Gujarati Khichdi is the comfort food for Indians. Short of time, upset digestive system, food for toddlers, easy to digest, quick to make; many questions, one answer-khichadi! And as it goes for most of the common Indian dishes, for khichadi too it can be said that every household has its own recipe for khichadi. Frankly, at my place, the recipe varies within the household too as I make it differently from how my mom-in-law makes it (haha). Gujarati khichdi has a thicker consistency and delicious tempering. It is mushy but not runny and can be relished by one and all. I am not a Khichadi fan but I relish the masala khichdi recipe and Gujarati khichdi recipes a lot.
Ingredients for: Gujarati Khichdi
• ¼ cup green moong dal (soaked for 20-25 minutes)
• ¼ cup broken rice (kani chawal) (soaked for 20-25 minutes)
• A pinch of asafetida (heeng)
• 1/8 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 cups of water
To make tempering
• 1 tbsp clarified butter (ghee)
• 2 garlic cloves (lehsun ki kali), finely chopped
• ½ tsp mustard seeds (rai)
• ¼ tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
• 2 dry red chillies
Instructions for : Gujarati Khichdi
1. Add ½ cup soaked green moong dal and ½ cup soaked broken rice in a pressure cooker. Before doing so make sure to discard the water in which dal and rice were soaked.
2. Next goes in 2 cups of water.
3. A pinch of asafetida (heeng), salt to taste and 1/8 tsp turmeric powder comes next.
4. Let it cook on high flame till the first whistle. Thereafter reduce the flame to low and let the khichdi simmer for 10 minutes. Let the pressure release and then open the cooker.
5. Let’s prepare the tempering for the khichadi. For that heat 1 tbsp clarified butter (ghee). Add ½ tsp mustard seeds (raise), let them crackle and then add ¼ tsp cumin seeds and let them splutter.
6. Add 2 chopped garlic cloves and cook till turn golden.
7. 2 dry red chillies are the next to be added. Cook for 20 seconds or so.
8. Add the sizzling and flavoursome tempering to the cooked khichadi.
9. Serve hot. Bon appétit!
