Fall is here! Cool, crisp air. Leaves changing color. Beautiful skies. Squash season. It’s probably my favorite time of the year. It is a time for retrospection. To think back on how the months have flown by and to look forward to the festivities in the coming months – especially spending precious time with family and friends.
Different kinds of Squash
I am seeing varieties of squash at the farmers’ market. The colors make me truly happy. Delicata, honeynut, butternut, acorn – you name it and it’s present. Squash makes for comforting soups in the cooler weather, and roasted squash is a personal favorite of mine.
My Hearty Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash is like a warm hug in a bowl.
What is Khichdi?
Khichdi is an age-old traditional dish that originated in India thousands of years ago. It is made with rice and lentils boiled together with water and a few spices until it reaches a porridge-like consistency. Every family has its own way of making khichdi that is passed down through the generations.
It is the first food that is fed to babies – my mother, my brother and I and now my kids being recipients as well. I would add finely diced carrots or squash (for that slight sweetness) in their khichdi and they would lap it up faster than I could put spoonfuls in their mouths.
Khichdi is the perfect food for when you are sick and need something that is nourishing and light on the stomach – think chicken soup for the soul in America.
Benefits of Khichdi
The benefits of khichdi are plenty:
- It is a vegetarian porridge-like meal
- It has high fiber content and protein content
- The combination of turmeric and ginger in khichdi has anti-inflammatory properties that boost immunity.
- It is good for heart health
- It can be made vegan by using oil instead of ghee
- It is gluten-free since it is made with rice and lentils
- It is comfort food and good for gut health
- It can be made within no time if you have a pressure cooker
What are the ingredients of the Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash?
The ingredients of the Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash are:
Roasted Acorn Squash
- Acorn Squash: I love the shape of the acorn squash and when cut horizontally, it creates these beautiful shapes that are visually appealing.
- Olive oil
- Indian spices : like turmeric , cumin, coriander, red chili powder, garam masala
Khichdi
- Basmati rice: this rice is a long grained rice, and provides a lovely texture to the khichdi.
- Yellow moong daal : Growing up my mom used green moong daal. But in this recipe I use the yellow moong daal, which is easier to cook down.
- Ghee
- Mustard seeds
- Cumin seeds
- Alliums : red onions, garlic and ginger
- Green chili: You can use serrano chili or Thai chili depending upon your spice levels. Thai chili is spicier
- Salt
- Indian spices : like turmeric , cumin, coriander
- Cilantro
How to make the Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash?
Step1:
Start by soaking the rice and lentils, essentially yellow moong daal (split yellow mung beans) in warm water for an hour. You can find yellow moong daal in Indian grocery stores or even online. The science behind soaking is that it releases the minerals in whole grains and makes them easier for your body to absorb.
Soaking in warm water, also helps to remove any unnecessary dirt on the lentils and helps to clean them in the process.
Step 2:
Multi-tasking is the key to a Hearty Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash
While the soaking process is taking place, we will roast the acorn squash.
- TIP: Acorn squash can be intimidating to cut through but it is really not that hard. Be sure to use a sharp chef’s knife to cut through the squash.
I use ¾ of the squash for roasting and ¼ of the squash (skin peeled off) finely diced for the khichdi. The squash used for roasting can have the skin on as it is thin and palatable.
The squash half rings are tossed in a mixture of olive oil and Indian spices like ground cumin, ground coriander, ground red chili, turmeric, garam masala and salt. They are placed on a baking sheet and baked until golden brown in color. Roasted squash tastes absolutely delicious.
Step 3:
Let’s make the Khichdi
The khichdi starts off with tempering whole spices like mustard seeds and cumin seeds in ghee.
- What is Ghee? Ghee is essentially clarified butter that is made by boiling butter to separate the butterfat from the milk solids and water in butter.
Ghee is used in abundance in Indian cooking. Once the tempering is done, a.k.a., the seeds start splattering in the ghee, add the alliums like the onion and garlic, and then the ginger and green chilies, which give the khichdi much flavor.
Then we add in the finely diced squash and spices like ground cumin, ground coriander and turmeric. Do not forget the salt!
Add the water and mix. The mixture is covered and cooked for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. You will need to add a bit more water once the cooking process is finished and stir it a few times to get to the porridge-like consistency. The squash that was added to the khichdi melts into the mixture and will not be visible.
Serve in bowls, add a dollop of ghee on the top with the roasted acorn squash. Serve immediately and enjoy the warm bowl of goodness in the beautiful chilly fall evenings of California.
Where can I find the yellow moong daal?
