Spicy Kathiyawadi Khichdi
Mix of brown rice and lentils cooked with lots of vegetables and flavored with bunch of spices, peanuts, coconut and ghee. This high protein, high fiber, plant-based meal is effortlessly made in an Instant Pot!
Some days you just want something super comforting and satisfying. What else can be batter than a bowl of hot khichdi smothered in ghee, served with some plain yogurt or kadhi, spicy mango pickle and papdi?!?! Khichdi is a mix of rice and lentils, pressure cooked with different type of flavors. Some times it is made plain with just salt, turmeric, garlic and ghee. And sometimes it is loaded with spices and veggies. This is a kathiyawadi version of khichdi that has so many nutritional values to it. It is super delicious and effortlessly made in an Instant Pot! Avoid using ghee if making it vegan.
It is definitely my family’s go to meal on those busy days. I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as we do!
Happy and Healthy Eating!
Spicy Kathiyawadi Khichdi
Ingredients
Tempering
- 2 tbsp Peanut oil
- 2 tbsp Ghee optional for vegans, use 2 tbsp oil instead
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 sticks Cinnamon Stick
- 3 Peppercorns
- 3 Cloves
- 2 Dry Red Chilis
- 2 Small Bay Leaves
- ¼ tsp Asafetida
Vegetables
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Chopped Serrano Peppers or chopped Thai green chili
- 1 tbsp Grated Ginger
- 1 Small Yellow Onion – chopped
- 1 Medium Potato – cubed
- 1 cup Mixed Frozen Veggies corn, peas, carrots, string beans
- 1 cup Frozen Pigeon peas Frozen Tuvar lilva
- 1 Medium Graffiti Eggplant – cubed OR fairy tell eggplant OR Italian eggplant
Spices
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1½ tsp Turmeric Powder
- 2 tsp Cumin Coriander Powder dhana jiru
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 4 tsp Salt pr as per taste
- ¼ cup Coconut Powder dry and grainy
Other Ingredients
- 1 cup Uncooked Tuvar Dal / Pigeon pea lentils wash and sock for 1-2 hours
- 1 cup Uncooked Brown Rice wash and sock for 1-2 hours
- ¾ cup Raw Peanuts
- 2 tbsp Ghee optional
Instructions
- Thoroughly Wash brown rice and tuvar dal (Pigeon pea lentils) in separate bowls. Sock them for 1-2 hours.
- Put Instant Pot on saute mode. Heat 2 tbsp of oil and 2 tbsp of ghee. If making it vegan, use total 4 tbsp of oil instead.
- Add peppercorn, cinnamon stick, cloves, whole dry red chilis, bay leaves, mustard seeds and cumin seeds to the pot and wait for it to finish popping. Add asafetida once the popping is done.
- Immediately add minced garlic, grated ginger, chopped green chilis and ½ tsp of turmeric powder to the pot and saute it for a minutes or until the raw smell of garlic is gone, stir it continuously to make sure it does not get burn.
- Add chopped onions and 2 tsp of salt to the pot and saute it for 3-4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
- Add all rest of the veggies to the pot and mix it well.
- Add 2 tsp of salt (this makes it total of 4 tsp salt, 2 with onions and 2 now) and all rest of the spices listed above under "spices" to the pot and mix it well.
- Add washed and socked brown rice, tuvar dal (Pigeon pea lentils) and raw peanuts. Add 4 cups of water if you like rice like consistency or add 5 cups of water if you like thick porridge like consistency. Mix it well and wait for it to come to boil.
- Taste it and adjust the salt and spices as per your preference. Add 2 tbsp of ghee and mix it well. Adding ghee is optional if making it vegan!
- Once comes to boil, cancel the saute mode. Close the lid, secure the valve. Put IP on low pressure for 20 minutes. Once cooking time is over, let the pressure release naturally for 15-20 minutes. After 15-20 minutes release the pressure manually. If using regular Indian style pressure cooker, do 5 whistles and let the pressure release naturally.
- Carefully open the lid once the safely valve is down. Enjoy hot khichdi with chhash (buttermilk), kadhi or just plain yogurt with side of spicy mango pickle and papdi!
