Bhuni khichuri or bhoger khichuri/khichdi. A very aromatic and delicious one pot meal . This khichdi is usually prepared for offering as bhog prasad for Goddess with 5 types of vegetable fry, mixed vegetable or labra, dum aloo, chutney, rice kheer and sweets etc.
Now what is bhog? Food prepared to offer God called naivedyam or bhog. I had mentioned about bhog in my Durga Puja Or Sharad Utsab post. Not only khichdi but Luchi , Radhaballabhi, pulao , Misti doi suji or semolina halwa and different kinds of sweets also can be prepared for bhog. You can serve this khichdi with any no onion garlic curry. I had served it with papad, begun bhaja, dum aloo, mixed vegetable or labra, chutney and rice kheer.
And some salted vegetable fry to serve with this khichdi. Aloo bhaja or fried potato, fried cauliflower, begun bhaja or fried brinjal and pumpkin fry.
Here are some recipes that you can make with khichuri.
.Date raisin jaggery chutney with mango bar
.No onion garlic makhana curry
.Rice kheer with date palm jaggery or khajur gur
You can call it moong dal khichdi. But let me tell you that its not light moong khichdi which normally served to sick people. But this khichdi or khichuri is taste like pulao. Usually fried cauliflower and potatoes are used to make this bhoger khichuri or bhuni khichuri. But you can also make it with only green peas if you want. You can add cashew nuts and raisins in the khichdi if you like. Normally gobindobhog rice is used to make this khichdi but I don’t have gobindobhog rice so used Indrayani rice. My daughter bought it from Pune. You can use any fragrant short grain rice.
Monday again and this week 277 #Foodiemonday bloghop theme is One Pot Wonder suggested by Archana Gunjikar Potdar who blog at Mad Scientist Kitchen. Archana is a wonderful blogger. I always love her authentic Goan recipes, different types of continental recipes and delicious bakes. Her Plum and apple cobbler and Goan-methi-che-polle-recipe are in my next to try recipes. Do visit her space for many more amazing recipes.
Now coming to the recipe. You can also make this khichdi in pressure cooker. If you are using pressure cooker add only 4 & 1/2 cup water. You need more water in open pot. But khichdi taste best in open pot, as I did. Fry the moong dal well or till you feel the aroma of fried moong dal and dal becomes golden brown. You can add less sugar according to your taste. But don’t skip it. To make the khichdi more aromatic and ghee and little Bengali garam masala powder at the end. You can add water according to your desired consistency but don’t make the khichdi runny. This khichdi or khichuri taste just like pulao. You can dry roast the dal and then wash and add with rice in the khichdi. You can add cumin powder and red chilli powder if you want. I am sharing my mother’s recipe here.
Recipe
Moong dal – 1 cup
Rice – 3/4 cup
Potato – 2 large
Cauliflower florets- 13 – 14
Slit green chili – 2 – 3
Green peas – 3/4 cup
Grated ginger – 1 tablespoon
Cumin seeds – 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilli – 1
Bay leaf – 2
Green cardamom – 3, crushed
Cloves – 3 – 4
Cinnamon – 1 inch piece
Mustard oil – 4 – 5 tablespoon
Ghee or clarified butter – 2 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder – 1 teaspoon
Sugar – 1 tablespoon or to taste
Water – 6 – 7 cup
Method
1. Wash the rice well and soak in water for 10-15 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside. Use gobindobhog rice or any fragrant short grain rice.
2. Wash the moong dal and drain well.
3. Peel the potatoes and cut into 4 pieces.
4. Heat mustard oil in a pan or wok. Fry the potato pieces till brown. Remove from oil.
5. In the same oil fry the cauliflower florets. When florets becomes brown remove from oil and place on a plate.
6. Now add 1 tablespoon ghee or clarified butter in the oil. Add cumin seeds, dry red chilli, crushed or broken green cardamom, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf.
7. Add drained moong dal and fry for a minute. Add grated ginger and fry till dal becomes golden brown.
8. You can dry roast the dal before washing, dry roast till fragrant and golden brown. If you are dry roasting moong dal then wash when cool and add it with rice.
9. Add soaked and drained rice. Mix well. Add salt, turmeric powder, fried potato pieces, green peas and stir well. Saute for a minute. You can add 1 teaspoon cumin powder and 1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder if you want. I didn’t.
10. Add 5 cup water and slit green chili. Mix everything well. When it starts to rolling boil reduce the heat. Cover and cook on simmer for 15 minutes.
11. Stir in between. Check after 10 minutes and you can add more warm water if required. If you are using gobindobhog rice then you may need less water.
12. Now add sugar and fried cauliflower florets. You can also add some cashew nuts and raisins if you like.
13. Add 1 cup warm water and mix well. Cover and cook on simmer for 10 minutes more. I like my bhuni khichuri/khichdi dry. But if you like medium thick then you can add little more warm water. Khichdi shouldn’t be runny so add water carefully.
14. At last add 1 tablespoon ghee and switch off the heat. Add more ghee if you wish. I have added some more ghee before serving. You can add little Bengali garam masala powder at the end. Get the recipe of Bengali garam masala here.
15. Serve hot khichuri/khichdi with begun bhaja or beguni or baigan pakoda, labra, Dum aloo , tomato chutney or Khajur or date chutney, Mango-raisin-chutney papad, paesh or rice kheer and Misti doi.
If you tried my recipe, you can share your food pictures with me in the social network sites by using hashtag, #batterupwithsujata I would love to see your creations.
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