Universal Comfort Food*- Kitchadi

Ingredients: 3/4 cup pearl millet/ kambu grits 1/2 cup whole moong Veggies- you can use whatever you have at home. We had - 2 carrots, 1/2 ridge gourd, 1 drumstick, 1 tomato, 1 mango (not very sour), 1/2 onion (optional) Spices- sambhar powder, asofoetida, optional tadka of curry leaves, mustard seeds.

Salt to taste. Method: Pressure cook the grits and moong with 4 cups of water for two whistles. More or less water depending on if you've soaked them in advance. Add the vegetables and water if necessary and pressure cook for another whistle. *Story behind the post title: Yesterday was just one of those days. Headache the whole day. Fed up of the damp, rainy weather thats a month too early and doesn't allow my clothes to dry and worse still, has resulted in a disappointing harvest of my favourite- mangoes. (I just haven't had enough of them.) On top of this the internet was too slow and I was unable to settle on a compelling distraction when faced with too many choices (of books and serials and movies). The only thing I was sure of by the end of the day is that I wanted warm soupy-ish food. None of that healthy stuff we'd been having daily which inevitably aggravated my vata tendencies. Dosas and podi(spicy lentil chutney powder) or kappa (tapioca) both, although tasty, seemed terribly dry to me. I had secretly made up my mind to head out to buy dinner for myself. My hosts were busy with their fledgling business and I was reluctant to impose my preference on them since they are super healthy and so don't like eating out and one of them also doesn't like kitchadi (which I am ever willing to cook)! I would go out and buy myself pongal or bisi bele bhath. It might be spicier or oilier than I prefer my food to be but it would be the closest to the comfort food I craved. The closest version of kitchidi I can get in South India. And then she announced, my host, that she was making millet kitchadi. “With vegetables” she clarified, because being Malayali and loving vegetables she just needed the crunch of vegetables. She said this apologetically. Was she kidding me! The Universe had spoken once again. Proof that when you want something badly enough, the Universe would provide. It really doesnt get better than this- super healthy, not spicy kitchadi with veggies, served with love and beautiful crockery, without stepping outside the house!

#recipe