On days when you crave a warm bowl of comfort, this creamy Punjabi Khichdi is just the right fit to satisfy that craving!!
What is Khichdi
Khichdi is a one-pot, savory Indian dish made with lentils and rice and has a porridge like consistency. It’s very popular as
First food for babies when they start solids. A go to comfort food for many due to ease of cooking and its nutritional value. A meal to be eaten when you are recovering from illness and still getting your taste buds back.
Every home has its own way of making this comfort food. Some make it with just dal (lentils) and rice while some like to add some veggies to khichdi . Whichever way you prefer, the results are always delicious!!! Today, I’m sharing a very basic version of the khichdi recipe, called Punjabi Khichdi that can be made using mainly pantry staples.
Punjabi Khichdi
Punjabi Khichdi is a savory porridge made from split green gram (moong dal) and rice combo along with some spices commonly used in north Indian cooking. The reason I call this Punjabi Khichdi is as I’ve learnt this from my MIL and modified it to suit our tastebuds. When I first tasted this recipe, I couldn’t associate it with the word khichdi since I’ve grown up eating Maharashtrian style khichdi made with yellow moong dal (yellow gram) and rice with more firm texture compared to this soft one. So my mind categorized this one as Punjabi Khichdi 😊 Honestly, I like both my mom’s and MIL’s versions of khichdi and there are days when I crave one over the other.
Substitutes
If you can’t find split green moong dal, use green gram (whole green moong dal) or split black gram (split black urad dal) or split yellow gram (moong dal) to make this recipe. For making it vegan - skip ghee and add just oil for making it and top it with a vegan butter instead of ghee while serving. Black cardamom adds bit of smoky flavor to this recipe. If it’s not available or you don’t like the flavor skip it. But highly recommend adding it to keep the flavors authentic.
Serving suggestions:
Typically Khichdi is served topped with generous dollop of homemade ghee on piping hot khichdi. Some spicy lemon pickle, roasted or fried papad (papadum) for that crunch and sometimes yogurt is served too to make it a complete delicious meal!!
How to make Khichdi in Instant Pot
You can make this khichdi recipe in regular pressure cooker on stove top or in Instant Pot (my preferred method).
Wash the dal and rice 3-4 times until water runs clear. Soak the rice and dal till you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Start instant pot on sauté mode and once hot add ghee followed by whole spices (black cardamom, bay lead, cumin seeds, cloves). Give a mix and saute for couple of seconds until fragrant. Stir in the hing, ginger and turmeric and mix again. Switch off the Instant pot (to prevent spices from burning). Drain off the water from the soaked dal/rice and add it to the pot along with salt, pepper and garam masala.
Add 4 cups of water and give it all a good mix. Make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of the pot. 4 cups of water gives a soft and runny consistency of the khichdi that we like. If you prefer it less runny add about 3 cups of water and if you prefer even more runnier then add 5 cups. Close the Instant pot lid and cook on manual or pressure cook mode on high pressure for 10 mins followed by quick release after 10 mins. Natural release works too. For making in regular pressure cooker, cook for 4-5 whistles on medium flame and allow for steam to release naturally. Open the lid and give it a good mix. Squeeze in some lemon juice and cilantro and stir to combine. Serve it hot topped with ghee and pickle and papadum on side.
More such One pot comfort meals for you to try:
Taco pasta Veg Pulao Teriyaki Noodles Tofu Noodle Soup Quinoa Enchilada Soup
Hope you enjoy this Punjabi Khichdi as much as we do!! If you give this recipe a try, we did love to hear from you ❤️ Please let us know your rating ⭐️and feedback in the comments below. Thank you!
Recipe Card
Happy Cooking! Shweta
