277. Tuvar dal khichdi

Not Like Patel Samaj

      Patel Samaj in Mombasa is very famous for its Khichdi, kadhi and shaak. The shaak or vegetable is made of potatoes and brinjals. The khichdi is made of rice and tuvar dal (split pigeon pea lentils). Its the most yummiest I have ever tasted. 30 years in Mombasa and the khichdi still tastes the same. Food cooked for the community always tastes the best. The whole meal is usually made by the men. Patel Samaj does have at least 4 to 6 khichdi programs every year. It usually takes place on a Sunday at lunch time. After the heavy meal, one wants to just take a siesta. Good way to spend a Sunday. The khichdi is usually a bit gooey with loads and loads of ghee. A kachumbar (salad)  made of onions, cucumber, tomatoes, cabbage and a dressing is served with the khichdi. Today I am going to share the recipe for tuvar dal khichdi and it is not like the Patel Samaj one. If you want to make it like Patel Samaj then you need to use lots of ghee or come down to Mombasa to have it. Yes but cannot guarantee that when you do come here there will be a khichdi lunch program!

TUVAR DAL KHICHDI (SPLIT PIGEON PEA LENTIL RICE)
6 Servings

1 cup basmati or pishori rice
¾ cup tuvar dal (split pigeon pea lentils)
4½ cups water
1¼ tsp salt
½ tsp turmeric powder (haldi)

For tempering or vaghar:
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
10 peppercorns
8 cloves
2 inch cinnamon stick broken into smaller pieces
1 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 dry red chillis
1 tbsp thinly cut ginger strips

1. Wash the rice and dal together. Add 4 cups of water and let it soak for at least 30 minutes.
2. Take a deep pan and add ghee into it. Heat the pan over medium heat.
3. When the ghee melts, add all the tempering ingredients. Stir fry for a few seconds.
4. Add the rice mixture along with the water.
5. Add salt and turmeric powder. Stir the mixture.
6. Cover the pan and bring the water to a boil. Keep checking that the frothy water does not boil over.
7. Once the water begins to boil, lower the heat and cover the pan. Cook the khichdi over low heat till it is done. 
8. Occasionally stir the khichdi so that it does not stick to the bottom and the water does not boil over the pan. The khichdi is done when both the dal and rice are cooked and there is no water left.
9. Serve khichdi with kadhi, brinjal potato shaak, chaas, papads and a pickle of your choice. 

Tips:

• Add more water if required during cooking. The amount of water required will depend on how old the rice and dal are. 
• If you want a softer consistency of khichdi, add more water.
• 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 use the serving size will vary.
• 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. 
• Any khichdi if made a bit soft and gooey is an excellent meal for toddlers. 
• I love using the rice cooker for all my rice dishes. 
• If you are fighting for time, use a pressure cooker to make the khichdi. Let the whistle blow thrice. Make sure you use low heat otherwise the khichdi will get burnt. 

You may want to check out the following:

Moong khichdi

Sabudana khichdi

Vrindavan khichdi