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Khichdi is a nutritious and healthy Indian dish made using lentils and rice that are cooked together. Commonly made using split yellow mung lentils. This khichdi is also called Moong dal khichdi, mugachi khichadi, moong dal khichri. Khichdi is a very simple and easy-to-cook vegetarian recipe. Best served with poppadums and Indian pickles.
Moong dal khichadi is the most popular dish all across India. It is one of the nutritious, comforting, healthy, protein-rich one-pot meal. The traditional authentic khichdi has a soft and mushy consistency and quite bland as no spices are added except salt and turmeric.
As khichdi is very light on the tummy and easy to digest it is the first choice of solid food given to babies in India.
The traditional authentic classic khichadi is made using split yellow mung lentils and rice that are cooked together and is very lightly spiced and served as a light meal. This khichdi is a soft melt-in-mouth kind of recipe traditionally served with along with roasted/fried poppadums, pickles. The original khichdi recipe does not contain any vegetables.
Masala khichadi on the other hand is a flavourful variation to the traditional khichadi. In this khichadi vegetables along with few powder spices or whole spices are added. The consistency of this khichadi mostly depends on personal preference. Some like it mushy like porridge and some like to keep a pulao or biryani–like consistency.
Vegetables like onions, tomatoes, french beans, carrots, capsicum, cauliflower, eggplant, green peas and potatoes can be added to make this masala khichadi. You can choose any vegetable of your choice. Mostly this recipe is made in a pressure cooker as it gets cook faster rather than in an open pan.
This incredible flavourful hearty one-pot meal is super comforting and filling. The recipe gets done in under 30 minutes using just pantry staples.
Masala khichadi or even the plain traditional khichdi makes a perfect lunch box option for school and office. I have myself taken this masala khichadi in lunch box n number of times along with lemon pickle. It also goes well with some raita or salad by the side.
This recipe is a no-fail tasty wholesome one-pot balanced dish that you’ll want to share with family and friends. Though khichadi is often made using split yellow moong lentils, you can swap it either with split green moong lentils, split red lentils, pigeon pea lentils (tur dal).
The choice of vegetables completely depends on your preference. You may add as many vegetables or as few as you want. The more the vegetables, the more flavour and nutritious this khichadi become.
At home, I sometimes add cauliflower to plain khichdi which impart a nice aroma and taste. However to make this masala khichdi I normally use onions or carrots that are sauteed in oil along with aromatic herbs & spices like green chilli, garlic and ginger. Spices like turmeric, red chilli powder, cumin powder and coriander powder along with a special blend of Maharashtrian masala also known as goda masala is added. You can easily use garam masala instead of goda masala.
While making traditional khichadi, I always like to have it soft and mushy but for masala khichadi, I prefer to keep the grain as a whole as possible. At home, we prepare this masala khichdi in a pressure cooker. You may use an Instant pot or you may also cook this in an open pan on the stove.
I have shared both the methods of making this Masala Khichdi in Pressure Cooker & Instant Pot
Yellow Moong Lentils – These are the most preferred lentils used in making khichadi and are very light on the stomach. I always prefer to use yellow moong lentils instead of any other lentils.
Rice – I have used basmati rice for making this khichadi. Normally short-grain rice is preferred to make this recipe. You can use short-grain rice or basmati rice. But do not use sticky rice to make this recipe.
Spices – I have used cumin powder, coriander powder, red chilli powder and goda masala ( Maharashtrian Spice Masala). Goda masala is hard to get outside of India, in that case, you can use garam masala.
Herbs – I have used coarsely grounded paste of green chillies, ginger and garlic that I pounded in a mortar pestle.
Vegetables – I have used only onions in this recipe but you can add any vegetable of your choice. Just use fresh hardy vegetables
Oil – I have used rice bran oil in making this recipe.
Water – To cook the masala khichdi
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Vegan Recipes
Beginner & Bachelor Friendly Recipes
Maharashtrian Recipes
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Let’s see how to make this flavourful Masala Khichdi Recipe with simple basic ingredients in your home kitchen.
Serves: 3 Persons
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Cooking level: Moderate
Taste: Spicy
- 1 cup rice
- 1 cup moong dal (yellow split)
- 1 onion (cut lengthwise)
- 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1/4th teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon Ginger-Garlic-Green chilly coarsely crushed
- 1 and 1/2 teaspoon goda masala or garam masala
- 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
- 1 teaspoon red chilly powder
- 4 cups water
- 1 tablespoon Oil
- Salt to taste
- coriander leaves & fresh scrapped coconut for garnishing)
- Wash rice & moong dal together under running tap water till water runs clear.
- In a pressure cooker add oil & mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to crackle add cumin seeds, turmeric powder and sliced onions.
- Saute onions for few seconds. Now add crushed ginger-garlic-green chilly and mix well. Saute this mixture for a minute till the raw smell of ginger-garlic fades away.
- Now add goda masala (or garam masala), coriander powder, cumin powder, red chilly powder & salt. And washed rice & lentil along with water and mix well. Check for seasoning.
- Put on the lid of the pressure cooker and cook this khichadi till 4-5 whistle.
- Vegan Moong Dal Masala Khichdi ready.
- Garnish this khichadi with coriander leaves & fresh scrapped coconut.
- Serve hot.
- Wash rice & moong dal together under running tap water till water runs clear.
- Start Instant pot on saute mode, and add oil & mustard seeds. When mustard seeds begin to crackle add cumin seeds, turmeric powder and sliced onions.
- Saute onions for a few seconds. Now add crushed ginger-garlic-green chilly and mix well. Saute this mixture for a minute till raw smell of ginger-garlic fades away.
- Now add goda masala (or garam masala), coriander powder, cumin powder, and washed rice and yellow split lentils (yellow moong dal) mixture. Mix all the ingredients well. Add water, red chilly powder & salt. Check the seasoning.
- Close the lid of the instant pot and set the setting to manual or pressure cook mode for 5 minutes at high pressure.
- When the instant pot beeps, do a 10 mins NPR (naturally release the pressure)
- Vegan Moong Dal Masala Khichdi is ready to serve, garnish with coriander leaves and scraped coconut.
Note:
Instead of using garam masala powder, you may also add whole spices like 3 cloves, 1 bay leaf, 1/4 inch cinnamon stick, 4-5 black peppercorns in the tempering just after adding cumin seeds and saute for about 30 seconds.
For no onion garlic recipe, just use any other vegetable and skip the garlic.
Depending on the consistency adjust the water. If you want it mushy add 5 cups of water instead of 4.
You can also use brown rice here instead of a white one.
Fantastic
Delicious