Served as main course. Suitable for vegetarians. A cuisine from West Bengal (eastern India). Durga Puja special recipe.

Indian

Rice - 1 cup

Red lentils (masoor) - 1 cup

Chick peas (channa) - 1½ Tablespoon

Bay leaf2

Cardamoms - 4

Cinnamon - a small piece

Cloves - 4

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Onion - 1 big, fin - 1 or ely chopped

Potato - 3 big, chopped into big pieces

Green peas - ½ cup

Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon

Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Green chilli - 2 to 3, slit into halves

Fresh coriander leaves - 2 Tablespoon,finely chopped

Turmeric powder - ½ teaspoon

Garam masala - ½ teaspoon

Salt - to taste

Water - 5 cups

Oil or Butter or Ghee - 4 Tablespoon

Wash the rice, red lentils and chick peas. Keep soaked in water for at least 30 minutes. Grind cardamom, cinnamon and cloves coarsely. Heat oil (butter or ghee) in a pan. Add bay leaves, cumin seeds to the pan ground spices and wait until they splutter. Add ginger paste and garlic paste and fry for few seconds. Add onion, potatoes and chillies and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add green peas, turmeric powder, garam masala and salt to the contents. Stir continuously. Add rice and all the pulses and fry for 1-2 minutes. Add water to the contents and bring the water to boil. Cover the pan and let the food cook at low heat. The amount of water should be such so as to leave the khichudi dry when done. Check if the rice and pulses are cooked properly or not. If nor, boil water in a separate pan or electric kettle. Add to khichudi in small quantities and let it cook at low heat with the pan covered. Garnish with melted butter or ghee (2 Tablespoon) and chopped coriander. Serve hot with any Indian vegetable dish, onion bhaji, potato fries or omlette.

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