This one-pot Vegetable Masala Khichdi (Instant Pot or Pressure cooker) is the perfect comfort meal for any season. This Gluten-free masala khichdi is a completely balanced meal made with rice, lentils, mixed vegetables, and assorted spices.
Being a South Indian, for us any meal with rice is comforting. I am a lover of one-pot meals and this Masala Khichdi is the best example of a balanced and flavorful one-pot meal. It has vegetables, lentils, and rice and the spices can be adjusted based on individual preference.
Table of contents
What is Khichdi?
Khichdi is a simple and flavorful one-pot meal made with rice and lentils. The simplest version of Khichdi can be just rice and dal with some turmeric powder and salt. It is mildly seasoned in ghee and is a great recipe for toddlers and kids as well as aged people.
When you are under the weather, Khichdi is the perfect recipe to make. It is easy to make and also easy to eat. It is lighter on the stomach and is easily digested. And this Instant Pot vegetable masala khichdi is naturally gluten-free. Just make sure that the spice powders are pure.
Khichdi is also many times baby's first solid food. I loved mixing and matching different vegetable combinations when starting my boys on solids. I started with just rice and moong dal and slowly introduced one or two vegetables every week.
Masala khichdi is a kind of spiced-up South Indian Ven Pongal. Ven pongal has rice and dal with a simple seasoning of cumin and pepper in ghee. Whereas, Khichdi has a few more spices and in this particular Masala Khichdi recipe, I have added mixed vegetables.
What kind of lentil/dal to use in Khichdi?
Khichdi is typically made with moong dal. Having said that we can use other lentils to make masala khichdi. One of my favorite lentils/dal to make masala khichdi is Masoor dal. I could make this as a whole post saying Masoor Dal Khichdi but wanted to make it broader by saying Khichdi could be made with moong dal, masoor dal, or toor dal.
I love the flavor of sabut Masoor dal, the whole masoor dal with the skin on. This kind of gives a rustic flavor to the Khichdi and makes it even more healthier.
Why make this Masala Khichdi recipe?
- I love making one-pot meals for weeknight dinners. If you are like me, then this khichdi recipe will soon be your regular to make on weekdays.
- This has a mixture of rice, dal, and vegetables making it a wholesome and healthy meal.
- Khichdi is a gluten-free recipe. Just make sure to use gluten-free spice powders (they are often cross-contaminated).
- Kids and adults can both enjoy the masala khichdi.
- Khichdi is easy to digest and goof on days when you are slightly under the weather.
- I also love making khichdi on days when I have a little bit of different vegetables left over in the refrigerator.
- Vegetable masala khichdi really does not need anything on the side to serve. But I like mine with some papad, pickle and yogurt.
Ingredients and substitutes
Check the recipe card at the bottom of the page for exact measurements and printable detailed recipes.
Rice - Use any short-grain rice to make khichdi. I use sona masoori rice to make my masala khichdi or khichri recipe. As a substitute for rice, millet, brown rice, or quinoa would work. Adjust the water and cooking time based on the grain you use.
Lentil/dal - I have used whole Masoor dal or sabut masoor dal in this khichdi recipe. You can use split moong dal (with or without skin) or toor dal as well.
Vegetables - I have used onion, tomatoes, carrots, potato,es and green peas to make masala khichdi. We can also use eggplant, bell pepper, green peas, and cauliflower to the mix. Also, there is no particular quantity of the vegetable. We can add just a handful of every vegetable. We also need ginger and garlic. If needed garlic can be skipped.
Water - I mention water as an ingredient here because the quantity of the water is important to get the required texture of the khichdi. If you want to make mushy and soft khichdi, add more water. If you want it like mixed vegetable rice or pulao, then we will add reduced water quantity. I usually make ours mushy and pourable consistency so add more water.
Whole spices - I have used cumin seeds. cinnamon, bay leaf, clove, cardamom, and black pepper. If you don't want to use whole spices, skip everything except cumin seeds and add ½ teaspoon more garam masala.
Spice powder - We will be using turmeric powder, red chili powder, and garam masala along with salt.
Oil or ghee - I make my khichdi with ghee most of the time. If making it as a Vegan Khichdi recipe, use coconut oil instead.
Step-by-step process
- Wash and soak the rice and dal together for about 20 minutes (step 1).
- In the meantime, chop all the vegetables and have them ready.
- Press the saute function in the instant pot and add 2 Tablespoons of oil or ghee to the inner pot.
- Add the whole spices - 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf, 1-inch piece of cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom, and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Let the spices become aromatic (about 30 seconds) (step 2).
- Add the sliced onions and saute until translucent (step 3). Now add the grated ginger and garlic. I have used freshly grated ginger and garlic, but we can use store-bought ginger garlic paste as well (step 4).
- Now add the rest of the vegetables. I have used tomato, potato, carrot and green peas (step 5).
- Add the spice powders - ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 ½ teaspoon of red chili powder, and 1 teaspoon of garam masala. Also, add the salt needed (step 6). Give it a good mix and let it fry for 2 minutes.
