Instant Pot Dal Khichdi (Indian Rice and Mixed Lentils)

Step By Step Instructions

1 & 2. Rinse and wash lentils, rice and soak in water.

3 & 4. Plug in an instant pot and turn Saute Mode ON

5. Melt ghee and saute cumin, asafoetida and ginger.

6. Saute onion and red chillies until onion turn soft and translucent.

7. Add tomato, salt, dry spices and saute until soft.

8. Turn saute mode OFF. Add drained rice, lentils and water.

9. Close the pot with lid. Set pressure cook mode with high pressure and timer for 5 minutes.

10. Once timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes and then turn the knob to the vent position to manually release the remaining pressure. Wait until the pin goes down to take the lid off the pot.

Add coriander and stir well.

Serve piping hot instant pot dal khichdi with any side of your choice.

Dal Khichdi Recipe Variations

You can either substitute red lentils and moong dal with toor dal (split pigeon peas), chana dal (split chickpea), split moong dal (small yellow lentils), or use a combination of all lentils. Ensure the total quantity remains 1 cup.

As chana dal and toor dal (split pigeon peas) take longer than other lentils to cook, soaking them in hot water for at least 20 minutes helps them cook faster.

Alternatively, you may have to set a timer to 15 – 20 minutes if the lentils are not soaked.

For the vegan version, replace ghee with oil.

For a gluten free version, use gluten-free asafoetida or just do not add it.

Khichdi is considered the best solid food to introduce to babies. Do not add salt, ginger and spices except turmeric and cumin if making for infants.

To make it healthier add vegetables – carrot, beans, potato, peas, cabbage, turnip, kohlrabi. It is a great way to make kids eat vegetables without any fuss.

Add green chilies for an extra spicy kick.

How to serve Khichdi?

Usually, this one pot rice and lentil dish is paired with pickle, papad (poppadum) and cucumber raita or onion raita for a wholesome and complete meal.

The humble khichdi can be turned into a dish to feast on by serving it with a simple side dish along with pickle such as allam pachadi, yogurt. Side dishes such as Jeera aloo, aloo gobi, kohlrabi curry, and potato fry goes well.

Serve it with starters such as paneer majestic, potato 65 to spice up your meal.

You can serve instant pot khichdi with plain yogurt or a glass of mango lassi or rose lassi for kids just in case they feel it is spicy. Sweetened yogurt helps to ease the spiciness.

Stove-Top Method

Rinse and wash lentils and rice with cold water 3-4 times. Soak them in sufficient water for 20 minutes.

Melt ghee in a deep-bottomed pan over medium-low heat. Put the cumin and saute for a few seconds.

Add ginger, asafoetida, onion and saute for 4-5 minutes until the onion starts browning.

Stir in tomato, turmeric, chilli powder, salt. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes until tomatoes turn soft and mushy.

Add water, increase the flame slightly and bring it to a rolling boil.

Drain the water from the soaked rice and lentils and then add them to boiling water (reduce the flame and then add rice and lentils).

Mix until well combined and cook for 10-12 minutes or until water is completely absorbed and rice lentils are cooked and soft.

Turn off the flame, add coriander and mix khichdi well.

Tips & Tricks

You can use just one variety of lentils or a combination of various lentils.  

I’ve used basmati rice. Any rice varieties – sona masoori, ponni, long grain, brown rice work just fine. You may have to adjust the water though. 

Generally, khichdi must be of porridge consistency. But you can add more water to get thinner consistency and cut down water to get a thick consistency.  

Adjust spices to suit your taste. 

The cook time mentioned in a recipe card includes the time IP takes to come to pressure and start the timer. 

Ensure to deglaze the pot before setting the timer to prevent the BURN message. Even a tiny bit of vegetable or spice stuck at the base of the pot results in a BURN message.

Storage

Transfer leftover dal khichdi to a clean airtight container and store it in the fridge for up to 2 days. When ready to serve, reheat it in a heatproof bowl in the microwave until piping hot.