Gujarati Khichdi(Rice & lentils porridge)

Last week, lapsi and this week, khichdi. What next? undhiyu, kadhi..may be :D. Anyways, coming back to khichdi, it is a dish similar to Pongal and bisi bele bath. This dish is primarily a mix of rice and lentils. I say proudly that I experimented a lot for this khichdi & now I make it very close to what we get in Gujarati resturant here. There are many ways khichdi is prepared. In some Gujarati homes, khichdi is prepared using  only yellow moong dal.

My suggestion is.., please prepare this & I'm sure you will prepare it again the very next day. I can guarantee you on this one :D

Soaking time: 2 hours                                               Cooking time: Around 45mins
Preparation time: 5-10mins                                      Serves: 2-3


Ingredients: 
Split green gram with skin/Broken hara moong: 1 cup
Yellow moong dal/hesaru bele: 1/2 cup
Basmati rice: 1.5 cups
Cinnamon: 1 inch stick
Cardamom: 3 nos
Clove: 3-4 nos
Green chilli: 2 nos
Pepper powder: 1 tsp
Ghee/clarified butter: 2-3 tbsp
Oil: 1 tbsp
Water: 9 cups (adjust according to your needs)
Salt: According to taste
Bay leaf: 1 no
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves: 1 string
Asafoetida: a pinch
Turmeric: 2 big pinches

Method:

• Wash the split green gram thoroughly & soak it in water for 1-2hours (More time you soak, faster it gets cooked).
• Wash the yellow moong dal & soak it or 30mins.
• Heat oil + 1 tbsp of ghee in a large vessel. When oil is hot, add cumin seeds. When cumin seeds turn golden brown, add bay leaf, cinnamon, clove, cardamom, pepper powder & saute till the spices leave a nice aroma (takes around 20-30secs).
• Add curry leaves, green chilli, turmeric & asafoetida & saute again.
• Drain the water completely from the lentils(both split green gram & yellow moong dal). Add the lentils to the vessel & saute for a minute. Add the water & allow the lentils to cook.
• Meantime wash the rice thoroughly & let it soak for 10-15minutes.
• When the lentils are half cooked, add the soaked rice & mix them well. Cook the lentils + rice on a medium heat. When the rice is almost cooked, add salt & gently mix.(Adjust the consistency of khichdi by adding a cup of more water, if required).
• Finally, add the remaining ghee. Mix well & cook for a minute or two. Turn off the heat & serve it with a raitha or Gujarati kadhi.

Notes:

1. We prefer the khichdi to be semi-solid, hence I add more water. Do adjust the consistency according to your family needs.
2. I have tried preparing this khichdi using a pressure cooker, but somehow was never satisfied with the result. Hence, I strongly suggest you to try stove top method.
3. Remove the cinnamon stick, bay leaves from the khichdi before serving. 

Update:

I'm sending Lapsi & Gujarati khichdi for the event "Flavors of Gujarat" hosted by SimplySensationalFood.