Khichdi Recipe (Dal Khichdi) » Dassana’s Veg Recipes

This Khichdi recipe is a lightweight and straightforward to digest Indian dish made with rice and moong dal. Nutritious and light-weight on the stomach, serve this wholesome, comforting and nourishing porridge-like Dal Khichdi with curd, raita or papad. I share 3 ways of constructing Khichdi (extra within the publish beneath and the recipe card). The stress cooker stove-top model with step-by-step images and the On the spot Pot and Pan technique with detailed directions.

What’s Khichdi

Khichdi is an easy, traditional Indian dish made with rice and yellow mung lentils. It’s really a really wholesome recipe — a lot in order that in India, when somebody is sick or recovering from sickness, Dalia and moong dal khichdi are sometimes served.

Particularly, babies or senior residents recovering are sometimes really helpful this dish (even by medical doctors) as a result of it’s so nutrient-rich and straightforward to digest.

The phrase Khichdi comes from the sanskrit phrase “Khicca” which suggests a dish of lentils and rice (supply wikipedia). Khichdi can also be pronounced and written as khichri, kichuri, khichari.

The only khichdi recipe model is made with simply ghee (clarified butter), cumin seeds (elective), and turmeric, which is prescribed in Ayurveda for detoxifying the physique.

A number of herbs or spices like ginger, black pepper, asafoetida, could be added relying on the dosha kind.

In ayurveda, moong is one lentil that’s really helpful for balancing all three doshas of the physique – kapha, pitta and vata.

Even a plain mung dal khichdi with none seasoning or spices is consumed as a part of an Ayurvedic detox food regimen.

About This Recipe

My dal khichdi recipe is flavorful and by no means bland. Although khichdi has the fame of being bland, it isn’t really if you happen to embrace a couple of spices or herbs.

The sort of spices, herbs, veggies you add make an important distinction to the khichdi flavors. The truth is in Indian delicacies, there are such a lot of methods we make khichri.

I add onions and tomatoes to my moong dal khichdi – that is my common, go-to primary recipe for normal, at-home cooking.

Excellent for weeknight dinners, this one-pot rice recipe could be completed in lower than an hour and is certain to turn out to be a brand new household favourite very quickly.

Elements You Want

• Lentils: I used a half cup of break up and husked moong dal, however you should use pink lentils (masoor dal) or pigeon pea lentils (tur dal) as a substitute.
• Rice: You should utilize any kind of non-sticky rice for this recipe — common, brief, or medium-grained rice and even basmati.
• Veggies: You will have onion, tomato, all finely chopped.
• Seasonings: I all the time find yourself including including inexperienced chillies, ginger, cumin seeds, turmeric powder, asafoetida (hing), and salt.
• Liquids: We use water to thin-out the consistency of the khichri, and oil or ghee to sauté all through the recipe.

Step-by-Step Information

Tips on how to Make Khichdi

Prep Lentils and Rice

1. Rinse ½ cup moong lentils and ½ cup rice collectively. Then soak each of them for about 30 minutes in water. When the lentils and rice have had time to soak up water, drain and put aside.

Sautéing spices and onions

2. Now warmth 2 tablespoons ghee or oil in a three litre stress cooker, then add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds or jeera.

three. As quickly because the cumin begins to splutter, add the ⅓ cup finely chopped onions.

four. Sauté till the onions soften and switch translucent.

NOTE: You do NOT must sauté the onions till they’re gentle or golden brown.

Sautéing Tomato, Chili, and Ginger

5. When the onions have turn out to be translucent, add in ⅓ to ½ cup chopped tomatoes, ½  teaspoon chopped inexperienced chili and 1 teaspoon chopped ginger.

6. Combine effectively with the sautéed onions.

7. After stirring within the tomatoes, add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida (hing). Including hing is elective.

TIP: For a gluten free khichdi, skip the asafoetida or use a gluten-free asafoetida.

eight. Sauté till the tomatoes soften stirring typically.

Add Rice and Lentils

9. Subsequent, add the drained rice and moong lentils to the stress cooker, and stir for a few minute or till all of the substances are totally mixed.

10. Season with salt to style.

11. Combine and sauté the rice and lentils for a minute.

Add Water

12. Add three.5 cups water and blend rather well, deglazing the underside and sides of the cooker.

three.5 cups of water provides you with a porridge like consistency. For a thinner consistency, add four to four.5 cups water.

TIP: Verify the style of water and it ought to be barely salty. If the water doesn’t style salty, then add a couple of pinches of salt and blend. Verify the style once more.

Strain Prepare dinner Dal Khichdi

13. Lastly, shut the lid tightly and stress prepare dinner on excessive for eight to 9 minutes or 7 to eight whistles on medium-high to excessive warmth . When the stress falls by itself within the cooker (which takes some minutes), open the lid.

14. Stir the khichdi.

Verify Khichdi Consistency

15. The beneath picture exhibits the consistency of khichdi. In case you want a thinner model or if is just too thick in your liking, add some scorching water and blend. Simmer for a few minutes stirring typically.

Serve and Take pleasure in!

16. Serve your scrumptious dal khichdi scorching or heat! You may as well prime with ghee earlier than serving.

What to Eat with with Khichdi

There’s a phrase in Hindi – “Khichdi ke chaar yaar“. Actually translated it means “the 4 mates of Khichdi“.

