple doses are always the best! I love them, easy and quick to make!:)

FH said...

Mala, my mom makes the same way without any veggies. I thought of making it like Raita for color and crunch, worked out very well. Try it!:))

Bee, I add ginger and garlic juice to rice instead of adding chopped or ground just to avoid biting into some while eating. Try this way, great for lunch!:)

sunita said...

Asha, that mosaranna looks lovely...you know what, where ewe come from savoury yogurt rice is practically unheard of...if, at all, a pinch of salt is sometimes had...usually it's yogurt and sugar/jaggery, with/without ripe and mashed bananas...doi-kol-bhat(yogurt banana rice is one of Rengoni's favourites):-)

kamala said...

Both dishes look yummy Ashaji.I like Thayir sadam with pickles...Congrats Trisha getting perm license.

FH said...

I know, seasoned yogurt rice is southern Indian specialty,not well known in any other parts of India. you should try this once Sunita.
Doi Kol Bhat, name itself is very attractive, you must post one day. sweet and Tangy yogurt rice sounds great to me!My mother sometimes just mixes milk, rice, bit of sugar and bananas and eats it for lunch!:)

Thanks Kamala. It took almost a year after driver's edu(in 9th grade) in HS and practice driving every weekend to get to this day! Phew!:D
Mosaranna with lemon pickle is Heaven, you know it!:))

Anonymous said...

the kichuri looks interesting Asha, on my to try list :-) Mosranna looks delish and colorful.

Kalai said...

Love both of these dishes, Ashakka! Great to know that masoor dal is also tummy friendly as we have issues with some dals. Great entries! :)

FH said...

Latha, Kichuri spices are really light and very tasty, I loved it. So easy to make in pressure cooker too. Enjoy the new and improved Mosaranna! Hahaha!

Kalai, Tuar dal is a bit heavy. Moong and Masoor dals are lighter indeed.
But I love Tuar dal taste of all the dals, ain't giving up that!:D
Try the Kichuri, it's tasty.

amna said...

u can have that kichuri for breakfast? wow! that wud be one healthy one for sure. and my husband wud skip lunch if i were to give him a breakfast like that :D

Sagari said...

kichidhi and curd rice looks sooo comfortinggggggg ashaji ,adding veggis to curd rice a nice ideaa

TBC said...

I like your take on the traditional mosaranna. It looks so colorful and pretty!

I remember WE.:D I used to love to read their columns. Reading about others' problems made me feel so much more better about my almost non-existent ones! ;D

Red Chillies said...

I so agree about Women's Era. I loved the recipe and the short stories. Things change so fast. Mosaranna is my all time favorite and the Kichuri is like khara pongal with pulao ingredeints :-)

Hope you all had a good FAther's Day celebration.

delhibelle said...

Great breakfast ideas!
Mosaranna is soooo pretty, with lovely spring colours!

Unknown said...

both the reice varieties look delicious... love the colour ..i too make "thair sadam"(as called in tamil adding dryfruits and carrots, bell peppers etc..

SMN said...

Ashakka.. i wud love to take it to my lunch box uks very comfortable food.. loved it

FH said...

Nags, it makes a very healthy breakfast. I bet hubby wants to take it for lunch too!:D

It is Sagari. Cucumber and carrots makes it healthy and crunchy!:)

LOL! Tbc, I did read those too! Some are so weird and even the advice they gave sometimes to people were so laughable."Please your husband or MIL first" etc!:P

FH said...

RC, I am really sad that WE just posts these Pizzas, Pastas most of the time. I really missed traditional regional Indian cuisine, there were so yummy.
Ven Pongal, that's what Kichuri really is with different dals etc. Very healthy and tasty, even kids would love it.
Father's day was good. We went out for dinner, went to a Indian store, had fun.Arvind was on call on that day, but it was good!:))

Hi DB, Mosaranna is comfort food. Usually it's made plain without veggies, but I added some, tastes like rice Raita!:D

FH said...

Sowmya, that's true. All 4 south Indian states make this dish but with different names. I love it anyway it comes!:))

Sushma, don't miss Friday's post here, surprise for you!:)
I used to take Mosaranna to elementary school for lunch everyday before I went to the boarding school.It tastes better and better as it sits in the lunch box until the lunch break! :D

ST said...

both the rice varieties look delicious and comfortable breakfast.. love the colour .I make kichuri same way.

FH said...

Sireesha, we loved the Kichuri, very flavorful without adding too many spices.Both of these make a great lunch box goodies!:)

Sum Raj said...

all ur recipe r somthing very special and healthy too..both recipe r looking decilious and mouthwatering...

