I was shuffling through
some old mails I exchanged with friends few years back safely cached in the mailbox.
Now I love reading anything old, old diaries, old mails, old books. 'Past'
fascinates me; echoes of bygone dust-covered memories associated with anything
old take you into the life you once lived but which has no currency in the
fast-paced ever-changing present course of life. Memories of school life,
college days, first job, first crush, first heart break, marriage,
child-bearing, friends, every mote of dust-laden memory that forms our very
essence relegate to some remote corner of our minds in the space of time but
which come unbidden in moments of reminiscence. I had a habit once of writing
diary, a very constructive habit inculcated in me by my English teacher who
believed writing tidbits of your life on the pages of a diary not only
chronicles the events of your life but brings an edge into your
writing skill. I can's say how much my English has improved by the practice of writing diary, but the old diaries stashed away safely in a closet by my mother
contain treasures; treasures of memories, treasures of emotions and thoughts
poured indiscreetly on the reams of paper all through my growing years. They
are as if the silent witnesses of all my maiden vagaries. The old practice of
translating life into manuscripts is reaping fruits now in a manner of reliving
the past through the memoirs of my girlhood days.
Sadly though I have
outgrown the habit of writing diaries, I have started nurturing another one by
capturing life in my camera frame and making collage of them. As my mother in
law once told me while flipping through an old album how the pictures staring
at her out of the frayed dust jackets perked her up taking to a trip
down the memory lane, I too want to feel the same way when I will grow old
looking back.
Dimer Khichuri is not
relevant to any memory, only that I thought of tossing the chopped omelets into
the khichuri would give an added flavor to the conventional khichuri we relish with
all our hearts. Let me know how you guys enjoy it!!
Ingredients: Cooking time: 40 minutes
ü 1 cup long grain basmati rice (240 ml)
ü 1 cup moong lentil (240 ml)
ü 1 cup red lentil or masoor dal (240 ml)
ü 2 onions (chopped)
ü 2 tomatoes (chopped)
ü 4-5 green chillies (chopped)
ü 1 tsp turmeric powder
ü 1 1/2 tsp cumin paste
ü 1 1/2 tsp ginger paste
ü 1 tbsp sugar
ü 1 heaped tsp garam masala powder
ü Salt to taste
ü 2 tbsp white oil
ü 1/2 tbsp ghee
For sauté:
ü 2 bay leaves
ü 3 dry red chillies
For Omelets:
ü 4 eggs
ü 1 large onion (chopped)
ü Salt to taste
ü Black pepper, taste wise
Method:
1) Wash rice and lentil
together repeatedly under running water and keep aside.
2) Heat oil in a heavy
bottomed cooking vessel. When oil turns hot, add the ingredients for sauté
and allow to crackle.
3) Add onion and fry till
onion changes color to golden brown. Add tomatoes, ginger paste, cumin paste,
turmeric powder, green chillies and sugar. Sauté the spices for 2 minutes.
4) Add rice and lentil
mixture. Pour 2 long glasses of water, add salt and cook covered on medium
heat till rice and lentils are cooked through.
5) In the meantime, while
rice and lentils are cooking, make omelets in a non-stick skillet and then
chop the omelets into bite size pieces.
6) When rice and lentils
are cooked through, add garam masala powder and ghee. Gently stir in to mix.
Finally, toss the chopped omelets and mix in. Turn off the heat.
7) Serve warm.
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Thanks for the receipe; is there any receipe for Khichuri with Boiled EGG
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