Bhooni Moong Ki Khichree – Mung & Basmati Pilaf

I love it when they tell me exactly what to cook. Well, not tell, but ask rather nicely. It was also his birthday. I asked my younger son, (the one who lives in Toronto) what he’d like for a birthday meal. “Khichree, please,” he replied with alacrity. Khichree, ah. He didn’t stop there, of course, but I shall get to that in a moment. 

Khichree — pronounced kh-itch-rree — is almost too easy to make. You combine Rice and Daal with a selection of spices, cook in ghee or oil, garnish with caramelized onions, and you’re done. You can have Khichree as a vegetarian main, or with a range of proteins and sides. Some folks add fish, and I remember an aunt in Dhaka who used to make this dish with tiny koftas or meatballs dancing around in the mix. You may also know an interesting brunch speciality made with rice, fish and eggs called Kedgeree, a colonial cousin, so to speak, courtesy of the British Raj. I, personally, prefer the vegetarian version and in particular, a family speciality that I learned from my mom. 

“Could you do the dry Khichree, not the mushy kind, please?” my son continued, reading my mind. I thought so. There’s a soft, broth-like Khichree that’s yummy; and then there is this one: my mom’s recipe that I just adore. Dry and fluffy, like a pulao or pilaf in texture and consistency, her Bhooni Moong Ki Khichree never fails to deliver. (Bhooni comes from the verb Bhoono, to curry). You first roast split yellow Mung Beans, or Moong Daal, then make a light pulao with ghee or oil, Basmati Rice and spices, add the Daal, let it sit on dum (simmer), brush it with some more ghee, garnish with caramelized onions. And you’re done!

My son wasn’t, of course. “What about a Dopiaza to go with it,” he went on. “I mean, if you’re up to it, of course,” he added. One cannot celebrate a birthday with just Khichree. And so, in addition to making Chicken Dopiaza, I added a Kachumar, a salad, and was planning to make Aloo Ka Bharta or Potato Mash, which is an amazing side, but in the end I forgot to boil the potatoes and wasn’t able to do it. I am glad because it was a fulsome meal in any case, and rather delicious, even if I say so myself. (In case you wonder, I will post these other recipes asap). 

Khichree has a lovely pedigree. I dug a little into its origins, and it seems that some thousands of years ago, those clever, ancient inhabitants of South Asia who loved their rice and lentils, figured that mixing together the two saved a heck of a lot of time and was a neat way to get your main meal. They called the dish “Khicca.” Many moons later, in the early 14^th century CE to be precise, an intrepid Moroccan traveller called Ibn Batuta pitched up in Delhi and, as he notes with some interest in his travel blog, the Rihla, a mixture of rice, lentils and ghee called “Khishri” was the hot favourite for all and sundry at breakfast time in India’s capital.

Then came the Mughals, originally Mongols from Central Asia, who elevated this dish to remarkable new levels. A guy called Abul Fazl, who was the go-to historian during the reign of the Emperor Akbar in the 16th century, gives us a recipe for the dish in his copious work, the Ain i Akbari. He writes that “Khichri” is cooked with equal quantities of rice, daal and guess what, pure ghee. (I don’t envy being the emperor’s cardiologist). Akbar’s great-great grandson, Aurangzeb Alamgir, known more for flexing his military muscles across a waning empire than for his culinary creativity, insisted that eggs and fish be added to the dish, and it’s Alamgiri Khichree that probably inspired Anglo-Indian chefs to create Kedgeree. Given that it was the result of a little colonial appropriation, the end product may have some desi folk scratching their heads in bemusement. That said, I think Kedgeree has its own charm. A most enjoyable part of cooking, for me at any rate, is to connect with the diversity of a cuisine.

So here’s hoping you have a lot of fun making my mom’s Bhooni Moong Ki Khichree – Mung & Basmati Pilaf. Enjoy!

SERVING SUGGESTIONS: Bhooni Mung ki Khichree –  Mung & Basmati Pilaf combines beautifully with a Chicken or Beef Dopiaza, with Kachumar, an easy South Asian fresh salad, on the side. 

QUICK TIP: Adjust ghee to suit your taste — and arteries! For a richer finish, increase to 2 – 3 tsp but always let it permeate well, so let your Khichree rest before serving. 

Photo Credit

All Photos unless otherwise noted by: Almas Zakiuddin SOME RIGHTS RESERVED