Ask any Bengali about the best food of Durga Puja and many will name the simplest one: bhog-er khichuri, the khichdi offered to the goddess and then served to everyone at the pandal. Made with fragrant gobindobhog rice, roasted moong dal, vegetables and ghee, and no onion or garlic, it tastes of celebration.
Ingredients (serves 4 to 5)
- 1 cup gobindobhog rice (or any short-grain aromatic rice)
- 1 cup yellow moong dal
- 1 medium potato and 1 small cauliflower, cut into large pieces
- ½ cup green peas
- 1 tomato, chopped (optional)
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2 to 3 tablespoons ghee, plus extra to serve
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, 2 bay leaves, 2 dried red chillies
- 1 small cinnamon stick, 3 green cardamoms, 3 cloves
- 1 teaspoon turmeric, 1 teaspoon cumin powder, ½ teaspoon chilli powder
- 1 teaspoon sugar, salt to taste
- 2 green chillies, slit, and a pinch of garam masala
- About 6 cups hot water
Method
- Roast the dal: Dry-roast the moong dal in a heavy pan on low heat, stirring, until it smells nutty and turns light golden. This is the secret to bhog flavour. Wash the roasted dal and the rice separately and drain.
- Fry the vegetables: Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee, lightly fry the potato and cauliflower with a pinch of turmeric and salt until golden at the edges. Remove and set aside.
- Temper: Add the remaining ghee to the pot. Add cumin seeds, bay leaves, dried red chillies, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves, and let them sizzle.
- Add spices: Add ginger, turmeric, cumin powder and chilli powder with a splash of water, and cook for a minute. Add the tomato if using.
- Cook: Add the dal and rice and stir for two minutes. Pour in the hot water, add salt and sugar, and simmer, stirring now and then.
- Add vegetables: When the rice and dal are half cooked, add the fried potato, cauliflower, peas and green chillies.
- Finish: Cook until everything is soft and the khichuri is thick but still flowing. Add hot water if it thickens too much. Finish with garam masala and a spoon of ghee.
Serve it the pandal way
- Labra: A mixed vegetable dish of pumpkin, radish, potato, brinjal and greens with panch phoron.
- Beguni: Brinjal slices dipped in besan batter and fried.
- Tomato or plastic chutney and payesh (rice kheer) to finish.
Tips
- Bhog khichuri should be soft and slightly loose, not dry like pulao.
- Gobindobhog rice is the key to its aroma. Look for it in Bengali stores or online.
- For a richer version, add cashews and raisins fried in ghee.
Explore more Bengali food in Flavours of India: Shorshe Ilish, and plan your Pujo outing with our Kolkata pandal hopping guide.