The yellow moong daal can be found in Indian grocery stores near you, or you can find it online at Amazon, linked here.
Where can I find ghee?
Ghee or clarified butter is readily available now at Whole Foods, or any regular grocery store. You can also find it online on Amazon linked here. I like the brand 4th and Heart, which I have personally used before.
Can I make the khichdi in advance, like the day before?
The Hearty Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash can be made a day in advance. However it thickens as it sits in the fridge and solidifies as well because ghee solidifies at cooler temperatures. So I would recommend adding a cup of water and heating it again on medium-low heat until it is a porridge-like consistency.
How do I store the leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, but as mentioned above, to re-heat it, add water and cook it on low flame.
Can I make the khichdi without the roasted acorn squash?
Yes you can make the khichdi without the roasted acorn squash, and make it any season of the year as comfort food.
Other hearty and comforting recipes that are on the blog:
If you make this recipe, please tag #thejamlab on Instagram and/or leave a comment on this blog post.
XO
Amisha
Hearty Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash
Ingredients
- ¾ cup white rice (basmati rice)
- ¾ cup yellow moong daal
Roasted Acorn Squash
- 1 acorn squash, split into half vertically, seeds removed
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- ½ teaspoon ground cumin
- ½ teaspoon ground coriander
- ½ teaspoon red chili powder
- ½ teaspoon garam masala
- ½ teaspoon table salt
Khichdi
- 3 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅓ cup red onions, finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves, grated
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 1 serrano chile or 1 Thai chile, finely chopped (depending upon your heat levels)
- 2 teaspoons table salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 cups + 1 cup water
- ¼ cup cilantro, finely chopped
- Ghee
- Cilantro leaves for garnish
Get Recipe Ingredients
Method
- Add the rice and daal in a bowl. Add water to cover it and mix it with your hands. The water will become cloudy. Pour the water out and repeat the step again by adding water, mixing it with your hands. Repeat until the water is clear. Add about 1 inch of water to the mixture and set it aside to soak for an hour.
- Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
- Cut one half of the acorn squash into horizontal half rings, about ¼ inch in thickness. Cut the other half of the acorn squash horizontally into half. Cut one half into horizontal half rings, about ¼ inch in thickness. Peel off the skin of the remaining squash, and cut it into tiny cubes (~ about 1 cup).
- Place the acorn squash half rings into a medium bowl. Add the olive oil and all the spices. Toss the squash until all the half rings are well coated. Place the half rings onto a quarter baking sheet. Be sure to add all the spices and oil from the bowl onto the half rings. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until golden brown in color.
- In a medium pot, on medium heat, add the ghee. After a minute, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Once you hear the seeds crackle, after about a minute, add the onion, garlic, ginger, chili and saute for 3 minutes. Add the cup of tiny cubes of squash and saute for a minute.
- Next, add the soaked rice and daal into the pot. Add the salt, turmeric, ground cumin and ground coriander. Add the 3 cups of water and stir. Cover the pot and cook for about 25 minutes, stirring occasionally. After 25 minutes, add about ½ cup of water and mix to get the porridge consistency. If the khichdi looks too thick, you can add an additional ½ cup of water and mix. Add the cilantro and mix to combine.
- Serve in pasta bowls. Garnish with a teaspoon of ghee and cilantro leaves. Distribute the roasted acorn squash on the top of the khichdi and serve immediately.
Notes
Where can I find the yellow moong daal?
- The yellow moong daal can be found in Indian grocery stores near you, or you can find it online at Amazon, linked here.
Where can I find ghee?
- Ghee or clarified butter is readily available now at Whole Foods, or any regular grocery store. You can also find it online on Amazon linked here. I like the brand 4th and Heart, which I have personally used before.
Can I make the khichdi in advance, like the day before?
- The Hearty Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash can be made a day in advance. However it thickens as it sits in the fridge and solidifies as well because ghee solidifies at cooler temperatures. So I would recommend adding a cup of water and heating it again on medium-low heat until it is a porridge-like consistency.
How do I store the leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge, but as mentioned above, to re-heat it, add water and cook it on low flame.
Can I make the khichdi without the roasted acorn squash?
- Yes you can make the khichdi without the roasted acorn squash, and make it any season of the year as comfort food.
2 replies on “Hearty Khichdi with Roasted Acorn Squash”
Absolutely delicious! I like khichdi a lot and my husband is not as keen as I am. But this was a winner! I’m embarrassed to say while I cook other squash, I’ve been intimidated to try acorn squash for some reason. This is going in the regular rotation.
Thank you Christina. Acorn squash is such a wonderful vegetable. I am glad you liked it.