When I (now we) visit London, there are some things that are fixtures: The Eagle, Diwana, Govinda’s and The Tate Modern. I feel better after every visit to theses places. But, after every visit to Govinda’s, it’s a different kind of better; a better that reaches your pineal gland.
Krishna Khichri
When I (now we) visit London, there are some things that are fixtures: The Eagle, Diwana, Govinda's and The Tate Modern. I feel better after every visit to theses places. But, after every visit to Govinda's, it's a different kind of better; a better that reaches your pineal gland. For those who haven't eaten there, Govinda's serves vegetarian and vegan Indian thalis. There's no booze and it has the feel of a works canteen but when you arise from the clunky, pine tables and chairs you feel lighter. This Bengali khichri or khichdi has a similar effect on me.
PROTEIN FOLATE VITAMIN-A/B1/B5/B6/C/K MAGNESIUM IRON POTASSIUM SULFORAPHANE
Ingredients
serves 7+
- ½ cup basmati rice (100g)
- ⅓ cup chana dhal (60g)
- ⅓ cup yellow moong dhal (60g)
- 6 cups filtered water (1.5 litres)
- Sea salt to taste
- 250g of each* swede, cauliflower, agria* potato, carrot, French beans
- 1 tsp Kashmiri chilli powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1 tsp garam masala
Khichri
- ½ tsp mustard seeds
- ½ tsp fenugreek seeds
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp nigella seeds
- ½ tsp fennel seeds
- 2 tbsp ghee or melted butter
- 2 dry red chillis (optional)
Panch poran*
- 1 small green chilli
- A few sprigs of fresh coriander
to serve*
NOTES*
When you make this Bengali khichri, make lots. It's a great thing to pull out of the fridge for a quick, healthy lunch. As you gently heat your khichri, prepare a fresh panch poran (Indian 5 spice mix) and enjoy the sizzle as the hot spiced ghee hits the cooler khichri. Although the khichri recipe will serve 7+ people, the panch poran and 'to serve' elements are for 2 dishes.
You can make your khichri with any vegetables you like. Keep it to 5 different vegetables - with an overall weight of 1.25kg - and I would always advise the addition of a cruciferous vegetable.
The agria potato is a tasty yellow-fleshed variety that I reach for whenever I cook with potatoes.
Method
Soak the rice, chana dhal and yellow moong dhal for 1 hour (you could leave them for up to 8 hours).
In a large pan, heat the water and add the salt, turmeric and soaked chana dhal. Bring the water to a gentle simmer and cook the chana dhal for 10 minutes. The chana Dahl should now be cooked enough to break when pressed between the thumb and fore finger. Now add the yellow moong dhal and rice along with the bay leaves, star anis and cinnamon sticks. Once the pot has come back up to a gentle simmer, add the vegetables and stir in the powdered spices. Now cover the pan and cook for 15 minutes - stiring after about 7 minutes to avoid sticking. Once the rice, dhal and vegetables are cooked, remove from the heat and check the seasoning. Leave to cool a little while you cook the panch phoran seasoning.
For the panch phoran, simply heat the ghee or butter in a small pan before adding the whole spices. Cook for about a minute - be careful not to burn the spices.
Spoon the khichri into bowls and pour over the hot panch poran.
Hare Krishna x
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