Name: Bihari Chana Dal Khichdi
Prep time: 120 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 270 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Indian
Ingredients: ½ cup Basmati Rice, washed; ¼ cup Split Bengal Gram, chana dal, soaked; 1½ tbsp Mustard Oil, for authentic taste; ½ tsp Cumin Seeds; 1 Indian Bay Leaf; 1 Dried Red Chili Peppers, whole; ½ Onion, sliced; ½ tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste; ⅓ tsp Ground Turmeric; ¼ tsp Garam Masala; ¾ tsp Salt, to taste; 2 cup Water; ½ tbsp Ghee, for garnish (optional if vegan)

4 hr 30 mintotal

2 hr 30 min hands-on2 hr hands-off

Prep 2 hr · Cook 30 min

Serves: 2
Difficulty: Easy
Spice: Medium

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Method

Command a heavy-duty pressure apparatus. Push the authentic mustard oil to a high-heat threshold until slight smoking occurs to neutralize its inherent raw pungency. Instantly throttle back the thermal output.
Add the cumin seeds, bay leaf and dry red chilli. Let them splutter briefly in the hot fat to release their aroma.
Add the sliced onions to the hot fat. Fry them steadily until they soften and turn a golden brown.
Stir in the thick ginger-garlic paste. Fry it for 60 seconds to cook off the raw, sharp taste.
1 min
Drain the soaked chana dal and add it to the pot with the turmeric powder. Toast it for 2-3 minutes, letting the lentils take on a little colour, which builds the flavour base.
2–3 min
Add the washed basmati to the pot. Fold it through very gently for exactly 1 minute, coating the rice in the spices without breaking the grains.
1 min
Pour in the measured water. Stir in the salt and the garam masala. Bring it up to a rolling boil.
Close and seal the lid. Cook over steady medium heat for exactly 4 whistles. The dal should be cooked through but still have a little bite, while the rice turns completely soft.
Let the pressure drop on its own. When you open it, stir gently from the bottom. Finish with a spoonful of raw ghee over the top, if you are using it, and serve it piping hot.

How to tell it's done

Brace for brilliantly vibrant yellow rice architectures seamlessly interwoven with robust, distinctly visible, and deeply earthy chana dal payloads that yield gently upon mastication.

Nutrition

Per serving, from 2 servings.

376kcal

Where the calories come from

Protein9.1 g10%
Carbohydrate57 g60%
Fat12.5 g30%

Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Fibre: 4.4 g
Sodium: 889 mg
Potassium: 313 mg
Calcium: 67 mg
Iron: 2.2 mg

Estimated by calculation from the ingredient list, using USDA FoodData Central. Not a laboratory analysis.

Getting it right

Tip

Bihari chana dal khichdi shouldn't be thin. The rice and dal should be soft, but the texture stays fuller and more distinct than a moong dal khichdi.

What to serve it with

Serve this comforting dish with its traditional four companions, the char yaar: fire-roasted potato mash (chokha), crisp papad, raw ghee, and a sharp, sour pickle.

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