Khichdi (Rice Lentils Porridge) is an Indian comfort meal made with rice and lentils. It is often paired with veggies and spices of choice. It is nutritious, protein packed and a balanced dish made in one pot in under 30 minutes.
Love Indian Meals? Then you need to try this Kidney Beans Curry next! Looking for a sweet ending to your meal? Try this Indian Kulfi Ice cream or this Carrot Pudding (Gajar Halwa) next!
Why you will love this recipe:
Today we are making a jazzed up version of regular porridge known as masala khichdi. How id this recipe different from the regular/traditional version you may ask!
Onion, ginger, garlic and then fragrant spices used in this recipe make it stand apart. For this same reason we are calling it masala or spiced porridge.
It is nutritious: Lentils in this meal fulfil protein requirement. Ghee is also known as a super food! Veggies cover your fiber needs. Also the spices used here like cloves, cumin, cardamom, bay leaves are known for their healing and digestive properties.
One pot wonder: Everything (spices, veggies, lentils and rice) is cooked and mixed together then pressure cooked till the grains soften in just one single pot!
Quick to put together: You can serve it at your dinner table in just under 30 minutes give or take! Wash and soak the grains, meanwhile chop onion, tomatoes and other veggies. Sauté onion tomatoes slightly, add in the grains along with a few spices and boom! Let your pressure cooker handle the rest.
Flavor packed and Comforting: It is such a comforting Indian meal. Serve it as a light lunch option or a quick dinner. The porridge we are making today is a far cry from traditional bland khichdi recipes out there. Both whole and dry Spices here lend so much flavor to an otherwise boring khichdi.
Jump to:
Recipe Ingredients:
- Rice: It is the most common grain used in this porridge. Rice of any variety may be taken. Basmati, white or brown rice both work well. Short grain rice can be used too. Just remember they contain more starch than regular rice.
- Lentils: Skinned and split yellow mung lentils are commonly used in this Indian porridge. I like to use half split pigeon peas (toor dal) and half yellow mung lentils. You can easily use the lentils of your choice. I frequently make this porridge with soaked whole green mung beans too.
- Veggies: Other than onions and tomatoes (used to make masala) I have added green peas, a carrot and french beans to my porridge.
- Ghee/Clarified Butter: Ghee is a crucial ingredient to this meal. Not only it is called as a superfood, ghee also adds an unbeatable flavor to khichdi. You could also sub it with butter. Or even vegan butter can be used if you wish to make this porridge vegan friendly.
- Whole Spices: These spices are optional but add a lot to flavor to this dish. So I suggest not to skip them. I have used cardamom, cloves, cinnamon stick (or ground cinnamon) and bay leaf here.
- Dry Spices: turmeric, red chili powder, coriander powder and garam masala are the ground spices that we are using here. If you want this meal to be less spicy reduce the quantity of these spices used.
How to make it?
It cannot get any easier! Detailed recipe is mentioned in the recipe card below. But lets quickly go through the process of putting this recipe together.
- Step 1. In your instant pot or pressure cooker melt some ghee (clarified butter) over medium heat and add the following:
1. Bay Leaves
2. Cumin Seeds
3. Cloves
4. Green Cardamoms - Step 2. Allow cumin seeds to crackle and then add chopped garlic and grated ginger.
- Step 3. Sauté garlic till it gets golden brown then add onions to the cooker and stir.
- Step 4. add a green chili at this point. Cook onions till they soften, about 4-5 minutes and then add in chopped tomatoes in the cooker.
- Step 5. Once the tomato softens, add all the ground spices-
1. Turmeric powder
2. Red chili powder
3. Garam masala
4. Coriander powder - Step 6. Give the masala a good mix and cook for a minute.
- Step 7. Next go in the pre soaked rice and lentils.
- Step 8. Stir and allow the rice and lentils to sauté in the onion-tomato masala for around two minutes. Keep stirring.
- Step 9. Add in chopped carrot, french beans and green peas too.
- Step 10. Give it all one last quick stir and add water to the pressure cooker pot.
- Step 11. Cover with lid and pressure cook the porridge till done.
- Step 12. Once the pressure releases, open the lid up and fluff the porridge. Serve hot.
Success Tips:
- Wash, drain and soak lentils and rice together in warm water for a few minutes as you sauté onion tomatoes. Pre-soaked grains not only cook fast but also they cook with better texture and flavor profile altogether.
- If you decide to eat this porridge at a later time after its cooked, you will need to adjust its consistency. Porridge will thicken quite a bit as it cools down. When ready to eat, heat it up adding some hot water and adjusting the consistency as needed.
- Do not skip or substitute ghee from this recipe. Porridge cooks 10x more flavorsome when cooked in ghee.
Recipe Variations:
Instead of rice, quinoa, oats, millet pearls or even cracked wheat (dalia) in 1:1 ratio can be used.
