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    Home » Fasting (Vrat) Recipes

    Moraiyo Khichdi (Samo Khichdi)

    Published: May 24, 2023 · Last Modified: May 24, 2023 by Kanan Patel / 7 Comments

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    Moraiyo khichdi in a white plate with spoon, garnished with cilantro.

    Moraiyo khichdi makes a healthy and filling meal during Hindu fasting (Ekadashi, Navratri, Maha Shivratri, sama pancham etc) when served with farali kadhi. 

    Other names for this Moraiyo dish are samo khichdi, mordhan recipe, farali khichdi, sama ke chawal ki khichdi, varai khichdi. 

    Moraiyo khichdi in a white plate with spoon, garnished with cilantro.

    ❤️ About This Moraiyo Khichdi Recipe

    Moraiyo is called barnyard millet in English. 

    Moraiyo aka samo are seeds of some kind of wild grass and not grains. Hence it is allowed during Hindu fasting (upvas).

    I grew up eating this moraiyo khichdi and sabudana khichdi often during the upvas days. 

    This moraiyo recipe is a Gujarati-style khichdi recipe. Here the texture is porridge-like (slightly runny) and the seeds are cooked to almost mushy. 

    There is another version of North Indian style samo khichdi where the seeds are separated like pulao (see the below pic for reference). For this texture, you need to use less water and cook on the stovetop. Details are mentioned in the recipe card below. 

    Samo khichdi in a plate garnished with a cilantro leaf.

    This sama khichdi is easily digestible and gluten-free. 

    🧾 Ingredient Notes For Samo Khichdi

    Here is a pic of the ingredients you’ll need to make moraiyo khichdi. 

    Moraiyo khichdi ingredients in spoons and bowls with labels.
    • Moraiyo: It is easily available in Indian grocery stores and sometimes label on the packet says Indian samo millet. 
    • Ghee: It adds a lot of flavor to moraiyo. Tempering is made with ghee. Plus, ghee is drizzled over the cooked khichdi right before serving.
      • During fasting, ghee keeps your tummy full and gives you enough energy, 
      • However, you can use peanut oil instead.
    • Cinnamon, and Cloves: These whole spices add a nice flavor. Please do not skip.
    • Curry leaves: It adds a nice aroma and flavor.
    • Green chilies: This is the only ingredient that adds a spicy taste or heat to the dish. So I prefer to use spicy tiny green chilies. Adjust the amount as per your preferred spice level.
    • Peanuts: It gives a nice crunch here and there in moraiyo khichdi.
    • Potatoes: The starch in the potatoes gives to energy and keeps you full for longer.
      • I prefer to use red skin potatoes or Yukon gold potatoes for Indian cooking.
      • Cut the potatoes into small cubes and keep them in a bowl, covered with water. Discard the water at the time of use.
    • Rock salt (Sendha namak): Regular salt is not allowed during fasting or upvas. Hence sendha namak is used.
    • Lime juice (or lemon): It adds a slight tang to samo khichdi. Instead, you can use a couple of tablespoons of sour yogurt. 
    • Water: Sama ke chawal aka barnyard millet requires a lot of water to get porridge-like consistency. To make a pulao-like texture, you’ll need less amount of water.

    👩‍🍳 How To Make Moraiyo Khichdi? (Pics)

    1) Rinse the moraiyo seeds in a bowl 3-4 times using water or until the water is not cloudy anymore. 

    2) Soak in enough water for 20-30 minutes. While it is soaking, prep the rest of the ingredients. After the soaking time, drain the water.

    Collage of 2 images showing soaking samo seeds.

    3) Heat ghee in a pressure cooker on medium heat. (or turn on the saute mode in the instant pot).

    4) Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit. Add cinnamon stick and cloves, and saute for 30-40 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of the spices.

    5) Add peanuts and fry with stirring constantly until golden brown. 

    6) Add green chilies and curry leaves, and saute for 30-40 seconds.

    Collage of 4 images showing tempering spices in ghee, sauteeing peanuts, chili and curry leaves.

    7) Add potatoes and sendha namak. Mix well.

    8) Add drained moraiyo seeds.

    9) Mix and saute everything for 1-2 minutes.

    10) Add water and stir. Cover the pressure cooker with a lid.
    Instant pot: Cook on Manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes.
    Stove top pressure cooker: 2-3 whistles in medium heat.

    Collage of 4 images showing adding and mixing potatoes, rock salt, samo and water.

    11) Let the pressure go down by itself (NPR: Natural Pressure Release). Then open the lid. 

    12) Add lime juice.

    13) Add freshly chopped cilantro.

    14) Stir everything and the consistency of the khichdi should be thick porridge-like. 

