Traditional khichdi
Rice and moong dal melted together, the six tastes gathered in a single creamy, restorative bowl.
It is the oldest and most tested meal of human medicine, and the one I cook when the body needs to rest. Rice and moong dal melted together, the six tastes gathered in a single creamy bowl. Nothing is simpler, nothing is more complete.
Ingredients
- 200 g split yellow moong dal (rinsed)
- 200 g white basmati rice (rinsed)
- 2 tbsp coconut oil or ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 5-6 fenugreek seeds
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- A 3-4 cm piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 1.2 to 1.5 litres of hot water
- Himalayan pink salt
- Lemon and fresh parsley to serve
Method
Heat the coconut oil over medium heat. Drop in the cumin and fenugreek, let them crackle for thirty seconds, then the coriander and fennel for ten — the air fills with fragrance. Add the grated ginger and turmeric, stir for ten seconds. Pour in the rinsed rice and dal, stir to coat them in the tadka. Cover with hot water, bring to a simmer, then lower to the gentlest heat and cover. Cook twenty-five to thirty minutes, stirring once or twice; salt halfway through. The khichdi is ready when the dal has melted into the rice and the texture is creamy. Serve with a squeeze of lemon (the sour that completes the six tastes), a little parsley and a thread of ghee.
The tip
Split moong dal has shed its skin and flatulent sugars: it cooks in twenty minutes and melts into cream. It is the only legume held to be tridoshic — balancing the three doshas — and sattvic. In its absence, red lentils are the truest substitute.