Mixed Lentils & Vegetables Khichdi – A vegetarian, one-pot, gluten free dish with lentils, rice and vegetables, cooked in ghee, turmeric and red chili powder makes an amazingly flavorful comfort meal!
Khichdi, Khichadi or Kitchari is a nourishing porridge-like dish cooked with lentils and rice. Referred to as the Indian “comfort food”, it is often used for babies and the elderly, a healthy meal that is easy to chew, digest and SO good for the body!
I grew up eating khichdi for a LOT of dinner meals. My mom cooked this soft, mushy and lightly spiced dish that was so comforting and light that it always made a perfect dinner. She had many variations of this dish, so when someone asks me about khichdi, there are so many different recipes that come to my mind.
This khichdi recipe was developed over the years, adding and changing the combination of vegetables and spices so as to not over power the dish. I now have a recipe that I love and is my signature dish! A recipe I was so proud to share with my mom, who absolutely loves it and has on a repeat list.
Step by step recipe for mixed lentils & vegetable khichdi in the Instant Pot:
- Turn Instant Pot to Saute Mode and heat ghee. Add cumin seeds and ginger. Cook for a 30 seconds. Add all the vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, tomato, potato, cauliflower, cabbage and spinach). Mix well.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Mix well. Add rice and mixed lentils. Add 6 cups of water. Give everything a quick stir and close IP lid with pressure valve to sealing. Press the rice button (12 mins) followed by natural pressure release .
- Open the Instant Pot and garnish the khichdi with cilantro. Serve hot with roasted papad and pickle.
Variations for Mixed Lentils & Vegetable Khichdi:
- Substitute the 4 different lentils I used with any lentils you may have on hand. It could be just 1 cup of moong daal or 1/2 cup of moong daal and 1/2 cup of chana daal. Just make sure you take 1 cup of lentils.
- You can use any combination of vegetables. Just make sure to add about 4 cups of chopped veggies. Frozen mixed vegetables also work well in this recipe.
- To make this khichdi with brown rice, simply increase the pressure cook time to 20 minutes.
- To make this recipe vegan, simply substitute ghee with cooking oil.
- The water ratio in this recipe is 3 times the rice and lentils together which makes a soft, porridge like consistency for the final dish. To make dry-ish khichdi reduce the water to 4 cups.
Here is a quick video to make Mixed Lentils & Vegetables Khichdi in the Instant Pot:
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Mixed Lentils & Vegetables Khichdi - Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger
- 1 carrot peeled and sliced
- ¼ cup green beans chopped
- ¼ cup frozen green peas
- 1 red potato cubed
- 1 tomato diced
- 1 cup cauliflower chopped
- 1 cup cabbage chopped
- 1 cup spinach chopped
- ½ teaspoon turmeric
- 1 to 2 teaspoons mild red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 cup mixed lentils moong, masoor, toor and chana daal
- 6 cups water
- ¼ cup cilantro chopped, for garnish
Instructions
- Turn the Instant Pot to Saute Mode and heat ghee. Add cumin seeds and ginger.
- Cook for a 30 seconds. Add all the vegetables (carrots, beans, peas, tomato, potato, cauliflower, cabbage and spinach). Mix well.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder and salt. Mix well.
- Add rice and mixed lentils. Add 6 cups of water. Give a quick stir and close the Instant Pot lid with pressure valve to sealing.
- Press the rice button (12 mins) followed by natural pressure release. Open the Instant Pot and garnish with cilantro. Serve hot with roasted papad and pickle.
Video
Nutrition
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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 in New Jersey with my husband and two sons.
Shwetha says
How about using sona Masoori rice? How much water and how long to cook in rice mode?Thanks!
Archana says
Hi Shwetha! Yes you can use soon masoori. I like this khichdi really soft so I sue the same water ratio with sona masoori too. If you like your khichdi dry, reduce the water by 1 to 2 cups.
Renu says
Your recipes are very good and tasty can you make your site a little more Advanced so we can change the no of servings we need so adjusting the amounts of ingredients needed. I am sure you seen food websites that are able to do that like Yummly , All recipes etc etc.
TIA
Archana says
Will work on it!
Protima Advani says
Hi Archana, do you soak the rice and lentils in advance?
Archana says
Hi Protima, No soaking is needed. With Rice mode, it takes time to build pressure which also acts as soaking time.
Ali says
I just love this meal so much. I was not raised with it but when I tasted this khichdi for the first time I felt the comfort described, it was surreal. Thank you!!
Archana says
Awesome! Thank you for your lovely feedback and I am so happy you love this khichdi as much as we do.
Sonia says
2 Questions: If you (or any followers) have tried this recipe with brown rice- how did it turn out? Also, how would I go about freezing this (6 servings is a lot for just my husband and I)?
Archana says
It tastes amazing with brown rice. You will have to increase the cook time to 22 mins within natural pressure release. I have not tried freezing this but should work.
Aditi says
Hi! Which setting should it be at for 22 minutes? At ‘pressure cook’ setting or ‘rice’ setting?
Archana says
For brown rice 22 mins. Rice setting works well for white rice.
Aditi Bhargava says
SOrry I am still confused! Is it pressure cook setting or the rice setting if you make the dish with brown rice?
Archana says
Pressure cook 22 mins for brown rice
Vanessa says
Hi Archana! I love your recipes, they are always a sure thing!!! If I try this recipe with just organic green lentils and almost no veggies, is the water and cook time the same?
Archana says
Hi Vanessa! Thank you for your kind words. Yes, same cook time and water.
Fern says
I used the basmati rice. The end result is a bit too mushy for me. Like porridge. I will try again with less water. Very bland may have to tweak the flavor. I like the variety of vegetables.
