Tuvar Dal Khichdi

Recipe: Tuvar Dal Khichdi

Tuvar Dal Khichdi is a simple, healthy, comforting nutritious one pot meal. It is basically split pigeon peas and rice cooked together with some spices. Generally it is served with kadhi, a yogurt based curry and a shaak or vegetable curry. We like to have it with Bateta Ringad Nu Shaak which is a potato eggplant curry. One the side we serve some roasted papad, Kachumbari and any pickle of one’s choice That makes a perfect filling lunch for lazy Sunday afternoons. After a meal of khichdi, kadhi and shaak you will surely feel drowsy and want to snooze for a bit. Sometimes my mum would prepare Moora Ni Bhaji as it also goes well with khichdi.

For those who follow a vegan diet, omit ghee in the khichdi. Instead of the yogurt kadhi you can make Vegan Kadhi which I make out of coconut milk.

Memories

I have a lot of memories connected to this Khichdi Thali. Thali in this context comprises of Tuvar Dal Khichdi, Kadhi, Bateta Ringad Nu Shaak, Kachumbari, pickle and papad. Occasionally we would also make some vaghareli chaas and thepla.

Growing Up

Growing up Sundays was khichdi for lunch for the full family that comprised 12-18 members. My mum would make all the components of the khichdi thali in big pots. We would then all sit on the floor of the porch, overlooking out garden and have lunch. If it was the porch then it was a picnic spot. Could be at the Arboretum, Thika Falls or Fourteen Falls. Yes, we carried khichdi, kadhi, shaak for our picnics too. And what fun it was. Mum brought the khichdi, and my dad’s friends’ wives brought chicken or kheema, home baked cake, makhani dal or chole with big thickish pooris. One of his friend had a bakery and he would bring the sliced bread loaves for the meat and sweetish yellow scones for our tea time treat. Scones here refers to the ultra soft spongy bread buns.

After Marriage

Coming to a new household after marriage, Sundays was khichdi thali for them too. But what I loved was the monthly khichdi lunch at our community hall – Patel Samaj. The men made the khichdi, kadhi, Bateta Ringad Nu Shaak, Kachumabari and chaas. The Tuvar Dal khichdi was loaded with ghee, it was made pretty soft, almost to a gooey consistency. Kachumbari included chunks of tomatoes, onion, cucumber, cabbage and beetroot. Kadhi too was loaded with ghee. No wonder after a khichdi meal at Patel Samaj we all would head home, straight into our rooms and have a deep deep afternoon siesta. It is unfortunate that after the Pandemic, the khichdi programs have become almost non existent.

Present Day

When we moved to Canada, the Sunday Khichdi went out!  Now it has become a weekday meal. And during summer it probably gets cooked once or twice. Also I don’t add too much ghee. Just enough for the tempering or vaghar. Also I don’t make it gooey. Also I don’t make the kadhi. We actually enjoy the khichdi with some yogurt or dahi.  However, come winter and the story is different. Hot khichdi with kadhi and shaak is so comforting.

Ingredients Required For Tuvar Dal Khichdi

Rice

Can use long grain or short grain rice. If you want the khichdi to have separate grains then it is best to use basmati rice. In Kenya we would use pishori rice. For a gooey version it is best to use short grain rice.

Tuvar Dal

Also known as toor dal, aahar dal or split pigeon pea. Easily available in all Indian Stores. You will find two varieties- one with oil and one without the oil. The split pigeon  peas rubbed with oil stays longer as the castor oil prevents weevils eating up the dal. Split beans or peas is generally referred to as dal in India. It also means curry prepared from them.

Ghee | Oil

Generally ghee is added to khichdi. However, for a vegan version you can use oil. We love ghee in our khichdi.

Water

The amount of water required will largely depend on what consistency you want the khichdi. Separate grains of rice and dal requires less.Naturally, the softer or gooey version will require more water. I find that 4 – 4½ cups is enough for the separate grain version. For a softer consistency we would need about 5 – 5½ cups. Also depends on how you are going to cook the khichdi. If cooked in a saucepan over the stove then you need more water. If cooked in a pressure cooker or an Instant Pot  4 – 4½ cups is enough for separate grains. 5 – 5½ cups for the softer consistency.

