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Haryanvi bajra khichdi
Bajra khichdi: Haryana's soft winter porridge of pearl millet and moong dal with ghee (soak overnight)
In village homes across Haryana, bajra khichdi is the food of cold winter nights and the days around Makar Sankranti: cracked pearl millet and yellow moong cooked slowly until soft and porridge-like, then eaten with a big spoon of ghee and either jaggery or a glass of lassi. It is plain, nutty and very filling, and grandmothers swear it keeps you warm. The millet was traditionally pounded in a stone mortar to crack it; a quick pulse in a grinder does the same. Chef's tip: soak the bajra overnight; unsoaked millet stays hard and gritty however long you cook it.
- Total time
- 75 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
Method
0/5 doneStep 1: Drain 7 oz whole pearl millet (bajra) and spread it on a cloth for 15 minutes to dry off a little. Pulse it in a grinder in 2–3 short bursts, just enough to crack the grains; don't grind it to flour.
15 minStep 2: Put the cracked millet, 3 ½ oz split yellow moong dal, 5 cups water and 1 tsp salt in a pressure cooker and cook for 6–7 whistles over a medium heat, or simmer covered in a heavy pot for about 60 minutes, stirring now and then and adding hot water if it catches.
45 minStep 3: It's ready when the millet is completely soft and the khichdi is thick, creamy and drops slowly from the spoon. Mash lightly with the back of the ladle.
Step 4: Heat 3 tbsp ghee in a small pan over a medium heat, add 1 tsp cumin seeds and let it crackle, then ¼ tsp gluten-free asafoetida (hing). Pour the sizzling tadka over the khichdi and stir in.
1 minStep 5: Serve hot with more ghee and 2 ⅛ oz jaggery, or with lassi.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 14 g
- Carbs
- 55 g
- Fat
- 12 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does haryanvi bajra khichdi take?
- About 75 minutes in total: 15 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegetarian?
- Yes. It has no meat or fish.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of ghee?
- Butter, same amount (keep the heat a little lower, butter burns sooner).
- What can I use instead of cumin seeds?
- Ground cumin, three quarters of the amount (add it with the other ground spices, not to hot oil first).
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