Pakistan – Khichdi

By Dahiza Umar

WHAT IS KHICHDI?

Khichdi is actually a rice dish when lentils is mixed with rice and basic spices. It is slow cooking recipe. Khichdi is known as COMFORT DISH here.

The word khichdi is a Urdu language word derived from the word ‘’khicca’’ means a dish of rice, lentils and legume.

It is a mixture of very balanced spice and having a thick sticky consistency. The simplest way to cook khichdi is cook rice with yellow lentils and salt in it when it turn to mushy and slimy consistency serve it by butter or desi ghee on the top.

KHICHDI IN PAKISTAN

In Asia, especially India and Pakistan, this is very basic dish and made every other week.

Khichdi is also a very first meal given to baby at the age of 6 months or more.

It is easy to make and easy to digest. Whenever anybody in my home has diarrhea, khichdi is made having thin consistency with only salt on it. When when it is made up by adding some traditional spices and tradition method it gives a pulao like flavour ( another rice recipe) that is very famous in Pakistan. It is served with raita, achar(pickle). it is very delicious and also a healthy version with full of protein.

INGREDIENTS

• Rice 1/2 kg
• Yellow lentils 100 grams
• Red lentils 100 grams
• Oil 4 tablespoon
• Onion 1 large
• Garlic paste 1 teaspoon
• Ginger paste 1 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds 1 teaspoon
• Salt 1 teaspoon

METHOD

• First soak rice and both lentil for half hour.
• Now take oil in a pan and add sliced onion into it, fry little bit and add ginger garlic paste.
• Stir both thing together for a while than add about 6 glasses of water in it.
• Add cumin and salt into water with soaked rice and lentils.
• Cook it on medium high flames for 20 to 10 minutes until the moisture absorbed.
• The rice is cooked and mushy consistency is generated.
• Serve the khichdi with desi ghee/ butter on the top and garnished with fresh coriander
• Enjoy!

NUTRITIONAL VALUE

One serving of khichdi gives you

• Calories 320, out of which
• Carbohydrates 230 calories
• Proteins 50 calories
• Fat is 30 calories