Bihari Masoor Kitchidi

Kitchidi is one of the go to comfort foods in India. It is nothing but rice and lentils cooked together to a mushy dish. The kinds of lentil and what else goes in the dish varies from state to state. In Tamil Nadu it is called Ven Pongal. In the northern states of India it is called kitchidi. It is the first thing you would give to anyone feeling sick, easy for digestion and safe to eat. Last week my friend and fellow foodie had written on her blog about when and how they make kitchidi in her state of Bihar. My husband's colleague, also from Bihar said that his mom would make kitchidi on Saturday for easy digestion. I adapted the recipe from dranshublog.com and made it for dinner last night.

Ingredients:
1 Cup rice
1/2 Cup masoor dal (red lentil)
2 teaspoon ghee
1 bay leaf
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 black cardamom
2 green cardamom
2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
salt to taste
1 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 Cup chopped fresh tomato
1 Cup green peas
1/2 Cup finely chopped onion
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

Method:
1. Wash and soak rice and lentils separately.
2. Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a large saucepan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamom and cumin seeds. Allow seeds to pop.

2. Drain lentil and add to the saucepan. Add ginger-garlic paste. Give a quick stir for a minute.

3. Pour 1/2 cup water to the saucepan. Add a teaspoon salt, turmeric powder, green peas, and chopped tomato. Stir, cover with a lid and cook on low flame until lentil is half cooked, about 5-8 minutes.

4. Drain rice and add to the cooking dal. Add 3 cups water. Cover and cook until rice is soft and blended with lentil, stirring intermittently. Add more water if required. Check for salt and add if required.

5. Remove from the stove when it is done. The kitchidi should be soft and gooey in consistency.
6. Heat 1 teaspoon ghee in a small pan. Temper 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Add chopped onion and saute till translucent. Pour this over the kitchidi and mix. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

 Serve warm with a spicy side dish. In Bihar this kitchidi is typically served with a spicy mashed potato called aloo chokka.