Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Bangladeshi Vegetable Khichuri
孟加拉雜菜扁豆燴飯
Recipe overview
Rice and split yellow mung beans cook with small carrot and cauliflower pieces into a soft, moist khichuri. The 15-minute preparation includes 10 minutes of soaking; the 35-minute cooking includes a 5-minute covered rest.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 200 g White rice
- 100 g Dry split yellow mung beans (hulled moong dal)
- 120 g Carrot
- 150 g Cauliflower
- 80 g Frozen peas
- 80 g Onion
Curry seasoning
- 1 tsp Minced ginger
- 1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
- 1/4 tsp Ground turmeric
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1/2 tsp Salt
- 1000 ml Water
Cooking oil
- 1 tbsp Ghee
02
Tools
- Heavy lidded pot
- Sieve and bowl
- Knife and board
- Measuring jug and wooden spoon
03
Steps
Step 1
Rinse and soak mung
Pick over and rinse split mung beans, soak in clean water for 10 minutes, then discard soaking water.
Step 2
Rinse rice
While beans soak, rinse rice two or three times until the water is clearer and drain; do not soak separately.
Step 3
Dice vegetables small
Dice carrot to 8 mm, cut cauliflower into 1.5 cm florets and finely chop onion.
Step 4
Drain and measure
After 10 minutes drain beans, measure 1000 ml cooking water and seasonings; leave peas frozen.
Step 5
Fry onion and cumin
Melt ghee over medium heat and fry cumin, bay leaf and onion for 2 minutes.
Step 6
Coat rice and mung
Add ginger, turmeric, rice and drained beans and stir for 1 minute to coat in the fragrant fat.
Step 7
Add water and vegetables
Add 1000 ml water, salt, carrot and cauliflower and bring to a boil in about 2 minutes.
Step 8
Simmer rice and beans
Cover with a small gap and cook on the lowest heat for 20 minutes, gently stirring the bottom occasionally.
Step 9
Add peas
Stir in frozen peas, cover and cook for another 5 minutes until rice and mung are completely soft.
Step 10
Check for hard centres
Press a few grains and beans with a spoon; they should mash easily with no hard centre. Add a little hot water and continue if needed.
Step 11
Rest covered
Turn off the heat and rest covered for 5 minutes; this is included in the 35-minute cooking time.
Step 12
Remove leaf and serve
Remove bay leaf, stir gently and divide into four bowls; cool to a comfortable temperature for children or older diners.
Common mistakes
- Whole unhulled mung beans need different timing.
- Too little water makes grains hard or scorches the base.
- High heat can boil over and cook grains unevenly.
- Remove the tough bay leaf before serving.
Tips
This khichuri is moist and soft, not separate-grained fried rice. Use split hulled yellow mung; keep both the 10-minute soak and 25-minute gentle cook. Mash cauliflower smaller for older diners. If someone has specific swallowing needs, follow their established texture plan rather than assuming soft rice is suitable.
