Rice Dishes ~ B For Bhuna Khichuri

When I decided to post recipes this month based on one ingredient, I thought of doing it as a A - Z series as well, to make it more complicated fun. And so today, I am on alphabet 'B' as part of the series. 

My first choice would have been Bisi Bele Bhath if I hadn't posted it already. It is a spicy medley of rice, lentils and vegetables from the south Indian state of Karnataka. 
There are of course 'Birinj' and 'Biryani' which can be converted to vegetarian versions, even though true connoisseurs may look down at them. 'Birinj' came to India from Persia and Mesopotamian regions through invaders and trade routes and transformed to Biryani. And there are other choices for Biryani lovers like the Bhatkal Biryani and Beri Biryani from Karnataka and Bombay Biryani.

I had also had a choice of picking 'Bellam Pongali' or 'Bellam Paramannam', which are south Indian style eggfree sweet rice puddings using jaggery. And there was 'bakala bhath' which happens to be seasoned yogurt rice.
I also came across a couple of Bengali version khichdis online that started with the letter 'B'. The first one being Bhoger khichuri aka Bhaja moog dal er khichuri which uses rice, roasted moong dal and vegetables. And there was this simple bhuna khichuri sans vegetables that was a breeze to prepare. 

Khicuri / Khichdi seemingly is an ultimate comfort food for many Indians and Bengalis too seem to be no exception.The original recipe author eloquently pens down how it is the comfort food of many on a rainy day. I loved the fact that it was a simple and filling meal to put together in a short time. I prepared the khichdi on the dry side as the original recipe mentioned, where each grain stands apart. However the consistency can be changed according to one's preference and even vegetables of your choice can be added to make it wholesome. This can be served with a spicy side dish or a pickle.

Ingredients: (Servings 4 to 5)
1 cup Basmati rice
1/2 cup moong dal (Yellow Colored)
2 to 3 tbsp. ghee
1 onion, peeled and sliced lengthwise
1/2 tsp. ginger - garlic paste (I omitted garlic.)
1 each - sliced green chillie, clove, 1" cinnamon bark, bay leaf
1/2 tsp. turmeric powder
1/2 tsp. cumin powder
Salt to taste
2.5 cups water

Method:
* Roast moong dal on low flame until you start to notice the nutty aroma and the dal has turned light golden brown. 
* Wash rice and dal and drain. Let it sit aside.
* Heat ghee in a pan or a small pressure cooker directly. Add onion and fry until golden brown. Next, add ginger - garlic paste, green chillie, clove, cinnamon and bay leaf. Saute for a minute.
* Then add turmeric and cumin powder and saute for few seconds. 
* Add rice, dal, salt and water. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook covered until rice is done.
* If using a pressure cooker, cover the lid and cook for 3 to 4 whistles. I used the pressure cooker to cook this khichuri.

Disclaimer:
I am not doing a detailed study on rice dishes with each alphabet. I am just mentioning those that I am familiar with and may miss even the popular ones. 

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 68

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