SunstarTV Bureau: Famous one-pot Rajasthani healthy dish, Bajra Khichdi that you can have it alone or in combination with mung dal along with variety of local and seasonal vegetables to enhance the taste as well as the nutrients. 
It is often served with curd or kadhi. Bajra which is the main ingredient of this dish, it has good amount of insoluble fibre that acts as pre-biotic which helps in the growth of pro-biotic (good bacteria).
Ingredients that you need:
- Take ½ cup bajra (pearl millet) in a grinder jar.
- Using the pulse option grind the bajra coarsely. Do not make a powder of it. Some grains will be crushed and some won’t be. But thats fine. We just need a coarse mixture.
- Now take the coarsely ground bajra in a bowl. Add water and stir. Let the water cover the bajra. Wait for some seconds. The fine husk particles will be seen floating on the top of the water. Discard the water slowly from the bowl. Repeat this process twice or thrice. Drain all the water and keep aside.
- In another bowl rinse ½ cup moong dal a couple of times in water. Then soak in enough water. You can also use moong dal with husks (chilkewali moong dal) instead of husked yellow moong dal
Process of making Bajra Khichdi:
- Heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a 3 liter pressure cooker. You can use oil instead of ghee and Keep the flame to a low.
- Add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and Let the cumin seeds splutter.
- Then add 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger and 1 green chili, chopped.
- Stir and fry for a few seconds till the raw aroma of ginger goes away.
- Then add the bajra.
- Mix the bajra well. Keep on stirring as the bajra sticks at the bottom of the cooker. Keep the flame to a low.
- Then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 pinch asafoetida (hing). Mix again.
- Pour 2 cups water and Season with salt as per taste.
- Cover and pressure cook for 6 to 7 minutes or for 4 to 5 whistles on medium flame.
- When the pressure drops on its own, remove the lid of the cooker.
- Stir the semi cooked bajra mixture very well. The bajra grains will be half cooked.
- Drain all the water from the moong dal and add in the pressure cooker.
- Add 2 cups water.
- Cover and pressure cook for 8 to 9 minutes or for 7 to 8 whistles on medium flame.
- Stir again very well. In case if bajra khichdi looks thick, then add some more water and simmer on low flame stirring continuously. Also check the taste for salt and add more if required.
Serve bajra khichdi hot with a side accompaniment of chaas (buttermilk), kadhi or with fresh curd. Bajra khichdi will thicken more as it cools. So when serving any leftover khichdi, add some water to it and bring the khichdi to a simmer and then serve. You can also top it with a bit of ghee while serving.
