The Ultimate Guide to Cooking Rice the Indian Way (4 page)

In this version of
Khichdi
, a different lentil viz.
split chick pea (
Chana Dal
) is used in place of the more popular Bengal
gram (
Moong Dal
). This imparts a very tasty twist to the humble
Khichdi,
which is worth a try.

Ingredients

Rice-1 cup

Chana Dal
(Split Chick Pea)-1/4 cup

Onion-1 (chopped)

Garlic-2 cloves (chopped)

Ginger-1 inch (chopped)

Tomato-1

Khada
(that is, whole and not powdered)
Garam
Masala
(Green cardamom--2, brown cardamom-1, Bay leaves-2, cinnamon
stick-1/2 inch, black pepper-6, cloves-4, cumin seeds-1/2 tea spoon)

Coriander (
Dhania
) powder-1 teaspoon

Red chilli powder (only for flavour and not to make it
hot)-1/4 teaspoon (you can add more if you like it hot)

Turmeric (
Haldi
)-1 teaspoon

Asafoetida (
Hing
)-1/4 teaspoon

Desiccated coconut powder-2 tablespoon

Ghee
(clarified butter)-2 tablespoon full

Salt- 1 level teaspoon roughly or to taste.

Water-3 cups

Method

Wash the rice and let it dry for 5 minutes on an inclined
plate.

If using a pressure cooker:

In a pressure cooker, put the clarified butter and put it on
your heat source.

As it warms up, add the
Khada Garam Masala
and
Asafoetida.

Let these all crackle but NOT burn.

Add the onion, ginger and garlic.

Sauté this for 2 minutes and then add the washed
chana
dal
.

Stir well.

Now add the turmeric, coriander powder, and red chilli
powder.

Add the tomatoes.

Stir well.

Add the water and put the lid with the weight on the cooker.

After the cooker comes to full pressure, reduce the heat and
let the
chana dal
cook for 7 minutes.

Switch off the heat source but do NOT release the pressure.

Let the pressure cooker cool down by itself.

Open the cooker and add the rice, desiccated coconut and
salt.

Close the lid without the weight. As soon as the steam
escapes, reduce the heat and let it cook for 10 minutes.

Your
Chana Dal Khichdi
is now ready.

If using a thick bottomed pan/vessel:

In a pan, put the clarified butter and put it on your heat
source.

As it warms up, add the
Khada Garam Masala
and
Asafoetida.

Let these all crackle but NOT burn.

Add the onion, ginger and garlic.

Sauté this for 2 minutes and then add the washed
chana
dal
.

Stir well.

Now add the turmeric, coriander powder, and red chilli
powder.

Add the tomatoes.

Stir well.

Add the water and reduce the heat. Cover the pan with the
lid and let the
chana dal
cook for 25 minutes or till it becomes soft.

Open the lid and add the rice, desiccated coconut and salt.

In case the water has become less, you may want to add some
more.

Close the lid again and as soon as the steam escapes, reduce
the heat and let it cook for 10 minutes.

Your
Chana Dal Khichdi
is now ready.

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes with a pressure cooker; 50 minutes
with a deep pan

Total time: 30 minutes with a pressure cooker; 60 minutes
with a deep pan

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If you want to have something really light for a dinner,
then instead of soups and salads, you may want to try out this recipe.

Ingredients

Rice-1 cup

Dhuli Moong Dal
(Split Bengal Gram)-1/4 cup

Dhuli Masoor Dal
(Split Red Lentils)-1/4 cup

Tomato-2

Turmeric (
Haldi
)-1/2 teaspoon

Cumin seeds (
Jeera
)-1/2 teaspoon

Clarified butter (
Ghee
)-2 tablespoon

Water-4 cups

Salt to taste

Method

Wash the rice and the
dals
together and let it dry
for 5 minutes.

If using a pressure cooker:

In a pressure cooker, put the clarified butter and put it on
your heat source.

As it warms up, add the cumin seeds (
jeera
).

Let this brown but NOT burn.

Add the rice, lentils, tomatoes and salt.

Stir well.

Add the water and put the lid with the weight on the cooker.

After the cooker comes to full pressure, reduce heat and let
it cook for 5 minutes.

Switch off the heat source and let it cool on its own.

Open the cooker and you will find your Light
Khichdi
ready.

