Spinach Khichdi

Khichdi is my go-to comfort food. It is my kind of fast food - healthy, easy and quick to make. For the longest time I used to make Khichdi in the simplest way possible - Mix rice & green mung dal, add salt and pressure cook it. The only fancy thing that I did to my khichdi was top it off with a spicy salad of diced onion and tomatoes.
Off late I have been trying to make khichdi with some variations and the results have been pretty good. The main theme is still a simple mix of dal and rice but the small tweaks have brought a fresh flavour to a good old favorite. In this recipe, adding spinach increases the nutrient value of the khichdi and its still a simple one-pot meal. I make this often especially when I have some extra spinach on hand that needs to be finished. There are a couple of different ways to incorporate spinach into the khichdi, I have put the options in the Notes below:

INGREDIENTS:
1/2 cup yellow mung dal
1/2 cup masoor dhuli dal
1/2 cup rice
3 cups spinach - finely chopped (can add more)
3 cups water
salt
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Tadka/Tempring
1 tbsp ghee
1tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp garlic -minced
1-2 whole red chillies
2-3 tejpatta
1 pinch heeng/asafetida
1/4 tsp garam masala (optional)

NOTES:
-Spinach: I simply chop the spinach and add it to the pressure cooker along the dal and rice - this is the simplest way to approach this one pot meal. You could chop and blanch the spinach separately and add it to the khichdi mix once its cooked - you will need to cook it a bit more after addign the spinach. Another alternative is to simply blend the raw spinach into a smooth paste and add it to the cooked khichdi - again you would want to cook the mixture for a few minutes once you add the spinach. In all the above options, tadka is the last step in the recipe.
-If you want your khichdi to be more fancy, you could also add another layer of tadka to the cooked khichdi - starting with minced ginger-garlic in a 1tbsp of ghee. Followed by chopped onion and chopped tomatoes.

PROCESS:

1. Cook the the washed lentils, rice and spinach mixed with 3 cups of water in a pressure cook. It usually takes 2 whistles on medium flame. Add more water if you feel the khichdi looks too dry.
2. Het ghee in a pan and add the cumin seeds, followed by minced garlic. Then add the tejpatta and red chillies. Add the hing.
3. Add this tadka to the khichdi and mix it well and let the khichdi simmer for a couple of minutes. Add the garam masala if using. At this point, adjust the seasoning and add water to make the consistency as per your liking.
4. Khichdi is ready to be served.