Khichdi Recipe (Dal Khichdi)

This Khichdi recipe is a light and easily digestible Indian dish made with rice and moong dal. Nutritious and light on the stomach, serve this healthy, comforting and nourishing Dal Khichdi with curd, papad or raita.

What is Khichdi

Khichdi is a simple and classic Indian dish made with rice and yellow mung lentils. This is actually a very healthy recipe – so much so that in India, when someone is sick or recovering from an illness, Dalia and Moong Dal Khichdi are often served.
Specifically, this dish is often recommended for small children or the recovering elderly (even by doctors) because it is very rich in nutrients and easy to digest.
The word Khichdi derived from the Sanskrit word “Khicca” which means a dish of lentils and rice. Khichdi is also pronounced and written as khichari, khichri, kichuri.
The simplest version of the khichdi recipe consists only of ghee (clarified butter), cumin seeds (optional), and turmeric, which is prescribed in Ayurveda to detoxify the body.
Some herbs or spices such as ginger, black pepper, asafoetida, can be added depending on the type of dosha.
Also Read: Chana Dal (Split Chickpeas)

Ingredients

For soaking lentils and rice

▢ ½ cup moong dal (split and peeled mung lentils)
▢ ½ cup of rice – you can add any rice, regular short or medium grain rice or even basmati
▢ water – as needed

Other ingredients

▢ 2 tablespoons of Ghee (clarified butter) or oil – any neutral oil
▢ 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds
▢ ⅓ cup onions (finely chopped) or 1 small to medium onion
▢ ⅓ to ½ cup chopped tomatoes or 1 medium size
▢ ½ teaspoon chopped green peppers or serrano peppers or 1 small green pepper
▢ 1 teaspoon finely chopped or grated ginger – 1 inch of ginger
▢ ¼ teaspoon ground turmeric (ground turmeric)
▢ 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing) – optional
▢ 3.5 cups of water – for a finer consistency, add 4 to 4.5 cups of water
▢ salt as needed

Instructions

Soak the rice and lentils

1. Rinse the moong lentils and rice together.
2. Soak the rice and lentils for 30 minutes in water.
3. After 30 minutes, strain all the water and set aside.

Sauté onions, tomatoes, spices

1. In the pressure cooker, heat the ghee or oil. Add the cumin seeds. When the cumin spits out, add the onions.
2. Sauté onions until translucent. No need to make light brown or golden brown onions.
3. Once the onions turn translucent, add the tomatoes, green chili and ginger.
4. Mix and add the turmeric powder and asafoetida. Stir again and sauté until the tomatoes are soft.
5. Add the moong lentils and rice to the pressure cooker.
6. Stir and sauté for a minute. Add water and season with salt.
7. Mix well. Check the taste of the water and it should be little salty.

Cooking the Khichdi

1. Close the lid tightly and cook under pressure over high heat for 7-8 whistles or 8-9 minutes over medium-high to high heat.
2. Turn off the heat and wait. Let the pressure drop naturally in the casserole dish.
3. When there is no more pressure in the pressure cooker, remove the lid and check the consistency. If the khichdi seems too thick, add hot water and mix well.
4. Keep on sim or low heat to simmer for a few minutes until you get the required consistency.
5. The consistency of the khichdi can be adjusted to your liking by adding less or more water. Some people prefer a thick consistency and a thin consistency.
6. When ready to serve, sprinkle with 1 to 2 teaspoons of ghee just before serving. Optional step.
7. Serve the moong dal khichdi hot or lukewarm with curd (yogurt) and the side salad.

Instant Pot Khichdi

1. Press the saute function of your IP. Let the display show “hot”. Add ghee or oil. Fry the cumin seeds until they spit out.
2. Add the onions and sauté until softened. Add the tomatoes, ginger, green peppers and sauté, stirring often, until the tomatoes are soft. Stir in the turmeric powder and asafoetida.
3. Add the soaked rice and lentils. Stir the de-icing if necessary.
4. Pour in 3.5 cups of water and salt. Deglaze by removing the ingredients stuck to the bottom of the pan.
5. Close with the IP cover and place the valve in the closed position. Cook under pressure at high pressure for 9 minutes. When you hear the beep, wait 10 minutes, then quickly release the pressure by carefully lifting the valve.
6. Check the consistency of the khichdi. If it is too thick, add a little hot water and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes using the sauté function. If the khichdi has a fine consistency, sauté it for a few more minutes until you achieve the desired consistency. Serve hot or warm.