A comforting Bengali khichuri with roasted moong dal, rice, potatoes, cauliflower and peas. Serve it warm with your favourite bhaja and chutney.

Ingredients & quantities

Serves 4

  • 1 cup basmati or Gobindobhog rice
  • 1 cup roasted moong dal
  • 6 cups water

Vegetables

  • 2 small to medium potatoes, cut into wedges
  • ½ cauliflower, in florets
  • ½ cup green peas
  • 1 chopped green chilli

Spices & cooking

  • 1 tbsp ghee or 2 tbsp mustard oil, plus a little ghee to finish
  • 1 tej patta (Indian bay leaf)
  • 1 tsp Bengali five spice (paanch phoron)
  • 1 inch ginger, grated
  • ½ tsp turmeric powder
  • ½ tsp wild celery (radhuni)
  • Salt and sugar, to taste

Method

  1. Prepare. Wash the rice and roasted moong dal. Coat the potato wedges and cauliflower lightly with turmeric and salt.
  2. Cook the vegetables. Heat the mustard oil, if using. Fry the potatoes, then roast the cauliflower in the same pan. Set aside.
  3. Temper. In a deep pot, warm the ghee. Add paanch phoron, bay leaf, grated ginger and green chilli. Stir until aromatic.
  4. Add rice and dal. Stir in the drained rice for about 1 minute. Add the moong dal and the corrected 6 cups water. Season with salt and sugar.
  5. Simmer. Cover and cook until the rice and dal are nearly tender. Return the potatoes and cauliflower, add the peas, and gently simmer until everything is cooked through.
  6. Finish. Stir in a little ghee and the wild celery. Adjust the consistency with hot water if you prefer a softer khichuri.

Cook’s tip

Keep the vegetables partly cooked before adding them to the rice and dal; they will finish gently without breaking apart.

Using modern equipment

A heavy pot or multicooker on its sauté setting can temper the spices. If using a multicooker, use a gentle simmer setting for the rice and dal and check the liquid before finishing.

At the table

Serve warm with fried vegetables, chutney and a spoonful of ghee.

Your tips & comments: What would you keep true to the Bengali dish, and what would you adapt? Tell us below.