Here comes the season of piping hot Khichdis along with some favourite accompaniments like Mach bhaja (better if it’s Ilish), Omelette, Papad etc. Only a Bengali can understand the eternal love story between Khichdi and Monsoon. Mangshor Khichuri is one of the popular Bengali style Khichdis I cook at home. Other than that Bhuni Khichuri is our favourite. A few days back when it was raining heavily I decided to let’s eat this Khichdi, and I sent my father to the local meat shop to get some mutton keema, he was so happy that he left home without any complaint with an umbrella in the rain. All for the love of good food. Later on that day I made this lip-smacking, delectable Khichdi and guess what we had it on banana leaves just like the good old times when it was a ritual to serve food on banana leaves for any occasion in Bengali households. This Khichdi is spicy and not for the faint-hearted. Expect the heat from the chillies, rich aroma from the ghee-laden bites of mutton which will make you ask more of it. There are many versions to make this Khichdi. I’m sharing my version here, the way I love to make it for my family. I hope you’ll enjoy making it too. And don’t forget to share your experience with me. 🙂
Mangshor Khichuri/Mutton Khichdi
Serves: 4
Ingredients
- Gobindobhog Chal (Gobindobhog is a small grain fragrant rice variety, used for Bengali cooking) – 1 cup
- Yellow Moong dal- 3/4 cup
- Mutton keema- 250g
- Black pepper powder- ½ tsp
- Turmeric powder
- Red Chilli powder or use Kashmiri Mirch powder- ½ tsp
- Peas- ½ cup
- Potatoes- 3 (medium-sized)
- Onions- 2 medium-sized (thinly sliced)
- Green Chillies- 4-5 slitted (adjust as per your tolerance)
- Salt to taste
- Ginger paste- 1½ tbsp
- Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
- Cumin powder- ½ tsp
- Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
- Sugar- 2 tbsp
- Garam masala powder- ½ tsp
- Mustard oil
- Ghee/Clarified butter- 3 tbsp
- Water- 3 ½ cups
For tempering
- Whole dry red chillies- 2 (break into halves)
- Bay leaves- 3
- Green cardamom- 3-4 (lightly crushed)
- Cumin seeds- ½ tsp
- Cinnamon- 1” (2 sticks)
- Cloves- 4
Method
Peel the potatoes, and cut horizontally into two equal halves. Wash and keep aside.
In a cooker, add mutton keema, black pepper powder, and ½ tsp salt. Adjust water to level the mutton. Close the cooker lid and take off from the heat after 4 whistles. Open the lid after the pressure has reduced.
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a deep frying pan/kadai. Now add the ingredients mentioned for tempering, sauté for a few seconds.
Add sliced onions, fry on medium flame until light brown in colour. Next to add garlic paste, mix and sauté for a few seconds. Add ginger paste, ½ tsp turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, 3 green chillies, and salt. Mix and fry over medium heat until the masala starts leaving oil.
Add boiled keema along with the stock, mix well.
Cover and let it be cooked over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the raw smell of masala goes. Remove from the heat and keep aside.
Take a pan, dry fry the moong dal on medium heat until lightly golden brown in color. Care should be taken not to burn the dal, stir continuously. Remove from the heat, wash and keep aside. In a deep bottomed pan, add the washed rice, dal, water, salt, ½ tsp turmeric powder, potatoes, 2 green chillies and 1tsp oil. Let the rice and dal cook together over medium heat.
When it is half cooked, add the mutton and peas into this.
Check if the water is sufficient to boil the rice and dal. If required you can add more water, but don’t overdo with the water part because this khichuri is supposed to be medium dry not watery. Now check after 10-12 minutes, the grains of rice and dal should be firm but at the same time, it should get smashed when pressed. Check salt, adjust if needed.
Add ghee, sugar and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
Remove from the heat. Keep it covered after cooking to get the nice aroma when you are going to have this.
Serve hot Mangshor Khichuri with Beguni, papad, omelette, crisp fried potatoes whatever you like.
Note:
If Gobindobhog rice is not available, then basmati rice can be used for this. But Gobindobhog rice is highly recommended for Mangshor Khichuri.
Mangshor Khichuri/Mutton Khichdi
Mangshor Khichuri is a Bengali style garam masala spiced khichdi cooked in a traditional way with mutton chunks or keema. It's a delectable one-pot meal.
Ingredients
- 1 cup- Gobindobhog Chal
- 3/4 cup- Yellow Moong dal
- 250 Grams- Mutton keema
- ½ tsp- Black pepper powder
- Turmeric powder
- ½ tsp- Red Chilli powder or use Kashmiri Mirch powder
- ½ cup- Peas
- 3 Potatoes- (medium sized)
- 2 Onions medium sized (thinly sliced)
- 4-5 Green Chillies slitted (adjust as per your tolerance)
- Salt
- 1½ tbsp- Ginger paste
- 1 tbsp- Garlic paste
- ½ tsp- Cumin powder
- 1 tbsp- Coriander powder
- 2 tbsp- Sugar
- ½ tsp- Garam masala powder
- Mustard oil
- 3 tbsp- Ghee/Clarified butter-
- 3 ½ cups- Water
For tempering
- 2 Whole dry red chillies (break into halves)
- 3 Bay leaves
- 3-4 Green cardamom- 3-4 (lightly crushed)
- ½ tsp- Cumin seeds
- 2 Cinnamon (1" pieces)
- 4 Cloves
Instructions
-
Peel the potatoes, and cut horizontally into two equal halves. Wash and keep aside.
-
In a cooker, add mutton keema, black pepper powder, and 1/2 tsp salt. Adjust water to level the mutton. Close the cooker lid and take off from the heatafter 4 whistles. Open the lid after the pressure has reduced.
-
Heat 4 tbsp oil in a deep frying pan/kadai. Now add the ingredients mentioned for tempering, sauté for a few seconds.
-
Add sliced onions, fry over medium heat until light brown in colour. Next to add garlic paste, mix and sauté for a few seconds. Add ginger paste, ½ tsp turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder, 3 green chillies, and salt. Mix and fry over medium heat until the masala starts leaving oil.
-
Add boiled keema along with the stock, mix well.
-
Cover and let it be cooked over medium heat for 15-20 minutes or until the raw smell of masala goes. Remove from the heat and keep aside.
-
Take a pan, dry fry the moong dal over medium heat until lightly golden brown in color. Care should be taken not to burn the dal, stir continuously. Remove from the heat, wash and keep aside. In a deep bottomed pan, add the washed rice, dal, water, salt, ½ tsp turmeric powder, potatoes, 2 green chillies and 1tsp oil. Let the rice and dal cook together over medium heat.
-
When it is half cooked, add the mutton and peas into this.
-
Check if the water is sufficient to boil the rice and dal. If required you can add more water, but don’t overdo with the water part because this khichuri is supposed to be medium dry not watery. Now check after 10-12 minutes, the grains of rice and dal should be firm but at the same time, it should get smashed when pressed. Check salt, adjust if needed.
-
Add ghee, sugar and garam masala powder. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
-
Remove from the heat. Keep it covered after cooking to get the nice aroma when you are going to have this.
-
Serve hot Mangshor Khichuri with Beguni, papad, omelette, crisp fried potatoes whatever you like.
Recipe Notes
If Gobindobhog rice is not available, then basmati rice can be used for this. But Gobindobhog rice is highly recommended for Mangshor Khichuri.
