Moong dal khichdi is the ultimate comfort food! It’s a super hearty, deliciously nutritious and healthy meal that’s light on the stomach and easy to digest. This is just classic, homestyle khichdi recipe made with basic, real ingredients.
What is khichdi?
Khichdi is the one-pot dish made from rice and dal. If you literally translate, khichdi word means ‘mixture’ (here mixture of rice & moong dal, sometimes addition of veggies and spices). As per Ayurveda, moong dal khichdi is the traditional cleansing food.
The texture of moong dal khichdi:
It has porridge-like consistency. Pulao or biryani has each and every rice grain separated from each other. While in dal khichdi, it is overcooked till mushy, really soft and somewhat smooth. It gives a melt-in-your-mouth feel. One doesn’t need to chew, that’s why it is offered to babies as first solid food.
The taste:
- Addition of whole spices gives subtle warm flavor.
- Only turmeric powder is used. No other spice powders are added, so it is mild in taste.
- Ghee or clarified butter is the essential ingredient here. It adds its unique flavor to the dish. Here I have used ghee in tempering. And then at the time of serving, I drizzle some ghee on top.
How to make moong dal khichdi?
- Wash dal and rice together under running cold water till water runs clear.
- Soak them in enough water for 10-15 minutes. meantime prepare other ingredients. After soaking time drain them and discard the soaking water.
- Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker on medium heat. Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
- Then add whole spices (peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, dried red chili), saute for a minute.
- Then add dal-rice, salt and turmeric powder.
- Add water and stir.
- Cover it with the lid, put the weight one. Let it cook for 3-4 whistles on medium heat. Let the pressure go down by itself then open the lid.
- Stir with a spatula, as you stir, it will get mushy.
- Remove it to a serving bowl or plate, drizzle some ghee on top and serve.
It is best served warm or hot. As it cools it gets thick. You can keep in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Warm up in the microwave before serving. But the leftover khichdi will not have the same consistency even after reheating. To get the right consistency, you may need to add some hot water while reheating.
What to serve with moong dal khichdi?
- If you eat the khichdi itself it is a little bland and mild. But when you pair it with spicy potato curry, it tastes really good.
- You can serve with kadhi. Khichdi kadhi is the best combo you will ever have.
- To make it a complete meal, you can have mango pickle and papad on the side.
- It is given to babies as a first solid food.
- It is served (without any sides) to sick people (who has a stomach ache, toothache, fever or cold) to soothe and make them feel better.
Few notes on making dal khichdi:
- it is recommended to use any short grain rice. because smaller grain rice cooks faster and gets mushy easily.
- But you can definitely use the long grain rice like basmati rice. If so, soak them for a little longer in order to get the mushy consistency.
- Instead of only moong dal, you can use a mixture of different dals e.g. moong dal with skin, toor dal, masoor dal.
- Water quantity may vary. You may need more water sometimes. It purely depends on the type, quality, and freshness of the rice and dal.
Variations in making khichdi recipe:
Dal khichdi is most common comfort food in India. Every region has its own version with slight variation in ingredients and cooking method.
- Gujarati khichdi – just like this one, it is simple, mild and made with green moong dal with skin (chilka moong dal).
- Vaghareli khichdi – Another Gujarati style but with spices, peanuts, and fresh tuvar dana.
- Vegetable khichdi – added loads of veggies and spices to make it more nutritious and healthy.
- Masala khichdi – Simple khichdi with the addition of a few basic spice powders, onions, and tomatoes.
- Bisi bele bath – Karnataka style flavored with the special spice blend.
- Pongal – South Indian style. Primarily popular in Tamilnadu.
Few variations are made grain-free to consume during the Hindu fasting (vrat or upwas) days.
- Sabudana khichdi
- Sama ke chawal ki khichdi (barnyard millet khichdi)
- Suran khichdi (elephant foot yam khichdi)
In modern days, few variations are made to eliminate or reduce the rice intake. Here rice is replaced with other grains.
- Oats khichdi
- Dalia khichdi
- Qunioa khichdi
Moong Dal Khichdi Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup Short grain rice
- ½ cup Yellow moong dal (split and skinless)
- 1 tablespoon Ghee (clarified butter) + couple of tablespoons more for serving
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2-3 Black peppercorns
- 2 Cloves
- 1 inch Cinnamon stick
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1 Dried red chilies
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- Salt to taste
- 2 ½ cups Water
Instructions
Preparation:
- Wash dal and rice together under running cold water till water runs clear. Or rinse them 2-3 times till water is not cloudy anymore.
- Soak them in enough water for 10-15 minutes. meantime prepare other ingredients.
- After soaking time drain and discard the soaking water.
Making moong dal khichdi recipe:
- Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker on medium heat.
- Once hot add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
- Then add whole spices (peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, dried red chili), saute for a minute.
- Then add dal-rice, salt, turmeric powder, and water. Stir to combine.
- Cover it with the lid, put the weight on. Let it cook for 3-4 whistles on medium heat.
- Let the pressure go down by itself then open the lid.
- Stir with a spatula, as you stir, it will get mushy.
Notes
- Ghee is essential here, it gives good flavor and smooth texture. Do not reduce the amount of ghee.
- Also, drizzle the ghee on top right before serving.
- Short grain rice is preferable. But you can use long grain rice like basmati. Just soak them for little longer so it cooks till mushy.
- The water quantity may vary depending on the quality, type, and freshness of the rice and dal.
How to make moong dal khichdi in instant pot?
- Turn the instant pot on saute mode. Once hot add ghee and make tempering of cumin seeds and whole spices.
- Add washed dal, rice, salt, turmeric powder, and 3 ½ to 4 cups of water. Stir well.
- Cover with the lid, keep the valve to sealing and cook on manual (high pressure) for 10 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally (NPR), when the pin drops open the lid and stir
- well and serve hot with a drizzle of ghee on top.
Sasi
Hey Kanan, thank you for the khichdi recipe. Can Khichdi be stored in a fridge using air tight containers for a day? Do you think it will taste good if I pour a little hot water and reheat it? I am also thinking of adding a little tadka after reheating to make it appear fresh.
Kanan
yes you can in the fridge for a day. and yes reheating by adding little water will be perfect.
Bhairavi prasanna
Hi Kanan!
Made this two times in a row for our entire floor mates in the apartments during the bad floods in chennai( we had to save power and it was dinner s together ) and it was such a comfortable meal and best one pot meal. Thank you! Great recipe.
Kanan
Good to hear that khichdi recipe is helpful and comforting for everyone. Thanks for the review.
MahiArun
Hey Kanan, I tried your kadi and kichdi combo. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Kanan
Thanks MahiArun for trying our recipe.