I’m always trying to surprise my family and give a tasty spin to my recipes. This black rice khichdi is just that. It is inspired from my tomato and lentil tart and a variation of mung daal khichdi which is eaten in every Indian home. It’s a soothing comfort food and incredibly delicious. In this recipe the black rice teams up with red lentils (masoor daal) to make this one pot dish a protein powerhouse. Its vegetarian, gluten free and vegan, too.
Known as purple rice or forbidden rice, black rice has been eaten in Southeast Asian countries such as India, Indonesia, Thailand, and China for thousands of years. Today it is slowly picking up popularity across the world as people discover the numerous health benefits it contains. I started cooking black rice, about two years ago. I love its earthy and intense nutty flavor, more like brown rice, but the texture is closer to white, especially in the glutinous varieties which is ideal for pudding and porridge like dishes.
Usually a simple khichdi is made with one part white rice and one part lentil, cooked together over low heat. In my recipe you need pre- cooked rice as black rice takes longer to cook. The red lentils sort of mash into the black rice as it cooks and makes the dish thick and filling. You can serve it as thick or as thin you like. I like it quite thick, but you can always add more water to it once it’s cooked if you’re looking for a thinner texture.
I served this for lunch one weekend when my niece and nephew turned up unexpectedly and it went down like a treat. I hope you try and enjoy this khichdi as much as we did. If you do, please leave a comment! Share a picture on Facebook or Instagram and tag me! I would love to hear from you.
Ingredients
- 2 cups cooked black rice
- 2 tbsp coconut oil
- 1/2 cup dry red lentil
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced onion
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 large tomato, chopped
- 1/2 tsp red chili powder
- 3/4 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Sea salt to taste
- 1 tsp roasted cumin powder
- 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
- 1 cup hot water
- Cherry tomatoes to serve
- 1 cup raw balck rice
- 2 cups water
Instructions
- Place rinsed rice in pot. Cover with water and bring it to a boil.
- Cook covered on low heat, for about 45 minutes.
- Turn off the stove and cover for 5 minutes or until ready to serve or use in other dishes.
- Heat 1 tbsp coconut oil in a pan over a medium heat. Add the cumin seeds. Cook for a minute until aromatic.
- Add onion, and cook until translucent.
- Add tomato, ginger, salt turmeric, red chili powder, cook for two minutes or until the tomatoes are soft.
- Add 3 cups water and masoor daal. Bring it to boil, reduce heat cover , cook for 5 minutes.
- Add rice and 1 cup hot water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, simmer until soft and porridge like consistency.
- Serve khichdi topped with roasted cherry tomatoes.
- While the khichdi was cooking, I quickly roasted a few cherry tomatoes in the oven.
Bringing this black rice khichdi to the linky #cookblogshare hosted by Lesley at Lost in food.
Easyfoodsmith
Wow! Such a nutritious meal this is and with so much flavors. Love your version!
angiesrecipes
I adore black rice! This looks super flavoursome and tasty. Save me some :-))
Tarnjit
Mmmm! Looks delicious and I bet it tastes even better! I love how you include a context and add a little personal touch too. Creative and appealing more than just to the palette!
John / Kitchen Riffs
This looks terrific — tons of flavor, and black rice always looks so pretty. Wonderful recipe — thanks.
Kelly | Foodtasia
Balvinder, such a cozy and comforting dish! The black rice is so pretty. I’ve never had it, so I’ll definitely have to look for some.
Michelle - Lost in Food
I love any daal or rice dish. I’ve only had black rice once whilst travelling and it was amazing. This recipe looks great and I’ll be inning to try it. Thanks for linking up to #CookBlogShare this week. Michelle