Name: Khichri (Moong dal aur chawal ki khichri)
Yield: Serves 6–8
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: 130 g/4½ oz fresh or frozen and defrosted shelled peas; 170 g/6 oz moong dal, picked over, washed and drained; 175 g/6 oz jasmine or basmati rice, washed in several changes of water, drained; 220 g/8 oz potato, peeled, washed and cut into 1cm/½ inch dice; 2 fresh, hot green bird’s eye chillies (other fresh green chillies may be substituted), sliced into fine rounds; 8 lime or lemon wedges; fresh green coriander leaves; fresh, hot green chillies such as bird’s eye, finely sliced; a bowl of ghee, or the best olive oil; 3 tablespoons ghee, or vegetable oil; 1.5 litres/2½ pints water; salt; 175 g/6 oz tomato, finely chopped, or canned may be substituted out of season; 2.5 cm/1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated; ½ large onion, peeled and very finely chopped; 1 teaspoon cumin seeds; 50 ml/1¾ fl oz water; ¼–½ teaspoon cayenne pepper, or Kashmiri chilli powder; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine julienne strips; homemade Garam masala; 1 teaspoon homemade Garam masala; 225 g/8 oz small cauliflower florets; 3 bay leaves

Preparation info

Serves
6–8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cookery

By Madhur Jaffrey

Published 2023

About

You might call khichri one of India’s soul foods. It dates from antiquity, from before the birth of Christ or Buddha. At its simplest, it is a porridge of rice and moong dal, which even babies on solid food can eat as moong dal is, of all dals, the easiest to digest. (I give you that baby/child recipe below right.) But khichri can get expansive, grand and more modern to include all manner of spices, seasonings and vegetables. You may serve this expansive version on any festive day. I used t