Kala chana khichdi

Khichdi usually means dal and rice simmered together in one pot; here the dal gives way to whole black chickpeas (kala chana). The chana keep their shape through pressure cooking, so the khichdi has whole grains to bite into rather than one soft mash. Soaked for 6 to 8 hours first, the kala chana and the rice finish together in the same cooker.

Forgetting the soak does not stop this khichdi. The hot quick soak, with its timings in our guide to soaking kala chana, works when you are short of time, and fully unsoaked chana can go in too: cook the chana alone with 3 cups of water for 10 to 12 whistles, open the cooker, add the rice with 2 cups more water and cook for another 3 whistles. Either way, test a chana before serving; it should crush easily between two fingers.

The tempering is ghee, cumin, hing and curry leaves, and the rice is sona masoori, which softens into the chana where a long-grain rice would stay separate. With four cups of water it stays soft enough to spoon; three and a half cups give a drier grain. Stir in chopped carrot or spinach with the grains for a vegetable version.