Cream of Wheat Kichadi (with a twist)

The twist part is not something that is all that new. But I do manage a unique flavor to the final outcome which usually leaves people smacking their lips and wondering what went into it. I am one of those that associates a particular moment, place, thing or dish with a memory from the plethora, that are tucked in those many crevices in my mind. Most often it is a favorable memory (thankfully!) but sometimes there are things which trigger sad, bad or simply disgusting ones! Thinking (or even writing) about Rava Kichadi brings back a lot of my friends' smiling faces - anu, sindhu, aravind, pavani, arun and of course Vee. Vee loves this dish since it is supposedly one of his childhood faves but he really is fond of my little variation too. My mom used to make rava kichadi with lots of tomatoes (after blanching) in it and that's my favorite way of having it though I don't get to make it that way quite often (growl). Yet another memory that comes popping back is that of my dad teaching me how to make it when I was in the ninth grade. Oh yeah! I learnt most of the basic dishes I know today, from my dad.

Scoops of Rava Kichadi with veggies

The recipe follows -

Ingredients -
1) Fine Semolina - 1 cup
2) Onion - 1 big (thinly sliced)
3) Green Chilies - 2-3 (slit)
4) Ginger - 1" piece (julienned)
5) Potato - 1 (diced) (OPTIONAL - I omit this almost all the time.)
6) Frozen peas and carrots - 3/4ths of a cup (thawed)
7) Frozen Lima beans or French cut green beans - 1/2 cup (thawed)
8) Tomatoes - 1 big (diced) (Obviously, you need to wait until the Salmonella scare has passed!)
9) Turmeric - a small pinch
10) Cilantro - a handful (roughly chopped)
12) Water - 3.25 cups
13) Salt - to taste

For seasoning -
a) Oil - 2 tspns
b) Butter/Ghee - 1/2 or 1 tspn
c) Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
d) Cloves - 2
e) Cinnamon - 1" piece
f) Bengal gram Dal - 1 tbspn
g) Split Urad Dal - 1 tspn
h) Asafetida - a generous pinch

Method -
1) Dry roast the semolina in a pan on a medium flame until the granules acquire a light brown shade and keep aside.
2) In a deep pan, heat the oil and then add in the ghee. After both are heated through, toss in the seasoning ingredients c through h, one after another in the order listed above, always making sure none of them get charred.
3) The ginger and green chilies can be thrown in at this point and after a minute the onions go in too.
4) Fry till the onions are translucent and then the veggies listed in 5 through 8 can be added in. Sprinkle turmeric powder over this and then fry on a medium flame until the tomatoes start to turn mushy.
5) Pour the 3.25 cups of water and stir in salt. Cover and cook until the water starts gurgling.
6) Remove from heat and stir in the dry roasted cream of wheat adding a little at a time ensuring no lumps are formed.
7) Put the mixture back on a medium flame and cover and cook for 10-12 minutes until soft.
8) Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with any chutney of your choice.

Note - I am sure you must have figured out that the twist part was none other than the addition of the cloves and cinnamon. It really does add a lovely flavor and I'm sure you won't be disappointed. The consistency of the kichadi is quite different from that of the cream of wheat upma. A kichadi always needs to be mushy and soft with a glazed look to it.