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.
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.