FOOD|NUTRITION
Khichuri The National Dish Of India
Light and best mold it the way you want it.
There are many wholesome simple dishes available in India. The one dish that is complete in itself as a meal is called khichuri. It is light, and nutritious, and is made in every state in the country.
Khichuri can be molded in different ways to suit the taste of people. The simplest and easiest is to make it with a yellow lentil called Moong Dal.
Moong Dal is a native pulse in India. It is know as green Gram Beans when it is whole. It can be split and also be skinned and then it looks yellow.
In many states of India particularly in Maharashtra and in the southern states of India it is made with Toor Dal(Pulse)/Arhar dal or Red gram dal/Pulse. (Some people know it as pigeon pea pulse/lentil.)
Khichuri can be made by any of these 4 pulses. Pulses and lentils are used interchangeably. It means the same thing. They have a lot of protein and there is no fat content in them.
Various types of khichuri you can make
1️⃣Plain simple khichri
🌹You can make plain khichuri with skinned yellow pulse/split green pulse/whole green pulse and red
🌹The quantity is 1/2 cup rice and 1/2 cup lentil that you select because it is in between a soup and a dry dish. It is slightly watery and looks light.( It is like a salty porridge)
All you do is wash the rice and the lentils separately. Soak it and keep it for half an hour.
Then pressure cook it. If you do not have a pressure cooker or a pan then just use a pan with a light lid, adding salt to taste.
Boil the rice and the lentil for 15 or 20 minutes until soft.
Just temper the whole cumin seed in a tablespoon of oil or ghee (clarified butter) to release their essential oils, thus enhancing their flavor.
When it is soft it is ready to eat. It should not be mashed. The texture should be as shown above in the picture.
2️⃣Kichuri with vegetables
You can add some vegetables like cauliflower and carrots or beans or peas whatever you like to the above recipe and enjoy the vegetable khichuri.
3️⃣Kichuri with mushrooms
Some people add mushrooms to their kichuri and find it tasty.
4️⃣Kichuri with chicken or lamb meat
To your basic rice and lentils you may add some cooked chicken or meat and the dish becomes wholesome for meat eaters.
In India, we like to eat this wholesome complete meal with Plain white unsweetened yogurt.
At one time people in India ate khichuri whenever they wanted to eat light food but now everyone likes it so much and eats it whenever they want to and keeps on adding whatever they want to the basic khichuri.
The basic dish ingredients
Rice 1/2 cup Lentil 1 cup Salt to taste Whole cumin seeds Oil or ghee for tempering and pouring over the khichuri
Other Khichuri’s
Additional ingredients depending on your taste buds - People who want to eat spices can add turmeric, coriander, ginger, garlic, tomatoes, onion, red pepper, or black pepper as per taste.
Khichuri takes 20 minutes to be ready and you can enjoy a super nutritious filling dish. You can carry it with you for a picnic or make it when you are in a hurry and enjoy the tasty dish.
©Dr. Preeti Singh, 2024.
To get my stories in your inbox, you may subscribe to my content here. You may connect with me on Facebook, Instagram, Linkedin, or via email: [email protected]