Chana Dal Khichdi – Meatless Monday

Kitchen Equipments Required

Chopping board, knife, a medium bowl to soak, a pressure cooker or a sauce pan with lid, cooking spoon or ladle, a small pan to make tadka/Chhaunk.

Ingredients

Basmati Rice – 1/2 cup

Chana Dal – 1/2 cup

Ginger – 1 tsp, finely chopped

Onions – 1/2 cup, thinly sliced

Water – 4 cups

Coriander / Cilantro Leaves for garnish

Lemon juice to add later

Oil & Spices

Ghee – 1/2 tbsp

Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp

Bay Leaf – 1 small

Cinnamon stick – 1 small

Red Chili, whole & dry – 1

Cloves – 2

Black pepper corns – 4

Turmeric – 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder – 1/4 tsp

Garam Masala – 1/4 tsp

Salt – 1&1/4 tsp or to taste

Sugar – 1 pinch

Tadka / Chhaunk

Ghee –  1 tbsp

Asafetida / Hing – a pinch

Cumin seeds – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp

Method

1. Take a bowl. Add rice and Chana dal to it. Wash it thoroughly and soak in 1&1/2 cups water for 15 minutes.
2. Take the pressure cooker. Heat 1/2 tbsp ghee in it. Lower the heat and add cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon stick, whole red chili, cloves and black pepper corn to it.
3. Once the cumin seeds start crackling, add ginger and onions to it. Also add the pinch of sugar. Sauté the onions on medium flame till they become golden brown. Adding a pinch of sugar to the onions, help in quick and nice caramelization of the onions. You may skip the sugar as well.
4. Once the onions are golden, drain the water from soaked rice and dal. Add the rice and dal to the pressure cooker along with turmeric, red chili powder, salt and garam masala. Stir in well and cook for a minute.
5.  Now add 4 cups of water. Stir well with ladle.
6. Put the lid of the pressure cooker along with its weight (whistle). Increase the heat to maximum. Cook for 1 whistle and then lower the flame. Cook on summer for 3-5 minutes. Switch off the flame. Let the steam evaporate on its own.
7. Now remove the weight and open the lid. Let it stand for 5 minutes.
8. Add chopped coriander leaves. Stir gently.
9. Pour out in a serving bowl. Top with tadka and serve warm.
10. Making the Tadka – Heat Ghee in a pan. Lower the flame and add cumin seeds and asafetida to it. Once the cumin seeds crackle, add red chili powder and switch off the flame. It is ready to be poured over Khichdi.

Notes

If you are using the sauce pan instead of pressure cooker, use 6 cups of water. After the first boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook on simmer, till water is evaporated and chan dal is cooked well.