Samak Chawal Pulao | Samvat Rice Khichdi for Navratri fasting, Vrat, Upvas | Varai Upma
Samak Chawal Pulao or Barnyard Millet Pilaf is quick and easy to make, flavorful & fluffy, one-pot or one-pan recipe that can be prepared in less than 30 minutes. It becomes even more wholesome, satisfying, and tasty when you add more vegetables to the recipe.
Servings: 6
Calories: 219kcal
Equipment
- 1 Pan or Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup Barnyard Millet or Samak ke Chawal or Vari (check tips for substitute)
- 1 tablespoon Cooking oil
- 1 Bay leaf
- 2 Peppercorns
- 1 Clove
- ½ inch cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 8 Curry leaves
- 1 tablespoon Ginger, finely chopped (skip if not allowed to eat during fasting)
- 2 Green chilies, finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon Cashews, chopped
- 2 tablespoon Roasted Peanuts
- 1 tablespoon Almonds
- 1 Potato, chopped into cubes
- ¼ cup Carrot, chopped into cubes (skip if not allowed to eat during fasting)
- 2 ½ cups Water
- ½ teaspoon Salt, adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon Garam masala powder or curry powder (skip if not allowed to eat during fasting)
- 1 tablespoon Cilantro or Coriander leaves, chopped
- 1 ½ tablespoon Lemon juice, adjust to taste
Instructions
- Soak the millet or samak chawal in enough water for 30 minutes. Wash and drain them. Keep it aside.1 cup Barnyard Millet or Samak ke Chawal or Vari
- In a pan on medium heat, add oil. Once hot, add bay leaf, peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds, and saute for few seconds.1 tbsp Cooking oil, 1 Bay leaf, 2 Peppercorns, 1 Clove, ½ inch cinnamon stick, 1 tsp Cumin seeds
- Add curry leaves, ginger, green chilies, and saute for few seconds. Next, add cashews, peanuts, almonds, and continue sauteing until nuts turn golden in color.8 Curry leaves, 1 tbsp Ginger, finely chopped, 2 Green chilies, finely chopped, 1 tbsp Cashews, chopped, 2 tbsp Roasted Peanuts, 1 tbsp Almonds
- Add potatoes and carrots and saute for a minute. Finally, add samak chawal (millet), water, salt, garam masala powder, and stir. Check video for more details1 Potato, chopped into cubes, ¼ cup Carrot, chopped into cubes, 2 ½ cups Water, ½ tsp Salt, adjust to taste, ½ tsp Garam masala powder or curry powder
- Once this comes to a boil, cover and cook it on a medium flame for 10 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed and millet has cooked through. Switch off the flame. Cover it and keep it for few more minutes.
- Finally, add cilantro and lemon juice and toss to combine.1 tbsp Cilantro or Coriander leaves, chopped, 1 ½ tbsp Lemon juice, adjust to taste
Instant Pot Barnyard Millet Pilaf
- Press the SAUTE button on your Instant Pot. Add oil. Once hot, add bay leaf, peppercorns, clove, cinnamon, cumin seeds, and saute for few seconds. Add curry leaves, ginger, green chilies, cashew, peanuts, almonds, and saute for a minute.
- Add potatoes, carrots, and saute for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Next, add soaked and drained millet with 2 to 2 ¼ cups of water.
- Secure the lid by making sure the steam valve is in a sealed position. Cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure. Carefully remove the lid once the steam has escaped.
- Fluff the millet with a fork. Add lemon juice, garnish with some cilantro and enjoy.
Notes
- You can even use foxtail millet, little millet, kodo millet, or quinoa instead of barnyard millet.
- This recipe is very flexible. Use spices available in your pantry.
- If you are not fasting, you add even add sauteed onions and garlic.
- Instead of water, you may use vegetable broth.
- You may add beans, cauliflower, broccoli, green peas to make the pilaf even more nutritious.
- Adjust all the ingredients and spices to taste.
- I like pilaf with a fluffy consistency, as you see in the picture. The water to millet ratio given above works perfectly fine for me on medium flame. If you want a porridge consistency, add more water and cook for a longer time.
- Depending on the intensity of the flame, the total cooking time may vary.
Nutrition
Calories: 219kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 7g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 280mg | Potassium: 231mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 952IU | Vitamin C: 37mg | Calcium: 36mg | Iron: 3mg