Rice and Mung Dal Khichari with Ghee
Rice and hulled mung lentils cooked together until they melt, seasoned with ginger, turmeric, and a pinch of hing, all bound with a spoonful of melted ghee. A comforting, complete, and soothing dish.
Rice and hulled mung lentils cooked together until they melt, seasoned with ginger, turmeric, and a pinch of hing, all bound with a spoonful of melted ghee. A comforting, complete, and soothing dish.
Listen, traveler. I conquered the Nanda throne and made the Western generals tremble, but at the end of my days I wanted only that pot: the rice of my Magadha and the mung lentil melted into a single porridge. Warm ghee is poured in, ginger is grated, and neither onion root nor garlic clove is added, for I learned from the naked sages to no longer harm the living. Eat slowly, like a king who has finally laid down his sword.
- •Rice from Magadha — a good handful per person (base)
- •Hulled mung lentils — half the volume of rice (protein)
- •Ghee — as desired (binder and flavor)
- •Fresh ginger — a piece (aromatic)
- •Turmeric — a pinch (color and gentle warmth)
- •Hing (asafoetida) — a grain (aromatic, replaces onion)
- •Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Rice and Mung Dal Khichari with Ghee
Rice and hulled mung lentils cooked together until they melt, seasoned with ginger, turmeric, and a pinch of hing, all bound with a spoonful of melted ghee. A comforting, complete, and soothing dish.
Why this dish? Rice from Magadha and mung lentils formed the staple of the royal table at Pataliputra. This one-pot porridge, nourishing and gentle on the stomach, is the attested ancestor of khichari — a dish that Chandragupta, a sober eater turned Jain follower, could eat without violating ahimsa.
Listen, traveler. I conquered the Nanda throne and made the Western generals tremble, but at the end of my days I wanted only that pot: the rice of my Magadha and the mung lentil melted into a single porridge. Warm ghee is poured in, ginger is grated, and neither onion root nor garlic clove is added, for I learned from the naked sages to no longer harm the living. Eat slowly, like a king who has finally laid down his sword.
Ingredients (period version)
- Rice from Magadha — a good handful per person (base)
- Hulled mung lentils — half the volume of rice (protein)
- Ghee — as desired (binder and flavor)
- Fresh ginger — a piece (aromatic)
- Turmeric — a pinch (color and gentle warmth)
- Hing (asafoetida) — a grain (aromatic, replaces onion)
- Salt — to taste (seasoning)
Ingredients
- Basmati rice — 150 g (base)
- Hulled mung lentils (yellow) — 75 g (protein)
- Ghee — 2 tbsp (binder and flavor)
- Fresh grated ginger — 1 tsp (aromatic)
- Turmeric powder — 1/2 tsp (color)
- Asafoetida (hing) — 1 pinch (aromatic)
- Water — 750 ml (cooking liquid)
- Salt — 1 tsp (seasoning)
- Cumin seeds — 1 tsp (tempering)
Method
- Rinse rice and mung lentils until water runs clear.
- In a pot, heat 1 tbsp ghee, crackle cumin, then add hing and ginger for a few seconds.
- Add rice, lentils, turmeric, and salt; stir to coat.
- Pour in water, bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low heat for 25-30 minutes until a soft porridge forms.
- Lightly mash with a spoon, adjust water for a creamy texture.
- Off heat, drizzle with remaining ghee and serve hot.
How it was made : This type of dish was cooked in a clay pot over an open fire, without tomato or chili (unknown in India before the 16th century). Tempering spices in ghee — tadka — is an ancient Indian technique. Megasthenes, Greek ambassador to Pataliputra under Chandragupta, describes a people who mainly ate rice.
The contemporary twist : A shower of crispy fried ginger and a few nutty ghee petals for a modern plating, served in a hammered copper bowl.
Chandragupta Maurya · Charactorium