khichdi recipe with step by step photos – delicious one pot comfort meal of rice and moong lentils. nutritious and light on the tummy.
in india, when someone is ill or recovering from illness, then dalia and moong dal khichdi are often served to him/her. even doctors recommend khichdi to patients. in ayurveda, moong is one lentil which is recommended for balancing all three doshas (kapha, pitta & vata). even plain mung dal khichdi sans any seasoning or spices is consumed as part of a detox diet.
in this moong dal khichdi, onions & tomatoes are added and thats how i make a simple basic khichdi at home on regular days. moong beans are healthy and easy to digest. so when your stomach is upset then it is best to have khichdi. it can also be served to small babies, since it is easy to digest.
suggestions for making khichdi recipe
- unlike other rice based dishes like pulao or biryani, in khichdi the rice grains are not so separate. you can increase or decrease the water quantity to vary the consistency of the moong dal khichdi. usually we prefer a khichdi with a thick porridge consistency. but if you want a slight thinner or soupy consistency, then increase the amount of water.
- i usually prepare khichdi in the pressure cooker. if you do not have a pressure cooker, then make the dal khichdi in the pot. you will have to add some more water when cooking in a pot.
- you can also add mix veggies to the khichdi recipe. i have already shared masala khichdi where mixed vegetables are added. you can add vegetables like green peas, potatoes, carrots, beans, cauliflower, capsicum and brinjal.
- if making dal khichdi for small kids then you can skip or reduce the spices. also skip adding green chilli.
- ghee gives a better flavor in khichdi than the oil.
you can serve moong dal khichdi with curd or an accompanying raita or papad. i also like to drizzle some lemon juice on the khichdi and prefer with some finely chopped vegetable salad. also don’t forget to top the khichdi with a spoon of ghee while serving.
few more similar recipes on blog are
khichdi recipe
Ingredients (1 cup = 250 ml)
- ½ cup moong dal (split and husked)
- ½ cup rice - you can add any rice, regular short or medium grained rice or even basmati
- 1 small to medium sized onion (pyaaz) - finely chopped
- 1 medium sized tomato (tamatar) - chopped
- ½ inch ginger (adrak) - finely chopped or grated
- 1 small green mirch (hari mirch) - chopped
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
- ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
- 1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
- 3.5 cups water - for a more thin consistency, add 4 to 4.5 cups water
- 1.5 tablespoon oil or ghee
- salt as required
How to Make Recipe
preparation for khichdi recipe
- rinse and wash moong lentils and rice together.
- soak both of them for 30 minutes in water.
making khichdi
- heat 2 tbsp ghee or oil in pressure cooker. add cumin. when cumin splutters then add onions.
- saute onions till translucent. no need to make onions light brown or golden brown.
- once the onions becomes translucent, then add tomatoes, green chilli and ginger.
- stir and add turmeric powder and asafoetida. saute till the tomatoes softens.
- drain the rice and moong lentils and add them to the pressure cooker.
- stir for a minute. pour with water and season with salt.
cooking khichdi
- close the lid tightly and pressure cook the dal khichdi on a high flame for 6-7 whistles.
- if the khichdi becomes too thick, then add some water and stir well.
- keep on sim or low flame to simmer the khichdi till you get the right consistency.
- the consistency of khichdi can be adjusted as per your choice by adding less or more water. some people prefer thick and some thin consistency.
- once the dal khichdi is cooked then top it with ghee while serving. optional step.
- serve moong dal khichdi hot with curd (yogurt) and accompanying salad.
Video
how to make khichdi recipe
1. rinse and wash ½ cup moong lentils and ½ cup rice together very well. soak both of them together for 30 minutes in water. then drain and keep aside.
2. heat 1.5 tbsp ghee or oil in pressure cooker. add ¾ tsp cumin/jeera.
4. when cumin splutters then add finely chopped onions (1 small to medium sized onion). saute onions till translucent. no need to make onions light brown or golden brown.
5. once the onions becomes translucent, then add 1 medium sized chopped tomato, 1 small sized chopped green chilli and ½ inch chopped ginger (or grated ginger).
6. stir and add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi) and a pinch of asafoetida (hing).
7. saute till the tomatoes softens.
8. add the drained rice and moong lentils to the pressure cooker. stir for a minute.
9. add 3.5 cups water – for a more thin consistency, add 4 to 4.5 cups water.
10. add salt as required. stir well.
11. close the lid tightly and pressure cook the mung dal khichdi on a high flame for 6 to 7 whistles.
12. serve dal khichdi hot. you can top the khichdi with ghee while serving. for more delicious moong dal recipes, you can check this collection of 32 moong dal recipes.
Very simple and easy. Just like dal
I prefer to add cinnamon, cloves, 1 black cardamom & bay leaf too to the list of spices to make it more aromatic, in the khichdi I cook. To make it healthier I add any other vegetable available like peas & and a potatoes cut in small cubes so that they cook well and get mashed. Thank You!
thanks for sharing the suggestion ketan. yes whole spices can be added. i have also shared a mix vegetable khichdi recipe which is similar to your method, where i add whole spices and mix vegetables.
Delicious easy recipe and the kids loved it too! I topped it with some fried garlic slices and added a squeeze of lemon juice. Thank you.
thanks SB. glad to know. liked the variations you made.