I thought that kichuri is cooked slowly in a pan, where the various ingredients, rice, beans, vegetables and spices have a chance to have their flavors mix together.

Can this dish be made in a pressure cooker with the same result?

If I was using white basmati rice, could I not just combine the UNcooked rice in with the other vegetables, that I assume I'd have to give a quick saute first, and just add some water or vegetable broth, and then bring to pressure and cook for some minutes?

Hello Felafelboy

I expect it was made in a pan in old days, before pressure cooker became available in India. Now, most people make it is a pressure cooker theses days. My mum always (since 1950?s) makes it in a pressure cooker, as does everyone else in my family/friends in India. It gives very good results and flavours mingle quite well under pressure. If you make lamb curry in a pressure cooker, it is as good as when cooked in a slow cooker. I can?t explain the scientific reason for this. Perhaps someone like Lapis will see this mail and reply.

When making khichuri/Khitcheri, you don?t have to saut? vegetables, but can. After you have given the tarka, add vegetables and saute. If using onions/ginger/garlic, it is good idea to saut? them first. You can add some ?baries?, spicy lentil dumplings too. No one ever adds broth to khitcheri, it is always water, but of course you can try, may enhance flavours.

The thing is that khitcheri is a dish you make when either you don?t feel like cooking, or someone has been poorly (mung dal khitcheri). So, you won?t make it too complicated. However, there is no reason why you shouldn?t ?tart? it up.

When I was growing in India, it (urad dal Khitcheri) was somehow linked to a rainy day or start of monsoon. As soon as the clouds gathered after the intense summer heat, we would all ask our mum for Khitcheri, served with grilled popodoms, yoghurt, Sweet Mango Chutney and pickles. This would be eaten sitting on a large, family style swing on the verandah :-).

Mamta