The Khichdi Recipe that's SO tasty! (2024)

Published: Jul 7, 2021 · Modified: Oct 12, 2021 by Richa · This post may contain affiliate links.

2K Shares

Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

Khichdi or khichri or khichuri is pure comfort food. You either LOVE khichdi or hate it. If you are a hater, I'm here to change your mind! This version can be made in a traditional pressure cooker or an Instant Pot.

Disclaimer: I had originally written this post in June, 2018 when I was going through a difficult time. I've updated it on 7 July, 2021 with new photos and a new step by step video with no changes to the recipe.

Most people's opinions on khichdi are usually pretty divided. You either love it or you hate it; there's no in between And if you're in the hate it camp, then this recipe is just about to change your mind. I know because I have been on both sides of the camp. My mom's khichuri was often pretty blah, but this recipe is inspired by the way my grandma made it, which was always delicious had me eating it by the bowl.

My grandma's version of khichdi has whole spices, chunks of potatoes and other vegetables that become so soft, they almost melt into the dish. Plus a secret tip where she roasts the moong dal, arhar dal and rice before she adds the water. This khichdi actually tastes good. It's not sick food, it's not weird and gloopy; this one's healthy, nutritious and comforting. And it's a dish that you share with family because it's a meal everyone will enjoy.

Quick Walk Through: Khichdi

FAQs
Top Tips To Make Delicious Khichdi
Serve Khichdi with
Watch the Video
More Indian Comfort Food:

FAQs

1. What type of dal works best for khichdi?

I use a combination of rice and two variety of lentils (dals) - moong dal and arhar/ toor dal. I love this combination the best because both the dals cook down to mix well with the rice. This version is more like a porridge, instead of grains which are separate. And that's the beauty of khichdi - because everything breaks down so well, it's really easy to digest, but can keep you feeling full longer.

2. Is khichdi good for you?

Yes! Khichdi is considered to be one of the healthiest and easy to digest foods out there. Which is why it is often served when someone is sick or recovering from an illness.

3. How to store leftover khichdi?

Even though khichdi is best served hot, you can still store any leftovers in the fridge for about 2-3 days. Refrigerated khichdi tends to become hard and clumpy. Simply add a little water at the time of reheating, adjust salt, and serve hot.

Top Tips To Make Delicious Khichdi

Apart from the dals and rice, I love adding diced carrots, beans, potatoes, cauliflower and green peas to my khichdi for lots of extra texture and nutrition.
Unless you're vegan, don't skimp on the ghee. It'll melt all over and glisten and make every bite extra delicious.
The water ratio is an important determinant to the final texture of this recipe. I like my khichdi to have a thick porridge-like consistency, for which I had 5 cups of water for for a total of 1 cup of rice and lentils. You can easily increase or decrease the amount of water based on your personal preference.
If you notice that your khichdi looks too thick after cooking, simply add a little more water and cook for a few extra minutes to adjust the consistency.
If you live outside India, both these lentils are easily available at Indian stores and sometimes even at large supermarkets.

Serve Khichdi with

Tomato Chutney: We always make a sweet, spicy, jammy tomato chutney to go with khichdi. It makes the whole meal even more exciting. Recipe coming up tomorrow!
Papad: Papad is definitely a must have with khichdi. My personal favourite is the OG Lijjat papad which I crush all over the khichdi. Roasted not fried.
Aloo Fry or Aloo Bhujiya: Made slightly differently than usual, my version is really fast and easy. I marinate sliced potatoes (skin on) in some spices and mustard oil for a few minutes and then just lay them out in one layer on the pan to cook till crispy on both sides. You can easily do this in the oven. My version of masala roasted potatoes I guess.
Curd and Pickle: Some people swear by it. Curd or just plain unsweetened yogurt pairs really well with khichdi. And pickle adds a little spice to an otherwise non spicy meal.

Khichdi also pairs really well with cucumber raita and aloo fry(I've shared my quick recipe the in notes). I love making this for easy weeknight dinners, and my family really loves it!

Watch the Video

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.

4.91 from 11 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Diet: Gluten Free, Vegetarian

Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Total Time: 55 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Portions

Calories: 313kcal

Author: Richa

Ingredients

▢ ½ cup Small grain Rice
▢ ¼ cup Arhar Dal Toor dal/ Split Pigeon Peas
▢ ¼ 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
▢ ½ cup Green Peas frozen or fresh
▢ 1 teaspoon Turmeric
▢ ½ 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.
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.
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.

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

Here's a pretty cool article about dals (lentils) along with their images to help you identify them easily
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.
To reheat, just add a little water and heat it over a low flame.
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 teaspoon chilli powder
3. 1 teaspoon Jeera Powder
4. 1.5 teaspoon Coriander Powder
5. ½ teaspoon Turmeric
6. ½ teaspoon Salt
7. 2 tablespoon Mustard Oil
You can also serve khichdi with raita, you can check out my raita recipe here - https://myfoodstory.com/indian-raita-recipe/

Nutrition

Subscribe Today!Sign-up here Email List!

More Indian Comfort Food:

Dhaba Dal Tadka
Bulgur Wheat Daliya
Easy Rice Kheer
Lemon Rice (Yellow Rice)