Dimer Khichuri - Egg Khichdi

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.