Khichdi

Updated Aug. 17, 2020

Khichdi
Karsten Moran for The New York Times
Total Time
30 minutes
Rating
4(610)
Comments
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Khichdi is reassuring, everyday fare, made from a mix of rice and lentils, cooked together in one pot until tender and seasoned with a splash of spice-infused fat. In India, it can be on the firmer side or more mushy, stripped down to the basics or more embellished, but it’s always a comfort. To make the dish a meal, serve it with a drizzle of ghee on top and some chopped cilantro leaves, a spoonful of full-fat yogurt on the side and a little jarred Indian-style lime pickle.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 servings
  • cup long-grain white rice, such as jasmine
  • cup yellow split moong beans
  • 2tablespoons ghee
  • ½teaspoon mustard seeds
  • 1small cinnamon stick
  • 2green cardamom pods
  • 2whole cloves
  • 1sprig curry leaves (optional)
  • ¼teaspoon red chile powder
  • ¼teaspoon turmeric powder
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

121 calories; 7 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 12 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 4 grams protein; 150 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Combine the rice and moong and rinse several times, until the water that drains away runs almost totally clear. Add to a heavy-bottomed pot with 1¾ cups water and set over medium-high heat.

  2. Step 2

    In another small saucepan, heat the ghee and mustard seeds. When the seeds start to pop, lower the heat and add the remaining ingredients, swirling them in the pan. Let the spices sizzle for under a minute, then carefully pour into the rice pot, along with the ghee. (Watch out: The fat may splatter).

  3. Step 3

    When the water comes up to a rolling boil, give it a good stir, scraping at the bottom of the pot, then cover tightly and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 15 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the rice rest for 10 minutes before opening the lid. Fluff gently with a spatula. Taste, season with salt to taste and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
610 user ratings
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Comments

Yellow mung dal and yellow split peas are NOT the same thing. Yellow split peas will require much longer cooking times than the mung dal. Yellow split peas are found everywhere; mung dal not so much but Amazon is my go to place for it. Also known as kitchari, it's the go to meal...the soupier the better...for ailments of any kind but especially tummy/digestive system. Kitchari is the Ayurvedic version of chicken soup by the way!

Grew up eating this - sort my family's gujarati version of chicken soup - we make it in a pressure cooker to give a very porridge like quality. We always use black mustard seeds and lately - been adding some fresh grated ginger root. Put on full heat - when the pressure valve releases once - turn down to medium heat and then let the pressure set off twice more. Then I turn it off and let the pressure release naturally. In instantpot set for 7 minutes on manual. natural release -perfect.

Moong beans are not in fact lentils; they are from a different genus. However, in Indian cooking, dried and split beans, peas, and lentils are all referred to as “dal,” and are used in similar ways. Sometimes the English word “lentil(s)” is used as a catch-all synonym for dal of all sorts, probably because the more correct word, pulse, is not widely known.

This reminds me of Kidgeree, which I ate many times in Afghanistan. Rice, whole mung beans, lamb fat, no curry, no mustard seeds, no ghee and topped w. ground sauteed lamb and chaka, a kind of drained yoghurt with chopped cilantro decorating the top. YUMMMMM! Thanks for the memory!!

Probably best to buy a jar of lime pickle. I did make it once in the late sixties, early in my time of cooking south asian food. I remember it taking a long time and at one stage, needing to sit for a while. The recipe is from Mrs.. Balbir singh’s indian cookery. It was very good, but Iusually buy it in a jar as is recommended.

Sometimes the lentils make khichdi mushy. I like the way moong beans hold their shape in this version. The spices are great.

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