Salt

Add according to your taste.

Turmeric Powder

Hardar, haldi. We will be adding some to the rice lentil mixture.

Black Peppercorns

We need about 6-8 peppercorns for the tempering or vaghar. Here we add whole spices for the subtle flavour and not the powders.

Cinnamon 

A one inch cinnamon stick is enough for flavouring the khichdi.

Cloves

4-6 cloves or laving, laung.

Mustard Seeds

Rai or sarson ke dane as it is called in Gujarati and Hindi. We need some for the tempering.

Cumin Seeds

Jeera, jiru, we need some for the vaghar or tempering.

Dry Red Chillis, Whole

Add 1-2 dry red chillis. It will add a slight chilli flavour to the khichdi.

Asafoetida

Also known as heeng or hing. Adds an umami flavour and helps with digestion. For gluten free khichdi omit adding asafoetida as it contains wheat flour.

Ginger

Peel and cut about 1 inch fresh ginger into thin slices.

TUVAR DAL KHICHDI 

mayurisjikoni

Tuvar Dal Khichdi is a simple, healthy, comforting nutritious one pot meal. It is basically split pigeon peas and rice cooked together with some spices. Generally it is served with kadhi, a yogurt based curry and a shaak or vegetable curry.

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Prep Time 5 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

SOAKING TIME 30 minutes mins

Total Time 50 minutes mins

Course Main Course, Main Meal

Cuisine Gujarati, Indian

Servings 4

Ingredients

  

• 1 cup rice
• 1 cup tuvar dal
• 4½ cups water
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric powder

FOR THE TEMPERING OR VAGHAR

• 2 tbsp ghee
• 8 peppercorns
• 6 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick broken into smaller pieces
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 dry red chillis
• ¼ tsp asafoetida
• 1 inch ginger cut into thin strips

Instructions

 

• Wash the rice and dal together. Add some tap water and gently rub with your fingers.
• Drain out the water. Add some again. Repeat this 3-4 times.
• Add 4½ cups of water to the rice lentil mixture. Let it soak for at least 30 minutes.
• Add ghee to a pressure cooker or the inner steel pot of the Instant Pot.
• When the ghee melts, add cinnamon, clove, peppercorns. Allow them to sizzle a bit.
• Add the mustard and cumin seeds. Add the red chillis. Also add the ginger strips and stir fry for 30 seconds.
• Add asafoetida and the soaked rice lentil mixture along with the water.
• Add salt and turmeric powder. Stir the mixture.
• Cover the pressure cooker with the lid. Allow the khichdi to cook over medium heat for 2 whistles.
• After two whistles switch off the heat. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Then open the cooker lid.
• If you have soaked the rice and dal then the khichdi gets done in two whistles. If you haven't soaked it then you may need to cook for 3-4 whistles.
• If you are using the instant pot, close the lid after adding the rice lentil mixture. Click on the rice setting.
• Allow it to cook according to the setting. Usually it is 12-14 minutes.
• Allow the pressure to release naturally.
• Serve khichdi with any shaak of your choice, kadhi, some pickle, papad, Kachumbari.

Notes

• Add more water for a more softer and gooey khichdi. You may need 5-5½ cups of it.
• The ratio of the rice to the dal can vary. You can use 1:1 or 1:¾ or 1:½. Depending on which ratio you want. If you want less rice and more dal or vice versa. Usually 1:1 is commonly used.
• If you do not have dry red chillis, use split green chillis.
• If you are making khichdi for your baby or small child, avoid spices like chillis, ginger, peppercorns, cinnamon and cloves. Add only salt, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Asafoetida prevents bloating. And make it soft.

Keyword toor dal khichdi, tuvar dal khichdi, tuvar ni khichdi

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