What is Gobindobhog rice?

Gobindhobhog is the name of a perfumed short-grained rice variety from Bengal. Bengal has many similar rice varieties such as Karpurkanti, Radhatilok, Kamini, Chine Kamini, etc., with small variations in size, perfume, starch content, etc., which can all be used interchangeably in this recipe.

While many everyday rice varieties in Bengal are parboiled, Gobindhobhog and other perfumed varieties are sold raw (not parboiled).

Can I use any other rice in Bengali khichuri? What is the closest substitute for Gobindobhog?

Just like you can’t make a good Lucknowi biryani without a nice basmati rice, for classical Bengali recipes such as this khichuri, bhuna khichuri, or mishti or shada polao, it will make a significant difference to your final dish if you use a quality rice from Bengal.

Ideal rice choices would be Karpurkanti, Radhatilok, Kamini, Chine Kamini, Badshabhog, Chinigura, Kalijira, etc.

Basmati, while very fragrant, has too little starch for this dish. In addition,  Basmati has much longer grains, which are not suitable for the intended texture and mouthfeel of this dish.

If you are in India, we would recommend buying from Amar Khamar—the same organisation that we rely on to make the Bong Eats line of spices.

Amar Khamar has been working with farmers for the past decade to revive many of Bengal’s heirloom grain varieties that had almost disappeared from our plates due to the push for high-yield crop varieties during the Green Revolution.

Alternatively, you can use a short-grain perfumed rice variety that is local to where you live: Ambemohar in Maharashtra, Khasha or Joha in the North East, or Jeera Samba in the southern states of India. If you are in Bangladesh, Chinigura and Kalijira rice are going to be perfect.

Where can I buy Gobindobhog rice in Europe or the US?

Check any Bangladeshi grocery store close to you for Chinigura, Kalijira, or, if you are lucky, even Gobindobhog rice.

Alternatively, if there is a South Indian grocery store nearby, look for Jeera Samba rice.

What is Shona Moog (সোনা মুগ) dal? How is it different from regular mung dal?

There are a few different local varieties of mung beans in Bengal that are prized for their fragrance and beautiful, tiny, golden grains. Shona Moog appears to be an umbrella term for these special mung beans.

You will know the difference when you hold the grains in your hand next to regular mung dal. They also emit a delicate but unique perfume when soaked in water.

Just as with Gobindobhog, try and get your hands on this mung dal variety. It will make a noticeable difference in not just this khichuri, but in any dish where mung dal is the central ingredient.

Where can I buy Shona Moog dal?

If you live in India but outside West Bengal, you can buy an heirloom variant of Mung dal called Choiti Moog (চৈতি মুগ) from Amar Khamar.

If you are in Europe or in the USA, you will have to make do with whatever mung dal you can find. If you have the option, try to buy the ones that have relatively small grains. Make sure to modify your cooking method to account for the longer cooking time.

*Can I make khichuri without Shona Moog dal?

Using real shona moog makes a noticeable difference to both the texture as well as the flavour of the khichuri. If you can’t find it, you will need to modify the cooking method to account for the fact that this large mung dal take much longer to cook.

So, in Step 13, instead of adding the rice and roasted dal together, add the dry-roasted dal but hold back the rice. Then, continue to Step 14, where you add the water for boiling. Let the dal cook covered for some time until the grains are fully cooked, but still whole and intact.

Then add the rice. Add a little extra hot water if you notice there isn’t enough water to cook the rice. Everything else should be the same.

Why do you roast the dal for khichuri?

Dry roasting the dal produces a deep, nutty flavour and changes the texture of the dal so that it is less starchy. Think of the difference in flavour and texture between raw cashew and roasted cashew. The dry roasted mung dal is an important flavour and texture aspect of Bengali khichuri.

Can we first wash and then dry-roast the dal?

If you are wondering why we wash the dal after and not before the dry-roasting step, the answer is simple. If you wash the dal first, you will have to wait until it is completely dry before you can roast it. This can take several hours.

Washing the dal after roasting solves this problem. An added benefit is that submerging it in cold water immediately stops the dal from browning further and turning darker and more bitter than you want it to.

*I followed this recipe and even after 15 mins the dal does not get cooked. Do I need to soak the dal?

The dal is most likely not the right kind. We use a special type of dal for this khichuri recipe that is more fragrant and has beautiful, small grains that cook very fast.

Please see our answer to Can I make khichuri without Shona Moog dal above?

Why do you fry the rice for khichuri?

This is an optional step, but frying the rice is a common step for Bengali khichuri and polao. Frying the rice reduces the starchiness and produces a nuttier flavour. The final dish has a nice texture where the rice and dal are soft but not broken.

