“Khichdi ani Polo” as we call it in Mangalore is a favorite and rich Konkani dish that is made during festivities, auspicious days and even on the day of Amavasya which is celebrated as “Lohri” all over India. The day that follows this is celebrated as Sankranti or Pongal which is again a festival that celebrates new harvests and also marks the beginning of spring or the summer solstice in India and involves offering of dishes made using a variety of grains from the new harvest to the Gods.
Sweet Pongal and Khara Pongal are dishes that are famous during this festival in the regions down south. The Khicidi is again a Mangalorean version of a sweet pongal which is savoured with the humble Dosa.
INGREDIENTS:
There are a variety of nutritious ingredients that go into making this khichidi:
- Broken Wheat ( Wheat Lapsi)- 1/4 cup
- Channa Dal – 1/2 cup
- Sugar 3/4 cup
- Grated Coconut 3/4 cup
- Raisins and Cashew – 20g each
- Ghee 1/2 cup
METHOD OF PREPARATION:
You can individually roast these in a pan and combine at the end or directly make this in a cooker.
- Dry roast the Wheat and Chana Dal until it turns aromatic.
- Pour some water and boil this. You can also boil this in a Pressure Cooker for 2 whistles.
- Once Boiled, You can transfer this to a pan and add sugar and continue cooking till the sugar combines in well.
- In another smaller pan, roast the resins and cashews mildly with some ghee. Add this to the cooked Chana Dal and Wheat.
- You can add some grated coconut to the Khichdi and continue to cook.
- Further add 2 tablespoons of ghee and continue cooking as you stir without a break until the ghee separates ( or the Khichdi is cooked and leaves the sides of the pan).
- You can further garnish this with raw banana which is optional.
Khichdi can be eaten as a dessert or a sweet. Konkanis mainly serve it as a main course, as an accompaniment along with plain rice dosas.
KASTURI 