Bajra khichdi
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Pounded pearl millet cooked with moong dal into a thick porridge and eaten with ghee and kadhi in the desert winter.
Region: RajasthanOccasion: Winter meals; Makar SankrantiTime: 1 hour + 6 hours soakingServes: 4Vegetarian
Ingredients
- 1 cup whole bajra, soaked 6 hours
- ½ cup split moong dal (with skin or without)
- 5 cups water
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- A pinch of hing
- ½ tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- Extra ghee to serve
Method
- Drain the bajra and pound it lightly in a mortar or pulse it briefly in a mixer so the husk loosens and the grains break.
- Wash the bajra and dal together.
- Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add cumin and hing, then the bajra, dal, turmeric, salt and water.
- Pressure-cook for 6–7 whistles, then on low heat for 10 minutes, until soft.
- Mash lightly and serve hot with a spoon of ghee and kadhi or jaggery.
History
Bajra khichdi was a staple of desert households, made from grains and pulses grown in the same fields.
Significance
It is cooked on cold days and around Makar Sankranti, when warming millet dishes are customary.