If using a thick bottomed pan/vessel:

In a pan, put the clarified butter and put it on your heat
source.

As it warms up, add the cumin seeds (
jeera
).

Let this brown but NOT burn.

Add the rice, lentils, tomatoes and salt.

Stir well.

Add the water and cover the pan with lid and reduce the
heat.

Let the
Khichdi
cook for about 35 minutes or till the
rice and the lentils are well cooked and blended together.

If required you may add some more water.

Switch off the heat source.

Your Light
Khichdi
is ready.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes with a pressure cooker; 40 minutes
with a deep pan

Total time: 15 minutes with a pressure cooker; 45 minutes
with a deep pan

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This is the famous festival dish of South India, and quite a
delicious twist on the North Indian
Khichdi
, I must say.

Ingredients

Rice-3/4 cup

Moong Dal
(Bengal Gram)-1/4 cup

Curry Leaves-a few

Black Mustard Seeds (
Rai
)-1/2 teaspoon

Ginger-1 inch (2.5 cm or 1/3rd length of a finger) piece

Turmeric (
Haldi
)-1 teaspoon

Asafoetida (
Hing
)-1/4 teaspoon

Ghee
(clarified butter)-2 tablespoon full

Salt- 1 level teaspoon roughly or to taste.

Water-3 cups

Method

Wash the rice and dal together and let it dry for 5 minutes
on an inclined plate.

If using a pressure cooker:

In a pressure cooker, put the clarified butter and put it on
your heat source.

As it warms up, add the Curry Leaves and Black Mustard
Seeds.

As soon as it splutters, add the Asafoetida (
Hing
)
and ginger.

Let this brown but NOT burn.

Now add the rice, dal, turmeric and the salt.

Stir well.

Add the water and put the lid with the weight on the cooker.

After the cooker comes to full pressure (don’t worry, you
will hear that typical sound), switch off the heat source but do NOT release
the pressure.

Let the pressure cooker cool down by itself.

Open the cooker and you will find your
Pongal
ready.

If using a thick bottomed pan/vessel:

In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place it on
your heat source.

When the butter warms up, add the Curry Leaves and the Black
Mustard Seeds.

As soon as it splutters, add the Asafoetida (
Hing
)
and ginger.

Let this brown but NOT burn.

Now add the rice,
dal
, turmeric, and the salt.

Stir well.

Add the water.

Cover the pan/vessel with a well-fitting lid.

Reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if cooking on
gas, turn the knob to SIM (mer).

Let the
Pongal
cook for 15-20 minutes.

Switch off the heat source and let the rice remain in the
vessel for another 5 minutes.

Your
Pongal
should now be ready.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes with a pressure cooker; 20-25
minutes with a deep pan

Total time: 15 minutes with a pressure cooker; 25-30 minutes
with a deep pan

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This is another classical recipe from South India, which I
personally find to be the tastiest of all rice-lentil dishes that I have ever
sampled.

Try this out only when you have a little more time and are
in a somewhat adventurous mood.

Ingredients

Arhar/Toor Dal
(Split Pigeon peas)-1/2 cup

Rice-1 cup

Water-4 cups

Turmeric-1/2 teaspoon

Coriander seeds (
Dhania
)-2 tablespoon

Asafoetida (
Hing
)-1/2 teaspoon

Dried Red Chilli-1 (de-seeded)

Cinnamon-1 small stick

Cloves-10

Freshly grated or desiccated coconut-3 tablespoon

Tamarind pulp dissolved in 2 tablespoon water-2 teaspoon

Black Mustard seeds (
Rai
)-1/2 teaspoon

Curry leaves-few

Desi Ghee
(Clarified butter)-2 tablespoon

Method

If using a pressure cooker:

Wash the
Arhar/Toor dal
well and place it in the
pressure cooker with turmeric, salt, cinnamon, cloves, asafoetida and water.

Place the cooker on a heat source and let it come to full
pressure
(i.e. when the weight lifts and there is a whistling sound.
)

Reduce the heat and cook for 5 more minutes.

Meanwhile, i.e. while the lentils are cooking, wash the rice
well (
in a vessel 3-4 times, but don’t rub it lest the grains break
) and
let it naturally “dry”, on an inclined plate.

Remove the cooker from the heat source and open it.

Now, add the tamarind pulp to the cooked dal along with the
coconut and rice.

