Khichdi is a simple Gujarati lentil and rice dish that can be made with minimum fuss. Traditionally khichdi is eaten with kadhi, a savoury curry made with a yoghurt base, but it works well with anything that is strongly flavoured or spicy as it is mild.

There are of course variations to this dish. However, the recipe below is the basic one.

This recipe serves 4. Preparation time is about 5 minutes. Cooking time is about 30-40 minutes.

Ingredients

• 1 cup white basmati rice. (Washed in water and drained.)
• 1 cup yellow lentils¹. (Washed and soaked in water. Drained.)
• About 4 cups of water.
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds.
• 1 teaspoon oil.
• Salt to taste.

Method

1. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed vessel.²
2. Once oil is hot, add cumin seeds. Allow cumin seeds to splutter but do not let them get burnt.
3. Fold in the yellow lentils and rice. Mix cumin seeds thoroughly with the lentils and rice.
4. Stir in water and salt.
5. Bring to boil.
6. Lower the flame (or the heat if using an electric stove), partially cover the pot and cook until the rice is cooked.

Serve hot with a sprinkling of coriander. This dish can also be served with some plain yoghurt.

Khichdi can also be cooked in a pressure cooker or (in these modern times) in a microwave. In both of these cases, the cooking time will decrease to about 20 – 30 minutes.

Variations

Other ingredients can be added to the khichdi. These can be experimented with to vary the taste of the final product.

Spices

• Cinnamon sticks
• Chilli
• Cloves
• Bay leaves
• Turmeric powder
• Asafoetida
• Fenugreek
• Peppercorns

Chopped onions and ginger can also be added.

These spices should be added after the oil has been heated. They should not be added all together – too many spices can spoil the flavour of the dish.

Vegetables

• Green peas
• Cabbage
• Pumpkin
• Potato
• Cauliflower
• Carrot

These are just examples of the types of vegetables that can be added. Feel free to experiment. A word of caution: only use 2-3 combinations of vegetables together. Otherwise, the khichdi will taste like a hodgepodge of conflicting flavours.