This bhoger khichuri recipe is the soft, golden rice and moong dal dish that Bengali homes cook as a sacred offering during Durga Puja. It has no onion and no garlic, and the flavour comes from ginger, green chilli, cumin and a special seed called radhuni.
If you have ever eaten a bhog khichdi thali in Kolkata and wished you could make it at home, this one is for you. It takes plain rice, plain dal and a handful of spices, and it tastes like a temple meal.
What is Bhoger Khichuri?
Bhoger khichuri is a Bengali dish of Gobindobhog rice and moong dal, cooked as a bhog, which is a food offering to the goddess. It is made without onion or garlic and finished with ghee, cashews and raisins.
In Bengal, the offering is first given to the goddess. After that it is shared with everyone as prasad.
The dish is cooked mostly during Durga Puja, the autumn festival that Bengal celebrates with great joy. Food made without onion and garlic is called niramish.
Everyday khichuri is a different thing. It can have onion and garlic, and it is often made with other dals.
Bhoger khichuri is looser, a little sweet and rich with ghee. Some versions have vegetables, and this one does not. If you want the vegetable style, see my Bengali khichuri recipe with vegetables.
Regional Variations of Bhoger Khichuri
Bengal has many ways of making khichuri, and each home has its own habits. These are the styles I came across while reading for this post.
Temple and pandal style. The khichuri served at pandals and temples is usually looser and more liquid than home cooking. It comes with fried vegetables like brinjal and pumpkin on the side, and a spoon of ghee on top.
Vegetable style. Many Bengali homes add cauliflower, potato, peas and pumpkin to the pot. I have a separate recipe for it: my Bengali khichuri recipe with vegetables.
Tomato and mustard oil style. Some Bengali cooks use tomato and fry the masala in mustard oil. Ghee goes in only at the end.
Other pujas. Bhoger khichuri is also cooked for Saraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Kali Puja. It is not only a Durga Puja dish.
Everyday khichuri. On a rainy day, Bengali homes make a simpler khichuri that is not an offering. It can use other dals, and the onion and garlic rule does not apply.
My version. I make it without vegetables, with mustard oil, a tomato masala and radhuni paste. The ghee, cashews and raisins go on top at the end.
The information shared here is based on my own research across food blogs, recipe sites, and publicly available sources. If you are from any of these regions and something reads differently from what you know, I would love to hear from you in the comments.
Preparation Tips for Bhoger Khichuri
This is a simple dish, so small things make a big difference. These are the ones I watch.
Roast the moong dal. Dry roast it in a pan on low heat until it turns light golden and smells nutty. This is the step that gives the khichuri its deep taste, so please do not skip it.
Wash the rice, but do not soak it. I wash the dal and the rice well and cook both straight away. Soaking is not needed.
Watch the pot when you cover it. The dal foams and can rise over the edge. Stir now and then and keep the lid a little open.
Fry the masala on low heat. Turmeric burns fast and turns bitter. Add the paste the moment the turmeric goes in.
Cook the tomato until the raw smell goes. You will also see oil leave the sides of the masala. That is how you know it is ready.
If the khichuri turns mushy, you added the rice too early or cooked it too long. Add the rice only after the dal is soft, and stop when each grain still has a little shape. If it turns too thick, stir in a little hot water.
Keep the consistency loose. It should be neither thin nor very thick. It thickens as it cools, so loose in the pot is right.
Why This Bhoger Khichuri Recipe Works
This recipe works because every spice goes in at the right moment. The dal cooks first, the rice joins it, and the masala goes in last, so nothing is overcooked.
The roasted dal gives depth. Plain boiled moong dal tastes flat. Roasting it first gives a warm, nutty flavour with no extra spices.
Radhuni makes it taste like Bengal. This one seed is what sets bhoger khichuri apart from the khichdi we make in other parts of India. A small amount in the paste is enough.
The masala is cooked separately. Frying it in mustard oil first gives a deep red colour and a strong smell. Stirred in at the end, it flavours the whole pot.
A little sugar balances the salt. A pinch of sugar in a salty dish rounds off the taste, and a pinch of salt does the same in a sweet dish. You will not taste the sugar, but you will miss it if it is gone.