Once more close the lid and put it on the heat source and
let it come to full pressure.

Switch off the heat source and let the pressure cooker cool
down itself.

In a small tempering pan, add the clarified butter. Once the
clarified butter warms up, add the black mustard seeds, coriander seeds, curry
leaves and red chilli.

The moment the mixture splutters (which takes only a few
seconds), pour it over the cooked rice and dal dish.

Your
Bissi Belle Bhath
is ready.

If using a thick bottomed deep pan/vessel:

Wash the
Arhar/Toor dal
well and place in the pan
with turmeric, salt, cinnamon, cloves, asafoetida and water.

Place the pan on a heat source and let the lentils cook till
it is done.

Meanwhile, wash the rice well (
in a vessel 3-4 times, but
don’t rub it lest the grains break
) and let it naturally “dry”, on an
inclined plate.

Now, add the tamarind pulp to the cooked lentils along with
the coconut and rice.

Close the pan with a tight fitting lid and put it on the
heat source (with heat reduced to minimum).

Let the rice cook which should take about 15 minutes.

In a small tempering pan, add the clarified butter. Once the
clarified butter warms up, add the black mustard seeds, coriander seeds, curry
leaves and red chilli.

The moment the mixture splutters (which takes only a few
seconds), pour it over the cooked rice and lentil dish.

Your
Bissi Belle Bhath
is ready.

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes with pressure cooker; 45 minutes
with a deep pan

Total time: 20 minutes with a pressure cooker; 50 minutes
with a deep pan

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This is a simple rice dish that really goes well with any
mutton or chicken curry.

Ingredients

Long grain rice (Basmati)-1 cup

Peas-1/2 cup

Sliced Onion-1 (Medium)

Water-2 cups

Cumin seeds (
Jeera
)-1/2 teaspoon

Green Cardamom (
Chhoti elaichi
)-2

Cinnamon (
Dalchini
)-1/2 inch

Cloves (
Laung
)-4

Bay leaf (
Tejpatta
)-1

Clarified butter (
Ghee
)-2 tablespoon

Salt to taste

Sugar-1/4 teaspoon

Method

Wash the rice well (
in a vessel 3-4 times, but don’t rub
it lest the grains break
) and let it naturally “dry”, on an inclined plate,
for 15-20 minutes. This helps enhance the aroma.

If using a pressure cooker:

In a pressure cooker, add the clarified butter and place it
on your heat source.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma, in less than a
minute, add the onion slices and fry till translucent. Do please make sure that
the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled. 

Add the peas and stir for a minute.

Now add the rice along with the salt and sugar.

Stir well.

Add the water.

Close the lid of the pressure cooker BUT remove the weight.

When steam starts escaping from the vent (don’t worry, you
will hear that typical sound), reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if
cooking on gas, turn the knob to SIM (mer).

Wait for 10 minutes and switch off the gas.

Take out the rice.

Your pea
pulao
is ready.

If using a thick bottomed pan/vessel:

In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place on fire.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma, in less than a
minute, add the onion slices and fry till translucent. Do please make sure that
the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled. 

Add the peas and stir for a minute.

Now add the rice along with the salt and sugar.

Stir well.

Add the water.

Cover the pan/vessel with a well-fitting lid.

Reduce the heat to minimum. In other words, if cooking on
gas, turn the knob to SIM (mer). Let the rice cook for 15-20 minutes.

Switch off the heat source and let the rice remain in the
vessel for another 5 minutes.

Take out the rice.

Your pea
pulao
is ready.

If using a rice cooker

In a pan/vessel, add the clarified butter and place on fire.

When the butter warms up, add the cumin seeds along with the
cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaves.

As soon as it starts giving a nice aroma, in less than a
minute, add the onion slices and fry till translucent. Do please make sure that
the spices brown and not burn, otherwise your dish will be totally spoiled. 

Add the peas and stir for a minute.

Now add the rice along with the salt and sugar.

Stir well.

Switch off the heat source and put all the ingredients into
the rice cooker.

Add water.

Switch on the rice cooker and the let the rice cook. The
rice cooker will switch off on its own when the rice is cooked.

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 12 minutes with a pressure cooker; 17-22
minutes with a deep pan; and as indicated in the rice cooker manual

Total time: 32 minutes with a pressure cooker; 37-42 minutes
with a deep pan

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