Archana says
Thank you! Yes this is not a very spicy dish, I would suggest you add a teaspoon of garam masala. Also reduce the water to 4 cups for dry khichdi.
Jen says
We enjoyed this recipe! Came together quickly with the veggies I had in the fridge, as promised. I used 4 c of water for the drier version, since I thought that was what my family would prefer. Going into winter rotation – so nourishing and comforting. Thanks!
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback. So glad you are adding this to your winter rotation
RS says
This recipe was absolutely delish! I added different veggies, and it still tasted great. I loved the mix of dals. I used brown rice, added bay leaf, cinnamon, garlic and green chillis, and a pinch of red chili powder. The recipe would’ve been just as delicious as stated in the instructions. Thank you! I’m going to check out your other recipes now.
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback. So glad you enjoyed it. You can really change up a lot of ingredients in this recipe and it will still come out delish.
Todd says
This turned out great! one of my first Instant Pot attempts. Tasted just as good if not better reheated today and i have plenty more. Tried it with mung and this weekend will try masoor. Thanks so much!!
Archana says
Awesome! Thanks for the feedback
Manda says
My Pakistani spouse took some convincing, because of course his mama never added vegetables. Now we make this all the time with whatever vegetables we have on hand! We also love your veggie biryani recipe – we can’t believe how consistently great it turns out in the instant pot! We usually double the spices.
Archana says
Yay!! I am so glad both of you are enjoying the instant pot recipes ❤️
Luya says
I adore this recipe. The flavors are wonderful, it’s so easy, and you can switch up the vegetables as you like. This is now a staple for me, especially if I’m not feeling well or I overindulged on restaurant food. I make a pot and have it for dinner, and eat it exclusively for a few days. I think it tastes even better the next day. It freezes well too.
Thanks!
Archana says
Thank you for the lovely feedback. So glad to hear you are enjoying this easy versatile recipe.
Elizabeth Renee says
Hi- Thanks very much for this. Its my first time making it and not sure it came out right. The rice is mushy- is that how its supposed to be? The thing i ran into when selecting “Rice” on my Instant Pot is that the automatic setting showed “Low Pressure”. I couldn’t find anything on this anywhere, so I just left it. Figured others would comment if it was wrong. So I am not sure if the fact that it was low pressure contributed to the mushy. Or if that’s correct. Another thing is the natural release. I didn’t monitor it since it goes to warming anyhow, so it was there for 40 minutes. I don’t know if that would contribute to the mushy. Thanks for any suggestions.
Archana says
Hi Elizabeth, Thank you for trying and your detailed feedback. So this khichdi is supposed to have mushy almost stew-like texture. The rice and lentils will cook cuper soft. Also you can always do natural pressure release after 10 minutes but if not it can totally stay at keep warm mode until you are ready to open. If you like non-mushy rice, you may want to check out the vegetable biryani instead – https://ministryofcurry.com/vegetable-paneer-biryani-instant-pot/
Elizabeth Renee says
Thanks for your reply. I love biryani! I will certainly try that. The kitchari tastes good anyhow. I am eating it as part of an Ayurvedic cleanse. I think mine may be a bit too mushy. When I put the remaining batch in the refrigerator, it became difficult to differentiate. Its like a paste. I can scoop out balls, as if i were serving ice cream. Is this how mushy it is supposed to be? I may play with the water a bit, if not. I only want to be sure I am doing it correctly. Like I said, the taste is not an issue and it is surprisingly filling! I am not on a diet, only a cleanse, but i can sure see how this would be a great meal for dieting. Thanks again.
Archana says
Depending on the variety of rice it could have different texture. Next time you can quick release after 5 mins of natural pressure release and also reduce the water by 1 cup
Vijaya Kripanandan says
I tried this yesterday and found it a little bland for my taste inspire of using a Jalapeno. Planning to make some improvements and make it taste more like bisi bele.
I loved how you mixed up the lentils for variety and a different taste.
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback! You can also use spicy red chili powder
TylerW says
Just wanted to thank you for this recipe. I have a picky toddler and he eats this meal no problem (most days, at least!)
It’s great to have a healthy meal that he enjoys.
Also, this meal freezes and reheats great!
Archana says
My boys loved this khichdi as babies and still enjoy it. I am so happy to hear that your toddler is eating it too! S
Kora says
This turned out SO GOOD. I used split mung dal, cauliflower, carrots, and spinach. Added few extra spices, including mustard seed, cumin seed, and hing. Best Khichadi I ever made at home! Thank you!
Archana says
Thank you for your lovely feedback
Josh says
Which veggies can be substituted for 4 cups of mixed vegetables? Does it replace all of the below, or do you still including potato, carrots, tomatoes, and just replacing green beans, peas, cabbage, spinach, or does 4 cups of mixed veggies replace all of the below?
1 carrot peeled and sliced
¼ cup green beans chopped
¼ cup frozen green peas
1 red potato cubed
1 tomato diced
1 cup cauliflower chopped
1 cup cabbage chopped
1 cup spinach chopped
Archana says
4 cups of mixed vegetables include all of the individual vegetables I have in the recipe. Usually the mixed frozen vegetables come in handy. It could also be a combination of fresh and frozen veggies.
Josh says
Thank you! Will give it a try and let you know how it comes out.
robyn says
1 T ginger, is this fresh ginger??
Archana says
yes fresh ginger
Marcus Bierl says
Great website. A lot of helpful info here. I’m sending it to some buddies ans also sharing in delicious. And obviously, thanks on your effort!
Archana says
Thank you so much!
Radha says
Made it today for lunch with spinach, frozen cauliflower, broccoli etc and it came out perfect! Thank you for sharing the recipe