Khichdi is a very famous, popular and common break fast in every muslims house at Andra Pradesh. Even in other places also it is popular but made it differently and also has different names. In child hood I used to hear about stories of Birbal ki khichdi and Akbar. It is a comfort food for me. At our home khichdi is made at least once a week in the morning, during my childhood and at my granny’s place at least twice a week and in some houses they prefer to have it often. Whenever relations or guests come we serve khichdi in the morning breakfast with other side dishes.
Now I sometimes prefer khichdi in the evenings also, as I get time and I feel like having it. It is easy to make also. Some people think that khichdi is pongal which is a south Indian break fast as it is made with rice and split yellow moong dal, but it is not. You can cook this with basmati rice also, but for break fast only ordinary rice is used like sona masoori or ponni raw rice.
Sometimes I use ponni boiled raw rice, which is mostly eaten in south. Sometimes with the same ingredients of khichdi I make little watery like soup, which is my comfort food. Nothing special but a dollop of ghee and peanut chutney goes well with it.
Khichdi is mostly served with peanut chutney, pappad or badi (papad only but different shapes), chanch ki mirch (curd chilli fried in oil, can see in the picture). Chanch ki mirchi (majjiga mirapakayalu in telugu, moor milaga in tamil) means green chillies are soaked in buttermilk with salt and dried in sunlight and then fried in oil, whenever required. In hotels also it is served during meals in south. It is crispy and tastes good but it can be spicy depending upon the chilli.
Ingredients
- Oil – 4 tbsp
- Cloves – 4
- Green cardamom – 3
- Cinnamon stick (2 inch stick) – 1
- Onion – 1
- Ginger and garlic paste – 1 tbsp
- Mint leaves – handful (30 leaves)
- Turmeric powder – 1 tsp
- Green chillies (slit) – 4
- Rice – 1 cup
- Moong dal – 1/3 cup
- Water – 4 cups
- Salt - as per taste
Method
- First wash the rice and soak it in water for 30min.
- Slice the onions and keep it aside.
- Now take a vessel add ghee or oil, when it gets warm add whole spices, cloves, cinnamon stick, green cardamom, sauté for 30sec, then add onions and sauté till golden brown and it is cooked.
- Now add mint leaves sauté for few seconds then add ginger garlic paste, and green chillies, few coriander leaves sauté for 1-2min, then add the moong dal and roast for 2 to 3 min.
- Now add turmeric powder, roast for 1 to 2 min and add water and let it boil for 5min by closing the lid.
- After 5min, add rice mix well and let it boil till all the water is absorbed and the rice is almost cooked.
- Cook till the water is absorbed in the medium flame, lid half open.
- When little water is left and hole starts forming on the rice, then it is a sign to simmer the flame.
- Close the lid and cook it in simmer (dum) till the rice is cooked, it will take 10 to 12min, depending upon the water in the rice.
- When no moisture is left and rice is cooked switch it off.
- You can check it by just pressing the rice in your finger.
- Serve kichidi with chutney, pappad, curd dry chilli, can see it in the picture.
Notes
- While adding mint, you can add all the ingredients together except rice, sauté for 4 to 5 min, then add water cook as above given.
- In this mint is very important for khichdi.
- It is your wish that you can make it little soft and watery also, we call it gaeda in our home language (mean very soft rice, which is little watery like rice pudding or risotto or pongal texture).
- While roasting mint you can add 1small chopped tomato also (optional).
