Gujarati Kadhi and Khichdi – Instant Pot

Kadhi and Khichdi – A nutritious and comforting meal, home cooked by my mom is what I reminisce eating for many evening meals.

In winters, we enjoyed Khichdi with a piping hot bowl of yogurt based soup{kadhi} and in the summer it was served with a cool and refreshing ginger-yogurt-cilantro drink {mathha}. Mom has a dozen Khichdi recipes that she rotates. Although, if I had to pick my favorite, it would be this one with mixed lentils that is aromatic and is lightly spiced with onion, ginger, garlic and cilantro.

I have adapted my mom’s Kadhi and Khichdi recipe using Instant Pot. It is now my go-to meal for busy week nights or a lazy sunday evening or on a day when I do not feel like cooking anything elaborate yet make sure we eat a healthy meal. Served with roasted papad and spicy pickle this makes a great comforting meal.

I have shared my vegetable khichdi recipe and lentils khichdi recipe in the past. This Khichdi recipe uses rice and mixed lentils with some basic spices.  The Kadhi recipe is my adaption of the traditional Gujarati Kadhi that I have modified over the years for our taste preferences.

Since this Khichdi recipe needs sautéing of onions and spices to bring out the aromatics, it works best cooked directly in in the main pot. I would also hit the Manual button twice so that keep warm button does not go on incase you are making Khichdi way ahead of your dinner time.

Also, I would recommend cooking Kadhi directly in the Instant Pot and not as pot in pot to avoid it boiling over or any spills. Once the Instant Pot lid is on you can basically walk away until you are ready for dinner as both these recipes work well with Natural Pressure Release.

Note: If you have one Instant Pot, I would either cook Kadhi on stovetop or cook it first in the Instant Pot and then cook Khichdi next.

To make the basic Khichdi that is light and easy-to-digest, skip the spices and make it with just rice, mung daal, salt and turmeric. Add an extra cup of water to give it a softer consistency and serve with some ghee on top. Plain Khichdi makes great baby food as they are introduced to solids and also a good soft food option for the elderly or sick.

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Gujarati Kadhi and Khichdi Instant Pot

Prep Time

5 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

35 mins

 

A Popular gujarati dish prepared with yogurt and chickpea flour that is served with hot rice and lentils khichdi.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Indian

Servings: 4

Author: Archana Mundhe

Ingredients

Mixed Lentils Khichdi

• 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1/8 tsp hing/asafetida
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 15 curry leaves
• 1/2 cup onion diced
• 1 tsp ginger grated
• 4 garlic cloves minced
• 2 green chillies/1/2 jalapeño minced
• 1 cup white rice love short grain rice like soon masoori
• 1 cup mixed lentils green gram/mung daal, red lentils/masoor daal, bengal gram/chana daal and split green gram/chilka mung daal
• 2 tsp salt
• 5 cups of water
• cilantro for garnish

Kadhi

• 1 cup plain yogurt full fat or low fat
• 3 cups water
• 2 tablespoon besan chickpea flour
• 1 tablespoon ghee or oil
• 1/4 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/8 tsp hing/asafetida optional
• 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds optional
• 2-4 cloves
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• 1 tsp garlic minced
• 2 green chillies 1/2 jalapeño, minced
• 15 curry leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• cilantro for garnish

Instructions

Khichdi

1. Rinse and drain rice and lentils.

2. Turn Instant Pot to saute(more) mode. Once the hot sign displays add ghee or oil. Add cumin seeds and asafetida. Add onions, curry leaves, ginger, garlic and chillies. Sauté for a minute. Add rinsed rice, lentils and salt. Mix well. Add water, give a quick stir and close Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing. Set Instant Pot to Manual(Hi) 6 mins. Open after 10 min NPR. Garnish with cilantro.

Kadhi

1. In a mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, water and besan. Keep aside.

2. Set Instant Pot to saute(more) mode. Once the hot sign displays add ghee or oil. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add hing, fenugreek seeds, cloves, cinnamon stick, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Saute for a minute. Carefully pour the whisked yogurt mix into the Instant Pot. Add salt and sugar, mix well. Close Instant Pot with pressure valve to sealing. Set Instant Pot to soup mode for 5 mins. Open after 10 min NPR. Add more water depending on the consistency you prefer and bring the kadhi to a full boil on sauté mode. Be very carefully if you need to open it before the 10 min NPR - as the kadhi can spill out of the pressure valve. Do slow, short bursts of quick release if you need to open before the 10 minute NPR. Garnish with cilantro.

3. Enjoy hot with Khichdi or plain rice.
4. Note: Kadhi can be made ahead and can be reheated before serving.

Recipe Notes

Kadhi can be made ahead and can be reheated before serving.

Author: Archana

Hey there! I am a techie turned recipe developer, cooking instructor, and food blogger. I love food and enjoy developing easy and healthy recipes for busy lifestyles. I live New Jersey with my husband and two sons.

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