Khichdi 
Labda
Khichdi that is prepared with rice, lentils and vegetables available in your kitchen is one of the most filling and nutritious food.
There are no strict rules of how to make khichdi… I, myself, have khichdi several times in a rice cooker with bare minimum ingredients and cooking skill while I was staying in a dorm.
We mostly crave for khichdi when its raining all day long or don’t want to make a separate curry or lentil soup/dal. It can be cooked in a single pot. This recipe is a little more elaborate and involves more steps and the taste does the justice.
Things you need:
- Rice (400 g.)
- Moong Lentil/ Moong Dal (200 g.)
- Split Gram Lentil/ Chholar dal (200 g.)
- Ginger paste (20 g/ 1 tbso)
- Cumin powder (2 tbsp)
- Coriander powder (1 tbsp)
- Chili powder (1 tsp)
- Turmeric powder (1 tbsp)
- Garam masla powder (2 tsp)
- Bay leaves (5-6)
- Green Chili (5-6) or Dried red chili (3-4)
- Chopped onion (200 g/ 2 big onions) [optional]
- Garlic paste (1 tbsp) [optional]
- Sugar (2 tsp)
- Salt
- Mustard oil (200-300 ml.)
- Ghee/Clarified butter (4 tsp)
- Cumin seeds
- Cardamom (6 pcs)
- Potatoes (200 g) [Optional]
- Cabbage/Cauliflower (300 g) [Optional]
- Pumpkin (200 g) [Optional]
- Green peas (100 g) [Optional]
Note: The vegetables and lentils are up to your preference. The onion/garlic paste is optional. This khichdi can be prepared completely vegetarian without compromising the taste!
Preparation:
- Chop the preferred vegetables roughly.
- Peel the potatoes and chop into big pieces.
- Boil water in a sause pan.
- Wash the rice thoroughly and soak in water for 1 hour. Then drain the water.
- Roast the moong dal lightly and then wash it with water.
- Split chana/gram dal can be soaked overnight.
Otherwise wash the dal, add 1/4 tsp baking soda and few drops of lime juice and boil the dal until cooked halfway through.
Drain the water and keep it in separate bowl. - Fry the chopped onions along with the chilies and a pinch of salt.
- Add a little water to mix turmeric-cumin-coriander-chili powder-salt together and set it aside.
- Shallow fry the vegetables.
Procedure:
- Heat mustard oil in a pan. Tamper it with bay leaves, cardamoms and cumin seeds/jeera.
You can add green chilies too.
Add ginger-garlic paste to the pan and keep on stirring with a spatula to avoid sticking at the bottom of the pan. - After a few minutes, add the spice mix(step 8 of preparation) in.
- After a min or 2, add the rice and 2 lentils that were set aside previously. Add boiled water, the water level should be above the grains.
My mom always measures the water with a finger. The water level should be higher as the length of your index finger! (Such Life Hacks!!) - After 15 minutes/Once the water starts boiling add the fried vegetables… You may add some warm water if it’s getting too dry. The pan should be covered with a lid all the time to trap the heat and accelerate the cooking.
- Once the rice and the lentils are cooked properly add some garam masala, ghee, little bit of sugar and mix it well.
- Garnish it with fried onions, chilies and coriander leaves(optional) and keep aside from the flame for at least 15 minutes.
Delicious vegetable-khichdi is ready to be served!!
You can enjoy khichdi with a spoon of pickle or an omelette or some fried vegetables… but best companion of khichdi is “Labda” which is a vegetable curry. Khichdi (or khichudi in bengali) and Labra are often often offered to god and served as prasad after that.
Check out another rainy day recipe (disclaimer : Non veg.)
