5 Khichdi Recipes: Wholesome & Delicious

In India, no festival is complete without food, Khichdi is one of the many Makar Sankranti specialties.

There is a variety of khichdi recipes that are cooked in India. Sabudana khichdi, Dal Khichdi, oats khichdi, and recently quinoa khichdi is also quite popular.

Vaghareli Khichdi:

Gujarati Vaghareli Khichdi is a healthy, easy one-pot meal, and comfort food.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup Split Urad dal
• 1/4 cup Toor Dal
• 1/2 cup Rice
• 1/2 cup Soya chunks
• 1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Red chili Powder
• 1.5 teaspoon Salt
• 1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
• 4 cup Water

For Vaghar/ Temper

• 2 tablespoon Ghee
• 1/4 teaspoon Hing/asafoetida
• 1 teaspoon Cumin
• 1 Green chilies
• 2-3 Whole Red Chili
• 1 inch Ginger (Cut into juliennes)
• 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder

Instructions

• To make Vaghareli Khichdi, start with soaking and cleaning dal, and rice.
• In a bowl add 1/4 cup split urad dal and 1/4 cup archer dal. Mix the dal using your fingers and pour water in the bowl. Now, wash the dal 3-4 times until the water runs clear.
• In a separate bowl add 1/2cup basmati rice. Wash the rice too for 3-4 times until the water runs out clear.
• For some protein in the khichdi, add soybeans in a bowl and pour hot water in it. Soak the soya chunks in hot water for 5 minutes.
• Now in a pressure cooker add the soaked dals and rice from the bowl.
• After that add 4 cups of water in the pressure cooker. Then add soaked soya chunks in the cooker.
• When you have added the soybeans, add 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon of red chili powder, and ½ teaspoon of garam masala powder in the cooker.
• Then add salt to taste.
• To prevent the spilling of water from the cooker, add a teaspoon of cooking oil in the cooker.
• Close the pressure cooker and pressure cook the khichdi for 2 whistles. After this release, the pressure from the cooker and open the lid of the cooker. Allow the khichdi to simmer for a few minutes while stirring in between. Keep it aside.
• Now To make tadka/baghar heat 2 tablespoons of ghee in a tadka pan. (Vegans can use 2 tablespoons of cooking oil here)
• To that add a pinch of asafoetida and a teaspoon of cumin seeds. When the seeds start to crackle add a teaspoon of ginger juliennes (cut the ginger in long thin strips)
• Now add chopped green chili. Stir them once and then add 2-3 broken red chilies,
• And half a teaspoon of red chili powder in the tadka pan.
• Save about 1/4 of baghar and pour rest over khichadi and mix it nicely.
• At the time of serving this baghari khichdi pour rest of the Baghar and enjoy it with a side of papad pickle and dahi.

Chana Dal Khichdi:

Dal Khichdi is an Indian lentil and rice, wholesome one-pot meal. This vegetarian Indian food recipe is a gluten-free, vegetarian, nourishing, comforting, and incredibly tasty meal you can make in 30 minutes or less. You can make khichdi in an Instant pot pressure cooker, or rice cooker. One can use, Yellow moong. Lentils like yellow moong dal or split and skinned green moong dal are used in making khichdi. But on special occasions like Sankranti Chana dal khichdi is cooked.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chana dal
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 cup Peas Fresh shelled
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 – 2 Star anise
• salt to taste
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

For Tempering

• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 2 – 3 red chilli whole
• 1 Tbsp Sesame seeds

Instructions

• Heat ghee in pressure cooker, add mustard seeds cumin seeds, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and roast in ghee for a minute.
• Add chana dal which is already washed and roast it in ghee for 2-3 minutes and follow it with washed basmati rice.
• Cook them together dry for 2-3 minutes and add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Add 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. And let the pressure release before opening the cooker.
• To prepare tempering take a tadka pan heat 1 tbsp of ghee and add 2-3 red chillie whole and sesame seeds. Take the pan off from heat when seeds start to splutter and pour this tadka over hot khichadi and serve it immediately.

Maghi Khichdi:

Also called bhuna khichdi, this is made differently from the normal khichdi recipe which is more liquid (gruel) in texture and mushy. This is more like a pulao type of recipe where grains stand separate and whole spices are used.

Ingredients

• 1 cup chana dal
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 2 tbsp ghee
• 1 cup Peas Fresh shelled
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 – 2 Star anise
• to taste salt
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder

For Tempering

• 1 Tbsp ghee
• 2 – 3 red chilli whole
• 1 Tbsp Sesame seeds

Instructions

• Heat ghee in pressure cooker, add mustard seeds cumin seeds, star anise, cloves, cinnamon stick and roast in ghee for a minute.
• Add chana dal which is already washed and roast it in ghee for 2-3 minutes and follow it with washed basmati rice.
• Cook them together dry for 2-3 minutes and add salt, red chilli powder and turmeric powder. Add 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. And let the pressure release before opening the cooker.
• To prepare tempering take a tadka pan heat 1 tbsp of ghee and add 2-3 red chillie whole and sesame seeds. Take the pan off from heat when seeds start to splutter and pour this tadka over hot khichadi and serve it immediately.

Healthy Vegetables Quinoa Khichdi:

In this recipe, quinoa takes place of rice. You can use yellow moong dal or split skinned green moong dal in this recipe as it takes the same time as quinoa to cook.

