Mong Ketchir | Moong dal Khichdi | Kashmiri Cuisine
Mong Ketchir or moong dal khichdi, quick and easy khichdi made of split green gram and rice. This simple one pot meal uses minimal spices and makes a satisfying and wholesome meal.
Khichdi recipe | Pressure cooker recipe | One Pot meal | sattvic recipe | No Onion No Garlic Khichdi recipe | Simple moong dal khichdi recipe | Moong dal khichdi without onion garlic | Vegan Lunch recipe | Rice and dal | Dal Chawal | Kashmiri Cuisine | Vegetarian recipe from Kashmir
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Kashmir
If you are into watching TV serials in Doordarshan(DD), you should be knowing Gul(flower), Gulshan(garden), Gulfam(gardener), a TV series portraying the life of a Kashmir family. The name Gul, Gulshan and Gulfam are the boat houses run by the family and how their lives are affected due to the unrest in J&K.
So my first intro to J&K is through this serial. During my school days, when girls together gossip about marriage and honeymoon (with what we understood by watching TV) I dreamt of going to Kashmir for my honeymoon. The Movie Roja had a very bad influence on me, first arvind swamy and second those snow-clad mountains where the song Pudhu Vellai Mazhai was pictured. hmm, I m yet to visit those beautiful scenic mountains for real.
Kashmiri Cuisine
Kashmiri cuisine, the cuisine of the Kashmir Valley in Jammu and Kashmir. Rice is their staple food, since ancient times. The equivalent phrase for bread and butter in Kashmiri is haakh-batta, meaning greens and rice. A typical everyday Kashmiri meal consists of a generous serving of rice, meat and vegetables, mostly greens cooked in oil, and yoghurt.
Tea drinking forms a very important part of Kashmiri cuisine and is often used in place of dessert. Kehwa, a sweet Green tea with cardamom and almonds, sheer chai, the famous salty pink tea with almonds. Such teas are usually taken with fresh breads like Kulcha and Katlam. Check this rich and royal sheermal bread.
Here is an interesting article about Kashmiri breads and teas in TOI.
Khetchar, Kashmiri Dhuli Moong Khichdi
Today I bring you a filling lunch from J&K. Mong Ketchir, dhuli moong or split moong dal khichdi with rice. When I was making this khichdi, I was in doubt how will it taste, as the khichdi uses very less spice.
This simple moong khichdi has only ginger and green chilies and nothing more. I was awestruck with the aroma and taste. Aromatic basmati cooked with flavorsome dhuli moong has its own taste and flavor. It was a filling meal with radish raita.
Ingredients to make Moong Ketchir
- Main Ingredients : Rice and Split green gram dal with skin. I have used basmati rice.
- Spices : Ginger, green chilies & turmeric powder.
- Tempering : Mustard oil & cumin seeds.
Stepwise Instructions
Please check recipe card below for exact measurements of each ingredient used and also for the detailed instructions
- Wash rice and split moong dal in water 2-3 times. Soak them together in water for 20 minutes.
- Heat oil in a pressure cooker, crackle cumin seeds. Add chopped green chilies and ginger.
- Add drained rice and dal. Saute for a minute in hot oil. To this now add enough water.
- Add salt and turmeric powder, mix well. Close the pressure cooker and cook in medium flame without whistle for 15 minutes.
- After the said time, put the whistle and turn off the flame. Let the pressure fall on its own. Open the cooker, fluff it up with fork, add ghee and serve it hot .
More wholesome Khichadi Recipes
- Multigrain Vegetable Khichdi, made of mixed grains and loaded with vegetables.
- Maata Rice Khichdi, simple one pot meal made with kerala matta rice.
- Mixed vegetable moong dal khichdi
What to serve with the Khichadi
There is a saying in the local language, "Khichdi ke chaar yaar- dahi, papad, ghee aur achaar", which means the humble khichdi is served with curd, papad, clarified butter and pickle.
I love to have my khichdi hot with some kadhi , a runny gravy and some tomato thokku that pairs so well with soft moong dal khichadi.
Here are some raita and pickles, which also pairs pretty with khichdi.
