Bengali khichdi or khichuri is the ultimate fragrant and delicious comfort food for most bengalis. Learn the nitty-gritty of cooking the dish in this detailed beginners guide.
Prep Time15 minutesmins
Cook Time55 minutesmins
Total Time1 hourhr10 minutesmins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: bengali, Indian
Keyword: bengali khichdi, easy bengali khichdi, how to cook bengali khichdi, how to cook khichuri, khichuri
Cook the spices till the raw smell disappears. If needed splash water to ensure that the spices do not burn
Add in the rice and dal
Mix and fry for a couple of minutes
Add hot water and salt and bring to a boil
Taste the seasoning and if required add in more salt
Cover the wok and cook for 15 minutes.
Check every few minutes to ensure that the dal does not stick to the bottom of the pan and get burnt. If required, add hot water
Add green chillies and the sugar
Cook for another 5 minutes to the desired consistency. Keep stirring to prevent the bengali khichdi from sticking to the bottom of the wok and burning
Put off the flame
Serve hot with fries and/or pickle
Notes
Remember the following points while cooking a Bengali khichdi.
The quantity for rice and dal should always be 1:1 for optimum flavor
Shona mug dal is the best choice of dal while preparing khichuri
Gobindobhog rice is the preferred variety of rice for this dish
Do not over-wash the dal. It will lose its nutty flavor
Always keep a jar of hot water near. You can use this to maintain the desired consistency
Grated coconut provides the best flavors. You can substitute with desiccate coconut powder as well which is easily available in the local grocery shops
A dollop of ghee served with a plate of hot khichuri always work wonders