In 1969, Srila Prabhupada and a handful of disciples were the guests of John Lennon and Yoko Ono at their estate near Ascot, England. During our stay, I was Prabhupada’s cook. Every day he would give me his lunch menu, and one day he told me exactly how he wanted his khichari . He mentioned that the predominant seasonings—cumin, asafetida, and turmeric—should be used liberally. The cauliflower should be browned quickly before the soaked rice and dal are added. The khichari should be served with a separate bowl of melted ghee . After lunch, Srila Prabhupada gave his critique and commented: “Very tasty khichari —yogurt and fried potatoes—and you have a poor man’s feast, fit for a king! ”
If you do not have split moong dal without skins but you really want to try this dish, use whole mung beans. Soak the beans in water overnight. Then rub off the skins, rinse well, and drain. Parboil the beans for 20–25 minutes and set them in a strainer to air-dry for about 20 minutes. Continue the recipe as directed. Try this dish with a bowl of homemade yogurt, deep-fried julienne potatoes and carrots, and a mixed green salad with tarragon-lime vinaigrette. After dinner, serve crisp apples or a hot cup of spiced apple cider.
Preparation time (after assembling ingredients): 5 minutes
Cooking time: 1–1½ hours
Serves: 4 to 6
• 1 cup (95 g) basmati or other long-grain white rice
• 1 small cauliflower, washed, dried and cut into 2 x ¾ x ¾-inch (5 x 2 x 2 cm) flowerets
• ¼–½ teaspoon (1–2 ml) yellow asafetida powder (hing) *
• 4 tablespoons (60 ml) ghee or a mixture of vegetable oil and unsalted butter
• ½ tablespoon (7 ml) scraped, finely shredded or minced fresh ginger root
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) minced seeded hot green chilies (or as desired)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) cumin seeds
• ⅔ cup (145 g) split moong dal, without skins
• ¾ cup (180 ml) fresh green peas or frozen baby peas, defrosted
• 7 cups (1.75 liters) water
• 1¼ teaspoons (6 ml) turmeric
• up to 2½ teaspoons (12 ml) salt
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml) butter or ghee
* This amount applies only to the yellow Cobra brand. Reduce any other asafetida by three-fourths .
1. If basmati rice is used, clean, wash, soak, and drain as explained on our blog.
2. Have the cauliflower and asafetida ready next to the stove. Heat 4 tablespoons (60 ml) of ghee or oil-butter mixture in a heavy 4–5-quart/liter nonstick saucepan over high heat. When it is hot but not smoking, stir in the ginger root, green chilies, and cumin seeds. Fry until the cumin seeds turn brown (they will darken in seconds).
3. Quickly add the asafetida and immediately follow with the cauliflower. Turn it about with a spoon, frying for 4–5 minutes or until slightly browned and partially cooked. Stir in the rice and dal . Fry about 1 minute.
4. Pour in the fresh peas, water and turmeric and bring to a full boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, partially cover, and slowly cook, stirring occasionally, for 1–1½ hours or until the rice and dal are soft and the mixture is similar to oatmeal in consistency. If you use frozen peas, add them during the last 5 minutes. As the khichari thickens, stir frequently to prevent sticking. Before serving, add the salt and 1 tablespoon (15 ml) of butter or ghee .
