Khichdi, khatta and kheema
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A Hyderabadi weekend breakfast of soft masoor-dal khichdi with a sour tamarind sauce (khatta) and spiced minced meat.
Region: Hyderabad, TelanganaOccasion: Weekend breakfast; sehri in RamzanTime: 1 hourServes: 4Non-vegetarian
Ingredients
- Khichdi: 1 cup rice, ½ cup masoor dal, 2 tbsp ghee, 1 tsp cumin, 1 onion (sliced), ½ tsp turmeric, salt, 3½ cups water
- Khatta: tamarind the size of a lemon soaked in 2 cups water, 1 tbsp sesame seeds and 1 tbsp chana dal flour (besan), 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tsp mustard seeds, curry leaves, 4 garlic cloves, salt, 1 tbsp oil
- Kheema: 400 g minced mutton, 1 onion (chopped), 1 tomato, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste, 1 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp garam masala, ½ tsp turmeric, coriander and mint, salt, 3 tbsp oil
- Papad and pickle to serve
Method
- For the khichdi, fry cumin and onion in ghee, add washed rice and dal, turmeric, salt and water, and cook until soft.
- For the kheema, fry the onion in oil, add ginger-garlic paste, then the mince with the spices and salt. Fry well, add the tomato and cook covered until dry and tender. Finish with coriander and mint.
- For the khatta, roast and grind the sesame seeds. Mix the tamarind water with the sesame, besan, chilli powder and salt.
- Temper mustard seeds, garlic and curry leaves in oil, pour in the tamarind mixture and simmer until slightly thick, about 10 minutes.
- Serve the khichdi hot with kheema and khatta on the side, with papad and pickle.
History
Khichdi with a sour accompaniment is an old Deccani breakfast; adding kheema made it a Hyderabadi weekend favourite.
Significance
Many Hyderabadi families cook khichdi-khatta-kheema on Sunday mornings, and it is a popular pre-dawn meal (sehri) in Ramzan.