Meat or Chicken Khichdi
A luxurious Parsi-style rice dish that elevates the humble khichdi into a festive meal by combining tender meat or chicken with lentils and aromatic spices. Enriched with creamy coconut milk and textured with crispy fried potatoes, sweet raisins, and crunchy almonds, this savory dish offers a complex and satisfying flavor profile. Traditionally served with a yogurt curry (kadhi) or egg sauce, it is a comforting yet elegant main course perfect for family gatherings.
Ingredients
- 1 pound Old Rice (Basmati or long grain) (Originally '1 Sher'. Approx 2 cups.)
- 1 cup Tuvar Dal (Split Pigeon Peas) (Originally '1 Tipri'. Estimated volume.)
- 1 pound Mutton or Chicken (bone-in pieces) (Originally '1 Ratal' tender meat or half fowl.)
- 1/2 cup Ghee (Quantity estimated for frying and cooking.)
- 1 pound Onions (Originally '1 Sher'.)
- 1 pound Potatoes (Originally '1 Sher'.)
- 2 ounces Almonds (Originally '1 Navtank'. Blanched and halved.)
- 2 ounces Raisins (Originally '1 Navtank'.)
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds (Originally '1/2 Tola'.)
- 1 teaspoon Ginger paste (Originally '1/2 Tola'.)
- 1 teaspoon Garlic paste (Originally '1/2 Tola'.)
- 1 tablespoon Whole Spices (Cinnamon, Cloves, Cardamom, Star Anise, Black Pepper) (Mixed whole spices. Originally small amounts of each.)
- 2 teaspoons Salt (Originally '2 heaping small spoons'.)
- 1 teaspoon Turmeric powder (Originally '1 heaping small spoon'.)
- 1 cup Thick Coconut Milk (Originally extracted from 1 ripe coconut.)
- 4 cups Water (Approximate total for stock and cooking.)
Instructions
- 1In a pot, combine the meat (or chicken) with half of the salt and about 3 cups of water (originally 1.5 Sher). Boil until the meat is tender and the liquid has reduced to about 2 cups (1 Sher) of stock. Separate the meat from the stock and set both aside.
- 2Peel and finely slice the onions. Peel and cube the potatoes. Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed pan. Fry the almonds and raisins separately until golden, then remove and set aside. In the same ghee, fry the potato cubes until crisp and golden, then remove and set aside.
- 3In the remaining ghee, fry the sliced onions until they are deep red/brown. Add the cumin, ginger, garlic, and whole spices (cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, star anise, pepper). Sauté briefly until aromatic. Stir in the turmeric powder.
- 4Immediately pour the reserved meat stock into the pot with the fried onions and spices. Add the remaining salt. Wash the rice and dal, then add them to the boiling stock. Cover and cook on high heat.
- 5When the water is nearly absorbed, pour in the thick coconut milk and add the cooked meat pieces. Stir gently with the handle of a spoon to mix without breaking the rice grains. Reduce heat to low.
- 6When only a little moisture remains, gently mix in the fried potatoes. Cover the pot tightly and place on very low heat (or on a tawa/griddle) to steam (dum) for about 15-20 minutes until the rice is fully cooked and dry. Remove from heat.
- 7Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with the fried almonds and raisins. Serve hot with Kadhi or an egg sauce.