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Khichdi served on a black plate with papad, tomato chutney and aloo fry
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4.77 from 13 votes

The Khichdi Recipe that's actually tasty!

Khichdi or khichri is an Indian one pot lentil and rice dish that's vegetarian, easy to digest and wholesome. Done right, it can be incredibly tasty and may become your favourite comfort food. This version can be made in a traditional pressure cooker or an Instant Pot and I have instructions below for both.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian
Servings: 4 Portions
Author: Richa

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup Small grain Rice
  • 1/4 cup Arhar Dal Toor dal/ Split Pigeon Peas
  • 1/4 cup Dhuli Moong Dal skinless Petite Yellow Lentils
  • 2 tablespoons Ghee
  • 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds
  • 6-8 Whole Peppercorns
  • 2 Bayleaves
  • 4-5 Cloves
  • 2 Cardamoms whole
  • 1 teaspoon Ginger grated
  • 1 Green Chilli / Serrano Chilli split lengthwise
  • 6-8 Cauliflower Florets
  • 1 Potato quartered
  • 1 Carrot peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces (large )
  • 8-10 French Beans cut into 1 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup Green Peas frozen or fresh
  • 1 teaspoon Turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder / Paprika Powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons Salt
  • 5 cups Water

Instructions

Traditional Pressure Cooker:

  • Wash the rice and both the dals (lentils) well, and soak them in enough water to cover them for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours. This helps them cook faster.
    1/2 cup Small grain Rice, 1/4 cup Arhar Dal, 1/4 cup Dhuli Moong Dal
  • Heat ghee in the pressure cooker and add cumin seeds, peppercorns, bayleaves, cloves, cardamoms, ginger and green chilli. Saute for two minutes on medium flame.
    2 tablespoons Ghee, 1 teaspoon Cumin Seeds, 6-8 Whole Peppercorns, 2 Bayleaves, 4-5 Cloves, 2 Cardamoms, 1 teaspoon Ginger, 1 Green Chilli / Serrano Chilli
  • Drain all the water from the rice and lentils and add them to the cooker. Dry roast them for 4-5 minutes, till you can smell a nutty aroma. Don't worry if some of the rice and lentils stick to the bottom of the pan, but be careful not to burn them.
  • Add all the veggies, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and water to the cooker and pressure cook for 6-7 whistles. Let the pressure release naturally. Once all the pressure has released, open the pressure cooker and mix well. After mixing, the rice and dal should have broken down and should look slightly creamy. Check for salt, and serve hot with ghee, fried potatoes, tomato chutney or just yogurt.
    6-8 Cauliflower Florets, 1 Potato, 1 Carrot, 8-10 French Beans, 1/2 cup Green Peas, 1 teaspoon Turmeric, 1/2 teaspoon Red Chilli Powder / Paprika Powder, 1.5 teaspoons Salt, 5 cups Water

Instant Pot Version:

  • Wash the rice and both the dals (lentils) well, and soak them in enough water to cover them for at least 30 minutes or up to two hours. This helps them cook faster.
  • Turn on the saute function and heat ghee in the pot. Add cumin seeds, peppercorns, bayleaves, cloves, cardamoms, ginger and green chilli. Saute for two minutes or till you can smell the spices.
  • Drain all the water from the rice and lentils and add them to the cooker. Dry roast them for 5-6 minutes, till you can smell a nutty aroma. Don't worry if some of the rice and lentils stick to the bottom of the pan, but be careful not to burn them.
  • Add all the veggies, turmeric, chilli powder, salt and water to the cooker and cook on high pressure for 30 minutes. I prefer using the manual pressure function. Let the pressure release naturally for at least 10 minutes, and then release pressure manually. Once all the pressure has released, open the pressure cooker and mix well. After mixing, the rice and dal should have broken down and should look slightly creamy. Check for salt, and serve hot with ghee, fried potatoes, tomato chutney or just yogurt.

Video

Notes

  1. Here's a pretty cool article about dals (lentils) along with their images to help you identify them easily
  2. The consistency of a khichdi is a personal preference. We like ours on the mushier side, but if you prefer it less mushy, reduce the water by a cup. You can also add more water if you like and cook it further if you want your version mushier.
  3. To reheat, just add a little water and heat it over a low flame.
  4. Aloo Fry is amazing with khichdi. I do a slightly different version with skin on sliced potatoes and here's what you'll need for it. Follow the instructions in the video to make it.
    1. Potatoes 2 (skin on, thinly sliced)
    2. 1 tsp chilli powder
    3. 1 tsp Jeera Powder
    4. 1.5 tsp Coriander Powder
    5. 1/2 tsp Turmeric
    6. 1/2 tsp Salt
    7. 2 tbsp Mustard Oil
  5. You can also serve khichdi with raita, you can check out my raita recipe here - https://myfoodstory.com/indian-raita-recipe/ 
 

Nutrition

Calories: 313kcal | Carbohydrates: 49g | Protein: 11g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 920mg | Potassium: 458mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 2875IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 3mg