A popular one-pot meal that’s cooked in just about every Indian home is a khichdi or a khichari, and those are not the only names it goes by. It’s called khichuri in Bengali, kichadi in Tamil, khichri in Gujarat, and kedgeree in English (yeah, as in the language spoken by the Brits). Although the Brits, somewhere in transit, made an unnecessary addition – fish – to a recipe whose vegetarian deliciousness really needs no gilding. Today, with this delicious and easy Masala Khichdi, we will take this recipe back to its roots but we’ll do so with flair.
What is a khichdi?
At its very basic khichdi is a south Asian dish of lentils and rice cooked together until very soft. But this is not just the name of one dish; it’s a family of hundreds of one-pot dishes that have evolved using the basic building blocks of lentils and grains. And it can include everything you’d want in a complete meal, including veggies, herbs and spices. Over the centuries, cooks around the Indian subcontinent created versions of khichdi with whatever ingredients they had on hand or were locally available. There is a khichdi made with tapioca pearls (sabudana khichdi) that is eaten during fasts, and khichdis made with millets like jowar (sorghum) and pearl millet (bajra). There is even a keema khichdi, made with ground meat, that is said to have been invented in the kitchens of the Nizams, erstwhile royalty in the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. More modern versions of khichdi incorporate street-food flavors, like pav bhaji khichdi. In the south you’d find foods like bisi bele bhath or kadamba sadam, all versions of khichdi. In Tamil Nadu, you’d celebrate the harvest with pongal, also a kind of khichdi. In the north, cooks devised dalia, a khichdi made with broken wheat. In Bengal you’d find a khichuri made with toasted moong dal. The list goes on. The reason khichdi is so popular among Indians is because to most of us it is the ultimate comfort food. Most types of khichdi are wholesome and use few spices, if any, making them gentle on the stomach, and we learn early on to associate this food with soothing and healing. It is often the first solid food a baby eats, or the food mom would feed you if you were sick. It’s the food you make in a hurry on a rushed weeknight, or the food you eat just to feel better. These healing qualities are also what has led khichdi to become associated in the west with Ayurveda, the ancient Indian form of healing. Finally (and I have to get this out of the way because it is a pet peeve), while there are many different words and pronuciations an Indian would use to mean khichdi depending on where in India they are, what they would never call it is a “kitchari” (how do you even pronounce that?!). If you really want to learn to say khichdi right, say it like most Indians do: “khitch-dee.” It is a delightfully explosive, even onomatopoeic sound that conveys the rustic nature of this dish and the fact that this is a hodgepodge of sorts: a delicious and much loved melange with no pedigree nor defined ingredients.
Why you’ll love this Masala Khichdi
It’s delicious. As much as I love the everyday khichdi I make several times each month with just dal, rice, salt, cumin and turmeric, this masala khichdi is just as delicious and even better because it’s a one-pot dish. I often make it with brown rice and it is enhanced with a ton of veggies and flavorful spices. It’s easy. Khichdi recipes are usually easy and this one is quite foolproof. It can easily be made on the stovetop or in a pressure cooker or Instant Pot. I have included instructions for all. It’s nutritious. As you already no doubt know from the ingredients. Dal, rice, veggies, spices: it doesn’t get any healthier. It’s a true one-pot meal. One of the reasons I love Masala Khichdi is it is not one of those dishes that pretends to be one-pot and then asks you to, erm, please serve me with this side or that or I’m just not going to taste that good! When you make this Masala Khichdi, you can rest assured that all you need is a spoon and a bowl. And if you decide to make the wise decision of serving up some poppadums and Indian pickles alongside, well, good for you!
How to make masala khichdi
Serving suggestions
Poppadum and lime pickle (or any Indian pickle) are the perfect sides with khichdi. Potatoes and khichdi get along like a house on fire, and crispy, spicy potatoes are especially wonderful. If you don’t want to eat potato chips (which are great with khichdi btw), make a spicy sabzi like these Bombay Potatoes or this easy, saucy Potato Curry Fritters like vegetable pakoras are also wonderful with khichdi. For healthier, non-fried versions, check out these baked asparagus pakoras.
More delicious Indian vegan rice recipes
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