Instant Pot Basic Indian Dal Khichdi – Incredibly Simple Indian Rice recipe with just handful of ingredients- Dal,Rice,Tomato,Ghee and Spices.This one pot recipe can also be made in a traditional pressure cooker too.
I have a very selfish reason for writing this post. My dad has recently relocated to USA and he wanted me to write down the exact steps to make a Fuss free instant pot khichdi.
Instant Pot Lentils & Rice
This is a very basic plain khichdi or kitchari or lentils and rice..however you want to call it..made in instant pot which , I hope will help others like my father to self sustain.
This is my shortcut way of making khichdi. I taught my husband to make this a few years back and now I am writing this post especially for my dad.
Also, cause I know a lot of you guys don’t have an instant pot. Thats why, I have also written the steps to make the exact same khichadi in a traditional pressure cooker.
Just want to emphasize that this is how I make a quick and fuss free khichdi. There are days when I have more time and patience and that’s when I make the fancier and more laborious versions of this khichadi. There are probably as many ways of making this as there are cooks.The permutations and combinations could vary as per availability of ingredients and people’s palette.
This recipe is for Split Yellow Moong Dal.Outside of india they are known as Petite yellow lentils ,Red Lentils and Split Pigeon Pea Dal respectively.I usually prefer the first two cause they cook faster though a khichadi made with Toor Dal tastes better.
One Pot Method of Making Khichdi in Instant pot
Though there are a zillion ways of making khichadi, I am concentrating on one pot- one shot method.The tadka or the tempering is usually done in the end in most households.But because this is a beginner recipe I will show you how to do the whole thing in ONE SHOT.
But if you like tadka on top of your piping hot khichdi, you can skip the tempering step and do it just before serving.
How to Make Instant Pot Khichdi
Step by Step process of Instant Pot Khichdi
- Heat the Instant Pot in Sauté mode.Select the sauce function and once the pot is “hot”, add Ghee/Oil.
- Temper with Aromatics and SpicesAdd the Cumin, green chilli, Asafoetida, Coriander Powder,Ginger and Garlic.Let it cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the Rice & DalAdd the rice, dal,roughly chopped tomatoes,Turmeric and Salt plus 3 1/2 Cups of water.
- Pressure Cook/ManualSelect PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL modern HIGH, for 15 minutes with the valve in sealed position.
- Open the PotOnce the steam escapes naturally, open the pot.Give it a mix and garnish with a little ghee and coriander leaves.
Variations of instant pot kitchari
Extra Veggies– Add any veggies you like in this.A shortcut way would be to buy a pack of precept frozen veggies and just dump half a cup of them in the khichadi along with the tomatoes.
The veggies that go the best with khichadi are- peas, carrots,Gaurds like lauki, Zuchinni and capsicum.
Super Spicy Khichadi– Make the khichdi super spicy by adding green chillies to it.You can also add tamarind pulp to give it a different flavour.
Instant pot Khichdi for babies
To make this khichdi for babies, cook the khichdi for 18 minutes instead.The result will be softer, mashier khichadi which will be perfect for babies on soft food.
How to Serve instant pot khichdi
Serve You khichdi with pickle,salad and papad.Maybe some yogurt! Okay…and some nice Masala potatoes!
Ingredients
- 1/2 Cup Moong Dal
- 1/2 Cup Rice
- 3 1/2 Cup Water
- 1 tsp Salt
Tempering
- 1 tbsp Ghee
- 1 tsp Cumin
- 1 pinch Asafetida(Hing)
- 2 Tomatoes
- 1 tsp Turmeric
- 1 Split Green Chilli
- 1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
- 1 tbsp Ginger& Garlic Paste Store Bought
- 1/4 Cup Coriander leaves for Garnish
Instructions
- Wash the Moong Dal and Rice under water 2-3 times.
Instant Pot Method
- Heat the instant pot in sauté mode.Once hot, add the Ghee .To the hot Ghee add- Cumin, green chilli, Asafoetida, Coriander Powder,Ginger and Garlic.Let it cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the rice, dal,roughly chopped tomatoes,Turmeric and Salt plus 3 1/2 Cups of water.
- Cancel the Sauté setting, Select PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL Setting on HIGH and pressure cook it for 15 minutes with the valve in SEALED position.
- Let the Steam escape naturally before opening the lid.
- Garnish with a little bit of Ghee and Coriander leaves and serve hot.
Traditional Pressure Cooker Method
- Heat the Pressure Cooker on medium Flame.Once hot, add the Ghee .To the hot Ghee add- Cumin, green chilli, Asafoetida, Coriander Powder,Ginger and Garlic.Let it cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the rice, dal,roughly chopped tomatoes,Turmeric and Salt plus 3 1/2 Cups of water.
- Close the lid and pressure cook it for 12-15 minutes.Let the pressure escape naturally.
- Garnish with a little bit of Ghee and Coriander leaves and serve hot.
Video
Notes
Khichadi can be stored upto 4 days in fridge.
You could add random vegetables to this mix while pressure cooking too.
Nutrition
FAQs for making Instant Pot Khichdi
Can I use any other dal?
Yes.Absolutely.But the cooking time may not be similar.Though a Khichdi recipe is forgiving and it’s usually okay if its overcooked a little.Can I temper the Khichdi at the end?
Yes.You can skip the tempering in the beginning and do it separately in a small pan over the hob or in the microwave for a few seconds.Can I Add vegetables to the Instant Pot Khichdi?
Yes! the more the better! You can add peas, potatoes,beans,carrots,cauliflower.Is Khichadi Vegan?
You can replace the ghee with sesame oil or vegetable oil to make khichdi Vegan.Can I Quick Release the pressure cooked Khichdi?
You could release the pressure manually after the cooking time is over but because the dish is semi liquid, there is a chance of foaming and the food oozing out of the pressure valve.Thats the reason, its suggested that you let the pressure release naturally.
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It’s my favorite looking Yummy