Sia said...

i have been making mixed veg kichidi all the way w/o realising it can also be named as baja kichuri :) i like this name better than mixed veg kichidi ;)
and mosaranna looks delicious. never added coloured peppers in it and it sure is very colouful idea.
been busy with work these days as we have started working on new project and its taking up all my time. planning to take small break nest month and spend it by sleeping till noon ;)

Meera said...

Both Baja kichuri & mosaranna look great!! I first thought Baja as in Mexican food!;-) SO thought u are making a fusion food there!!

FH said...

Thank you Suma, I try my best. It's always nice to hear some appreciation. Hope you try these!:)

Sia, Ven Pongal is a similar dish to this too. Same dish, so many names! I agree, Baja Kichuri sounds more glamorous of all!:D
I am ready to go too for a Summer blog break. I have two more posts to go in each blog and then I am off for a month. Take it easy, hugs!:))

HeHe! Meera, I thought so too when I first saw the name in that WE magazine, then it said it's Bengali for "Fried". I love Taco Bell's Chalupa with Baja filling!:))
I will see you tomorrow, guess what I have been cooking today!;D

notyet100 said...

plz collect ur well deservd award..

EC said...

I was waiting since long to see ur post on curd rice...both the dishes are healthy and quick to make...I take both of them for the event ..thanks :-)

J said...

I love kichuri and it is ideal when I'm bored to cook an entire meal! My mum used to subscribe WE when I was a lil kid...and she'd make some exotic sounding recipes from there!

Swati Raman Garg said...

ashadi i love khichdi pata... and has to b with some veggies... never knew its called this... and i love that curd rice... colorful haaan...

Andhra Flavors said...

Wow great mixed veggie yoghurt rice. I too have one yoghurt rice but it is fruits.

FH said...

I will N, thank you!:))

EC, glad you liked them, perfect combo too right? Spicy Kichuri and cool Yogurt rice. Enjoy!:)

J, I miss the old style WE too, the dishes would be really authentic. They just got "modern" now unfortunately.I guess they have to please the crowd to make money, can't really blame them!:)

FH said...

Swati, Khichdi is aways yummy, quick and healthy, what could be easier!:))
This Mosaranna is a classic K'taka style, have you tried it yet? :)

AF, I add grapes sometimes too. I love the fruit Masaranna, looking forward to seeing it in your blog!:)

Suganya said...

Hi Asha...
That yoghurt rice really rocks.... So cool and colorful. Baja Kichuri sounds new to me. Looks great.

FH said...

Sukanya, yogurt rice is every south Indian's dream, lot of childhood memories associated with it too!:))
Try the Kichuri.

Anonymous said...

where do I see Pineapple Firni on the website

FH said...

Hi Anonymous, here it is. You can go to Recipe Index and search in Indian sweets too. Enjoy!:))

http://foodieshope.blogspot.com/
2007/03/partayyy.html

It's not in this blog but is in Foodie's Hope. You can also Google for it too.

Mona said...

That is interesting variation...the mixing of vegetables in Khichdi along with the dals. I must try it, It does sound nummy!

There is also a dish called Khichda ( male version :D?) that has an assortments of cereals including whole wheat cooked with meat!

Madhavi said...

Both dishy looks really yummy, very nice recipes..great entry!!!

FH said...

LOL @ macho Khichda!!
Mona, Khichda sounds like Haleem, Hyderabadi style? I have never made it but have heard of it. This girly Khichdi was good, light lunch, not heavy on tummy!:))

Thank you Madhavi, hope you try. Mosaranna must be new to you!:))

Anonymous said...

Thank You Asha for the Pineapple Firni link. I wanted your way of doing :). Sorry for the trouble. Next time I will be happy googling.

FH said...

No trouble at all Anon, just wanted to tell what you can do to find recipes here and at FH! Ask me for anything anytime, not a problem. Enjoy!:))

Devi Priya said...

Nice and healthy everything in one meal! Good post.

FH said...

Thanks DP, enjoy the dishes and have a great Sunday too!:)

Lakshmi said...

Mosaranna ..aaah..my fav Ashakka.Never thought of mixing veggies with mosaranna with those veggies mosaranna looks colorful. I too have planted mint in a pot. This time around mint has come out well. I am thinking of sowing methi seeds as the weather here has become oookk here in Singapore.

FH said...

LG, Mint is so easy to grow, just make sure you water it often. Methi, I planted some but didn't survive in the heat!:)
Add anything fresh veggies to Mosaranna, makes it more nutritious, enjoy!