Cooking up Comfort: Recipes for Mental Wellness
Having a bad day? Here are three foods that might help brighten your mood: a steaming bowl of khichdi, a crispy dosa straight off the pan, and a comforting serving of kheer. So, come on, let's go ahead and prepare one comfort food at a time!
Khichdi: A Hug in a Bowl
Feeling the blues? A spoonful of healthy khichdi recipe could be your remedy. Khichdi is not just food; it's an emotion, a warm embrace on a gloomy day. With an electric pressure cooker, crafting this soul-soothing dish becomes a breeze. The blend of rice, lentils, and an array of vegetables creates a symphony of flavours in this one-pot khichdi recipe.
Ingredients:
1 cup rice
1/2 cup split yellow moong dal (lentils)
1 onion, finely chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 carrot, diced
1/2 cup peas
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric powder, adding an earthy hue to your dish
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste for that extra zing
Salt to taste
2 cups water
Fresh coriander leaves for garnish
Method:
1. Wash rice and dal thoroughly and set them aside.
2. Heat the electric pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, infusing the air with a delightful aroma.
3 Add onions and sauté until golden brown. Mix in ginger-garlic paste, letting the fragrance fill your kitchen.
4. Introduce tomatoes, carrots, peas, turmeric powder, and salt to the mix. Watch the vibrant colours come to life.
5. Add rice and dal, ensuring a perfect blend of textures.
6. Pour in water and close the lid of the pressure cooker, allowing the ingredients to meld together beautifully.
7. Once the pressure is released, open the cooker, and this easy khichdi preparation is ready to serve. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves for that finishing touch.
Dosa: Crispy Goodness
Start your day with a crispy dosa recipe that melts in your mouth. Dosa, the pride of South India, is not just breakfast; it's a celebration of flavours. To create the perfect dosa, you need the right dosa batter tips and a trusty dosa tawa. The batter, fermented to perfection, transforms into thin, golden dosas that are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, showcasing the art of the fermented dosa batter.
Ingredients:
1 cup dosa rice
1/2 cup urad dal (black gram dal)
1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
Salt to taste
Oil for greasing
Method:
1. Rinse rice, urad dal, and fenugreek seeds separately. Soak them in water for 6 hours or overnight.
2. Grind them to a smooth paste and let the batter ferment for 6-8 hours, allowing the magic of fermentation to work its wonders.
3. Add salt to the batter, enhancing the flavours to perfection.
4. Heat a nonstick dosa tawa and pour a ladle full of batter in the centre, spreading it in a circular motion to shape the dosa.
5. Drizzle oil around the edges and cook until it turns golden brown and crispy. You could also drizzle some ghee around the edges of your dosas to enjoy ghee dosa delights!
6. Serve hot with coconut chutney and sambar, inspired by South Indian dosa varieties.
Kheer: Sweet Serenity
Cap off your meal with a bowl of creamy rice kheer. Kheer, the beloved Indian rice pudding, is not just a dessert; it's a journey through the senses. Perfumed with saffron, adorned with almonds, and flavoured with cardamom, this dessert is a festival in itself!
Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice
4 cups milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup chopped nuts (almonds, cashews, pistachios)
1/2 teaspoon cardamom powder
Saffron strands soaked in warm milk - for those delightful saffron kheer flavours.
Method:
1. Wash rice and cook it in a stainless steel casserole with water until it's soft and mushy, laying the foundation for your quick kheer preparation.
2. Add milk to the casserole and let it simmer on low heat, stirring occasionally until it thickens.
3. Add sugar and continue stirring until the sugar dissolves completely.
4. Add chopped nuts, cardamom powder, and saffron-soaked milk.
5. Cook for another 10-15 minutes until the kheer reaches the desired consistency.
6. Remove from heat and let it cool slightly before serving, presenting a dessert that's not just sweet but a special occasion kheer recipe experience.
In a world that can sometimes feel overwhelming, these comforting recipes offer more than just a full stomach – they offer solace, warmth, and a momentary escape from the chaos. So, why not treat yourself to some culinary therapy? Grab your electric pressure cooker, nonstick dosa tawa, and stainless steel casserole, and embark on a journey of self-care with your favourite foods!
