Khichdi is a favorite food for my daughters. They also love pongal, which is a South Indian variation of khichdi. Anytime when they are fussy about food, sick or really just anytime, give them Khichdi with yogurt and they will savor it to the last bite! Khichdi is very light and easy to digest, hence it is also a popular meal during an illness. It is also one of the starter foods for babies for the same reason. However I love to have this khichdi on other days as well to get a break from spices and have a simple comfort meal.
Watch How to Make Instant Pot Khichdi
What is Khichdi or Kitchari?
Khichdi is basically a rice and lentil porridge, which is typically spiced with turmeric and tempered with ghee and cumin seeds. It is vegetarian and gluten-free.
It can be made with various dals, but the most popular ones to use are moong dal (split yellow lentils) or green moong dal (split green lentils).
Every region or house in India has their own version of khichdi. This is a simple one made with just ghee, cumin seeds, hing (asafoetida) and turmeric. You can vary it by adding ginger or green chili’s or even vegetables.
The recipe I am sharing here is the North Indian version of khichdi. In South India, ven pongal is a popular dish made with rice and lentils. It is very similar to khichdi, but spiced with black peppercorns, curry leaves, ginger and green chili’s.
Some khichdi recipes have onions, tomatoes or veggies added to them, which I would refer to as Masala or Vegetable Khichdi. I have also shared a Quinoa Khichdi recipe. This one is a plain simple khichdi with just lentils and rice.
Khichdi is served with yogurt, pickle and papad. Don’t hesitate to top with a spoon of ghee to get the real flavor!
Kitchari Benefits
Khichdi, also called Kitchari, is recommended by Ayurveda as one of the balanced foods, which is easy to digest, gives strength and vitality. It is excellent for detoxification and de-aging of the cells. Turmeric added to khichdi has lots of good health benefits. You can add ginger to khichdi too. Khichdi is great to eat if someone is sick or has tummy issues. It is also great as part of a cleanse or detox to reset the digestive system after big meals during the holidays. Did you know there is a name for a khichdi cleanse diet? It is called PanchaKarma. It is great for babies as their first food or for elders who need to have foods that are gentle on the digestive system.
How to make Khichdi?
I have used Split Yellow Lentils to make this khichdi. Khichdi can also be prepared with Split Green Moong dal. As I wanted to make this a one-pot recipe, I added the tempering before rice and dal. Khichdi is best prepared in Ghee or Clarified Butter. You can make ghee in your instant pot using the recipe here. To make this recipe vegan, use your favorite plant based oil or vegan butter.
Rinse the dal and rice in a bowl. You can also soak them for 10-15 minutes while you prepare the other ingredients.
Heat ghee in the instant pot in sauté mode. Add cumin seeds and asafoetida. When the cumin seeds start to sizzle, add equal quantities of lentils and rice. I used half a cup each in this recipe. Add 4 cups water. Stir in the salt and turmeric powder.
Usually khichdi is cooked in double the water than what you use to prepare rice and has a runny consistency, however you can vary the amount of water to get your desired consistency.
Change the instant pot setting to pressure cook mode for 6 minutes. When the instant pot beeps, let the pressure release naturally.
Khichdi is ready. Serve in bowls and top with a dollop of ghee.
Khichdi tastes best when it is warm.
Enjoy Khichdi with mango pickle and yogurt on the side.
You can also serve papad and buttermilk (masala chaas) along with khichdi.
Common Questions
Why you want to try this Khichdi:
√ It is real comfort food. Don’t forget to top it with lots of ghee. √ You are sick and need to have something light. √ After a weekend of eating outside, you want a detox meal. So don’t wait; give this Khichdi a try! You might like other related recipes from Piping Pot Curry:
Quinoa Pulao Vegetable Pulao Dalia Pulao Lebanese Lentils & Rice (Mujadara)
This recipe has been updated from the recipe archives, first published in 2017.
