Khichdi
- Serves
- 3-4
- Prep Time
- 5 Minutes
- Cook Time
- 20 Minutes
Khichdi is the favorite comfort food of Indians. It is a soft, pillowy pilaf made of rice and yellow, hulled, split mung bean. Despite the vast culinary diversity of India, khichdi is made in almost every state in myriad forms - with vegetables, without vegetables, with spices, with minimal spices, with tadka (tempered oil) or without tadka. The very basic recipe follows. It is a quick meal, which my mother churned out every time we arrived home from a trip.
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice
- 1/2 cup yellow, hulled, split mung bean
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
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Directions
- Step 1
Wash rice and mung beans in water till the water runs clear. Soak them together in 2 cups water for 15-30 minutes. It's fine if you do not have time to soak them. Just wash them and set them aside.
- Step 2
Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan with a lid. Add cumin seeds and once they stop sputtering, add turmeric. If you are vegan, replace ghee with any neutral oil.
- Step 3
Pour three cups water in the seasoned ghee and follow it up with the washed rice and mung beans. Add salt.
- Step 4
Keep on eye on khichdi and once the water disappears, put a lid on and turn the heat to low. After 5-10 minutes, remove the lid and take a bit of rice out with a spoon. If it is soft and mashable, turn the heat off.
- Step 5
Eat the khichdi warm with papad and kadhi. Don't forget to pour ghee liberally on the khichdi.