Bhoger Khichuri

A soft, loose Bengali khichuri of roasted moong dal and Gobindobhog rice, cooked without onion or garlic as it is for Durga Puja bhog. A ground paste of ginger, green chilli, cumin and radhuni and a mustard oil tomato masala give it the flavour of a Kolkata thali. Finish with hot ghee, cashews and raisins.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Bengali

Keyword bhoger khichuri

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 45

Total Time 1

Servings people

Calories 596kcal

Author Puja

Equipment

Ingredients

For the Khichuri

150 g moong dal split yellow
250 g Gobindobhog rice
2 litres water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

For the Paste

50 g ginger
8 to 10 green chillies
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon radhuni

For the Masala

50 ml mustard oil
5 to 6 whole dried red chillies
4 bay leaves
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon Kashmiri chilli powder
1 teaspoon coriander powder
5 to 6 medium tomatoes made into a purée (optional)
Salt to taste

To Finish

1 teaspoon sugar
Garam masala to taste
2 teaspoons ghee
10 g cashews and raisins optional

Instructions

Cook the Dal

Dry roast the moong dal in a pan on low heat, stirring all the time, until light golden and nutty. Wash it well.
Bring 2 litres of water to a boil in a large pot. Add 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and the washed dal.
Cover and cook, stirring now and then. Watch the pot so the foam does not rise over the edge.

Make the Paste

Wash the Gobindobhog rice and drain it. Do not soak it.
Roughly chop the ginger. Grind it with the green chillies, cumin seeds and radhuni to a coarse paste, using a little water.

Cook the Rice

When the dal is soft, add the rice and stir well.
Cover and cook, stirring now and then, without letting the rice turn mushy.

Make the Masala

Heat the mustard oil in a pan. Add the dried red chillies and bay leaves, and fry until the chillies darken and smell good.
Add 1 teaspoon turmeric and pour in the paste right away so the turmeric does not burn. Keep the heat low.
Add the coriander powder and Kashmiri chilli powder, and stir.
Add the tomato purée and salt. Cook on low heat, covering now and then, until the raw smell goes and oil leaves the sides.

Put It Together

When the rice is almost cooked but still has a little bite, stir in the masala gently.
Add garam masala, salt to taste and 1 teaspoon 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 over the khichuri.
Serve hot with begun bhaja, aloo bhaja, tomato chutney and payesh.

Notes

Use a large heavy pot of 5 litres. The dal foams, and the 2 litres of water needs space.

Roasting the moong dal gives the khichuri its nutty depth. Do not skip it.

Do not soak the dal or the rice. Radhuni is the key spice.

If you cannot find it, some cooks use celery seed, though the taste will differ.

The tomato is optional.

The cashews, raisins and ghee topping are also optional. Add the masala when the rice still has a little bite, so it finishes cooking in the pot.

The khichuri thickens as it cools, so keep it loose in the pot.

Reheat leftovers with a splash of hot water on low heat, and add a spoon of fresh ghee. Keep in the fridge up to two days.

If it turns too thick, stir in a little hot water.

Nutrition