Bhuna Khichuri (Bengali Rice and Lentils)
Khichuri is a Bengali dish once considered comfort food for the poor but now a delicacy served warm in the monsoon rain. Like the similar khichdi, the core ingredients are rice and lentils, but different variations exist, some adding vegetables, poultry or meat and named accordingly (e. g. sabji khichuri for vegetable). Here is the recipe for the popular Bhuna Khichuri, which is is romantic and especially suited for…
Ingredients
- 1 cup white fragrant rice (e.g Basmati rice or short-grained pilau rice)
- 1 cup green gram or red split lentils
- ½ cup split dried chickpeas (preferably Bengal variety; optional)
- ½ cup garden peas (optional)
- 2 tablespoons butter (preferably ghee)
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 2 whole green chiles, slit in the middle and optionally de-seeded
- Salt to taste
- 4 cups water for boiling
Spices for seasoning
- 2 bay leaves
- 4 green cardamom pods
- 4 whole cloves
- 2 sticks of cinnamon 1 inch long
- ¼ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 cm piece of ginger, finely chopped
For garnish
- 1 medium or 2 small onions, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons butter preferably ghee
- 1 bunch coarsely chopped fresh coriander leaves
Steps
Preparation
- Rinse rice, lentils and chickpeas separately in cold water.
- Dry rice in a colander or on a flat surface.
- Soak lentils and chickpeas in water, 30 minutes.
- Drain lentils and chickpeas. Roast briefly until aromatic. Set aside to cool.
- Heat water in a kettle for later. Keep warm, not boiling.
- Semi-crush cardamom, cinnamon and cloves.
Cooking
- Heat 2 tbsp butter in a heavy-based pan over medium heat. Add bay leaf and semi-crushed spices; when they sputter, add sliced ginger and cumin. Stir 1–2 minutes until ginger smells nutty.
- Add green chili and garden peas. Stir once or twice.
- Add rice. Stir gently 2–3 minutes until coated with oil.
- Add lentils, chickpeas and salt. Stir 1–2 more minutes.
- Add hot water to about 1 inch above the mixture. Lower heat slightly, cover, and simmer about 10 minutes. Check regularly so rice does not burn. Done when rice has no hard part, is medium firm, separable, not very soft or sticky.
Topping
- While rice simmers, heat remaining butter in a separate frying pan. Fry onion on medium heat until it starts to brown.
- Top finished rice with onion and its oil. Garnish with coriander.
- Turn heat to lowest and cover until served.
Notes from the original
- You may replace the butter with vegetable oil or omit it altogether. For an oil-free alternative dry toast the spices. Pour hot water over rice and lentil mix, then add onion, ginger and spices.
Source. Adapted from “Cookbook:Bhuna Khichuri (Bengali Rice and Lentils)” by Wikibooks contributors, revision of 2026-04-12, licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Changes. Steps rewritten into short commands. Introduction shortened. Wiki formatting removed. This adapted recipe is shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Photo. Khichuri-edit.jpg by Drriad, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia. Resized; otherwise unchanged.