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You are here: Home / blog events / Split Pea Khichari with Dill and Tomatoes

Split Pea Khichari with Dill and Tomatoes

April 18, 2013 By Laura 6 Comments

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Rice and Split Pea Khichari with Dill and Tomatoes

He’s home! He’s home! Everything is better when Daddy is home. From Sunday to Tuesday I cooked 2 dinners, baked one cake, and even a batch of cookies. That is the Daddy Difference, since before that I was pushing canned soup at my kids and pleading with them to just go to bed (ok it wasn’t quite that bad–but close).

Yellow Split Pea Khichari with Dill, Tomatoes and Onions

I made this khichari (Indian rice and legume dish, sometimes spelled khichdi; this particular one is Gujarati) on Sunday night, the night he got home, because I figured it would reheat well when he got in at night, and be sufficiently mild to eat right before bed (I was right). Unfortunately, Alex really disliked it–I think we may have discovered she dislikes dill, because honestly it is a hearty but mild dish. In Gujarat, India, it is considered comfort food, simple and easy to digest.  I was shocked at how much she did not care for it, given that she likes rice and split peas. So we did not have it a second night (I donated the leftovers to a dill-loving friend), but Sammy and John liked it and I loved it. Under other, more energetic circumstances, this dish would be especially nice with a vegetable curry to go with it.

Split Pea Khichari with Dill, Tomatoes and Onions

I am so excited because after taking many months off, I am remembering to submit this dish to My Legume Love Affair (currently being run by Lisa of Lisa’s Kitchen), which has got to be one of the coolest long running blog events ever! Created by Susan of The Well Seasoned Cook (in what feels like the dark ages of food blogging, like 2008 or so), it is hosted by someone different each month, and this month it is being hosted by Claire of Chez Cayenne: Recipes from a Spicy Vegetarian Kitchen. Be sure to check out Claire’s blog early next month for a vegetarian round up of all of the fabulous legume dishes made this month.

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Split Pea Khichari with Dill and Tomatoes
Adapted from Yamuna Devi, Lord Krishna's Cuisine
Course: dinner
Cuisine: Indian
Keyword: dill, khichari, split peas, tomatoes
Author: TheSpicedLife
Ingredients
  • 3/4 cup yellow split peas
  • 1 t turmeric
  • 1 t paprika
  • 1/4 cup chopped dill
  • 2 t salt, plus more to taste
  • 3/4 cup Basmati rice
  • 3 T ghee
  • 2 t cumin seeds
  • 1/4 t asafetida
  • 1 large red onion thinly sliced
  • 1/2 t garam masala plus more to taste
  • 2 medium-large tomatoes cut into large chunks (I used frozen from last summer)
  • Chopped dill for garnish
  • Greek yogurt for garnish
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 300 F.
  2. Fill a pot with water and add the split peas, turmeric, paprika and dill. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.
  3. Cook the split peas under they are tender but not yet totally soft, maybe around 20 minutes but it will depend on your peas.
  4. Add the salt and the rice. Cook until the rice is tender but al dente and the split peas are more soft.
  5. While the split peas are cooking, heat a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the ghee and cumin seeds. Roast the seeds until they are darker and fragrant. Add the asafetida and let cook for 15 seconds, and then add the onions.
  6. Cook, tossing occasionally, until the onions are quite caramelized, around 15 minutes. If the onions start to stick or scorch, add a splash or 2 of water.
  7. In the meantime, when the rice and split peas are cooked through but al dente for the rice, drain them completely.
  8. Add the garam masala to the onions, and cook for 30 seconds. Then add the tomatoes to the onions and toss until they are hot and coated in ghee. Then add the rice and split peas.
  9. Toss everything together and then cover with a heavy lid. place in the 300 F oven for 20 minutes.
  10. Garnish with chopped dill when serving and make sure to serve with Greek yogurt if you are not serving a curry, because otherwise this khichari will taste a little dry.

 

Filed Under: blog events, Indian recipes, rice, split peas, tomatoes, vegetarian Tagged With: dal, dill, Gujarati, Indian, khichadi, khichari, khichi, khichri, legume, onions, rice, split peas, tomatoes

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Comments

  1. Joanne says

    April 18, 2013 at 6:51 am

    I too need to remember to submit things to MLLA more often! I always forget even though I cook with a ton of legumes! I love the flavors in this dish and it might just be mild enough that my boyfriend would like it! WIN.

    Reply
  2. Claire says

    April 18, 2013 at 9:30 pm

    This certainly looks like comfort food to me – very delicious! Thanks for sending it to My Legume Love Affair.

    Reply
  3. Betty Ann @Mango_Queen says

    April 19, 2013 at 6:50 pm

    What a splendid and easy dish for the family – especially on a trying day like this one. Have a great weekend and thanks for sharing, Laura!

    Reply
  4. Heather @ Sugar Dish Me says

    April 22, 2013 at 7:54 pm

    I sort of look forward to the days my other half decides not to be here for a few meals (he comes home for lunch like 3 days a week) because I can just eat some carrot sticks or a PB & J and keep working. Does that make me a mean girlfriend? Anyway– when he IS here we do leftovers so I love making big post of stuff that will stretch– like this Split Pea Khichari!! Mmmmmmmm…..

    Reply
  5. Lindsay {life and kitchen} says

    April 23, 2013 at 8:35 am

    Oh that looks delicious! I’m always looking for good dishes like this. Can’t wait to try it!

    Reply
  6. Jean says

    September 6, 2015 at 3:46 pm

    Wow, this looks so yummy. I’ve actually never considered cooking with Dill before. When grocery shopping, I saw that split peas were the same price as pinto beans with twice the protein, but I’ve only ever heard of split pea soup. This looks like a fantastic idea, thank you!

    Reply

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Hi! I’m Laura and I am a recovering history major who has re-channeled all of my passion for learning about the history of different countries to learning about their food culture. That doesn’t mean every dish on here is strictly authentic, but it does mean that even my adaptations are not undertaken lightly. My goal is to show you–by doing–that these dishes are possible in your kitchen. Including desserts because I have quite the sweet tooth! Read More…

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