Khichdi (Lentil & Vegetable Rice)

Khichdi (Lentil & Vegetable Rice)
I grew up eating Khichdi, a rice dish cooked with lentils and simmered with ginger and spices. Every Indian household has their own version of it, and this is mine. I serve it with greens and vegetables and garnish it with peanuts -- it’s a weekend comfort food and dinner party showstopper in our household!
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes
- Allergens: Peanuts
- Servings: 6
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup split yellow lentils
- 1/3 cup pink lentils
- 1 1/2 cups white basmati rice
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 3 cloves
- 4 green cardamom pods (cracked, discard green shells and use only black seeds)
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns
- 3 garlic cloves (large, finely chopped)
- 1 cup yellow onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoons ginger (peeled)
- 2 tablespoons butter (unsalted, or vegan butter)
- 1 quart vegetable stock
- Kosher salt
- 1/2 cup fried peanuts (raw peanuts fried in hot vegetable oil)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 bunches kale (veins removed, finely chopped)
- 2 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- Sea salt (to taste)
- Red pepper chilli flakes (to taste)
- 1 head cauliflower
- Olive oil spray
- Pepper (to taste)
- Lime juice
- 16 ounces yogurt (2%)
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons black mustard seeds
Instructions
The Rice & The Lentils
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Put yellow lentils in bowl and fill with cold tap water.
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Swish lentils around with hands, pouring off water.
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Wash lentils 5 times.
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Cover yellow lentils with lukewarm tap water and let soak for 30 minutes.
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Wash pink lentils same way and cover and soak in lukewarm water for 20 minutes.
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Wash rice same way and soak in lukewarm water for 20 minutes.
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Drain lentils in sieve and set aside in bowl.
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Drain rice in sieve and set aside in separate bowl.
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Heat oil in 6-quart pot over moderate heat until warm.
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Add cloves, cracked cardamom, and cinnamon, then cook until spices are fragrant (about 1 minute).
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Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, garlic, and onions, and cook for 1 minute, continuing to stir while onions are cooking.
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Add ginger and butter, stirring until the onions are golden brown (about 5-7 minutes).
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Add stock, drained lentils, drained rice, and salt to taste.
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Bring mixture to simmer and reduce heat to low.
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Simmer mixture covered, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.
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Stir in fried peanuts, then continue to stir and cook rice for additional 5 minutes.
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Remove from heat and let sit covered for 5 minutes, removing cinnamon stick but leaving all other spices.
The Kale
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Heat oil in skillet.
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Add kale and let cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring with tongs.
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When kale starts to wilt (after 2-3 minutes), add garlic and salt, continuing to stir kale for until kale is fully wilted and dry (about 5 minutes).
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Remove from heat and add crushed red pepper.
The Cauliflower
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Cut florets of 1 cauliflower head and cut each floret into 2 halves.
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In big bowl, add salt and boiling water.
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Add cut florets and cover bowl.
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Let cauliflower cook in water for 5 minutes.
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Drain cauliflower in sieve and set aside in bowl.
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Spray cauliflower with olive oil spray, then sprinkle in salt and pepper and lime juice, mixing well.
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Heat grill and place halved cauliflower pieces on grill, cooking each side for 2-3 minutes.
The Yogurt
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Whisk yogurt and milk really well.
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Add salt and pepper to taste.
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Heat vegetable oil and add black mustard seeds.
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Cook mustard seeds in oil until you hear cracking sound.
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Add cracked mustard seeds to yogurt and discard oil. This yogurt can be made couple hours ahead and refrigerated.
The Assembly
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To assemble dish, place 2-3 tablespoons of yogurt on bottom.
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Mold rice in cup and unmold it on top of yogurt.
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Place kale and cauliflower on either side of rice and serve immediately.