palak khichdi recipe with step by step photos – here is a one pot meal of mung lentils and rice khichdi with spinach (palak) and peanuts. easy to prepare as well as healthy and light on the stomach. in this palak khichdi, the addition of spinach and peanuts gives a lot of nutrition boost to the otherwise healthy khichdi.

this palak khichdi recipe was shared with me by my sister. in this recipe, i have included peanuts not only for the nutritional benefit but also for the nice texture they give to the otherwise smooth khichdi.

being from maharashtra, i am used to having peanuts in many recipes like poha and dry vegetable dishes. i also make a spicy and hot peanut – green chili mixture called as ‘thecha’ in marathi language. in fact, peanuts and cashews are two of my favorite ingredients to add crunch and texture to many recipes.

the palak khichdi has a consistency like that of thick porridge and not like that of a pulao. you can easily adjust the consistency as per your preference by adding less or more water. its easy to digest and makes excellent food for small kids and convalescing people. other similar recipes you can make with palak and rice are palak biryani and palak rice.

serve palak khichdi with plain curd/yogurt or raita or with pickle.

few more khichdi recipes for you !

• bengali khichdi
• masala khichdi
• khichdi recipe
• bajra khichdi

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palak khichdi

3.84 from 6 votes

Author:Dassana Amit

Prep Time:30 mins

Cook Time:10 mins

Total Time:40 mins

Course:main course

Cuisine:indian

Servings (change the number to scale):3 to 4

palak khichdi is a sumptuous and nutritious khichdi made with mung lentils, rice, spinach and peanuts.

INGREDIENTS FOR palak khichdi

(1 CUP = 250 ML)

• 2 cups chopped palak (spinach)
• ¼ or ⅓ cup raw peanuts (moongphali)
• ½ cup moong dal (yellow mung lentils)
• ½ cup long grained rice or basmati rice
• 1 medium size onion, finely chopped
• 1 medium size tomato, chopped
• 1 medium size potato, chopped
• 1 inch cinnamon (dalchini)
• 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf)
• 2 cloves (lavang)
• 2 green cardamoms (choti elaichi)
• ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (shah jeera) Or cumin seeds (jeera)
• ½ inch ginger + 3 to 4 garlic - crushed in a mortar-pestle to a paste Or 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste (adrak lahsun ka paste)
• 1 green chilli, chopped (hari mirch)
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
• 1 pinch asafoetida (hing) * check notes
• salt as required
• 2 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 3.5 to 4 cups water

HOW TO MAKE palak khichdi

preparation for palak khichdi

• pick and rinse both the rice and moong dal together. 
• soak them together in enough water for about 30 minutes.
• rinse the palak or spinach leaves well. 
• chop them and then in a mixer or blender, make a smooth puree of the spinach adding very little water. keep the spinach puree aside.

making palak khichdi

• heat ghee or oil in the pressure cooker. add the caraway seeds or cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaf, cloves and cardamoms.
• fry the whole spices for some seconds till they become fragrant. add the finely chopped onion and saute till they become golden.
• add the ginger-garlic paste and the chopped green chilies. saute for about 15-20 seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.
• then add the chopped tomatoes and saute till they begin to soften.
• add the turmeric powder and asafoetida and stir well.
• now add the peanuts, potatoes and saute for about 2 minutes.
• add the spinach puree and continue to saute for 2-3 minutes.
• strain the rice and moong dal and add them to the spinach mixture. stir well.

cooking palak khichdi

• pour 3.5 to 4 cups water. add salt and stir well.
• check the taste and if required add some more salt. pressure cook palak khichdi on medium flame for 5 to 6 whistles.
• once the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid. check the consistency of the palak khichdi.
• if the khichdi looks thick, then you can add some hot water and simmer for a few minutes.
• remember to stir often as otherwise the khichdi gets stuck at the bottom. if the khichdi appears thin, then simmer till you get the desired consistency.
• while serving, pour the palak khichdi in bowls or plates and top with 1/2 to 1 tsp of ghee.
• serve the palak khichdi hot with plain curd/yogurt or raita or a simple vegetable salad.

RECIPE TIPS

• skip the asafoetida for a gluten free version of this khichdi.

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preparation to make palak khichdi

1. pick and rinse both ½ cup rice and ½ cup moong dal together.

2. soak them together in enough water for about 30 minutes.

3. measure and keep all the ingredients ready for making khichdi.

4. rinse the palak or spinach leaves well.

5. chop them. add 2 cups of chopped spinach leaves (palak) in a mixer or blender.

6. adding very little water, make a smooth puree of spinach.

7. keep the spinach puree aside.

making palak khichdi

8. heat ghee or oil in the pressure cooker. add ½ teaspoon caraway seeds (or cumin seeds), 1 inch dalchini (cinnamon), 1 tej patta (indian bay leaf), 2 lavang (cloves) and 2 hari elaichi (green cardamoms).

9. fry the whole spices for some seconds till they become fragrant.

10. add 1 medium sized onion, chopped finely.

11. saute till they become golden.

12. add 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste and 1 chopped green chili.

13. saute for about 15-20 seconds or till the raw aroma of the ginger-garlic goes away.

14. then add 1 medium sized tomato,  chopped finely.

15. saute till tomato begin to soften.

16. then add ¼ teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi) and 1 pinch of asafoetida (hing).

17. stir and mix well.

18. now add ¼ or ⅓ cup of raw peanuts (moongphali) and 1 medium sized chopped potato.

19. saute for about 2 minutes.

20. add the palak puree.

21. continue to saute the spinach puree for 2-3 minutes.

22. strain the rice and moong dal.

23. add the strained rice and moong dal to the mixture.

24. stir well.

cooking palak khichdi

25. pour 3.5 to 4 cups water.

26. add salt as required.

27. stir and mix well.

28. check the taste and if required add some more salt. pressure cook palak khichdi on medium flame for 5 to 6 whistles.

29. once the pressure settles down on its own, remove the lid. check the consistency of the palak khichdi.

30. if the khichdi looks thick, then you can add some hot water and simmer for a few minutes.

31. remember to stir often as otherwise the khichdi gets stuck at the bottom. if the khichdi appears thin, then simmer till you get the desired consistency. while serving, pour the palak khichdi in bowls or plates and top with ½ to 1 teaspoon of ghee.

32. serve the palak khichdi hot with plain curd (yogurt) or raita or a simple vegetable salad.