Three easy kichadi options to try this Vishu

The festival season is here. With veggie prices soaring sky-high, going for cheaper, easier to access and healthier alternatives around you would seem like a wiser option. Here are three easy kichadi recipes for your Vishu Sadya using seasonal vegetables that can be found in your backyard.

Ingredients
1/2 ash gourd or 1/2 papaya or 2 raw mangoes
2 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup curd
1/2 cup grated coconut
3 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 green chillies
3 dried red chillies
Curry leaves
Salt as required

Preparation
Chop the ash gourd/papaya/mangoes into thin 1-inch sized pieced
Cook them in a pot
Add salt when the veggies are half-cooked
Grind the coconut, green chillies, and cumin seeds into a coarse paste
Add 2 tsp mustard seeds into it and grind again
Add this paste to the cooked vegetables
Mix well and and allow to cook for 3 minutes
Turn off the flame and allow it to cool down a bit
Pour beaten curd into the curry and mix well
(For mango kichadi, you would have to use 3 tbsp curd only since the mangoes already have enough sourness to it)
For preparing the tempering, heat coconut oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds
Add the dried chillies and curry leaves and roast for a while
Add this tempering into the kichadi and mix well
The creamy, flavoursome kichadi is ready to serve