Kitchdi - Parsi Style
‘Kitchdi’ is traditionally a dish of rice and lentils cooked together (and generally overcooked) and is made in many regions in various style, where the English version better known as ‘Kedgree’ originated from. The type of rice and type of lentils vary from place to place and therefore so do the flavours. Here is the Parsi version.
Ingredients 11
1 cup split red lentils
2 1⁄2 cups basmati rice
2 green chilli
2 cm ginger, ¾ in. piece
3 cloves garlic
1⁄4 cup oil
2 bay leaves
1 tsp black peppercorns
1⁄2 tsp ground turmeric
salt
long-grain rice
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Method 4
Mix and and wash thoroughly until water runs clear. Cover with water and soak for at least half an hour. Peel and chop onions. Slit . Peel and and blend into a puree.
Heat in a pan. Add and . Add onions and sauté without colouring. Add the and puree. Cook well and add .
Drain rice mix and add to the pan, along with the . Stir well and add enough water to cover the rice. A rule of the thumb for the quantity of water is 1 cup of rice to 1 ½ cups of water, but that totally depends on the type of rice and how much soaking it has had.
Stir occasionally, and add some salt. Bring to the boil, cover and cook on low heat until all the moisture is absorbed.
Anil Ashokan's tips
This is a 'plain' kitchdi, with the view to serve it with some other protein preparation or vegetable dish. Plain kitchdi is also considered ideal for convalescence or when one needs a light meal. To make a meal out of the Kitchdi, prepare it with mixed vegetables or some protein such as chicken (diced into small dices) and added to the kitchdi.
The above recipe is ideally served with another Parsi dish known as 'Patra ni Macchi' which is a steamed fish dish wrapped in banana leaves and cooked with a ground green coconut mix.
