Bhuna Khichdi with Meat- a nostalgic bonding

How my grand ma and I came closer on a misty rainy day................

[pic courtesy; Google search]

Hi, I'm back again. And as I promised, I am going to share a nostalgic moment of my life with you all. And in the end you are going to get a most delicious recipe as a prize of your patience! Please go through, I'll see you later.....

It was a fine rainy morning. The clouds were everywhere. Mild cold breeze, and misty rain drops were washing away everything. I was drowning in nostalgia. Ah! what an perfect moment! Genetically romantic French people would call it, 'Un bon moment'! When suddenly my granny hopped in and knifed the moment to its core. I was literally annoyed, what a perfect timing you old mama! I just turned my head to shout when something caught my nose, aaaaah! awesome smell of smoked deshi ghee(clarified Indian butter)! I forgot everything, the rain, the clouds, nostalgia, anger, granny, my room, everything and when she made me hold a plate full of Khichdi(Hotchpotch, Khichudi), -eat it, sona(dear), she said.I reached to the spoon and engulfed a big amount of it, mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.... This was all I could say. A sudden blast of tastes hit me to the core. -What was that? I screamed.-you like it? she asked.-I want to kiss your hand grandma. I was so overwhelmed.-It's called Bhuni Khichudi mangsho diye(Bhuna Khichdi with meat). she announcedI was ashamed of cursing her a few moment ago for messing up my nostalgic moment. But she had a reason. And I could let go anything on earth to taste her recipe again and again. I hugged her saying sorry. And kissed her on her wrinkled cheeks. A bonding between grandma and granddaughter revived.Today my grandma is not here when I am writing this. I want to thank her and give her that respect she deserved. I am going to share that Bhuna Khichdi with meat recipe with you all. I bet you are going to eat up your fingers too.

Time required- 45 minutes

Servings- 4

Ingredients:

1tbsp of (cumin seeds, shahjeera, 4 cardamom, 1 cinnamon, 6 cloves, 2 bay leaves, 2dry red chillies)...

Rice- 4cups (3-400 grams), Basmati/ Dehradoon rice is preffered, wash and soak in water for 15 minutes...

Daal- 4cups (3-400 grams), preffered moong daal, wash and soak in water for 30 minutes...

Meat- 300 grams, any meat per your choice, boil in a pressure cooker with little salt, and oil.....

onions- 4 big, chopped.....

Tomato- 4 big, make a paste....

Garlic paste- 1 tsp....

Ginger paste- 1 tbsp....

4 green chilli paste.....

1 cup(100grams) curd+ 1cup cashew nut grind in a coffee grinder to make paste......

Black pepper powder- 1/2 tsp....

Turmeric powder- 1 tsp....

Cumin powder- 1 and 1/2 tsp.....

Coriander powder- 1 tsp....

Butter 1/2 cup and Clarified butter(ghee)- 1/2 cup, mix both in a bowl, put a foil in between, now burn any thick small square of wood and put it on foil, pour 1tsp gee on it, it will raise the smoke, now put a lid on the bowl and leave for 5minutes, This process will add a smoky smell to the butter ghee mixture......

Garam masala- 1/4 tsp......

Salt and sugar to taste.

Method: 

# Heat 1/2 cup oil in a pan and add the first ingredients in it, let it crackle and leave a nice smell in your kitchen.

# Add onions and saute till golden brown. Add ginger, garlic and chilli paste to it and fry well, untill it leaves oil.

# Put the tomato puree into the pan and fry very well. When almost fried add previously boiled chicken pieces and mix.

# Strain the water from rice and daal and add them to the pan and keep frying for 10 minutes.

# Add cumin powder, turmeric powder, black pepper powder, coriander powder, 1/2 of the butter ghee mixture, salt and mix very well and fry. sprinkle little water in between so that the masalas won't burn.

# Put curd and cashew paste, and keep frying more for 5 minutes.

# Pour water. Enough water to boil rice and daal. But keep in mind that the whole thing would be soft dry fry type, not too dry or too watery.

# When rice and daal is cooked and the thing has become little muddy, add the rest butter ghee mix and fry the whole thing to make it little more dry.

# Add little sugar, and garam masala. Fry for 5minute.

# Serve hot with potato chips or any fry!

# Try at home and tell me how do you like it! 

Bon apetit!