Chana dal sweet khichdi is a traditional porridge like dessert from the Konkani community of Mangalore (in the southern part of India).
Chana dal (Bengal gram dal) and rava/suji/semolina are cooked together and sweetened with sugar or jaggery (unrefined sugar), flavored with aromatic cardamom powder and served with lots of ghee!! For a healthier twist, I have used cracked wheat or bulgur instead of semolina.
Yesterday was Vijayadasami or Dussehra, a Hindu festival signifying “Vijaya” or “victory” of Goddess Durga/Chamundeshwari over the demon Mahishasura on the 10th day of the Hindu month (victory of good over evil). She fought with evil for 10 days and 9 nights and was victorious on the 10th day. The slaying of the demon Mahishasura gave the name Mysore (or Mysuru as it is called today) to the lovely town I belong to in Karnataka (India). To celebrate this auspicious day, I had decided to make sweet chana dal khichdi.
Due to the high nutrient value of bulgur or cracked wheat, I always prefer to make this south Indian dessert with this instead of the traditional semolina.
This simple dessert can be made in a jiffy in a pressure pan. After roasting the wheat and dal to release its aroma, they are cooked in a pressure cooker and sweetened with sugar or jaggery (for a healthier version). Ghee, coconut, nuts and raisins are added for richness and flavor and spiced with freshly ground cardamom powder.
It is served with extra ghee and some people prefer to eat it topped with slices of banana. Chana dal khichdi is perfect for a party, when guests drop over suddenly or even when you are craving for a sweet dessert in a hurry!!
Other Indian desserts you can try are:
Step-by-step-method:
- First gather the ingredients.
- In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and fry the almonds or cashew till light golden brown. Stir in the raisins and turn the heat off. Keep aside.
- In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, dry roast the chana dal for a few minutes till it releases a good aroma (about 2 to 3 minutes), and keep aside.
- In the same saucepan, roast the cracked wheat for about 2 to 3 minutes and keep aside.
- Wash both chana dal and wheat and place in a pressure pan along with 2 to 3 cups of water.
- Close the pan and bring to a pressure.
- After one whistle, lower the heat and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and let the pressure release on its own.
- Once the pressure is released completely, open the pan and check to see if the dal has cooked; it should be soft but still have a bite to it; if not cook again. Do not overcook.
- Stir in the jaggery or sugar and mix well.
- Taste for sweetness and add more jaggery if necessary. If the mixture is too dry, add some water, stir and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee. Stir in the coconut and cardamom powder and mix well.
- Add the nuts and raisins, give it a good mix.
- Serve hot with additional ghee and grated coconut. Traditionally, we eat it topped with sliced bananas.
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Chana dal sweet khichdi is a traditional dessert or sweet from Mangalore (in southern part of India) with a porridge like consistency using chana dal and cracked wheat or bulgur, flavored with cardamom and full of nuts, raisins and coconut.
Ingredients
- ½ cup cracked wheat/dalia/bulgur
- ½ cup chana dal/Bengal gram dal
- ½ cup jaggery(unrefined sugar)/sugar
- ½ cup grated coconut
- ¼ cup ghee/clarified butter (or as needed)
- 8 to 10 green cardamoms, powdered
- 8 to 10 almonds/cashews (sliced or chopped)
- 2 tablespoons raisins
Instructions
- In a small saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of ghee and fry the almonds or cashew till light golden brown. Stir in the raisins and turn the heat off. Keep aside.
- In a medium saucepan, on medium heat, dry roast the chana dal for a few minutes till it releases a good aroma (about 2 to 3 minutes), and keep aside.
- In the same saucepan, roast the cracked wheat for about 2 to 3 minutes and keep aside.
- Wash both chana dal and wheat and place in a pressure pan.
- Add 2 to 3 cups of water, close the pan and bring to a pressure.
- After one whistle, lower the heat and cook for about 6 to 8 minutes.
- Turn the heat off and let the pressure release on its own.
- Once the pressure is released completely, open the pan and check to see if the dal has cooked; it should be soft but still have a bite to it; if not cook again. Do not overcook.
- Stir in the jaggery or sugar and mix well. Taste for sweetness and add more jaggery if necessary. If the mixture is too dry, add some water, stir and bring to a boil.
- Lower the heat and add about 2 to 3 tablespoons of ghee and mix gently. Stir in the coconut and cardamom powder and mix well. Add the nuts and cardamom, give it a good mix and serve hot with additional ghee and grated coconut.
- Traditionally, we eat it topped with sliced bananas.
Notes
It thickens as it cools, so you can add water and make it as thick or thin as you want.
If you cannot find bulgur or cracked wheat, use suji or semolina. But as semolina needs less cooking than wheat, you must cook the dal and semolina separately and mix them along with the sugar and prepare the khichdi.
Ghee is an important component in this dish, so try not to skip it. If you want to keep it healthy, use less ghee.
If you do not like the flavor of jaggery, you can use plain granulated sugar.
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Have fun cooking, eating and sharing!!!
Do you ever eat this for breakfast? I was looking for ways to add chana dal to more breakfast items so I can be eating more protein.
This is normally a dessert in my part of the world but if you enjoy sweet breakfast dishes, then why not!
It has both the protein and carbs needed to start your day.
Actually, sounds like a good idea to me too.