A tasty one-pot meal that is satisfying, khichdi is one of my comfort foods. It is a porridge or thick soup made of rice and lentils. This was Mama’s go-to meal for us as kids anytime we were sick and had lost our appetite due to the antibiotics. She also gave it to us if we had an upset tummy, as khichdi is easy to digest.
I fix it to take a break after overindulging in too many fatty or fried foods!
Khichdi (Rice and Lentil Porridge)
A tasty one-pot satisfying meal, khichdi is a comfort food made of rice and lentils.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup rice
- 1 cup yellow lentils (dhuli moong dal)
- 5 cups water
- 1 inch ginger (peeled and finely chopped)
- 1 tsp Turmeric (haldi)
- 1½ tsp salt
Tadka (Tempering)
- 1 tbsp desi ghee, butter, or oil
- ½ tsp cumin (zeera) seeds
Garnish
- 2 tsp desi ghee or butter
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro or parsley leaves (optional)
Instructions
To Cook
- Pick and clean the rice and dal of any grit.
- Wash the rice and dal thoroughly.
- Soak for 30 minutes to reduce stove-top cooking time.
- Strain and put the rice and dal into a deep heavy bottomed cooking pot.
- Add water, ginger, turmeric, and salt.
- Bring to a boil on medium-high heat.
- Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and cook partially covered as rice and lentil expand when cooked, and the broth might overflow.
- Stir in between to avoid burning.
- Simmer covered until rice and dal are well blended and tender—approximately 25-30 minutes.
- The consistency should be like a porridge or thickish soup. (You can also add less water if you want it on the firmer side).
- Remove the pot from the heat. Taste and add more salt if needed.
To Tadka (Temper)
- Heat the desi ghee, butter, or oil in a small frying pan.
- Add the cumin seeds (be careful of oil splatters).
- As soon as the cumin starts to splutter (30 seconds), turn the heat off. Pour into the cooked broth.
- Stir and let it sit for 5 minutes to absorb the flavors of the tadka.
- Pour into a serving dish or individual bowls.
To Garnish
- Garnish with the desi ghee or butter and chopped cilantro leaves.
- Serve with plain yogurt, Indian pickles, or papads (lentil wafers) from your local Indian grocery store.
Notes
1. Yo
u can start with the tempering, then add all the other ingredients and cook. This works well when using a manual or electrical pressure cooker. Just follow the cooking times on the manual and reduce the water to 3 cups.
2. If the khichdi gets too thick, you can adjust the broth by adding more hot water.
3. You can also substitute red lentils or split green moong bean lentils for the yellow lentils.
4. Different styles of khichdi involve vegetables and more spicy tempering—recipes I shall share later.
u can start with the tempering, then add all the other ingredients and cook. This works well when using a manual or electrical pressure cooker. Just follow the cooking times on the manual and reduce the water to 3 cups.
2. If the khichdi gets too thick, you can adjust the broth by adding more hot water.
3. You can also substitute red lentils or split green moong bean lentils for the yellow lentils.
4. Different styles of khichdi involve vegetables and more spicy tempering—recipes I shall share later.
The milk is delivered from the local doodhwala (milkman), who rides in on his bike with two huge milk cans of fresh milk tethered to either side of the metal back seat. It always amazes me how he manages to balance those heavy-laden cans that are strapped to his bicycle. He arrives diligently twice a day, morning and evening, ringing his bicycle bell loud and clear to announce his arrival. He dips a measured ladle with a large handle into the can and pours the milk into the dekchi (a flat-bottomed cooking pot) held out to him. Since it is not pasteurized, the milk has to be boiled.