My First Bhoger Khichdi in Kolkata
I first ate bhoger khichdi in Kolkata, during Durga Puja. My sister brought me a thali, and it had bhoger khichdi in the middle with lots of sides around it.
I remember that first spoonful very clearly. It was soft and warm, with a smell I could not name.
I had eaten khichdi all my life, but this was different. I fell in love with the taste right there.
For a long time I wanted to cook it myself. The khichdi at home never smelled the way that one did.
Then I learned about radhuni, the seed in the paste. I ordered it online and tried again.
When the paste hit the hot oil, the smell filled my kitchen, and it was the same one from that thali. I stood at the stove and smiled.
This is why I made the whole thali for the video: bhoger khichdi, payesh, tomato chutney, begun bhaja and aloo bhaja. It was a little piece of that day, brought to my own table.
I also wanted to make labra, the Bengali mixed vegetable that is served with khichuri. I did not have enough time that day, so I will share it another time.
If you want it with vegetables, I have that version too. Here is my Bengali khichuri recipe with vegetables.
Serving Ideas for Bhog Khichdi: The Full Thali
Bhoger khichuri is best served hot, with a spoon of ghee on top. In Bengal it is eaten as a thali, with a few fried sides and something sweet.
Begun bhaja. These are thick brinjal slices coated in spices and a little wheat flour, then fried in mustard oil. This is the classic partner for khichuri.
Aloo bhaja. Round potato slices get the same coating and the same oil. They come out crisp at the edges and soft inside.
Tomato chutney. A sweet, tangy chutney with dates, raisins and cashews. Mix a little into the khichuri with every bite.
Payesh. This is Bengali rice pudding, made with milk, Gobindobhog rice and cardamom. It ends the meal on a sweet note.
Labra. This is a Bengali mixed vegetable dish that is also served with khichuri. I could not make it for the video, but I will share it soon.
Papad. A roasted or fried papad adds a crunch to the plate. I served it with mine.
How to Store Leftover Bhoger Khichuri
Bhoger khichuri tastes best on the day you cook it. It thickens a lot as it cools, so plan for that.
Let it come to room temperature, then put it in a clean airtight container. It keeps in the fridge for up to two days.
To reheat, put it in a pan with a splash of hot water and warm it on low heat. Stir gently so the rice does not break.
Add a spoon of fresh ghee at the end, and it tastes close to new. I do not freeze it, because the rice turns soft and grainy after thawing.
Pro Tips for Perfect Bhoger Khichuri Recipe
These are the small things I have learned from making this a few times.
Use Gobindobhog rice. It is a short-grain, aromatic rice from Bengal, and the smell it gives the pot is a big part of the dish. If you cannot find it, use any short-grain aromatic rice.
Buy radhuni online or from a Bengali store. If you cannot find it, some cooks use celery seed in its place. The taste will not be exactly the same, but it will be close.
Grind the paste fresh. Ginger, green chilli, cumin and radhuni go into the mixer jar with a spoon of water. Fresh paste has a much stronger smell than old paste.
Use mustard oil for the masala. It gives the true Bengali taste. Heat it well so the raw smell goes.
Fry the dried red chillies until they darken. Wait until the colour turns a little dark and you can smell them. Then add the turmeric.
Add the masala when the rice still has a little bite. The masala should finish cooking inside the khichuri. This way the rice takes up the flavour.
Taste before you finish. Add salt, a pinch of sugar and garam masala at the end, and taste again. Fix it then, not before.
Use cashews and raisins if you like. They are fully optional. Fry them in a little hot ghee and pour them over the top.
Check the water amount. I use 2 litres for 150 g of dal and 250 g of rice, and the khichuri comes out soft and loose. Use a little less if you like it thicker.
Use a heavy pot. The bottom of a heavy pot burns less, and there is less sticking. A big pot also helps when the dal foams.
Looking for Some More Recipes Like This
If you liked this, here are a few more from my kitchen.
Bengali Tomato Chutney
Gobindobhog Payesh
Begun Bhaja
Aloo Bhaja
Moong Dal Khichdi
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Basic Ingredients Used in Bhoger Khichuri
Only a few things go into this khichuri, and each one has a job. Most of them are already in your kitchen.
Moong dal. I use 150 g of split yellow moong dal. Roasting it gives the dish its nutty smell, and it cooks soft and creamy.