Mong Ketchir | Moong dal Khichdi | Kashmir Cuisine
Equipment
Ingredients
- ½ cup Dhuli Moong/Split Moong dal with skin
- 1 cup Basmati Rice
- 2 teaspoon Mustard Oil
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 green chilies slitted lengthwise
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Wash moong dal and rice in water for 2-3 times. Soak them together in water for 20 minutes. After the said time, drain and set aside
- Heat oil in a pressure pan, add cumin. When it crackles, add green chilies, ginger and turmeric powder. Sauté for 2 minutes.
- Next add the drained rice and dal to this and add sauté for 2 minutes. Add water to this just to the level of rice and dal. Approximately 2 cups. The water should be to the level of rice and dal and not immersing them.
- Add salt, mix well. Close the pressure pan and let this cook on a medium flame for 15 minutes WITHOUT WHISTLE.
- After 15 minutes, put the whistle on and switch off the stove. Let the pressure cool down on its own.
- Release the cooker and fluff the rice with a fork. Serve with a teaspoon of ghee drizzled on top.
- Any leftover khichdi can be stored in an air-tight container in the refrigerator. While serving, reheat in the microwave for 30 seconds or steam cook it for 10 minutes.
Disclaimer
I m not a Doctor or a Nutritionist The Nutrition information provided above comes from the plugin and is only an estimate.
even I learned Hindi easily with all the movies I watched... Thanks to DDLJ and KKHH for improving my hindi in my college days.. lol:)
and yes this dish is so healthy and elegant..
Aww priya...i wish you get to visit your fav place soon...this is nice dish and similar to the lilva rice from gujarat
I don't remember that many serials from DD except Fauji, which gave Shahrukh the fame and Hum Log I think in the 80s. Scenes of Kashmir from Roja are beautiful. Mong ketchir & radish raita sounds like a nice combination.
looks wonderful
Nice combo. Enjoyed reading the post. I hope you get to visit J&K soon.
Am so weak in hindi, but i still remember few serials from DD through which i tried learning hindi myself hehe, Mong ketchir and dodhe mujh looks prefect pair,irresistible combination.
Nice write up,mong ketir sounds very interesting and delicious...perfect with radish raita..A healthy and filling meal.
The words Gul Gulshan Gulfam...immediately took me back to the old daysof t.v..but beyond those names I do not remember anything:((...the rice looks very interesting..and worth book marking!
Delicious combination of rice and raitha...
priya, we think alike.. i thought of roja and arvind swamy too when I thought of kashmir. did you read my post? cinema paithiyam me.. I got curious about arvind swamy and started googling about him instead of Kashmir cuisine 🙂 the kichdi and raita look nice and comforting..
Priya, you got me so nostalgic..thank you..:)..such a lovely combo thee..
I remember that serial as well, Priya. Lovely pick from Kashmir!
I don't remember much of gul, gulshan, gulfam except for the house boats. Loved Arvind Swamy in Roja 🙂
Both the dishes look comforting and delicious. Nice pics.
my first knowledge of Kashmir was also with Indian movie - Mission Kashmir but your romantic version sounds like a better 1st impression!!!
How did I forget GGG the serial I used to love it and the of course Arvind Swamy ....
Delicious dishes I am really impressed about th etexture of ketchir wish I can atleast once get mine to stop falling in love with the next grain.
Though I don't remember the story of the serial anymore, I remember Parikshit sahani was the lead. Even we used to watch all the Hindi serials that used to come on DD those days.
That khichdi / raita look simple and yummy.
A healthy, filling and comforting meal. We often have Kashmiri style ketchir when we visit my sister in law in Mumbai. She is married to a Kashmiri Brahmin and yes they do eat a lot of rice. When she makes it, she uses ginger powder instead of fresh ginger.
Gul Gulshan Gulfam TV serial days have brought back nostalgic memories of how we fondly watched TV serials. The mong ketchir and dodhe muj appear to be full of flavor, despite the use of basic spices. This recipe seems blissful and tasty.
Ketchir from Kashmiri cuisine looks like the perfect meal for one which is so appealing to me, Priya . This dish is a perfect example of "simple is beautiful"!
We had some last bits of winter and I tried this Mong Ketchir recipe. I was so impressed how simple it is still so tasty. Loved it.
Priya, I had my eyes on this mong ketchir for ages, but since it uses hardly any spices, I was unsure of its acceptance at home. I made a small portion, and it was over in minutes. Making some again tomorrow by popular demand. Thanks.