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In times of high stress, there's truly nothing like rice khichdi! Try these yummy (and easy) rice khichdi recipes, comfort food that can warm you from inside.
In times of high stress, there’s truly nothing like rice khichdi! Try these yummy (and easy) rice khichdi recipes, comfort food that can warm you from inside.
Rice khichdi! The very name evokes memories of home, of hot meals served with love, made and eaten on days when you just need a little easy cooking. This easy but wholesome dish rules the lives of us Indians.
Most families prepare this hearty one pot meal which can be relished while watching the rain and feeling the chill of cold air on your face, but even when its summer, light versions will work.
Even for those of us who love cooking, there are days when all we want to do is just cozy up on our couch and enjoy a hot cup of tea, if only it was served at our doorstep (sounds heavenly, doesn’t it?). Cooking or even stepping into the kitchen makes us feel sloppy that is when this yummy thought of simple rice khichdi recipes comes as a saving grace.
Easy to prepare and light on stomach, khichdi is nothing but a blend of rice and dal cooked to a smooth texture with very less or no spices. Each household has its own variation of this wonder meal. Read on to find out few such easy recipes.
This is the most simple and common one when it comes to khichdi recipes. Most people combine two dals with rice whereas others stick to only one. My personal recipe for this is the mix of masoor dal and moong dal with any kind of rice.
To one cup of rice add 1/4th cup of yellow moong dal, 1/4th cup of masoor dal. Wash thoroughly and soak them for about half an hour. This is optional. You can pressure cook or cook on open heat.
Take 1 tbsp oil in a thick bottomed pan, add 1tsp cumin seeds (jeera) and mustard seeds. Add 2 red chillies and 1 sprig of curry leaves to it when the mustard seeds start spluttering. Add in a pinch of asafoetida. This gives a good aroma and helps in digestion.
Pour 4 cups of water to this and salt to your taste. Let it come to boil.
To the boiling water add 1tsp of turmeric powder (haldi) and 1tsp of garam masala.
At this stage add the drained lentils (dal) and rice to the boiling hot water. Cover it with a lid and cook until soft. If you wish to pressure cook, cook for 3 whistles. This gives the khichdi a soft texture.
Remove the lid of cooker when the pressure subsides, dish out the khichdi, and drizzle with 2 tbsp of ghee.
Serve it hot with instant carrot pickle, dahi and papad.
Note: this recipe can be used as a recipe for toddlers and infants as well just skip the red chillies and garam masala.
One more variation for this dal khichdi recipe is by using green moong dal instead of the yellow moong. The ratio for this khichdi should be one is to one i.e equal parts of rice and dal. The quantity of water can be 3 cups for 1 cup of rice and dal.
This is even healthier as the green moong dal is lighter on stomach and easier to digest.
This khichdi as the name suggests is a spicier one with added vegetables. This can be a full wholesome meal in itself as it has all the ingredients commonly used in our everyday cooking.
Find here the detailed recipe.
This is the South Indian version of khichdi. Khichdi as such is not native to any particular state. It’s just that each one makes it different as per the tastes of their region either by adding or by reducing the ingredients used.
Women down south prepare this khichdi or pongal mostly with the newly harvested rice. The most unique part about pongal is that unlike the regular khichdi there are hardly any spices added to it not even turmeric powder but it just melts in your mouth and of course the aroma of ghee keeps you wanting more.
To prepare ven pongal take 1 cup of rice (preferably new rice) 1 cup of yellow moong dal. Dry roast the dal and rice separately until they turn light brown. Make sure not to over roast both. A little under done is also fine.
Wash thoroughly the roasted mixture and drain it into a canister.
Heat 2tsp oil in a thick bottomed pan or a pressure cooker (whichever). Add 2tsp of cumin seeds (jeera). Let it splutter. Add 1 sprig of curry leaves, 10 – 15 freshly crushed peppercorns and a pinch of asafoetida.
Add 6 cups of water to the tempering and bring it to boil. To the boiling water add the the drained rice and dal mixture, 2 tsp of salt or as per your taste.
Place the lid of the pressure cooker at this point and cook until 4 -5 whistles. This should ideally be cooked to a mushy consistency.
Meanwhile in a small pan heat 2tbsps of ghee and roast about 5-6 broken cashew nuts and garnish the hot pongal.
Serve it hot with coconut chutney, tiffin sambar or brinjal gothsu.
The variety of rice khichdi recipes can be endless. How I wish I could include more. For now go by the popular saying “khichdi ke chaar yaar, ghee papad dahi aur achar”.
Just team your hot rice khichdi with its four inseparable friends and enjoy your chilly afternoon.
Image source: By RohitValecha (Own work) [CC BY-SA 4.0], via Wikimedia Commons, for representational purposes only
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