Khichdi with Ghee
A soft, comforting one-pot of rice and yellow moong daal, cooked with cumin, ginger and onion and finished with a sizzling ghee tarka. It's an easy, budget-friendly dinner for a quiet night.
Ingredients
Equipment: Heavy-bottomed pot with lid, small frying pan for the tarka
Method
Rinse the rice and daal together in several changes of cold water until the water runs almost clear. Cover with fresh water and soak for 15 minutes, then drain well.
Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds, peppercorns, cloves and bay leaf and stir for 30 seconds until the cumin sizzles and smells toasty.
Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes until soft and light golden.
Stir in the ginger paste, the 2 crushed garlic cloves and the green chillies and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomato and turmeric and cook for 3 minutes until the tomato breaks down into a soft paste.
Add the drained rice and daal and stir for 1 minute so the grains are coated in the masala. Pour in the hot water, add the salt and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to low, cover with the lid slightly ajar and simmer for 25 minutes, stirring from the bottom every 8 minutes or so. It is done when the rice and daal are completely soft and the mixture looks thick and porridge-like. If it catches or looks dry, add a splash of hot water.
Turn off the heat, cover fully and let the khichdi rest for 5 minutes. Beat it lightly with the back of a spoon for a creamier texture and adjust the salt.
For the tarka, heat the remaining 1 tbsp ghee in a small pan over medium heat. Add the sliced garlic and dried red chillies and fry for 30–40 seconds until the garlic is golden, taking care not to let it burn.
Pour the sizzling tarka over the khichdi, scatter with coriander and serve straight away.
Cooking tips
- Soaking helps the daal cook at the same speed as the rice, so nothing stays hard in the middle.
- Always add hot water, not cold, so the pot keeps simmering and the grains cook evenly.
- Khichdi thickens as it stands. Keep some hot water nearby to loosen it to the texture you like.
- Use good-quality desi ghee for the tarka, since its flavour is the main finish of the dish.
Substitutions
- Use oil or a mix of oil and butter if you don't have ghee, though the flavour will be less nutty.
- Swap basmati for any long-grain or short-grain rice; short-grain gives a creamier result.
- Replace moong daal with masoor daal (red lentils) for a faster cook of about 20 minutes.
- Leave out the tomato and stir in 1 cup of plain yogurt at the table for a milder, tangier version.
Serve with
"Serve hot with plain yogurt or raita, a spoonful of mango or lemon pickle, papad and sliced raw onion with lemon. Fried potato slices or a simple kachumber salad go well alongside."
Storage
"Cool within 1 hour and refrigerate in a covered container for up to 2 days. It can be frozen for up to 1 month without the tarka."
Reheating
"Reheat in a pot over low heat with a few tablespoons of water, stirring often, until steaming hot all the way through. Finish with a fresh spoonful of ghee."
Nutrition per serving, estimated
Estimated from the ingredient list. Values vary with brands and portion size.
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