- In the meantime, drain the soaked rice and dal and add it to the instant pot (step 7). Mix everything well together and add the needed water. We like our khichdi mushy and soft, so I add extra water when making it. Check the rice you are using and add water accordingly. I used 1 cup of sona masoori rice and ½ cup of whole masoor dal. So I used about 5 cups of water (step 8).
- Close the instant pot and set the valve to sealing. Turn the instant pot off from the saute mode. I cooked mine in rice mode and it was perfect.
- Let the pressure release naturally and then open the instant pot and check the masala khichdi. At this stage check for seasoning and also check the consistency of the khichdi. If you like yours even looser in consistency, add more hot water as needed and mix well.
- Serve the vegetable masala khichdi hot with a drizzle of ghee.
What to serve with Khichdi?
Khichdi is a one-pot meal on its own and tastes delicious just with a drizzle of ghee on top. I love a little crunch on the side, so often serve it with papad, chips, or some kind of crispy snack.
I also like to have a raita or just plain yogurt on the side to cool off the spices. And of course, a tangy pickle would be a great one to serve on the side with masala khichdi. My personal pick is this tangy lemon pickle or the crunchy green apple pickle.
Expert tips to make the best Khichdi
- Use short-grain rice for the masala khichdi recipe.
- Adjust the spices based on your taste. If you like milder khichdi, skip all the spices and just use turmeric and season with cumin.
- Khichdi tastes the best when it is soft and mushy. Do not make the grains stand out too much like a pulao or biriyani.
- Try making khichdi with different lentils/dal. Each one has its nutrition and they are all good for your health.
- Serve the vegetable masala khichdi hot.
Frequently asked questions
To begin with, homemade food is always better for our health. This masala khichdi has the nutrients from lentils and vegetables and is a good lunch or dinner option.
Yes, you can make it in a regular pressure cooker or a rice cooker. If not you can cook the rice and lentils on the stove top and then mix it with cooked vegetables.
Yes, leftover khichdi can be refrigerated for a couple of days or even frozen. Make sure to heat it thoroughly before serving.
More one-pot meals
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Recipe Card
Recipe
Instant Pot Vegetable Masala Khichdi
Equipment
- 1 Instant Pot
- 1 Cutting board
- 1 Knife
Ingredients
- 1 cup Rice I used sona masoori rice
- ½ cup Sabut Masoor dal (masoor dal with skin) Can be substituted with skinless orange lentil
- 1 large Onion sliced
- 2 large Tomato
- 1 large Potato chopped into thin sticks
- 2 medium Carrot chopped into thin sticks
- ½ cup Green peas
- ½ inch Ginger
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 2 Tablespoon Oil or ghee
- Salt To Taste
Whole spices
- 1 teaspoon Cumin seeds
- 2 inch Cinnamon
- 1 Bay leaf
- 4 Cloves
- 2 Cardamom
- ½ teaspoon Black pepper
Spice powder
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- 1 ½ teaspoon Red Chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
Instructions
- Wash and soak the rice and dal together for about 20 minutes.
- In the meantime, chop all the vegetables and have them ready.
- Press the saute function in the instant pot and add 2 Tablespoon of oil or ghee to the inner pot.
- Add the whole spices - 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 bay leaf, 1 inch piece of cinnamon, 4 cloves, 2 cardamom and ½ teaspoon of black pepper. Let the spices become aromatic (about 30 seconds).
- Add the sliced onions and saute until translucent. Now add the grated ginger and garlic. I have used freshly grated ginger and garlic, but we can use store bought ginger garlic paste as well.
- Now add the rest of the vegetables. I have used tomato, potato, carrot and green peas.
- Add the spice powders - ½ teaspoon of turmeric powder, 1 ½ teaspoon of red chili powder and 1 teaspoon of garam masala. Also add the salt needed. Give it a good mix and let it fry for 2 minutes.
- In the meantime, drain the soaked rice and dal and add it to the instant pot. Mix everything well together and add the needed water. We like our khichdi mushy and soft, so I add extra water when making it. Check the rice you are using and add water accordingly. I used 1 cup of sona masoori rice and ½ cup of whole masoor dal. So I used about 5 cups of water.
- Close the instant pot and set the valve to sealing. Turn the instant pot off from the saute mode. I cooked mine on rice mode and it was perfect.
- Let the pressure release naturally and then open the instant pot and check the masala khichdi. At this stage check for seasoning and also check the consistency of the khichdi. If you like yours even more looser in consistency, add more hot water as needed and mix well.
- Serve the vegetable masala khichdi hot with a drizzle of ghee.
Notes
- Use short grain rice for the masala khichdi recipe.
- Adjust the spices based on your taste. If you like milder khichdi, skip all the spices and just use turmeric and season with cumin.
- Khichdi tastes the best when it is soft and mushy. Do not make the grains stand out too much like a pulao or biriyani.
- Try making khichdi with different lentil / dal. Each one has its own nutrition and they are all good for your health.
- Serve the vegetable masala khichdi hot.
rhwsl says
5star
Julie says
I was looking for a new recipe to add to my instant pot collection and came across this one! THe flavors and textures in this are perfection! Such a yummy dinner idea for the new season.
Gloria says
Love the sound of this tasty dish. We love all kinds of rice dishes. This will be great for dinner one night this week.