Shahi Mughlai cuisine is one that has stood the test of time. Brought to our country by the Mughals, it continues to be a favourite, especially on special occasions that call for rich food. Loaded with ghee, dry fruits, nuts, saffron, and other dairy products and spices, authentic Mughal cuisine is very rich and heavy.
Khichdi is India’s version of culinary comfort, known as ‘Huggi’ in Karnataka, ‘ Pongal’ in Tamil Nadu, ‘Pulagam’ in Andhra, and ‘Khichdi’ in many parts of Northern India. There are as many recipes for khichdi in India as there are households, and the only necessary ingredients include rice and lentils.
Khichdi is a very simple one pot comfort food made with a combination of rice and lentils. You can use electric Instant pot cooker or stove top pressure cooker to prepare Khichdi quickly.
Below is the video instructions for making Shahi Khichdi.
Since this is a shahi kind khichdi, I use Basmati rice instead of short grain rice usually used to make khichdi. And use multi Dal (Lentils) to make it more rich.
This khichdi is more like a biryani style, now stew kind so do not overcook.
Shahi Khichdi – Royal Rice Lentil Vegetable Stew
Ingredients
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- ½ Mixed Lentils I take all the dals I have in my pantry like moong, chana, tuvar, masoor, urad, matar daals
- About 3 cups vegetables of your choice like onion potato, carrot, cauliflower, green peas, corn and so on.
- Ginger Garlic & Green Chili as per taste
- Dry fruit and nuts like 2 tbsp Peanuts 2 tbsp Cashews, 2 tbsp Raisins, 2 tbsp coconut
- 3 cups Water
- 1 tbsp ghee + 1 Tbsp Oil or use just oil or ghee Clarified butter
- ¼ tsp Fennel seeds – Sauf or Variyali
- ½ tsp Cumin seeds I use Caraway seeds known as shahi jeera
- Whole spices like 2 Cloves 1 cinnamon stick, 1 small bay leaf, 4 black peppercorns, 1/2 Star Anise
- 1 Dry Red Chilli broken
- ½ tsp red chilli powder
- ¼ tsp Turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Ground coriander cumin Dhaniya Jeera
- Shahi Masala to taste. I use Shahi paneer Garam Masala
- Few strands of saffron Kesar + 2 tbsp Milk
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves finely chopped
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash Daals and soak in water for couple of hours. Drain and keep aside until needed.
- Wash rice and keep aside, no need to soak basmati rice.
- Heat ghee + Oil in a pressure cooker. Add whole spices and dry whole red chilis. Add seeds and let them crackle.
- Add peanuts; and sauté for a minute.
- Add chopped vegetables and sauté for approximately 1-2 minutes.
- Add drained rice, and daals, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt. Sauté for about a minute.
- Add cashew raisins, Shahi garam masala.
- Add 3 cups water, mix well and close the lid. Pressure cook for 1 or 2 whistles on medium-high flame.
- Turn off flame and let the pressure inside pressure cooker comes down. Open the lid carefully, about 6-8 minutes.
- Mix saffron in hot milk and pour over the khichdi. If desired, ghee can be smeared as well.
- Serve with plain yogurt, papad, pickle, and ghee.
