Instant Pot Khichdi

Instant pot khichdi is a quick one-pot dish made with lentils and rice mixed together and in a porridge consistency. This is vegan and gluten-free.

Sometimes it's tiring to cook a whole meal after coming back late from work. So my all-time favorite for those tiring days, it's been my lifesaver meal.

Instant pot Khichdi

This one-pot dish kitchari or khichdi is a lifesaver for those who want a quick dish, a light meal. I love dal khichdi because it's a quick dish that saves a lot of time and work. However, It has a huge number of variations in its preparation.

This is also spelled as Kitchari. It has ayurvedic importance as well to detox our digestive system with its basic spices. This is excellent for the detoxification of cells. It also balances the bodily doshas (like pitta, Kapha, and Vata in Ayurveda) and provides energy and strength. However, this is low in fiber and hence you should add some fiber-rich food along with it if taking for several days.

And this is such a tasty meal that you can not say no to it anytime. I never got tired of this dish. In this easy dish, dal & rice are cooked together.

How to make instant pot khichdi?

You can make khichdi in a manual pressure cooker or in an instant pot (electric pressure cooker). Both are easy to make and take less time.

Ingredients you will need-

Rice - Any variety of rice do well since these will be in mushy porridge consistency.

Lentil - You can take any lentils. But authentically moong beans (split green gram lentils - with skin or without skin) are preferred to make the khichdi since both have almost equal cooking time. I also take tur dal for my khichdi.

Onions, ginger & garlic - These are so good in adding a nice flavor to the khichdi. Take ginger garlic paste or minced.

Spices - Cumin seeds, asafoetida (hing), coriander powder, chili powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, salt.

Fresh herbs - fresh herbs like curry leaves and coriander leaves. But these are optional.

Vegetable oil or ghee (clarified oil) - Ghee adds extra flavor to the khichdi. Ghee is basically clarified butter (unsalted). Add some extra ghee while serving for additional flavor. Ghee is good fat and should be consumed in moderation.

For vegan, skip ghee and take vegetable oil to cook the khichdi.

Consistency

When it comes to the consistency of khichdi it depends on how you would like it to be. I like more soupy consistency. Moong dal becomes thicker after some time you make it. So add a little more water. You can make it to thick consistency but my advice is not to make it thicker. It tastes even better in medium-thick consistency. The ratio of water & rice+dal is 4:1 for khichdi (Medium liquid consistency). 

Variation to Instant pot khichdi

Similarly, instead of rice, you can use quinoa, oatmeal, or cracked wheat (dalia) to make khichdi. I have come across one nice dalia khichdi recipe. You may love to try that recipe also.

Khichdi literally means "Mixed". So if you want to mix any vegetables with it you can absolutely do it. In this recipe, I have taken only rice and dal. This is basic dal khichdi. You can add potatoes, green peas, green beans, carrots, and beetroot to it.

If you are suffering from stomach upset or any such ailment, then might be this is the best food and that's why our doctors advise having this meal for 2 - 3 days. But here you can limit the spices to cumin seeds, salt, and turmeric powder only. Turmeric powder is anti-inflammatory and helps in curing and detoxifying. Read more about cumin seed's benefits here.

What to serve with khichdi?

Authentically khichdi pairs up well with some papad, and pickles. You may love to make some accompaniments of curd along with khichdi e.g. boondi raita, dahi baingan, or some vegan side dish like fried ivy gourd, aloo parwal fry, and so on. But trust me only plain raita/ curd or buttermilk is also enough with any khichdi.

Read more rice recipes here.

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