Khichdi

After reading an article about what kids around the world eat for lunch, I was curious to try khichdi, a one-pot Indian comfort food made of lentils, rice, and vegetables. This dish was delicious, comforting, and happily devoured by adults and toddlers alike.

Recipe adapted from here and here. You can use smaller lentils for a creamier consistency or larger lentils (like chana dal) if you want it chewier; I liked a blend of both. Feel free to sub out various veggies depending on what you have on hand—just keep the proportions of rice to lentils to veggies about the same as what's listed here. Everything blends together into creamy, subtly spiced deliciousness.

Ingredients
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp olive oil
1.5 tsp cumin seeds
1.5 tbsp julienned fresh ginger
3 carrots, diced
1/2 cup frozen green peas
1/2 medium to large orange sweet potato, diced
2 cups chopped cauliflower
2 handfuls coarsely chopped greens (spinach, collards, mustard greens)
1 Anaheim chile, chopped
3/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp chili powder
1.5 cups mixed lentils (e.g., toor dal, moong dal, red lentils, chana dal), rinsed well and checked through for stones
6 cups water

2 bay leaves

4 whole cloves
2 cardamom pods, crushed
2 tsp salt
1.5 cups white Basmati rice, rinsed well
Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish

Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the butter and olive oil. When the butter melts, add the cumin seeds and ginger and sauté for 30 seconds, then add the veggies. Sauté, stirring occasionally, for about five minutes.

Add the turmeric and chili powder and stir, then add the lentils and mix well. Pour in the water and stir. Add the remaining spices and salt, then cover and bring to a gentle boil. Turn the heat down and simmer 10 minutes. Add the rice and simmer for another 30-40 minutes or until everything is tender and the desired consistency.

Remove the two bay leaves (you can also try to find the cloves and cardamom pods while you're at it). Serve warm, sprinkled with cilantro.

Serves 4-6.

Best Ever Black Beans

Sometimes, I roll my eyes at the idea of cooking beans from scratch, because seriously, who has the time?

But these are quick, easy, and exceedingly delicious. And you can make a giant pot on the weekend to last the whole week (or freeze for your future self, who as you know tends to open the freezer door and gaze longingly around in search of magical ready made dinners at least twice a week). And if you forget to start soaking them the night before (which I do 3 out of 4 times), you can start them soaking in the morning and just simmer them a little longer later on.

Ingredients
3 cups dried black beans, rinsed and soaked for 6 hours or overnight
olive oil
1 large shallot, diced
3 large cloves garlic, peeled and scored
1/2 tsp cumin
1 jalapeño, minced (or sub cayenne pepper to taste)
2" peel of orange zest (use a carrot peeler)
1" peel of Meyer lemon zest
1 bay leaf
2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp oregano

Serve with:
red rice, brown rice, or polenta
a little grated pepper jack cheese (between the rice and beans, or stirred with the polenta)
diced avocado and/or chopped cilantro (optional)

After soaking, drain the beans. In a large pot, saute the shallot and garlic for a couple of minutes until the shallot softens. Add the cumin and saute another 30 seconds. Stir in the beans, then add water until it's about an inch above the top of the beans. Set back on the stove and bring to a boil while you toss in all the other ingredients, then cover the pot. Turn the heat down when it reaches a boil, and simmer gently for 30-90 minutes or until beans are tender and creamy. (Cooking time will depend on the age of the beans and how long you soaked them...start with 30 minutes and then taste them every 15-20 minutes after that until desired consistency.)

Fish out the bay leaf. Adjust oregano and salt to taste, then let sit until you're ready to eat.

Serves 8-10.