Bajra (Pearl Millet) Khichadi - Bajri chi Khichadi

Sometimes a simple ingredient when cooked the right way makes a finger licking, lip smacking dish which is HEALTHY!!

  

When it comes to Jowar (Sorghum) or Bajra (Pearl Millet) I have never ventured going beyond making bhakri’s*. However in the last couple of months I have started to make a conscious effort to eat more healthy food (with a bit of indulgence once in a while). Knowing that millets have very high nutrition content I had to try this age old recipe which my granny used to make.

A simple farmer’s meal which is filling and low calorie J

Ingredients	Quantity
Bajra (Sorghum)	1 cup – 200 ml cup
Onion finely chopped	1 large
Oil or Ghee (clarified butter)	2 tsp
Garlic paste	2 tsp
Cumin (jeera)	1 tsp
Dried red chilies	2-3 broken into small pieces
Finely chopped coriander	A handful
Salt	As per taste

Serves – 2

Preparation time – 30 minutes excluding the time taken to soak the bajra overnight

Cooking time – 5-10 minutes

Method:

• Take 1 cup bajra, wash under running water, add sufficient water and soak it overnight.
• The next day, drain the water, wash the soaked bajra again; slightly crush the grains with a mortar and pestle or just use the pestle to crush the grains.
• Add sufficient water to the crushed bajra, pressure cook for 4-5 whistles on low-medium flame.
• Allow the steam to escape and open the cooker, the cooked bajra looks translucent and mushy like the picture below.

Just out of the pressure cooker

• Take a heavy bottom pan or a non-stick pan, once the pan is heated add oil or ghee, I used ghee (it tastes better.. trust me)
• Add the garlic paste, cumin and the broken red chilies, sauté for a minute.
• Then add the onions and saute again for 2-3 minutes, then add the cooked cooked bajra; sauté again for 3 – 4 minutes; adjust the salt as per taste.

• Add a handful of finely chopped coriander and serve HOT!

• I had one small serving with curd and another with spicy mango pickle and I wish I had made some more!

Tip:

You can also add soaked, crushed groundnuts, add a nice taste.

Note:

Bhakri - is a round flat unleavened bread often used in the cuisine of western and central India