Allergens in Bihari Khichdi: milk.
Ingredients
Quantities for 4.
- 1 cup, short-grain, rinsed Rice
- 0.75 cup, yellow split, rinsed Moong Dal
- 4 tbsp Ghee2 tbsp for the tadka, 2 tbsp spooned over at the table
- 1.5 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 0.25 tsp Asafoetidause compounded-free hing to keep this gluten-free
- 3, broken Dried Red Chilli
- 1 Bay Leaf
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 tbsp, finely chopped Ginger
- 2, slit Green Chilli
- to taste Salt
- 1.4 litres Water
- 150g, in small florets Cauliflowerthe winter version; skip in summeroptional
- 0.5 cup Peasoptional
Cookware
pressure cooker, stovetop
Checked against the ingredient list for ten allergens: milk, egg, fish, crustaceans, tree nuts, peanuts, sesame, mustard, soy and gluten. Brands vary, so read the label on anything new to you.
Before you start
- Rinse the rice and dal together until the water runs almost clear, then leave them to soak 20 minutes. It makes the khichdi break down properly.
- Dry-roast the moong dal in a pan for 2 minutes before rinsing if you want the nuttier Mithila version.
- Have the chokha and pickle on the table first; khichdi is served the moment it comes off the heat.
Method
- Drain the soaked rice and dal well.
- Heat 2 tbsp ghee in the pressure cooker and crackle the cumin seeds for 20 seconds until they darken a shade.
- Add the asafoetida, broken red chillies and bay leaf and fry 10 seconds. The hing should foam and smell sharp.
- Stir in the ginger and green chilli and fry 1 minute until fragrant.
- Add the cauliflower and peas if using and fry 3 minutes until the florets pick up a little colour.
- Tip in the drained rice and dal with the turmeric and fry 2 minutes, stirring, until every grain is coated in ghee.This short fry stops the khichdi turning gluey.
- Pour in the water, add salt, close the cooker and cook on high for 3 whistles, then off the heat for 10 minutes.Do not force the pressure down. The khichdi finishes softening in the residual steam.
- Open the cooker and stir hard for 30 seconds; it should be loose enough to pour off a spoon. Add hot water a splash at a time if it has set.Bihari khichdi is deliberately sloppy, not fluffy. Err on the wet side.
- Serve into bowls and spoon the remaining ghee over each portion at the table, with chokha, papad and pickle alongside.
Storage
Keeps 2 days refrigerated. It sets solid when cold. Reheat on the stovetop with 100 ml hot water per portion, stirring until it pours again.
Nutrition Medium estimate
One serving of Bihari Khichdi (482 g) is about 460 calories, or 96 calories per 100 g.
Medium protein: 15 g a serving, 13% of the calories
| Per serving482 g | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 460 kcal | 96 kcal |
| Protein | 14.8 g | 3 g |
| Carbohydrate | 69.8 g | 14 g |
| of which sugars | 4.6 g | 1 g |
| Fibre | 8.6 g | 2 g |
| Fat | 14.1 g | 3 g |
| of which saturated | 8.3 g | 2 g |
| of which unsaturated | 4.9 g | 1 g |
Ingredients given to taste count as zero, so the real figures run a little higher. Nearest database match used for asafoetida. Estimated from raw ingredients using USDA FoodData Central.
More like this: Vegetarian Indian recipes · Gluten-free Indian recipes · No onion no garlic recipes · Bihari recipes
Times, yields, allergens and nutrition are guidance. Use your own judgement on doneness and on storing. More in About.