Lentils of choice can be substituted too. 100% split and skinned yellow mung lentils can be used. Sometimes I use 100% split pigeon peas to make porridge. Other times I use a combination of 3 lentils- mung, split pigeon and red lentils (masoor daal).
We also love a variant of porridge made with rice and 100% whole green mung beans. You need to soak the lentils in warm water for at least two hours to cook this variant.
Gluten Free Option: To make this recipe gluten free, use gluten free asafoetida (hing) or you can skip it from this recipe.
Vegan Option: Use vegan butter instead of ghee to make this recipe vegan friendly.
Vegetables: Vegetables of choice can be added or skipped from this meal. I also like to add potatoes or sweet potatoes, cauliflower or broccoli, spinach or fenugreek leaves sometimes to my porridge.
Spices: If you want to make your porridge less spicy, whole spices can be skipped from this recipe. You can even skip garam masala and red chili powder if you want the porridge to be mild.
If serving porridge to babies or a sick person: Special care is taken if you are serving this as a meal to babies or a recovering person in your family.
In this case only a few spices like salt, black pepper, ginger and a little ghee is added to the porridge. Rest all the spices as well as onion, tomatoes and garlic is skipped too.
Vegetable that are easy to digest can be added along with salt, pepper and ginger.
Serving suggestions:
Serve khichdi hot drizzled with a little more ghee on top alongside yogurt, Indian pickles, some saladd and/or papad.
You can call it Rice lentils porridge. Or you can call it Indian rissotto . 😉
Yes, I'd say it is definitely good for you. It has protein, fiber and is easy to digest. It is also known to have detoxifying properties.
If you liked this recipe, give it a star review. Also, tell me in the comments below, how did this turn out for you! And don’t forget to share your creations with me on Instagram at #greedyeatsblog Lets be friends on Pinterest and Facebook too! 🙂
Recipe
Khichdi Recipe
Equipment
- 1 Pressure Cooker
Ingredients
- 1 Cup Rice drained washed and pre soaked
- ½ Cup Skinned and split yellow mung lentils drained washed and pre soaked
- ¼ Cup Split Pigeon peas (Toor dal)
- 2 Tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter)
- 1 and ½ teaspoons Cumin Seeds
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 4 Green Cardamoms
- 4-5 Whole Cloves
- Pinch Asafoetida
- ¼ teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
- 1 medium Onion chopped
- 1 Green Chili (slit or chopped if you'd like)
- 1 Tablespoon Ginger Grated
- 2 teaspoons Garlic chopped
- ½ teaspoon red Chili powder
- ¼ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- ½ teaspoons Coriander powder
- ½ teaspoon Garam Masala powder
- 2 medium Tomatoes chopped
- to taste Salt
- ¼ cup Green Peas
- ½ cup French Beans chopped
- 1 medium Carrot chopped
- 4 and ¾ cup Water to pressure cook porridge
Instructions
- Wash, drain and soak rice and lentils together in warm water. Meanwhile let us make onion-tomato masala for porridge.
- In the pot of a pressure cooker add clarified butter over medium heat. When ghee gets heated through, add cumin seeds, asafoetida, and whole spices (bay leaves, green cardamom and cloves). Allow the cumin seeds to crackle, then add chopped garlic and grated ginger.
- When garlic gets golden, add chopped onion and a slit green chili. Stir and cook till onions soften. About 5 minutes. Next goes in chopped tomato. After a minute or two add all the ground spices (turmeric, coriander powder, garam masala and red chili powder) and salt too. Stir and cook till tomatoes soften.
- Add in soaked grains to the pot (without any water), stir and cook them in masala for about two minutes before adding veggies in.
- It's now time to add your chopped veggies. All the three-peas, french beans and carrot go in. Give them a quick stir too. Add 4 and ¾ cups of water, one more stir and close the lid of pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook the porridge as per your cooker instructions or till the grains soften. I cook mine for just one whistle and then I allow the pressure to release naturally. If you like your khichdi to be of a mushy consistency, cook it for two whistles. You can also add an extra cup of water in this case.
- Once the pressure releases naturally, remove the lid and give porridge a final stir and serve hot, topped with some coriander leaves and a little more ghee. enjoy!
Vicky
Tried this khichdi recipe and it was a total comfort food hit! The blend of spices and rice with lentils created such a warmly satisfying meal, perfect for a cozy night in.
Mahy
I've never tried this recipe before. Definitely excited to give it a try over the weekend!
Holley
This dish is just bursting with flavor! Easy to follow instructions and a delicious meal. Thanks for sharing!
Elisa
Love this Khichdi recipe!!! looks delicious. Will make it soon. Thanks for sharing 🙂
Nikki
What an incredible meal for a busy weeknight. Easy to make, one pot and everyone loves the flavors.