Split red lentil is perhaps the easiest lentil to cook but I am experiencing

enormous problems in making khichri with it. Try what I may it is not done and on occasions I had to throw awy the whole concoction. I've now stopped trying.

Initially I though it was the hard water. So I used filtered water. No improvement.

I tried the preassure cooker but the rice was almost mashed into glue. Soaking for hours or overnight did nothing to soften it. Added no salt or turmeric. In short I tried everything that I could think of, even adding a litle baking powder, but the lentil reamined resolutely impervious to anything. Has anyone else faced this problem. Is there a solution?

not sure about anything specific, but if I'm using any harder/tougher pulses/lentils I usually pour boiling water on them to soak and after about 2 hours wash them and add cold water, changing the water before going to bed and then leaving them until needed the next day.

i make kitchri all the time using red lentils. you must soak the red dhal with the rice at least 2 hours, if not overnight. you then drain it completely until almost dry.

second point is that once you have added boiling water to the kitchri, cover the pan with a tight lid to seal it and DO NOT OPEN IT AGAIN for at least 15 min so that it is thoroughly cooked and the steam produced will soften it even further. this is essential.

third point: if you add too much salt to any lentil while it is cooking, it will become tough and never cook through properly. try cooking with less or no salt, and only adjusting the salt after the cooking process.

good luck

liza