Spicy Cracked Wheat and Lentil Porridge
Comfort food at its best, Spicy Cracked Wheat and Lentil Porridge cooked in an Instant Pot with tempered seeds and bunch of spices and water until reached porridge consistency.
Comfort food pays a very special role into everyones lives. With just a little effort, you get that comfort and satisfying feeling which makes a big differences in this busy and tense life! When it comes to my comfort food, hands down THIS IS IT! We call it bhadku, spicy cracked wheat and lentil porridge! It is a perfect combination of carbs, protein and fat with just the right amount of spices. Simply serve it hot with ghee and side of yogurt if preferred. It is spicy, warm, filling and everything you can think of!
This spicy porridge can be made with any lentils like chilka moong dal, yellow moong dal, toor dal etc. This recipe is using chilka moong dal which is split moong dal with the skin on. The other major ingredient is cracked wheat. You can swap cracked wheat with quinoa and make this recipe gluten free!
It is made so quickly with least amount of ingredients, that most of us have in the kitchen already! All it takes is to put all ingredients in the instant pot, few minutes of cooking and cooling down and there you have it! It is so satisfying and tasty! I can have this 2-3 times a week easily. I ate this so much while I was pregnant and during my postpartum. This is given to new mothers during their postpartum instead of rice as it is believed that it is very easy to digest and helps with milk production!
My family enjoys this very much, I hope yours does too! If you end up making it and like it as much as I do, tag me on Instagram @myvegetarianroots. I would love to hear your feedback!! Also check out my MASALA KHICHDI for yet another fail proof comforting meal!!
Happy & Healthy Eating!
Spicy Cracked Wheat and Lentil Porridge – INSTANT POT
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 cup Cracked Wheat Quinoa for gluten free option!
- 1 cup Chilka Moong Dal Split moong dal with the skin on, any lentil works just fine!
- 7 cup Water
- 1½ tbsp Salt
- 2 tbsp Chopped Green Chili
- 1 tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Grated Ginger
- 1 tsp Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Garam Masala
- 1 tsp Cumin Powder
- 1 tsp Coriander Powder
- 1 tsp Red Chili Powder
- 1 tsp Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
- 1 tsp Fenugreek Seeds
- ¼ tsp Asafetida
- 1 tbsp Peanut Oil any oil with high smoke point works fine!
- 1 tbsp Ghee optional
- 3 Whole Peppercorn
- 3 Whole Cloves
Instructions
- Mix cracked wheat (quinoa if using for gluten free option) and chilka moong daal lentils. Wash them and soak for couple of hours. Soaking is optional.
- Put instant pot on saute mode. Add 1 tbsp of peanut oil to the pot and let it heat up.
- Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, whole peppercorn and cloves to the hot oil. Once they start popping, add asafetida to it and wait for 10 seconds.
- Add washed and soaked cracked wheat and lentil mix to the pot along with all the spices and water.
- Add 1 tbsp of ghee (optional) and mix it well.
- Set the instant pot on high pressure for 8 minutes if the cracked wheat and lentils were soaked for at-least 2 hours. For no-soak option, cook on high pressure for 12 minutes. Make sure the pressure valve is closed properly.
- Let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Carefully release the additional pressure manually after 10 minutes.
- Open the lid carefully, mix it very well. It should be like porridge consistency. If its too thick, add some hot water to it to get to right consistency. Serve it hot with ghee, yogurt, spicy achar, buttermilk, and/or crunchy papad! It is great just by itself though!