Gobindobhog rice. This is a short-grain, sweet-smelling rice from West Bengal. It got a Geographical Indication tag in 2017, which means its name is protected as a product of that region.
Ginger. The paste uses a good amount of ginger, and it gives the khichuri its warm heat. Since there is no onion or garlic, the ginger does a lot of the work.
Green chillies. They go into the paste with the ginger and cumin. Use fewer if you like it mild.
Cumin seeds. One teaspoon goes into the paste. They add a light, earthy taste.
Radhuni. These are small, strong-smelling seeds used in Bengali cooking. They are the secret of this khichuri, and one teaspoon is enough.
Mustard oil. It is used to fry the masala. Its sharp taste is a big part of Bengali food.
Dried red chillies and bay leaves. They are fried first in the hot oil to flavour it. I use whole chillies, so the heat stays gentle.
Turmeric powder. A little goes into the boiling water with the dal. A little more goes into the masala.
Kashmiri chilli powder and coriander powder. The Kashmiri chilli gives colour more than heat. The coriander powder adds a mild, sweet smell.
Tomatoes. They make a smooth red masala. Tomatoes are optional in this dish, so you can leave them out.
Sugar. One teaspoon balances the salt and the spices. It does not make the khichuri sweet.
Ghee, cashews and raisins. They are fried together and poured on top. This step is also optional, and plain hot ghee is lovely too.
Garam masala. A small pinch goes in at the end for smell. Add it to taste.
How to Make Bhoger Khichuri Recipe
Here is the full method, from roasting the dal to the last spoon of ghee. You can also download the recipe card below and keep it handy while you cook.
Cooking the Dal
Dry roast the moong dal in a pan on low heat, stirring all the time, until it turns light golden and smells nutty. Wash it well in water.
Bring 2 litres of water to a boil in a large pot. Add half a teaspoon of turmeric powder and the washed dal.
Cover the pot and cook, stirring now and then. Keep an eye on it so the foam does not rise over the edge.
Making the Paste
While the dal cooks, wash the Gobindobhog rice and set it aside. Do not soak it.
Roughly chop the ginger. Put it in a mixer jar with the green chillies, cumin seeds and radhuni, and grind to a coarse paste with a little water.
Cooking the Rice
When the dal is soft, add the rice. Stir well so the dal and rice mix evenly.
Cover and cook. Stir now and then, and do not let the rice get mushy.
Making the Masala
Heat the mustard oil in a pan. Add the dried red chillies and bay leaves, and fry until the chillies darken and you can smell them.
Add one teaspoon of turmeric, and pour in the ground paste right away so the turmeric does not burn. Keep the heat low.
Add the coriander powder and Kashmiri chilli powder, and stir. Then add the tomato purée and salt.
Cook on low heat, covering now and then, until the raw smell goes and oil leaves the sides of the pan.
Putting It Together
When the rice is almost done but still has a little bite, stir the masala into the pot. Mix gently so the grains stay whole.
Add garam masala, salt to taste and one teaspoon of sugar. The khichuri should be loose, neither thin nor very thick.
Heat the ghee in a small pan. Fry the cashews and raisins until golden, and pour the whole thing over the khichuri.
Serve hot, with begun bhaja, aloo bhaja, tomato chutney and payesh on the side.
Frequently Asked Questions About Bhoger Khichuri
What is bhoger khichuri? It is a Bengali rice and moong dal dish cooked as an offering, mostly during Durga Puja. It has no onion or garlic and is finished with ghee.
How do I make bhoger khichuri recipe in English at home? Roast moong dal, boil it with turmeric, and add Gobindobhog rice. Cook a masala of ginger, green chilli, cumin and radhuni in mustard oil, stir it in, and top with ghee.
What is the difference between bhog khichdi and regular khichdi? Bhog khichdi is made without onion and garlic, and it is cooked for an offering. It also uses Gobindobhog rice and radhuni, which give it a flavour regular khichdi does not have.
What is radhuni, and can I skip it? Radhuni is a strong-smelling seed used in Bengali cooking. You can make the khichuri without it, but it will not taste like the Kolkata version. Some cooks use celery seed as a substitute.
