Jowar khichdi

Khichdi usually means rice and dal cooked soft together; this one replaces the rice with whole jowar grain, so every spoonful has the chew of sorghum instead of soft rice. The pot is plain, the way a weeknight khichdi should be: soaked grain, moong dal, turmeric and salt, with a ghee tempering of cumin, hing, ginger and green chilli poured over only at the end.

Recipes often assume cooked jowar; this one starts from the raw grain. An 8-hour soak softens the outer layer so the grain cooks in the same time as the dal, and six whistles with a natural release leave it tender but whole, not pasty. The same grain that makes the upma turns soft under pressure while keeping a slight bite at the centre.

That bite is the point: this khichdi is heavier and chewier than a rice one, with an earthy note from the grain and roasted groundnuts scattered on top. Add chopped carrot, peas or bottle gourd along with the dal for a vegetable version, and cook it with the water the recipe gives, which makes a soft, porridge-like khichdi.