By Manjit Handa, PhD
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice (any type of rice is good, but Basmati is preferred)
- ½ cup Lentils (masur dal)
- ½ cup split green gram (moong dal)
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic, diced
- ½ inch ginger root, finely chopped
- 2 medium sized tomatoes, diced
- 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 1 ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 6-7 cups water
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder (optional)
- Coriander or parsley for seasoning
- Salt, as per taste
- Pressure Cooker for cooking
Method
Mix the rice, lentils and green gram and wash thoroughly. In the cooker heat the olive oil and butter and add cumin seeds. Just when they splutter, add garlic, ginger and onion. Keep stirring so that everything is evenly browned. Then add turmeric and tomatoes. When the tomatoes are tender add rice, lentils, green gram mixture, water, salt and pepper. Cover the cooker with the whistle. When you hear the first whistle, simmer down to the lowest and let cook for another five minutes. After putting off the stove, wait until the steam has settled completely because that is also the time when your khichri is being cooked. You could also cook the same meal in a regular pot and add some extra water because it will take a little longer to cook that way.
For variation add as many vegetables you can, into the broth. Finish it with coriander or parsley. Soupy in texture and a complete meal in itself, Khichri is light and especially good for supper. It could be served with any green salad.
Manjit Handa, PhD loves to cook, paint and write. Visit her website here.