You will notice this step in Spanish paella recipes as well, for exactly the same reason.

What vegetables can I add to my khichuri?

You can add any vegetable you like. Choose vegetables that are in season. Some vegetables cook more quickly than others. So keep that in mind when adding them during the cooking process.

Harder root vegetables like potato should go in early, while softer vegetables like flat beans (sheem) must go towards the end.

Is it important to fry the vegetables for khichuri?

It is not compulsory to fry the vegetables. Browning the vegetables produces a better flavour, but even if you don’t do it, it will still be fine.

Can I skip the potatoes in khichuri?

Absolutely. We love to mash the potatoes in when we eat, but if for some reason you don’t want to, you can skip the potatoes.

When do I add the peas if I am using fresh peas instead of frozen?

In our video, we added the peas towards the end, because on the day of filming this recipe, we used frozen peas. If you have fresh, seasonal peas, you can add them a little earlier. Personally, if the peas are sweet and soft, we would still just add them towards the end.

If your peas are hard and not very sweet, you can add them in Step 12, just after the spices.

Is this khichuri very spicy? Can I make it less spicy?

This khichuri is not very spicy, but it can be a little hot because of the green chillies. If you cannot tolerate heat, put in the green chillies whole towards the end. That way you will get the fresh flavour of the green chillies minus the heat. You can pick them out before serving, so that you don’t accidentally bite into one mistaking it for another vegetable!

Can I use readymade ginger paste in this recipe?

Ginger is perhaps the most important flavour element in this dish. You must use fresh ginger for this recipe if you want the real flavour.

Even if you don’t have a way to grind ginger, use a grater or simply slice fresh ginger into thin slices and use them (use a little more ginger if you are using slices instead of paste, since the flavour is going to be not as potent as ginger paste).

Why is the Bengali ghee you are using so brown?

Bengali ghee has a much deeper, nuttier flavour than the light yellow ghee used in other parts of India. The light ghee is only used for deep frying in Bengali cooking.

Get yourself a bottle of Bengali ghee. You will find many other uses for it in your kitchen.

What are the different styles of Bengali khichuri?

There are many, many types of khichuri made in Bengal. This particular recipe is a soupy, runnier version that is perfect for chilly or rainy days.

There is another rich, dry, decadent version of khichuri called Bhuna Khichuri that we also have a recipe for.

While these two versions are niramish—meaning without onion or garlic—there are khichuris made with onion and garlic in them. The dal can be different, or a mixture of different dals can be used. Some replace the rice with other grains such as millet.

Khichuri really is a template and a spectrum, and in Bengal, it is not considered sick food. Khichuri is usually something people look forward to eating.

I have seen my mother add the tempering at the end.

“Tempering”—the stage where whole spices are added into the hot oil to flavour the oil is called phoron or shombar in Bangla. You will notice that in our recipe we did this right at the beginning.

Tempering can also be done right at the end of the cooking process, especially when the khichuri is made in a large quantity.

Can we skip the coconut in khichuri?

Fried coconut, either sliced or grated, adds an interesting contrast of texture and is something we have always seen used in our family. If you don’t have access to coconut, you can skip it. It won’t make a big difference.

Can I use dessicated coconut instead of fresh?

Fresh coconut can be easily substituted with dessicated coconut in this recipe. Remember to use less dessicated coconut since it is going to be lighter in weight than fresh coconut.

How much rice and dal should I take for x number of people?

Assuming this is the only carbohydrate you are serving, you will need 100 grams of grains per person—that is 50 g rice + 50 g dal.

Having said that, in our experience, you can serve 6 people with khichuri made with 500 g grains (250 g  rice + 250 g dal).

Why do you use sugar in this recipe? Can I skip the sugar? Won't sugar make it sweet?

In recipes that use onion, some of the sweetness comes from the slow-cooking of onions. Because many Bengali recipes don’t use onions, you need a little sugar to balance the salt in order to produce the perfect taste.

Our advise, don’t skip the sugar completely, but you can certainly reduce it.

Remember that salt is saltier than sugar is sweet—meaning, 2 g of salt produces a much saltier taste than the sweetness that 2 g of sugar can produce.

So, if you don’t like any noticeable sweetness, start with an equal quantity of salt and sugar by weight. No one will know you have added any sugar to your dish, but it will taste much more balanced and satisfying to eat.

This is not unique to Bengali cooking. Look at any Chinese recipe. Even the most mind numbingly spicy Sichuan dishes have sugar added for balance.

Can I make khichuri in a pressure cooker?

Yes, you can cook this recipe in a pressure cooker. As long as you know the cooking time for your pressure cooker perfectly, you can adapt this recipe to a pressure cooker.