Khichdi
Khichdi is made with rice, lentils and some spices. My mother is from Pakistan and she used to make this dish either when we had digestive issues or when she needed to make a quick and easy lunch. She has been an inspiration to me with her comforting, flavorful cooking. This recipe is an example of that. Khichdi is not just healthy, but delicious and flavorsome, too. You’ll love it!
We will be using green Moong Dal (also known as Green Gram) for this recipe. It’s super healthy: high in both fiber and protein. But feel free to use any lentil of your choice. Moong Dal/Green Gram is one of my favorite lentils due to its health benefits. It’s comforting and detoxifying, balances out digestive disturbances and cleanses our system.
Khichdi is made in various ways in different parts of the world but this recipe is very simple, flavorful and tasty. You can easily substitute lentils with your choice of vegetables, too. Whichever ingredient you decide to add or subtract, please share in the comments below. I am waiting for you to inspire me!
I encourage you to share your experience in the comments below if you tried this recipe or made it differently. If you took a photo, please share with me on my instagram account ‘zesty_zahra’ and I will share your stories there. I am always happy to learn about people’s food choices and preferences!
Khichdi
Ingredients
- 1 Yellow Onion medium size, diced
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 2 Bay Leaves
- a pinch Hing optional
- 1 tsp Ginger
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 Roma Tomato diced
- 4½ cups Water
- ½ cup Basmati Rice washed
- ½ cup Moong Dal (Green Gram) washed
- ½ cup Coconut Milk canned
- ½ tsp Turmeric
- 1 tsp Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- ½ tsp Curry Powder
- 1 tsp Salt
Garnish
- Garam Masala
- Lime Wedge
- Fresh Cilantro
Instructions
- Heat the pan on medium-high heat and add onion, cumin seeds, bay leaves, hing, ginger and garlic and saute for 5 -7 minutes. Sprinkle some water if the mixture is sticking to the pan.
- Reduce heat to low-medium. Add tomato and mix together well.
- Cover with lid and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until tomatoes are fully cooked down.
- Add water, rice, moong dal/green gram, coconut milk, turmeric, chili powder, coriander powder, curry powder and salt. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil.
- Reduce heat down to low-medium and simmer until water is dissolved, about 35 minutes. After the mixture boils, mash it for a minute using a potato masher.
- Add garnishes and serve while hot.