Khichdi (Red Lentil or Masoor dal Rice)

Ingredients:
Basmati Rice – 2 cups
Masoor Dal/Red Split Lentils – 1/2
Oil/Ghee – 4 tbsp
Cinnamon stick – 1 inch stick
Cardamom – 2, whole
Green chillies – 3, each slit into two
Onions – 2, medium size finely sliced
Ginger/Garlic Paste – 1 tbsp
Salt – 2 tsp
Turmeric – 1/4 tsp
Water – 4 cups
Mint(Pudina)-10-12leaves

Procedure:

In a big bowl, wash together red lentils and rice very well. Soak them in surplus water for about 30 minutes.
In a heavy bottomed deep non stick pan at medium high heat, pour oil and let it warm up, as soon as it gets warm, put in the sliced onion and stir fry them till they are all light brown in colour.
Meanwhile drain the soaking dal+rice in a strainer and keep aside.
Now add cinnamon stick, cardamom, ginger-garlic paste, turmeric, green chillies,Mint, salt to the frying onions and reduce the heat to medium. Fry the spices along with the onions for a minute or two. readyAdd the drained rice to the boiling water in cooking pan and mix well. Let it come to a boil once. Lower the heat to simmer and cover with a lid. After 3 minutes using a spoon, mix the rice well, lower the heat to minimum and and cover it back again and let cook for a furthur 3-4 minutes. .Close the heat and leave the cooking pan on the stove for about 15 more minutes to finish cooking on Dum.

TIP: khichdi tastes good with kheema , achar .