Rajasthani Bajra/bajri Raabdi

Rajasthani Bajra Raabdi – Bajra flour Porridge. This is an easy and fuss-free recipe, healthy thick gruel prepared with pearl millet flour, yogurt, and salt, that’s fermented overnight to make Raabdi.

Rajasthani Bajre Ki Khatti Raabdi might well be for times like these when brutal heat shows no mercy. Then answer it with this mildly savoury, healthy, cooling and refreshing raabdi, a thick gruel prepared with basic ingredients – Bajra flour ( Pearl millet flour ) plain yogurt and salt. Raabdi, a common and traditional dish which is very dear to folks of the state of Rajasthan. This easy, quick and simple recipe is good for summer months and piping hot in winter months

My Grandma used to prepare this raabdi quite often during summer months. Her step Mum was Marwari from Rajasthan, so my grandma had done Marwari cooking and it’s colourful culture influenced in her life.

On a previous night, my grandma would mix bajra flour, buttermilk ( Chaas ) and salt in a black clay pot ( an earthenware pot ) and let it simmer on a very low flame until the mixture thickened she would leave it a whole night to ferment. Next day mid-morning after finishing mundane chores she would serve this raabdi with buttermilk.

While I was young, I wasn’t keen for this Raabdi but as I grew up I really started enjoying it.

Mum used to say that Bajra Raabdi is a best breakfast or brunch to stay cool and hydrate during scorching summers. This feel-good raabdi is great for digestion as Bajra is rich in insoluble fibre. Bajra flour is filled with multiple health benefits that are important for our body and paired with wonder food Buttermilk ( chaas ) this Bajra raabdi, certainly will become your first preference to cool you down during these scorching temperatures.

More Rajasthani recipes from Jagruti’s Cooking Odyssey

Dal Bati

→ Malpua

→ Gatte Ki Kadhi

RAJASTHANI BAJRA RAABDI

ingredients:

• 1/2 cup fine pearl millet flour ( Bajra / Bajri aata -Lot )
• 2 cup plain beaten yogurt
• Salt to taste
• Water
• Roasted cumin seeds, Freshly ground black pepper or Chia Seeds to garnish

instructions:

How to cook RAJASTHANI BAJRA RAABDI

1. Add one cup water in a one cup yogurt and whisk well. This mixture is your buttermilk.
2. In a thick bottom saucepan or clay pot combine buttermilk, flour and salt and whisk well.
3. Cook this mixture on a very low heat for 8-10 minutes, keep stirring while it cooks.
4. You will see mixture getting thicker and thicker.
5. Turn off the heat.
6. Cover the pan or pot with the lid and leave it a whole night to ferment.
7. In the morning add 1 cup water in remaining yogurt and whisk it.
8. Add yogurt mixture into fermented raabdi, mix well.
9. Serve in a glass and garnish it with either cumin seeds, black pepper powder or chia seeds.
10. Enjoy !

NOTES:

Did you make this recipe?

A couple of months ago, I watched a program called ‘Royal Recipes’ hosted by Michaell Buerk, the program was all about royal-themed food.

The episode I watched that day was 5 of 15 India and Empire, in this episode couple of renowned chefs joined to celebrate royal food inspired by the days of India and Empire. I found this episode very interesting, straight away I pressed the remote button and put the whole series on record.

I liked the whole series of Royal Recipes , glad I watched it as I came to know so many interesting stories and history. I like history, I do quite like the royals and the glam of it all. Well, and I love gossip! I liked a few recipes which were loved by the royals and cooked by the royals.

A recipe which I liked straight away and had an urge to make it was Stuffed Aubergine with Bulgur wheat , prepared by late Princess Diana’s former chef Carolyn Robb, she said that this dish was one of the favourites of Diana. She said, “this is the dish that although it may be fit for princesses it is really fit for anyone, it’s just simple home cooking, it’s nourishing, it’s warming”. I completely agree with Carolyn Robb , after I tried and tasted this dish, that you can’t do much better than this! These stuffed aubergines were incredibly tasty that I nearly fainted with pleasure at the delicious flavour of this dish!

Now that summer is on its way in my part of the world, fresh and giant aubergines are plenty in markets and shops and cheap too. I am on a roll to make these stuffed aubergines. First time I followed the recipe to T, but then made a very small couple of changes, still, the dish came out so well.

Vegetarian Stuffed Aubergines with Bulgur and Buckwheat, I love everything about this dish, all the ingredients, method, and fuss-free recipe. While the stuffed aubergines were baking the evergreen herb thyme heady aroma was just making me impatient, actually, thyme adds a warm flavour. I served with roasted tomatoes and fresh salad, it would make a lovely lunch or supper.

Instant pot stuffed peppers

Aubergine Parmigiana

Notes :- You can omit buckwheat and prepare with Bulgur wheat only. Carolyn prepared bulgur wheat in a pan with onion and thyme, where I cooked bulgur and buckwheat in a pressure cooker with vegetable stock to save time. To make gluten-free version omit Bulgur wheat and use quinoa. You could also top with a dairy-free cheese instead of goats cheese to make this dish vegan.

BULGER AND BUCKWHEAT STUFFED AUBERGINE

ingredients:

• 2 fresh and tender aubergines
• 75 g bulgur wheat
• 50 g buckwheat
• 100 g goats cheese
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped peppers
• 8-10 sprigs of fresh thyme
• 1 cup canned tomatoes or fresh tomatoes
• 3-4 tbsp. chopped onion
• 1 tsp. chopped garlic
• 1 tsp. chilli flakes
• 1-2 tsp. sugar
• 200 ml of vegetable stock
• Salt to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 tbsp. oil
• Fresh mint and pomegranate arils to garnish

instructions:

How to cook BULGER AND BUCKWHEAT STUFFED AUBERGINE

1. Preheat the oven to gas mark 7.
2. Wash and pat dry aubergines and slice in half lengthwise through the stalk.
3. With a knife score the flesh in a criss-cross pattern.
4. Drizzle some oil, sprinkle salt and pepper and a couple of sprigs of thyme.
5. Bake it in the oven for 30-35 minutes or until flesh is soft and tender.
6. Meanwhile, wash bulgur and buckwheat and drain the water and cook with vegetable stock. ( I cooked in a pressure cooker ). Leave it aside.
7. Heat a little oil in a pan and saute onion and garlic for 3-4 minutes.
8. Add chopped tomato, salt, sugar, and chilli flakes.
9. Let it simmer for 5-6 minutes.
10. Turn off the heat and leave it aside.
11. Now place chopped pepper on a baking sheet, drizzle little olive oil, salt and pepper and put it in the oven for 8-10 minutes.
12. Once aubergines and peppers are roasted remove it from the oven. Do not turn off the oven.
13. Using a spoon scoop out half of the flesh out of the baked halved aubergines.
14. Leaving the skins with the layer of flesh.
15. Stir the aubergine flesh into cooked bulger and buckwheat.
16. Now pile bulger and buckwheat into aubergine shells, top it up with roasted peppers, tomato sauce, goats cheese and thyme.
17. Bake once again for 10-12 minutes.
18. Garnish it with mint and pomegranate arils.
19. Serve hot with roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh green salad.
20. Enjoy!

NOTES:

Did you make this recipe?