Bhog Khichdi
A temple-style satvik khichdi — short-grain rice and moong dal pressure-cooked with whole spices and seasonal vegetables, finished with a ghee tadka. Eaten in Bengal and Odisha as prasad; equally good as a comfort meal at home.
Per serving
Ingredients
- 1 cupShort-grain (gol-dana) rice
- 1/4 cupYellow moong dal, soaked 30 min
- 3 tspOil
- 1/2 tspMustard seeds (rai)
- 1/2 tspShahi jeera
- 1 tspCumin seeds
- 1/4 tspAsafoetida (hing)
- 1Bay leaf
- 1 small pieceCinnamon stick
- 2Black cardamom
- 2–3Green cardamom
- 5–6Cloves
- 2Dried red chillies
- 2Green chillies, slit
- 2 cupsMixed vegetables (potato, pumpkin, cauliflower, beans, brinjal, radish, ginger crushed)
- 1Tomato, chopped
- 1/2 tspTurmeric
- 1 tspCumin powder
- 1 tspCoriander powder
- 4 cupsWater
- 1/2 tspSugar
- to tasteSalt
- 1 tbspDesi ghee (final tadka)
- 1/4 tspRed chilli powder (final tadka)
Method
- 1
Wash and drain the rice. The moong dal should be soaked for 30 minutes already.
- 2
In a kadhai or pressure cooker, heat oil. Crackle the rai, shahi jeera, cumin, hing, bay leaf, cinnamon, both cardamoms, cloves and dried red chillies.
- 3
Add green chillies, crushed ginger and the chopped vegetables. Sauté 3 minutes.
- 4
Add the chopped tomato, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder and salt. Stir 1 minute.
- 5
Add the drained rice and moong dal. Toss for 2 minutes so the grains get coated in oil and spice.
- 6
Pour in 4 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Cover and cook on a low flame for 25–30 minutes till the rice and dal are very soft and have melded — the texture should be just pourable, not stiff.
- 7
Stir in the sugar. The bhog character comes from a faint sweetness against the cumin.
- 8
Final tadka: heat ghee in a small ladle, add a pinch of hing and red chilli powder. Pour over the khichdi. Serve hot with papad and fried brinjal.