Punjabi Khichdi

Serves 2

Ingredients:
Dhuli (yellow) mung dal - half cup
Basmati rice - half cup
Water - 4-and-a-half cups
Clarified butter (ghee) -1 tsp
Cumin seeds (jeera)-1 tsp
Black peppercorn - 6
Cloves (lavang) -4-5
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Ginger - ½", grated
Garlic cloves and curry leaves - 6-7
Salt- According to taste

Method:

Wash rice and dal in running water and drain. Heat the ghee in a pan. Add cloves and black pepper, followed by cumin. When it crackles, add onion, ginger, garlic and curry leaves (they're good for the heart and add to the flavour). Stir it until golden brown. Then, add rice and dal, followed by water - thrice the quantity of rice and dal. Let it boil, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally until the mixture is thick and viscous and of porridge-like consistency.

Khichadi

There are, of course, variations to this dish. However, the recipe below is the basic one.

Ingredients :

1 cup white basmati rice, washed in water and drained
1 cup yellow lentils or red lentils (Also known as yellow moong dal), washed and soaked in water and drained
About 4 cups of water
1/2 (half) teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon oil
Salt to taste

Method :

Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed pot. (Preferably one with a cover, which will be able to contain the amount of rice and lentils cooked.)
When oil is hot, add cumin seeds. Allow cumin seeds to splutter but do not let them get burnt.
Fold in the yellow lentils and rice. Mix cumin seeds thoroughly with the lentils and rice.
Stir in water and salt.
Bring to boil.
Lower the heat, partially cover the pot and cook until the rice is cooked.
Serve hot with a sprinkling of coriander. This dish can also be served with some plain yoghurt.

Khichdi can also be cooked in a pressure cooker or in a microwave. In both cases, the cooking time should be reduced to about 20 – 30 minutes.

Variations :

Other ingredients can be added to the khichdi. These can be experimented with to vary the taste of the final dish.

Spices :

* Cinnamon sticks
* Chilli
* Cloves
* Bay leaves
* Turmeric powder
* Asafoetida (From Persian aza, for mastic or resin, and Latin foetidus, for stinking. A gum from a giant fennel used in Indian cooking.)
* Fenugreek
* Peppercorns
* Chopped onions and ginger can also be added.

These spices should be added after the oil has been heated. They should not be added all together, as too many spices can spoil the flavour of the dish.

Vegetables :

* Green peas
* Cabbage
* Pumpkin
* Potato
* Cauliflower
* Carrot

These are just examples of the types of vegetables that can be added. Feel free to experiment.

A word of caution: use only combinations of 2 - 3 vegetables together. Otherwise, the khichdi will taste like a hodgepodge of conflicting flavours.