Wash and soak the rice and dal for 15 minutes in about 6 cups of water.
Cook the rice and dal together till soft and mushy. I prefer to pressure cook them.
If using an open opt then add another cup of water.
Once the pressure is released naturally, open the cooker and stir the contents well.
for the tempering
in a large pan (Kadai), add the oil followed by the sliced onions, garlic, chillies and turmeric. Saute till the onions are translucent and the oil is coloured yellow.
Now add the bay leaves, cumin and tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are soft and cooked.
Add salt and the water and allow the water to boil.
Add the cooked rice dal mixture into the tempering and mix well. Simmer till the flavours are incorporated well.
To serve, garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve warm and enjoy
Recipe Notes
When cool, the kichadi may thicken and solidify, add more warm water to get the soft consistency.