Which rice is best for bhoger khichuri? Gobindobhog rice is the best choice, because it is short-grained and smells sweet. Any short-grain aromatic rice also works.
Can I make bhoger khichuri without tomatoes? Yes, tomato is optional in this recipe. Fry the masala as usual and add it when the rice is almost done.
Why is my khichuri mushy or sticky? The rice was probably added too early or cooked for too long. Next time, stop cooking when each grain is soft but still holds its shape.
Why do I add sugar to khichuri? A small amount of sugar balances the salt and the spices. You will not taste it, but the dish tastes rounder.
Can I add vegetables to this khichuri? Yes, many Bengali homes add cauliflower, potato and peas. Add them with the rice, and you may need a little more water. Here is my Bengali khichuri recipe with vegetables.
What is labra, and is it served with bhoger khichuri? Labra is a Bengali mixed vegetable dish that is served alongside khichuri. I did not make it for this thali, but I will share it on the blog later.
Can I make bhoger khichuri in a pressure cooker? I have made it in an open pot, so the rice and dal stay in my control. If you use a pressure cooker, watch the whistles closely so the rice does not turn mushy.
What do you serve with bhoger khichuri? Begun bhaja, aloo bhaja, tomato chutney, payesh and a papad make the classic thali. A spoon of ghee on top is a must.
Why is there no onion or garlic in bhoger khichuri? Bhoger khichuri is an offering to the goddess, and offerings in Bengal are cooked in the niramish style. Niramish food is made without onion and garlic.
Is bhoger khichuri the same as bhog khichdi? Yes, they are the same dish. Khichuri is the Bengali spelling and khichdi is the Hindi one.
When is bhoger khichuri made? It is made mainly during Durga Puja, in autumn. Bengali homes also make it for Saraswati Puja, Lakshmi Puja and Kali Puja.
How do I make bhoger khichuri without radhuni? Make the paste with ginger, green chilli and cumin, and add a small pinch of celery seed in place of radhuni. It will smell a little different, but it will still taste good.
Where can I buy radhuni? Bengali grocery stores carry it, and you can also order it online. I ordered mine online.
Can I make bhoger khichuri without roasting the dal? Yes, it will still cook. But the roasted dal gives a deeper, nuttier taste, so I always roast it.
What is the ratio of rice to dal in bhoger khichuri? In my recipe I use 250 g of rice and 150 g of moong dal, with 2 litres of water. That gives a soft, loose khichuri.
Can I use basmati rice instead of Gobindobhog rice? You can, but the smell will be different. Gobindobhog is short-grained and sweet-smelling, so a short-grain aromatic rice is a closer choice.
How loose should bhoger khichuri be? It should be neither thin nor very thick, and it should flow slowly off the spoon. It thickens as it cools, so keep it loose in the pot.
Why does bhoger khichuri have sugar in it? A small amount of sugar balances the salt and the spices. It does not make the dish sweet.
Can I make bhoger khichuri without tomatoes? Yes, tomatoes are optional. If you leave them out, fry the paste in the mustard oil and stir it in as usual.
Can I use ghee instead of mustard oil? You can, but mustard oil gives the true Bengali taste. If you use ghee, the flavour will be milder and richer.
Is bhoger khichuri vegetarian? Yes, it is fully vegetarian. It has no onion, no garlic, no egg and no meat.
Is bhoger khichuri gluten-free? The khichuri uses only rice, dal, oil, ghee and spices, so it has no wheat. Check the garam masala and the papad on the side, since some brands may contain wheat.
Can I make bhoger khichuri vegan? Yes, leave out the ghee and fry the cashews and raisins in a little mustard oil. The taste will be a little less rich.
What is the best side dish for khichuri? Begun bhaja is the classic one. Aloo bhaja, tomato chutney and labra, a Bengali mixed vegetable dish, are also served with it.
How many people does this bhoger khichuri recipe serve? It serves 4 people as a main meal. Double the recipe for a larger group, and use a bigger pot.
How do I reheat bhoger khichuri? Warm it in a pan on low heat with a splash of hot water. Stir gently and add a spoon of fresh ghee at the end.
Can I serve bhoger khichuri for guests? Yes, it is a good dish for guests, especially served as a full thali. Make the sides while the khichuri cooks, so everything is hot together.
