Recipe: A healthy khichdi by Chef Ajay Chopra of the Westin Kolkata's fine diner, Vedic

Here’s the recipe for a multi-grain, super-healthy khichdi presented by Chef Ajay Chopra of The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat’s fine diner, Vedic
Chef Ajay Chopra
Chef Ajay Chopra

It's not every day that you get a self-confessed carnivore chef, who is equally passionate about rustling up magical delights out of greens. That’s precisely what we experienced when we went to meet Mumbai-based Chef Ajay Chopra at The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat’s newly launched fine diner, Vedic, which serves up some very nicely fused vegetarian dishes using pure ingredients.

“Gourmands now want a wholesome experience when it comes to eating out. We have tried to capture the thought process of the early Vedic race, and trace their culinary habits, and we have brought the same concept and ethos to the modern palate. Here, you will get a taste of what was essentially a part of the daily diet of the farmer community of the early Vedic age,” says Chef Chopra, the man behind the show at Veda.

The chef obliged us by sharing the recipe of ‘Black over brown over white’, a delectable rice dish — and, one that is completely wholesome and sumptuous. Go ahead, and have it hot on a wintry afternoon.

<em>Black Over Brown Over White</em>
Black Over Brown Over White

BLACK OVER BROWN OVER WHITE

Ingredients:

For black rice khichdi: 60 gm | Oil 25 ml | Cumin 2gm | Ginger 10 gm | Spring onion 25 gm | Moong Dal 30 gm | Salt 7 gm | Turmeric powder 5 gm | Ghee 20 gm | Water as required

For brown rice khichdi: Brown rice 50 gm | peanut oil 20 ml | Cumin seeds 1 gm | Whole red chillies 1 gm | Black pepper 1 gm | Clove 1 gm | Green cardamom 1 gm | Cinnamon 1 gm | Bay leaf 1 gm | Onion 25 gm | Green peas 10 gm | Carrot 10 gm | Potato 10 gm | Turmeric 2 gm | Moong Daal 20 gm | Salt 5 gm | Ghee 20 gm

For white rice khichdi: White rice 60 gm | Ghee 10 gm | Kaali Mirch 1 gm | Mustard seeds 1 gm | Whole red chillies 1 gm | Cashewnuts 10 gm | Curry leaves 5 gm | Channa dal 5 gm | Hing 1 gm

Method:

For black rice: Wash the black rice and boil it along with some salt. ● After it is boiled, temper the rice with cumin seeds, ginger, chopped spring onions and soaked moong dal. ● Tempering should be done in refined oil.

For brown rice: Wash and boil the brown rice with some water. To temper the brown rice, add and peanut oil to the pan. To this, add cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, bay leaf, soaked moong daal and cumin seeds and allow them to crackle. To this whole masala, add hing, dry red chillies, turmeric, cubed carrots and green peas. Add this tempered mixture to the brown rice and season it accordingly.

For white rice: Wash the white rice thoroughly and boil it. For tempering, add ghee and curry leaves, mustard seeds, peppercorns, dried red chillies, hing, cashew nuts, soaked channa dal and soaked moong daal. Add this tempered mixture to white rice and season well. Finally, all three types of rice should be served layered on top of each other with tempura Amaranth leaves and microgreens for garnishing.

sharmishtha.g@newindianexpress.com

@sharmidas

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