Skip to main content

Khichdi - Instant Pot

The weird meat-looking thing on the lower right is Indian pickle.

I like my lentils best when they are broken down into mush, and I like bean/rice combination recipes, and I like when the beans and rice are mixed together so the leftovers can be stored together and maybe even cooked in one pot. And obviously, I love any excuse to try something new in the Instant Pot.

And so, when I came across khichdi on Pinterest, I was pretty excited. I'm kind of surprised I've never had it before, because from my reading it sounds like it's a pretty common Indian dish. And there are lots of variations. I chose a variation that made it into a totally uniform porridge-like mush, and I used urad dal and jasmine rice because that's what I had, though I'll definitely try it with basmati rice in the future.

Apparently khichdi is commonly served to people with sensitive stomachs - sick people, babies, etc. It was already in my meal plan for the week when I ended up with some kind of stomach bug, so I seized the opportunity to try this for my first meal afterwards, and it was the completely perfect thing to soothe my stomach and get me eating again.

I worked from this recipe from Food, Pleasure, and Health. The result was delicious and the instructions were fantastic. There are so many ways to customize this with added spices and/or vegetables in it or on it, and I will be making it regularly while I experiment with the possibilities.


The Recipe: (makes about 5 servings)
1/2 c basmati or jasmine rice
1/2 c moong daal or urad dal
1 tb coconut oil
1 tb cumin seed
2 bay leaves
1 tsp turmeric
2 tsp cumin powder
2.5 c water
1 tsp salt, plus more to taste
optional topping: garlic, mustard seeds, onions, chilies and/or tomatoes fried quickly in oil or butter
serve with: plain yogurt and Indian pickle
  • Soak rice and lentils for 30 minutes.
  • Set instant pot to Saute.
  • Add coconut oil, then saute cumin seed for a minute.
  • Add bay leaves, turmeric, and cumin powder and stir for a minute.
  • Add rice and lentils and mix.
  • Add water and salt and mix again.
  • Close lid and pressure cook on high for 12 minutes (this is the "Rice" setting). Natural release.
  • Add more salt to taste.
  • Quickly fry some minced garlic, mustard seeds, and other optional toppings in butter (or oil to keep it vegan) and pour on top.
  • Serve with yogurt and Indian pickle.

The Verdict:
Overall grade: A+
Overall reason: This is my perfect food. The texture is smooth and comforting, the flavor is delicious on its own and can easily be kicked up with the many options, it's healthy, it's cheap, and it's easy.
Time to prepare: 45 minutes, plus time to soak rice and lentils
Husband quote: "I like the texture."

Labels

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Kitchen renovation!

BEFORE: AFTER: Still to come: a beautiful new induction range and some wood shelving on the left side, above the backsplash. And maybe the shelving unit on the wall facing the cabinets should be green, but we're going to live with a while before making that decision.
2 comments
Read more

Adzuki Beans with Black Rice

I hope I don't turn any readers away by featuring cilantro in my first photo. My current food obsession is black rice. I was first introduced to it at  Sushi Pure . It's purple when cooked, and I was completely smitten when purple sushi arrived at our table. I mean, purple sushi! It was like my birthday or something. Actually, it might have been my birthday, because I pretty much always have sushi on my birthday, but anyway. It's kind of sweet and has this great chewy texture. When I learned  how healthy it is , my crush evolved to full-out love. Sushi Pure's Spicy Tuna Roll (photo from FoodSpotting.com) In my ongoing research for ingredients that are low in calories but high in nutrition, adzuki (also spelled azuki) beans came up. I learned that these are the sweet red beans used in Japanese desserts, including red bean ice cream, which I've been obsessed with since I was a kid. But since turning them into ice cream probably negates the health benef...
2 comments
Read more

Spicy Tomato Jam

Little pot of bubbling goodness seeks lentil patties, sweet potato fries, or pretty much anything else. I recently made  this recipe  from Crumb Blog for lentil patties with tomato jam. The lentil patties were pretty good, but the tomato jam was really something to write home about. It's one of those foods that makes you feel warm, even when it's cold. It has just the right balance of sweetness, acidity, and spice. The mustard seeds are a must (haha, must ard seeds). Their crunch, and the little burst of toasty peppery flavor that follows, are amazing in contrast to the rest of the flavors. The next time you're tempted to put ketchup on something, consider this instead.  I have a little bit of this gold left over in the freezer. I'm thinking I may thin it out with vegetable broth and use it as a sauce for a stir-fry. Stay tuned for the results. The only change I made to this recipe was upping the amount of mustard seeds. I think 1 tsp is the perfect a...
1 comment
Read more