Instant Pot Masala Khichdi

One-Pot meals are so convenient

Especially on a weeknight when nothing seems to be going your way and all you need is to enjoy a comforting meal with your family at the end of the day.

Everyone is on the lookout for a simple home-cooked meal that requires less chopping, has easy-to-follow steps, and is not too elaborate, especially on a weeknight.

One-Pot meals made in the Instant Pot fit this requirement fully! Instant Pot has become an important gadget in the modern kitchen today.

The craze for pressure cooking is here to stay and it surely has its reasons! Ever since I got mine, I seem to be using it nearly every day!

I have an entire category dedicated to Instant Pot meals because they are so popular and you as a reader always want more Instant Pot recipes.

The ultimate comfort food

Khichdi for an Indian is - comfort food. Made with mashed lentils and rice, this simple dish is loaded with flavors and is mildly spiced.

It doesn't matter whether you call it Dal Khichdi, Khichadi, Kitchari, or Khichuri, what matters is that this savory porridge-like recipe is nutritious and delicious.

There are many variations to the dal khichdi recipe and masala khichdi is one of them. Also, every home has its own way of making it.

Masala khichdi is like a complete meal. It's got rice, lentils, and veggies all in one dish. This vegetable khichdi recipe checks all the right boxes.

Some like it thicker, some soupier, some with veggies, some like it without, some like to make it very mild while some like to make it masaledar (ME!)!

I also feel the kind of tempering or tadka that's added to the khichadi makes all the difference to the final flavors of this dish.

The tempering can be as basic as just asafoetida and cumin seeds to something fancier like this masala khichdi.

Adding veggies to the khichuri makes it even more nourishing. I like to add whatever veggies I have at hand.

In South Indian cuisine, Ven Pongal comes the closest to Khichdi. Mom learned to make the west(Indian) version after moving to Bombay.

I still remember that she would usually make khichdi towards the end of the week. She would use whatever leftover veggies she had. It was her way of cleaning the fridge.

Even today when someone at home falls sick or we get back home from a trip, we only crave something light like khichdi, rasam rice, or curd rice. It's like detox food for us.

Even the kid's first meal in many homes is the basic and bland version of this khichdi i.e. without any spices.

Why make it in the Instant Pot

Ever since I got the Instant Pot, I have been making this khichdi in it. It's just so convenient and easy. It's literally a dump-and-forget kind of recipe.

Add this vegan Instant Pot khichdi to your weekly menu rotation. It's a keeper!

Why make this

It truly is a comforting vegan meal that you will want to come home to at the end of the day.

• Its vegan and can also be made gluten-free by skipping asafoetida
• The recipe can easily be doubled or halved
• It's easy to digest
• The recipe is easily customizable
• Great way to sneak in veggies
• It's healthy and wholesome
• Can be made using basic pantry supplies
• Perfect weeknight meal

The vegetable dal khichdi recipe is made of five main ingredients - rice, lentils, spices, veggies, and ghee.

Rice - Basmati rice tastes very good in khichdi. However, you can also use Sona Masoori, Surti Kolam, or any other short-grain rice. Don't use Jasmine rice.

Lentils - The type of lentils to use is a personal choice. You can either add one variety or mix a couple of lentils and add. I have used only tur dal in this recipe.

Some other lentils that you can use are masoor dal, moong dal, chana dal, or even green lentils. All these lentils are available at Indian grocery stores and on Amazon.

Veggies - I like to make my khichdi even more nutritious by adding veggies like beetroot, and carrot in it. Feel free to add more veggies.

Whole Spices - I have used mustard seeds, cumin seeds, bay leaf, cloves, and curry leaves in this recipe. They give it a nice aromatic flavor.

Ground spices - asafoetida, turmeric, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilly powder, garam masala, and Kashmiri red chilly powder are the basic spices that you will need.

Other ingredients - ginger, garlic, and green chillies give this vegetable dal khichdi recipe a nice earthy flavor.

These are the ingredients that are needed for the tadka.

Fried onions - this is the surprise element in my vegetable khichdi recipe. I accidentally discovered how it completely elevated the flavors of this dish. Don't skip this.

Green peas - Instead of cooking them along with the veggies, adding them to the tadka gives the khichdi a nice flavor. I have used frozen peas in this recipe.

Other ingredients - dried red chillies, cilantro, Kashmiri red chilly powder (not shown in the pic above) and lemon juice give it that extra zing.

Khichdi is incomplete without a drizzle of ghee on top. To make it vegan, I use vegan ghee.

Pressure Cooker - I use the Instant Pot Duo Plus 6 Quart for all my Instant Pot recipes.

1. Rinse rice and tur dal together and keep them aside.
2. Turn on the Instant Pot in saute mode. Add vegan ghee, and temper mustard and cumin seeds. Once they crackle, add bay leaf, cloves, curry leaves, and asafoetida,
3. Then add garlic and ginger paste along with minced green chillies. Fry for 30 seconds.
4. Next, add the chopped beetroot and carrot along with salt. Mix and continue to saute for another 30 seconds.
5. Then add the spices like turmeric, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilly powder, and garam masala.
6. Add the rinsed rice and tur dal to the pot.
7. Now add the water. Turn off the saute mode. Close the lid and cook in rice mode for 12 minutes. You can also select the manual/pressure mode. The timing remains the same.
8. Meanwhile, heat vegan ghee in a tadka pan. Fry dried red chillies, green peas, fried onions, Kashmiri red chilly powder, and chopped cilantro.
9. Release the pressure naturally and open the lid. It may appear soupy, but it will thicken up as it cools down.
   • Pour the prepared tadka over the khichdi. Add lemon juice. Mix and serve.

Serving suggestions 🍽 

This Khichdi with a dollop of ghee on top is best enjoyed warm along with papad, pickle, and some Koshimbir or raita on the side. Even plain yogurt is good with it.

Some even like to squeeze some lemon juice on top. To keep it light, you can also serve it with Chaas and cucumber salad or tomato salad.

Masala Khichdi is ideal for weekdays, or when you come home to an empty fridge! A hot bowl of khichdi on a cold boring day is the perfect way to unwind.

Make this also when you or someone in the family is unwell. It is very comforting and helps you heal. It's also a great detox because it's light and easy to digest.

Top recipe tips 💭

While I would highly recommend adding fried onions, you can add regular onions if you don't have fried ones.

The second tadka adds a lot of flavor to this Instant Pot vegetable khichdi recipe. But you can also consume it without that tadka.

Feel free to add more veggies/greens of your choice. You can even skip adding them. You can either add one variety or mix a couple of lentils/dal in this khichdi recipe.

If you are following a gluten-free diet, skip adding asafoetida. Instead of vegan ghee, you can also use any vegetable or coconut oil. Vegan butter will also taste good.

If you don't have an Instant Pot, you can use a pressure cooker to prepare the khichdi. Cook the rice and lentils together. Then prepare and pour the tempering over it.

Recipe FAQs 📖

Some rice recipes

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