Are you questioning who’re these 4 mates of khichdi?

The 4 mates are the perimeters that you just serve with khichdi and which make it a satisfying full meal. They’re:

1. Curd (yogurt)
2. Papad (roasted or fried)
3. Pickle (any Indian pickle, like mango, lemon, inexperienced chili or vegetable)
4. Ghee which we drizzle in bits on prime of the khichdi.

So you may serve moong dal khichdi with both or all of those 4 sides. You may as well pair it with a raita or salad.

Considered one of my private favourite methods to get pleasure from khichdi is to drizzle it with some lemon juice and serve both with Eggplant Fries or Potato Fries and with a finely chopped vegetable salad. Additionally don’t neglect to prime it with a spoon of ghee whereas serving!

Storage and Leftovers

As a result of khichdi can turn out to be dry and lumpy, I all the time want to eat and serve this scrumptious recipe contemporary.

In case you do find yourself with leftovers, nonetheless, you may retailer within the fridge in an air-tight container for as much as 1 day.

I additionally want to reheat the dish in a saucepan as a substitute of the oven in order that I can add some water to skinny it a bit and guarantee the whole lot is evenly heated earlier than serving.

On cooling khichdi does thicken and turns into lumpy, so you must add some water to it whereas reheating.

Suggestions

On the spot Pot Khichdi

1. Frying spices: Press the sauté perform of your IP. Let the show learn ‘scorching’. Add ghee or oil. Fry cumin seeds till they splutter.
2. Sautéing onions and tomatoes: Add onions and sauté till they soften. Tip within the tomatoes, ginger, inexperienced chillies and and sauté stirring typically till tomatoes soften. Stir within the turmeric powder and asafoetida.
3. Mixing rice and lentils: Add soaked rice and lentils. Stir deglazing the metal insert.
4. Pouring water: Add three.5 cups water and salt. Deglaze if wanted.
5. Strain cooking: Seal with the IP lid and set the valve to the sealing place. Strain prepare dinner on excessive stress for 9 minutes. Once you hear the beep sound, look ahead to 10 minutes after which do a fast stress launch lifting the valve rigorously.
6. Doneness: Verify the khichdi consistency. Whether it is too thick, add some scorching water and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes utilizing the sauté perform. If khichdi has a skinny consistency, sauté for some extra minutes till you get the specified consistency. Serve scorching or heat.

Dal Khichdi in a Pan on Range-top

To make khichdi in a pan or pot, comply with all of the instructions as listed for the stress cooker model in a pan till you add rice and lentils.

After you add the rice and lentils, give a very good stir and sauté for a minute. Add four to four.5 cups water and season with salt. Cowl the pot and prepare dinner on a medium-low to medium flame till the lentils are softened and mushy.

Hold a verify whereas cooking and if the water has dried up with undercooked lentils, add some scorching water and mix effectively. Cowl and proceed to prepare dinner.

When the khichri is cooked, verify the consistency. If thick, add some scorching water and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes. For a skinny consistency, proceed too prepare dinner for some extra minutes.

Knowledgeable Suggestions

Ingredient Notes and Variations

• Greens: You may add blended veggies to the recipe, like in my Masala Khichdi the place blended greens are added. Typically I add inexperienced peas, carrots and french beans to this dal khichdi to make it extra more healthy. Numerous greens could be added to make the khichdi wealthy in vitamins and fibre – like inexperienced peas, potatoes, carrots, beans, cauliflower, capsicum, fenugreek leaves and brinjal. I additionally add spinach and make Palak Khichdi with peanuts.
• Lentils: Moong dal is the lentils that’s used historically. Purple lentils (masoor dal) and pigeon pea lentils (tur dal) additionally make a very good dal khichdi. You may even make khichdi with a mix of those three lentils.
• Rice and millets: Although white rice is used generally to make khichdi, you can also make it with brown rice, damaged rice. There are some extra khichdi variations made with millets, oats and cracked wheat (dalia). You may verify my recipes of Oats Khichdi and Dalia Khichdi that are wholesome and straightforward.
• Spices: For a wealthy taste of the spices, you may add tej patta, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, inexperienced cardamom. If making dal khichdi for small children then you may skip or scale back the spices and omit the inexperienced chilli.
• Ghee: Clarified butter aka ghee offers a greater taste in khichdi than the oil.
• Vegan and Gluten-free: To make vegan and gluten-free khichdi, use a impartial tasting oil and skip asafoetida.

Cooking Notes

• Consistency: In contrast to different rice-based dishes like pulao or biryani, in khichdi the rice grains will not be as separated. You may improve or lower the water amount to differ the consistency of the moong dal khichdi. Some want a khichdi with a thick porridge consistency, however if you would like a barely thinner or extra soupy consistency, you may improve the quantity of water.
• Stovetop: I often put together khichdi within the stress cooker or immediate pot, however if you happen to shouldn’t have one, then you may nonetheless make the dal khichdi in a pan or pot. It’s necessary to notice that you’ll have to add extra water when cooking in a pot.

FAQs

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This dal khichdi recipe publish from the archives (July 2014) has been republished and up to date on 23 February 2021.