Khichdi Recipe | Moong 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 lightweight on the stomach, serve this wholesome, comforting and nourishing porridge-like Dal Khichdi with curd, raita or papad. I share 3 ways of creating Moong Dal Khichdi (extra within the submit under and the recipe card). The strain cooker stove-top model with step-by-step photographs and the Instantaneous Pot and Pan methodology with detailed directions.

What’s Khichdi

Khichdi is a straightforward, basic 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 in poor health or recovering from sickness, Dalia and Moong Dal Khichdi are sometimes served.

Particularly, babies or senior residents recovering are sometimes really useful 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 (optionally available), and turmeric, which is prescribed in Ayurveda for detoxifying the physique.

Just a few herbs or spices like ginger, black pepper, asafoetida, will be added relying on the dosha kind.

In ayurveda, moong is one lentil that’s really useful 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 eating regimen.

About This Moong Dal Khichdi

My dal khichdi recipe is flavorful and under no circumstances bland. Although this dish has the popularity of being bland, it isn’t really for those who embrace a couple of spices or herbs.

The form of spices, herbs, veggies you add make a fantastic distinction to the flavors. Actually 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 regular, go-to fundamental recipe for normal, at-home cooking.

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

Components You Want

• Lentils: I used a half cup of cut up and husked moong dal, however you need to use purple lentils (masoor dal) or pigeon pea lentils (tur dal) as an alternative. Remember the fact that whereas utilizing different lentils, the cooking time will differ and alter.
• Rice: You should use any kind of non-sticky rice for this recipe — common, quick, or medium-grained rice and even basmati.
• Veggies: You will want 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 Recipe

Prep

1. Rinse ½ cup moong lentils and ½ cup rice collectively. Then soak each of them for about half-hour in water.

When the lentils and rice have had time to soak up water, drain all the water and put aside.

Additionally finely chop one medium-size onion, 1 medium-sized tomato, 1 small inexperienced chili and 1 inch ginger.

In the event you prefer to garnish your khichdi with some coriander leaves (cilantro) rinse and put aside a couple of stems.

So you’ll be needing the next veggies, spices and herbs:

• ⅓ finely chopped onions
• ⅓ to ½ chopped tomatoes
• ½ teaspoon chopped inexperienced chillies or serrano peppers
• 1 teaspoon finely chopped ginger or grated
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves, for garnish – optionally available

You may decide so as to add some extra greens like carrots, inexperienced peas, broccoli, cauliflower and inexperienced beans. In the event you plan so as to add any veggie, chop them too and put aside.

Make Moong Dal Khichdi

2. Now warmth 2 tablespoons ghee or oil in a 3 litre strain cooker, then add 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera).

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

4. Sauté till the onions soften and switch translucent.

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

5. When the onions have grow 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 optionally available.

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

8. Sauté till the tomatoes soften stirring usually.

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

10. Season with salt to style.

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

12. Add 3.5 cups water and blend very well, deglazing the underside and sides of the cooker.

3.5 cups of water gives you a porridge like consistency. For a thinner consistency, add 4 to 4.5 cups water.

TIP: Verify the style of water and it needs 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 Khichdi

13. Lastly, shut the lid tightly and strain cook dinner for 8 to 9 minutes or 7 to eight whistles on medium-high to excessive warmth. When the strain falls by itself within the cooker (which takes some minutes), open the lid.

14. Stir the khichdi.

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

16. Serve your scrumptious Moong Dal Khichdi scorching or heat! You may as well high with a little bit of 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 buddies of Khichdi“.

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

The 4 buddies are the edges that you simply 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 high of the khichdi.

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

One among my private favourite methods to take pleasure in 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 overlook to high it with a spoon of ghee whereas serving!

Storage and Leftovers

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

In the event you do find yourself with leftovers, nonetheless, you possibly can 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 an alternative 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.

Instantaneous Pot Khichdi Recipe

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 usually 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 3.5 cups water and salt. Deglaze if wanted.
5. Strain cooking: Seal with the IP lid and set the valve to the sealing place. Strain cook dinner on excessive strain for 9 minutes. If you hear the beep sound, watch for 10 minutes after which do a fast strain launch lifting the valve fastidiously.
6. Doneness: Verify the consistency. Whether it is too thick, add some scorching water and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes utilizing the sauté perform. If it 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 stove-top

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

After you add the rice and lentils, give stir and sauté for a minute. Add 4 to 4.5 cups water and season with salt. Cowl the pot and cook dinner on a medium-low to medium flame till the lentils are softened and mushy.

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

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

Professional 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.

  Varied greens will 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. Crimson lentils (masoor dal) and pigeon pea lentils (tur dal) additionally make dal khichdi. You may even make khichdi with a mixture 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 test my recipes of Oats Khichdi and Dalia Khichdi that are wholesome and straightforward.
• Spices: For a wealthy taste of the spices, you possibly can add tej patta, cloves, cinnamon, black pepper, inexperienced cardamom. If making dal khichdi for small youngsters then you possibly can 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 thick porridge consistency, however if you would like a barely thinner or extra soupy consistency, you possibly can improve the quantity of water.

• Stovetop: I normally put together this dish within the strain cooker or immediate pot, however for those who do not need one, then you possibly can nonetheless make it in a pan or pot. It’s vital to notice that you’ll have to add extra water when cooking in a pot.

FAQs

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This Dal Khichdi recipe post from the archives first published in July 2014 has been republished and updated on 23 June 2022.