What is Khichdi?
In many Indian households, this dish is often prepared for the very young, the sick, and the elderly. It’s also a good postpartum dish. My mom made me khichdi every day for a week (along with other healing foods) after my son, Tony was born because khichdi is thought to be healing and light on the stomach. When Tony was 6-months-old and started eating solids, khichdi was one of the first foods I gave him, and he loved it. Instant Pot Khichdi is very simple to make. It calls for a handful of ingredients, the main two being basmati rice and small yellow lentils, also known as moong dal. You can also make this with toor dal. Depending on what region you’re from in India, Khichdi is prepared slightly differently. Below is how my family makes this dish: with a few simple spices and plenty of ghee. The great thing is that this recipe is easily customizable, so feel free to add ginger, garlic, green chilies, or more spices if you wish. I almost always add chopped green chilies to my husband’s bowl – but that’s true of almost everything I make.
Khichdi Ingredients:
Here are several reasons why you might want to give khichdi a try:
Watch How Easy it is to Make Khichdi!
For the full recipe, see the recipe card below 😋 First, we soak the basmati rice and small yellow lentils (moong dal) in cold water for 15-30 minutes. Drain, rinse and set aside for now. After that, press sauté and add ghee/oil. Once it’s hot, add cumin seeds and a bay leaf. When the cumin seeds turn brown and fragrant, add the rice and lentils with 6 cups of water, salt, and turmeric. Pressure cook, and then it’s done! Whenever I make this savory rice and lentil porridge, I typically eat it on its own, but that’s because I usually make it when this is the only thing I can eat. If you’re making this as part of a meal, you can really serve it with anything as you’d do with rice. You can serve it with a meat-based curry, vegetables, and/or a side of achar (Indian pickles). I hope you love this hot lentil rice dish!
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