Simple feast - khichidi with all its accompaniments

I know I know, who calls Khichidi a feast? But it is an ultimate comfort food in our household and it is one which everyone eats happily! And once you add all the accompaniments it sure is a small feast. So though everyone eats khichidi at my place, every ones needs their own fix. My daughter likes it with pickles (achaar), my son with extra lemon and butter and papad and my hubby with some baigani (thinly sliced eggplant deep fried with besan) and mixed vegetable pakoras, while I like mine with Chalaah (yogurt and water mixture)...
After Nemo dumped, more than 2 feet of snow on us the kids and hubby had a grand time cleaning up snow and playing and I had fun in the kitchen putting together a khichidi ensemble. So here is our simple treat! Tell me what you have for your cold snowing days ?
I don't know how you like your khichidi, my hubby and kids it a little watery or pasty while mine is a little drier.

Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup
Mung Daal roasted on slow fire - 1 cup
1/2 inch if grated ginger
2-3 bay leaves
2-3 cloves
1 small cinnamon stick
1-2 red chilies
1 tea spoon of cumin seeds
Red chili powder (optional)
1 teaspoon of oil (of course butter would be better - but not needed at all)
Salt to taste

How To

Take the cup of Mung daal and dry roast in a small pan for 6-8 minutes. You will see the daal turn pink from yellow. Take it off the fire, clean and soak in water for 1/2 hour. Soak the rice also for 1/2 hour after cleaning it with water.
Take a pressure cooker, add the oil.
Once it is hot, add bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon stick, cumin seeds.
Add the daal and rice and mix well, add the chili powder, red chillies, salt and grated ginger.
For a watery khichidi, add 6 cups of water, for a drier one add about 3 cups of water.
Close the pressure cooker and let there be 1 whistle.
Remove from fire and let the cooker cool down (takes about 15 min).
Once the pressure releases, eat it hot with the accompaniments of your choice...

The khichidi is very forgiving, missing a spice no worries - skip it... Don't have moong daal, use some other daal... Don't like it dry, add water ! So make it the way you like and enjoy!

And here is the beautiful snow in our backyard!