Khichari Recipe - The Ideal Food

If, in a purely hypothetical scenario, I was told that I could only eat one preparation of my choice for the rest of my life, it wouldn't take much deliberation for me to choose the East Indian concoction known as Khichari. Sometimes referred to as the "Food of the Gods," and a "Poor Man's Feast" in India, and "Cook-up" in various parts of the Caribbean, Khichari is a thick stew-like integration of rice, dal (legume or bean soup), vegetables and spices that is delicious, nutritious and makes one feel….well, full of energy. What's more, it's inexpensive and also versatile enough to appear at the table in a variety of ways, to satisfy almost any cultural leaning. What follows is an informative instruction manual how to make and enjoy this delightful dish for the rest of your natural life. You will not only probably live longer by regularly eating Khichari, but you will also think clearer, and enjoy improved health and vigor, while fully satisfying your palate.

According to Ayurvedic medicine, a diet of only Khichari is often prescribed for illnesses of all variety, along with specific herbs and other health regimens, as it is said to balance the airs of the body. That is in part true because of the preparation's wholesome ingredients. The recommended cooking medium for Khichari is ghee or clarified butter. According to Charvaka Muni, a famous hedonistic-philosopher and culinary expert from medieval India, one should get ghee by any means necessary if one truly wishes to enjoy life. He even suggests to beg, borrow or steal for it if need be. You, however, can find ghee in any Indian food store and most health food stores, if buying it seems less complicated. If you want, you can also make it yourself. The process is relatively simple and can be done on the stove or in the oven.

For making a large quantity of ghee, the oven is best because it is less work intensive. Simply preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit and periodically skim the butter impurities off as they rise to the top. When the butter becomes a golden see-through color it has fully transformed into ghee. Science has proven that when heated, ghee does not hydrogenate, so cooking with it is good for your heart.

To make good Khichari it is pretty essential to get the best rice and dal available. I personally like Indian Basmati rice, grown in the foothills of the Himalayas, along with split, peeled Mung dal. Both are available at Indian Food stores in virtually every city of the United States. Even Sam's Club carries Basmati rice at an extremely reasonable price. Besides the rice and dal, you will need spices and vegetables. My recommended ingredients are as follows:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup split mung beans
1 cup basmati or other long-grain rice
3 tablespoons ghee or cooking oil
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
1 teaspoon minced hot green chili (optional)
2 tablespoons shredded ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 teaspoon hing (asafetida powder)
1 small broccoli
1 ½ cups fresh green beans
5 cups water
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon butter
2/3 cups peas
½ cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
1 chopped carrot

Directions:

There are various recipes out there, but as I've been making this for over twenty-five years, I am presenting these instructions to you strictly by realized experience. Without a doubt, it is best to wash and measure all your ingredients first, so you are ready for action. When it comes time for cooking, you have to be on your toes, especially during your first attempts. After washing and draining the dal and rice, heat the ghee in a heavy 4-quart non-stick pot over moderate heat.

When the ghee is hot add the cumin seeds, and fry them until they turn golden brown and crackle a bit. Then one after the other, add the chilies and the ginger. The chilies and ginger will help you to digest the meal and give it a little bite. If you don't want chilies, take them out, but by all means, keep the ginger in, if at all possible. Life is meant to be full of taste, and there's nothing more depressing than bland food, in my humble opinion. Sauté them for a few seconds, then add the turmeric and hing.

Turmeric, an ingredient often found in mustard, is a natural blood purifier, and has been shown to clean the plaque out of the arteries and help to stop the onset of Alzheimer's disease. Besides, it adds color and a slight sweetness to the dish, so don't take it out. If you don't sauté it for 10 or 20 seconds though, it will make the dish a little bitter.

Hing adds flavor, and is often used in India instead of onions and garlic, because it leaves you with less bodily odor when sweating (people do a lot of sweating in India, believe me). Hing also has anti-gas elements. The stuff is very strong, especially to a new bee, so if extra accidentally falls in, by all means scoop it out. At this point add the carrots and let them fry with the spices for one minute, occasionally stirring. Then add the rice and dal together, and let them fry for another minute.

Now it's time to add the water and bring to a full boil over high heat. After a minute of boiling, reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and slowly cook, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the dal and rice are soft. About 15 minutes into this add the string beans, broccoli, and salt. If you find the Khichari is drying up too much, you can add up to one cup of warm water during the process. If after 30 minutes the aroma in the kitchen is becoming heavenly, you can be sure you are doing a good job. Just before removing the Khichari from the heat, fold in the butter, green peas, and fresh coriander leaves. Let the preparation stand covered off the heat for 2 or 3 minutes.

There are many varieties of rice, dals, vegetables and spices that you can experiment with when making this dish. For dal, red lentils, yellow or green spilt pea, and urad or toor dal can be utilized for various tastes. I prefer mung because it is very light. Cauliflower, potatoes, spinach, okra and tofu are also good inside a Khichari. Khichari is very nutritious because of the combination of all these ingredients together. The rice and dal mix is an excellent source of protein and carbohydrates, giving one energy and power. The vegetables supply vital vitamins and nutrition, while the spices act with medicinal effects.

By the way, it is quite tasty to squeeze lemon on your Khichari before enjoying. It's also advisable from a health standpoint, as the lemon juice, which is rich in vitamin C content, helps the body absorb the protein. Khichari is especially enjoyable served with hot chapattis (an Indian flatbread), tortillas, or even toast. It is equally delicious for breakfast, lunch, or dinner, and gives your body a warm and fuzzy feeling, like it has been treated right.

During the hot summer days, Khichari is excellent served with cooling yogurt or astringent cucumber slices. In summary, I love Khichari and Khichari loves me. I urge you to try it, as there's plenty to go around, and would solve the world hunger problem in a relative few blinks of an eye, if people would just open up their hearts a little.

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