    Collage of 4 images showing cooked khichdi, adding lime juice and cilantro.

    💭 Expert Tips For Moraiyo Recipe

    • Follow the ratio of moraiyo seeds to water as mentioned. It looks like a lot of water but trust me moraiyo khichdi doesn’t get lumpy even after cooling down for a couple of hours. 
    • Of course, it gets lumpy and loses its consistency after storing it in the refrigerator.
    • If making moraiyo khichdi on regular days then you can use regular table salt instead of rock salt.

    🍽 Serving Ideas For Moraiyo Khichdi

    • Remove the warm/hot moraiyo khichdi on an individual serving plate. Drizzle some ghee on top.
    • To make a meal, serve this farali khichdi with farali rajgira kadhi.
    • Instead of kadhi, moraiyo khichdi can be served with a bowl of plain yogurt.
    Moraiyo khichdi in a plate with spoon and napkin under the plate.

    Check Out Other Fasting Recipes

    • Sabudana vada
    • Kuttu paratha
    • Vrat wale aloo
    • Sukhi bhaji
    • Farali puri
    • Sabudana thalipeeth

    Did you try this Moraiyo Khichdi recipe? I’d love to hear about it! Leave a review in the comment section below.

    📋 Recipe Card

    Step by Step Photos AboveWant to make it perfect first time? Don't forget to check out Step-by-Step photo instructions and helpful Tips & Tricks !!
    Moraiyo khichdi in a white plate with spoon, garnished with cilantro.
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    Moraiyo Khichdi Recipe (Samo Khichdi)

    5 from 5 votes
    Tried this recipe? Leave a comment and/or give ★ ratings
    Moraiyo khichdi makes a healthy and filling meal during Hindu fasting (Ekadashi, Navratri, Maha Shivratri, sama pancham etc) when served with farali kadhi.
    Author: Kanan
    Course: Main Course
    Cuisine: Indian
    Calories: 363kcal
    Servings 4
    Prep Time 20 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 15 minutes minutes
    Total Time 35 minutes minutes
    US measuring cups are used (1 cup = 240 ml) See details

    Ingredients  

    • 2 tablespoons Ghee (clarified butter) Plus more to drizzle on cooked khichdi
    • 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
    • 1 inch Cinnamon stick
    • 3 Cloves
    • 3 tablespoons Peanuts
    • 8-10 Curry leaves
    • 3 Green chilies finely chopped
    • 1 medium Potatoes ¾ cup of peeled & cubed
    • 1 cup Moraiyo (Samo or Barnyard millet)
    • 5 cups Water 2 ½ cups for pulao like texture
    • 2 teaspoons Lemon juice or Lime juice
    • 2 tablespoons Cilantro or coriander leaves finely chopped
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions 

    • Rinse the moraiyo seeds in a bowl 3-4 times using water or until the water is not cloudy anymore.
    • Soak in enough water for 20-30 minutes. While it is soaking, prep the rest of the ingredients. After the soaking time, drain the water.
    • Heat ghee in a pressure cooker on medium heat. (or turn on the saute mode in instant pot). Once the ghee is hot, add cumin seeds and let them sizzle a bit.
    • Add cinnamon stick and cloves, and saute for 30-40 seconds or until you get a nice aroma of the spices.
    • Add peanuts and fry with stirring constantly until golden brown.
    • Add green chilies and curry leaves, and saute for 30-40 seconds.
    • Add potatoes, sendha namak and drained moraiyo seeds. Mix and saute everything for 1-2 minutes.
    • Add water and stir.
    • Cover the pressure cooker with a lid.
      Instant pot: Cook on Manual (high pressure) for 8 minutes.
      Stove top pressure cooker: 2-3 whistles in medium heat.
    • Let the pressure go down by itself (NPR: Natural Pressure Release). Then open the lid.
    • Add lime juice and freshly chopped cilantro.
    • Stir everything and the consistency of the khichdi should be thick porridge-like.

    Notes

    Instructions For Pulao-Like Texture:
    • Use 2 ½ cups of water for 1 cup of Moraiyo seeds.
    • Cook on the stovetop in a pan.
    • Follow the same steps up to adding water.
    • Let the water come to a boil, then cover the pan with a lid and lower the heat to the lowest possible.
    • Cook for 15-17 minutes. After that open the lid and fluff up the sama khichdi.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 19mg | Sodium: 142mg | Potassium: 328mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 100IU | Vitamin C: 50mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 4mg
    *Nutrition information is a rough estimate for 1 serving
    Did you make this recipe?Snap a pic, mention @spice.up.the.curry or tag #spiceupthecurry. I would love to see.

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    1. Indu

      March 17, 2019 at 9:40 am

      Excelle5 stars

      Reply
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    Kanan

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