Bhuna Masala Khichuri

My mother loves bhuna khichuri. She loves it's dry but not so dry texture and the nutty aroma of the roasted moong dal. I can hardly recall any occasion when she made any other khichuri in home and for that reason mainly, in spite appreciating its great taste I developed a hate feeling towards this very Bengali dish. So when I could control the menu, which is after my marriage, I only made Lyatka / Semi Liquid Khichuri for a long long time. Then one day just out of curiosity I tried my mother’s recipe and I understood why she made that particular recipe so many times. Its spicy and rich and since its made by using the method “bhuna” the lentils and rice reaches a stage where they become sticky after cooking but they always retain their shape. A lovely Khichuri recipe to try this monsoon. Trust me...the more you will smell the more you will crave.

Step by Step Process:

Heat ghee and temper with the whole spices. Add the sliced onions and cook until translucent.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 minutes.

Add tomatoes.

Cook tomatoes till they are all mushy and then add the powdered spices. Cook for another minute.

Add the washed and drained rice and lentils and fry them by stirring continuously until they become grainy and non-sticky.

Add water double the quantity of the rice and lentils taken together with the salt, sugar, garam masala powder, veggies and potatoes. Cook until the cooker blows 3-4 whistles. Finish off with a little sprinkle of garam masala powder and some melted ghee.

Bhuna Masala Khichuri

Serves 4

Ingredients:

½ cup dry roasted moong dal / mug dal / yellow lentils

¾ cup Gobindobhog / Basmati rice

1 medium onion – thinly sliced

1 medium tomato – finely chopped

4 fat cloves of garlic – minced / paste

½ inch ginger – minced / paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp dry roasted and ground cumin and coriander seeds

1 tsp whole cumin seeds

1 medium cinnamon stick

3 green cardamoms

3 cloves

2 dry red chillies

1 medium bay leaf

A handful of green peas

A handful of chopped carrots / baby carrots

1 medium potato – peeled and halved

2-3 tbsp ghee

1 and ½ tsp homemade garam masala powder

Salt and sugar

Spices for homemade garam masala powder:

1 small cinnamon stick

2 green cardamoms

2 cloves

1 tsp caraway seeds

1 tsp black peppercorns

1 tsp white peppercorns

2-3 bay leaves

2 blades of mace

A little nutmeg

1 small black cardamom

A little star anise

Method:

Wash the rice and lentils with water until the water runs out clean. Strain the water and keep aside.

Take all the spices listed under “homemade garam masala” in a shallow frying pan and dry roast for a minute or two on low flame. Then shift them to a grinder and let them rest for some minutes so that they can cool down a bit. Then grind them until you have fine powder like consistency. Keep in an airtight container and use accordingly.

Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and add the cumin seeds, dry red chillies, cinnamons stick, green cardamoms, cloves and bay leaves.

Saute them for half a minute and then add the sliced onions to them.

Sprinkle some salt over the onions and cook them until they become translucent.

Now add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for 2 more minutes.

Add the chopped tomatoes and cook them until they become completely disintegrated with the curry.

Add the strained lentils and rice and mix them with the curry.

Stir them continuously until the rice grains becomes dry and non-sticky and while stirring they will make a husky sound.

Add water double the quantity of rice and lentils taken together.

Stir them to give a good mix.

Throw in the chopped / baby carrots, green peas and peeled and halved potatoes.

Add the prepoared garam masala powder.

Mix them too.

Add salt and a pinch of sugar.

Cover the lid and cook on pressure until the cooker blows 4 whistles.

Let the steam pass out and then open the lid.

Drizzle some more ghee and garam masala powder over the khichri and close the lid again.

Let them stay like this for another 10 minutes and then serve hot with fried egg, papad and chutney.