Dal Khichdi Recipe The simplest way to make a full meal when you really don’t want to take a lot of effort, Khichdi is the way ahead. Nutritious and light on the tummy, enjoy this healthy, comforting and nourishing porridge-like Dal Khichdi with curd, raita or papad.
ABOUT KHICHDI
Khichdi is a simple, classic Indian dish made with rice and yellow mung lentils. This dal khichdi recipe is flavorful and not at all bland. Though khichdi has the reputation of being bland, it isn’t actually if you include a few spices or herbs. It’s the healthiest and go-to recipe to make when you’re not keeping up your health. Specifically, small children or senior citizens recovering are often recommended this dish (even by doctors) because it is so nutrient-rich and easy to digest.
The kind of spices, herbs, veggies you use can be a game-changer in making khichdi your next family favorite.
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INGREDIENTS FOR KHICHDI RECIPE
- ½ cup moong dal (split and husked mung lentils)
- ½ cup rice – you can add any rice, regular short or medium-grained rice or even basmati
- water – as required
- 2 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter) or oil – any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- ⅓ cup finely chopped onions or 1 small to medium-sized
- ⅓ to ½ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium-sized
- ½ teaspoon chopped green chillies or serrano peppers or 1 small green chilli
- 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger or grated – 1 inch ginger
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (ground turmeric)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) – optional
- 3.5 cups water – for a more thin consistency, add 4 to 4.5 cups of water
- salt as required
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS
- Let’s kickstart by rinsing ½ cup moong lentils and ½ cup rice together.
- Then soak both of them for about 30 minutes in water. When the lentils and rice have had time to absorb water, drain and set aside.
- Now heat 2 tablespoons ghee or oil in a 3 litre pressure cooker, then add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or jeera.
- As soon as the cumin begins to splutter, add the ⅓ cup of finely chopped onions.
- Sauté until the onions soften and turn translucent. No need to make onions light brown or golden brown.
- When the onions have become translucent, add in ⅓ to ½ cup of chopped tomatoes, ½ teaspoon of chopped green chilli and 1 teaspoon of chopped ginger.
- Mix well with the sautéed onions.
- After stirring in the tomatoes, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). Adding hing is optional.
- For a gluten-free khichdi, skip the asafoetida or use a gluten-free asafoetida.
- Sauté until the tomatoes soften while stirring often.
- Next, add the drained rice and moong lentils to the pressure cooker and stir for about a minute or until all the ingredients are fully combined.
- Season with salt to taste.
- Mix and sauté the rice and lentils for a minute.
- Add 3.5 cups water and mix really well, deglazing the bottom and sides of the cooker.
- 3.5 cups of water will give you a porridge-like consistency. For a thinner consistency, add 4 to 4.5 cups of water.
- Check the taste of the water and it should be slightly salty. If the water does not taste salty, then add a few pinches of salt and mix. Check the taste again.
- Finally, close the lid tightly and pressure cook for 8 to 9 minutes or 7 to 8 whistles on medium-high to high heat. When the pressure falls on its own in the cooker (which takes some minutes), open the lid.
- Stir the khichdi.
- If you prefer a thinner consistency or if it is too thick for your liking, add some hot water and mix. Simmer for a couple of minutes while stirring often.
- Serve your delicious dal khichdi hot or warm! You can also top with ghee before serving.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR INSTANT POT KHICHDI
- Press the sauté function of your IP. Let the display read 'hot'. Add ghee or oil. Fry cumin seeds until they splutter.
- Add onions and sauté until they soften. Tip in the tomatoes, ginger, green chillies and sauté stirring often until tomatoes soften. Stir in the turmeric powder and asafoetida.
- Add soaked rice and lentils. Stir deglazing if needed.
- Pour 3.5 cups of water and salt. Deglaze while removing any stuck ingredients from the bottom of the pan.
- Seal with the IP lid and set the valve to the sealing position. Pressure cook on high pressure for 9 minutes. When you hear the beep sound, wait for 10 minutes and then do a quick pressure release lifting the valve carefully.
