DAAL KHICHDI (SAVOURY RICE AND LENTILS PORRIDGE)

Daal Khichdi is a traditional rice preparation using various daals and rice with an aromatic tempering. You can find umpteen number of recipes for this on the net. Nowadays, this dish is available in almost all restaurants too! It has a subtle taste and is good for digestion, especially if a person is sick. Though at such times, less spices should be used.

For preparing the daal khichdi, some use yellow moong daal or green split moong daal or even just toor daal. I tried creating my own recipe after going through many other recipes on the net and getting one from my friend too.

I have used a combination of three daals and tempered the khichdi twice! This gives it a wonderful flavour! The daal khichdi is cooked to a mushy consistency and is quite different from any pulao or biryani. I have added a few green peas to it, though other vegetables as per choice can be added too. This just increases the health quotient of the khichdi.

If you like this recipe, do take a look at the following recipes too….

1. Garlic Mushroom Stir Fry

2. Kobiche Bhanole

3. Alucha Phatphata

4. Daal Tadka

Here’s the recipe for the delicious Daal Khichdi…….

Prep Time : 20 min

Cooking Time : 30 min

Serves : 4 – 5

Cup Used : 200 ml

INGREDIENTS :

• 1/4 cup + 1.tbs Toor Daal (split pigeon peas)
• 1 tbs Chanaa Daal (split chickpeas)
• 1 tbs Yellow Moong Daal (yellow skinless split moong beans / petite yellow lentils)
• 1 tbs Masoor Daal (split skinless red lentils)
• 1/2 cup Kolam Rice (or any other variety as preferred)
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 5 cups Water…. For cooking the rice
• 1 cup Chopped Onion (1 Large Onion)
• 1/4 cup Chopped Tomato (1 Small Tomato)
• 3/4 cup Green Peas
• 3/4 cup Chopped Carrots
• 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
• 1 1/2 tsp Bedgi Red Chilli Powder
• 1 tsp Curry Powder/Sambaar Powder….. Optional
• 1/2 cup Chopped Coriander Leaves
• Salt to taste
• Homemade ghee as required

For The 1st Tempering :

• 2 tbs Homemade Ghee (Clarified Butter)
• 1 1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2 Cloves
• 2 Cinnamon Sticks (1″ each)
• 1/4 tsp Asafoetida
• 4 Bor Marcha (Small Round Dry Red Chillies)
• 4 Garlic Cloves… Large ones
• 1 1/2″ Ginger
• 3 Green Chillies

For The Second Tempering :

• 1 tbs Homemade Ghee
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 4 Garlic Cloves ….. Roughly crushed
• 3 Bor Marcha

METHOD :

1. To make the Daal Khichdi, first wash and soak the daals and rice grains separately in sufficient water for about half an hour.
2. Drain out all the water and transfer the daals and rice to a pressure pan. Add the mentioned water and asafoetida and cover with the lid. Pressure cook for 6 whistles.
3. Open the lid only after the pressure has released naturally. Stir well with a ladle and set aside.
4. Grind the ginger garlic and green chillies mentioned in the first tempering, to get a coarse paste.
5. In the meantime, heat a saucepan and add the oil for tempering to it. When it heats up, add the cumin seeds, cloves, cinnamon, bor marcha, asafoetida and the ginger garlic green chilli paste. Saute for about half a minute.
6. Add the chopped onions and saute till translucent.
7. Add the turmeric powder and mix well. Now add the chopped tomatoes, carrots and green peas and saute.
8. Cover with a lid and cook till the tomatoes are mushy and the peas are soft.
9. Add the red chilli powder, the cooked daal rice mixture and salt to taste. The mixture must have thickened by now.
10. Add almost a cup of water and bring to a boil. Check seasoning and adjust salt and spices if required.
11. Switch off the flame and cover with a lid.
12. Before serving, heat a small kadhai for the second tempering and add the homemade ghee to it.
13. When the ghee heats up, add the cumin seeds. As soon as they splutter, add the bor marcha and crushed garlic to it. Saute for about a min and pour it over the prepared khichdi.
14. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve the piping hot Daal Khichdi with a dollop of some homemade ghee on the top.
15. Serve some sweet fresh curds and some Aappe Aamle Lonche or Gaajar Flower Taaja Loncha by the side too!

NOTE :

If using basmati rice, then reduce the quantity of mentioned water and use just about 2 1/2 – 3 cups water for cooking the khichdi.