Khichdi, Mujaddara style

There are many versions of Khichdi out there. Rice and lentils are eaten together across many cultures. Science says they are both incomplete proteins and, when eaten together, they  become whole and form a full protein. 

Khichdi is the dish my mother makes when someone is feeling poorly. It comforts; it says that you’re in safe hands.

If I’m to share Pakistani recipes, I reckon Khichdi is a good place to start. The ingredients are classic to the cuisine and a gentle entry point. The technique remains simple, the onions are the only element that needs a bit of attention. 

Each time I cook Khichdi at home, my husband tells me about his favourite dish from home – Mujaddara. He tells me he loves cooking this dish when he misses home, Lebanon, and much like our blended wedding, I bring a bit of both of us to my recipe for Khichdi, Mujaddara style. 

Ingredients

1 cup of long grain rice
1 cup of whole grain moong daal (Mujaddara calls for 2 cups of daal, your call but don’t tell my father in law)
1 large white onion
⅓ cup of olive oil
2 crushed garlic cloves
1 inch of crushed ginger
3 black cardamoms
1 tsp of black cloves
1 tsp of whole black pepper
4 inches of dal chini 
2 tsps of ground cumin 
1 tsp of ground allspice
2 tsps of salt
1 vegetable stock cube

Method

Soak the rice and lentils in water. Set aside. 

Slice the onion thinly and throw them in a pan with a gulp of olive oil. Heat over a medium flame. Let the heat rise until the onions start sizzling, stirring occasionally to prevent the onions on the edges of the pan from burning. Keep an eye on the onions and try to remove any bits that begin to burn. (The rancid burnt bits will ruin the flavour of the overall dish.) 

Just as the onions start to brown, scoop them out of the oil. I find this step easier if I pour the oil and onions over a bowl and large sieve. Sprinkle sea salt over the onions and spread them out on parchment paper to allow them to crispen. 

(An explanatory note before we move on to the next step: the classic Pakistani Khichdi recipe doesn’t call for removing the onions, so you’d keep cooking them until they’d be caramelised, mixing in the rice and the lentils. The beauty of Mujaddara, however, lies in the crispy onions. I’m a sucker for texture and sweetness and so this is what I blend into my version.) 

Pour the hot oil back into the pan. Add the whole spices, then the garlic and the ginger. Give it a minute, or until you can’t smell the raw garlic anymore. Add the ground spices, stock cube and salt. Pause, then add the drained rice and lentils. Add 2.5 cups of water and bring it to a boil. Stir. Once the water bubbles vigorously, lower the heat to a low simmer and  cover the pan with a lid. 

Simmer on a low heat for 10 minutes. Then turn the heat off and let the mixture cook in its own steam for another 10 minutes. Take the lid off and stir. Sprinkle half of the crispy, caramelised onions into the Khichdi. Serve, topping the plates with the remaining crispy onions as you do. 

Eat Khichdi with yoghurt and tahini sauce. 

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