- Check the khichdi consistency. If it is too thick, add some hot water and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes using the sauté function. If the khichdi has a thin consistency, sauté for some more minutes until you get the desired consistency. Serve hot or warm.
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS FOR DAL KHICHDI IN A PAN (STOVE-TOP)
- To make khichdi in a pan, follow all the directions as listed for the pressure cooker version in the pan until you add the rice and lentils.
- After you add the rice and lentils, give a good stir and sauté for a minute. Add 4 to 4.5 cups of water and season with salt. Cover the pan and cook on a medium-low to medium flame until the lentils are softened and mushy.
- Keep a check while cooking and if the water has dried up with undercooked lentils, add some hot water and combine well. Cover and continue to cook.
- When the khichdi is cooked, check the consistency. If thick, add some hot water and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. For a thin consistency, continue to cook for some more minutes.
SERVING SUGGESTION
There is a phrase in Hindi – “Khichdi ke chaar yaar“. Literally translated it means “the four friends of Khichdi“. The four friends are the sides that you serve with khichdi and which make it a satisfying complete meal. They are curd (yoghurt), papad (roasted or fried), pickle (any Indian pickle, like mango, lemon, green chilli or vegetable) and ghee which we drizzle in bits on top of the khichdi.
So you can serve moong dal khichdi with either or all of these four sides. You can also pair it with raita or salad.
STORAGE AND LEFTOVERS
If you do end up with leftovers, you can store them in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to 1 day. It is advised to reheat the dish in a saucepan instead of the oven so that you can add some water to thin it a bit and ensure everything is evenly heated before serving.
VARIATIONS
Vegetables: You can add mixed veggies to the recipe like green peas, carrots and french beans making it healthier. Various vegetables can be added to make the khichdi rich in nutrients and fibre – like green peas, potatoes, carrots, beans, cauliflower, capsicum, fenugreek leaves and brinjal. I also add spinach and make Palak Khichdi with peanuts.
Lentils: Moong dal is the lentil that is used traditionally. Red lentils (masoor dal) and pigeon pea lentils (tur dal) also make a good dal khichdi. You can even opt for a combination of all three lentils.
Rice and millets: Though white rice is used commonly to make khichdi, you can make it with brown rice, broken rice. There are some more khichdi variations made with millets, oats and cracked wheat (Dalia).
Spices: For a rich flavour of the spices, you can add tej patta, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, green cardamom. If making dal khichdi for small kids then you can skip or reduce the spices and omit the green chilli.
Ghee: Clarified butter aka ghee gives a better flavour in khichdi than the oil.
Vegan and Gluten-free: To make vegan and gluten-free khichdi, use a neutral-tasting oil and skip asafoetida.
FAQs
Does khichdi really help with stomach aches?
Yes! Moong beans are healthy and easy to digest, so when your stomach is upset then it is best to have khichdi to get your everyday dose of protein and nutrients without further irritating your system.
How to keep it hot and fresh for long hours?
You can store it in Selvel Casserole Set that comes insulated stainless steel specially designed to serve all your favorite dishes warm and fresh everyday.
Is khichdi good for you?
Yes – so much so that in India, khichdi is often served when someone is ill or recovering from illness, especially for small kids or older people. Even doctors recommend it to patients!
Will khichdi help me lose weight?
Traditionally, khichdi is made using moong dal and is a great way to get your protein. The rice gives you some carbs. So while it may not be a “weight loss recipe,” it can certainly help if you increase the proportion of mung lentils and reduce the rice.
Can I serve khichdi to my small child or baby?
Absolutely! It has a porridge-like consistency and can help kids and even small babies who are struggling to digest certain foods. It is important to note, that if you are making dal khichdi for babies then skip adding salt and all of the spices and herbs.
How is this a detox recipe?
Ayurveda mentions that moong lentils balance all three doshas (Kapha, pitta & vata). A simple, plain mung dal khichdi without any seasoning or spices is had as part of a detox diet.