Ingredients

• ½ cup Yellow moong dal/dhuli moong dal
• ¾ cup Quinoa
• Salt
• 1 tsp Red Chili powder
• 1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp Ghee
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• Pinch of hing
• 1/2 cup Carrot chopped
• 1/2 cup Beans chopped
• ¼ Onions chopped
• 1 Potato medium-sized
• 1-2 green chili chopped
• 1 tsp ginger
• 2 Red Chilies Whole
• 1 tsp Crushed peppercorns and cloves
• 1 tsp Coriander Powder
• Salt to taste
• Water
• 1 tsp ghee
• 10-12 Cashews
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
• 2-3 Red chilies whole

Instructions

• To prepare quinoa khichdi, start with preparing the ingredients. In a bowl add half a cup of yellow moong dal and wash it
• In another bowl wash a ¾ cup of quinoa. Wash the quinoa too until the water comes out clean. When done, keep it aside.
• In a cooker add quinoa, yellow moong dal, salt, turmeric powder, and red chili powder.
• Add 3 and a half (3 ½) cup water and mix them well.
• Now, pressure cooks the khichdi till 2 whistles. After 2 whistle turn off the heat and allow the pressure cooker to cool naturally.
• In another pan heat tablespoon of ghee. Reduce the heat.
• Add cumin seeds in the ghee and cook for a minute.
• When cumin seeds to crackle and then add chopped onions in it.
• After that add chopped green chilies, chopped ginger and saute them until the onion is golden brown.
• Add 2 whole red chilies, chopped potatoes, beans and carrots in the pan.
• With a mortar and pestle, crush 4 peppercorns and 6 cloves and add them to the pan.
• Now, cook the vegetables covered for 5-6 minutes till they are tender enough. You can add a tablespoon or two of water if required.
• After cooking vegetables add a teaspoon of coriander powder.
• Add salt to taste and mix well.
• Now, add pressure cooked quinoa khichdi (that we cooked earlieand mix all the ingredients well.
• Add water to adjust the consistency of khichdi as per your preference and allow the khichdi to cook well.
• Cover and cook for another 4-5 minutes.
• When the khichdi is cooked, turn off the heat and prepare the tempering.

For Making Khichdi Tadka

• For tempering, heat a tablespoon of ghee and add few cashews in it.
• Fry the cashews/kaju and keep aside.
• Now, in the same tempering pan add a teaspoon of cumin, asafoetida and whole red chilies.
• Add this tempering/tadka in the khichdi and top it with fried cashews.
• Drizzle a teaspoon of ghee in the khichdi and serve with papad, pickles and fresh dahi/curd.

Recipe Tips

• To make the healthy quinoa khichdi, it is important to wash the yellow moong dal perfectly. You should wash the dal(lentil) 3-4 times until the water runs out clear.
• At the time of tempering keep the heat to medium otherwise, the cumin may burn.

Dalia Khichdi:

Dalia is made by pounding whole wheat grains. This is also known as cracked wheat, broken wheat, godhi, godhumi etc.

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Dalia broken wheat / cracked wheat
• 1/4 cup brown rice
• 1/4 cup chana dal
• 1/4 cup green moong dal split mung dal
• 3 tbsp onion chopped
• 1/4 cup potatoes cubed
• 1/4 cup green peas
• 1/4 cup carrots
• 1 tsp green chilli chopped
• 7-8 curry leaves optional
• 1 tsp ginger chopped
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/4 tsp Salt
• 1/4 tsp turmeric
• 1/4 cup green beans

Instructions

Pressure Cooker Method

• In the cooker dry roast, chana dal, moong dal, brown rice, and dalia for 3-4 minutes. Keep the heat slow and roast broken wheat till it starts to change color and a starts to emit a nutty aroma.
• Take it out and keep it aside.
• Now heat oil add, cumin seeds, chopped ginger, green chillies, curry leaves (optional). And saute for a minute on slow. Take care not to burn these.
• After that add onions and saute for another minute. Cook till onions are translucent.
• Next add vegetables, chopped potatoes, peas and carrot and saute for 3-4 minutes on slow to medium heat.
• Add in the roasted broken wheat and lentil mix in the pressure cooker and cook for 3-4 minutes.
• Now add salt, turmeric powder and 2 cups of water.
• Close the pressure cooker lid and cook for 2-3 whistles.
• Allow the pressure to release naturally. Open the lid and fluff with fork or spoon. Your Vegetable Dalia upma is ready.

Instant Pot Dalia Upma

• Switch on Instant pot in saute mode and dry roast, chana dal, moong dal, brown rice, and Broken wheat for 2 minutes. Keep it stirring, it will change color slightly and a nutty aroma starts.
• Take it out and keep it aside.
• Now on the saute mode you IP add oil and cumin seeds, chopped ginger, green chillies, curry leaves (optional). And saute for 1/2 minute. Take care not to burn these.
• After that add onions and saute for another 30 seconds.
• Then add chopped potatoes, peas and carrot and saute for 1 minute.
• Add roasted dalia/broken wheat and lentil mix in the IP and cook for 2 minutes.
• Now add salt, turmeric powder and 2 cups of water.
• Close the lid and pressure cook on low for 4 minutes.
• Allow the pressure to release naturally, fluff it with a fork and Dalia upma is ready.

A warm bowl of khichdi is served with ghee, curd, papad, pickle on the side. There is a popular saying in India ” Khichdi ke char yaar, ghee, papad, dahi, achar). That means, khichdi tastes best with these four.

Happy Makar Sankranti everybody.