My Mixed Lentils & Vegetables Khichdi is the ultimate cozy one-pot meal! A wholesome mix of lentils, rice, and veggies gently spiced with turmeric and red chili powder, then finished with a drizzle of ghee - it's warm, comforting, and full of flavor every single time.
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Weeknight bowls of khichdi were my childhood, soft and lightly spiced, crowned with homemade ghee and endlessly comforting. My mom had a version for every mood, and even now, the aroma of ghee and turmeric feels like home. Most of our weekday meals were vegetarian, and many evenings ended with a light pot of khichdi; sometimes khichdi with a ginger and garlic tadka, sometimes palak khichdi, and often just a simple bowl of plain khichdi that felt like the warmest hug.
When I moved to the US and began cooking for my own family, I leaned on quick one-pot meals. I kept shaping my version of khichdi, gently adjusting the vegetables and spices so the flavors stayed soothing and balanced. I also started adding more veggies to make it a complete meal, the kind you can serve on busy nights and still feel nourished.
And so... my children grew up eating this khichdi that I am about to share, and the best part is that now my parents love it too. It is a true kid and adult-approved Indian meal. After years of little tweaks, this is the version I adore and proudly call my signature dish. And if you are looking for the perfect side, do not miss my mouthwatering homemade Mango Pickle recipe, the bright and zesty partner that makes every bite sing.
Ingredient Notes
- Rice - I prefer short-grain white rice for that soft, cozy texture that cooks quickly and melds beautifully with the lentils. Ambe Mor or Kali Jeera are my top picks, and you can usually find them at Indian grocery stores. If you only have basmati, that works too.
- Lentils - A mix of moong, masoor, toor, and chana dal gives the best balance of flavor, nutrition, and texture. Moong brings creaminess, masoor cooks fast and adds body, toor adds that classic taste, and a spoon or two of chana dal keeps a light bite, so the khichdi is not mushy. Rinse well, and if you want a softer, baby-friendly texture, soak the lentils for 15 to 20 minutes. If you are short on pantry staples, even moong dal alone will still make a lovely khichdi.
- Vegetables - I treat khichdi like a fridge clean-out meal and load it up. Cauliflower, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, green peas, green beans, and spinach are all wonderful. Dice everything small so it cooks at the same pace as the rice and lentils.
- Spices - Turmeric, red chili powder, and cumin seeds are the soul of this dish. I bloom the cumin in hot ghee or neutral oil first to release a nutty aroma, then add turmeric and chili powder on low heat so they do not scorch. For gentle heat that suits the whole family, use Kashmiri chili powder.
How to Make Mixed Lentil Khichdi
Serving
Serve hot khichdi with yogurt, pickle, and roasted papad. I also recommend adding a spoonful of ghee while serving.
Storing
Although Khichdi tastes best when served fresh, it can also be easily refrigerated for up to 5 days. As the khichdi cools down, it will get thicker and a bit dry as the rice and dal continue to absorb the moisture. To reheat, simply microwave the khichdi and serve with ghee.
★ Tried this recipe? I'd love to hear how it turned out! Leave a comment and let me know, or snap a quick pic and upload it-I love seeing your creations. If you're on Instagram, tag @ministry_of_curry so I can check it out. Your feedback means so much to me and makes all the time I spend perfecting each recipe totally worth it. Thank you!
Recipe
Instant Pot Mixed Lentils and Vegetables Khichdi
Recipe Video
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger paste
- 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 ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup white rice short grain ambe mor or kali jeera
- 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 30 seconds. Add all the vegetables - carrots, beans, peas, tomato, potato, cauliflower, cabbage, and spinach.
- Add turmeric, red chili powder, and salt. Mix well.
- Next add the rice and mixed lentils. Add 6 cups of water. Give a quick stir and close the Instant Pot lid with the 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.
Notes
- 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 ½ cup of moong daal and ½ 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 three times the combined amount of rice and lentils, which creates a soft, porridge-like consistency for the final dish. To make dry-ish khichdi, reduce the water to 4 cups.
Nutrition
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Schnippelboy says
Das Rezept gefällt mir sehr gut
Archana says
Thank you!
Hans Susser says
This dish looks absolutely wonderful !
Thank you 🙂
Archana says
Thank you Hans!
Bee says
What type of white rice do you prefer to use?
Archana says
I use white basmati rice
Jenel Looney says
This looks wonderful, and I think I'm going to make it later this week. Can you please confirm that you don't need to add any liquid? Does the liquid from the vegetables cook the rice?
Archana says
Jenel, it needs 6 cups of water. I may have missed adding it in the ingredients list, but it's there in the instructions. I will add it to the ingredients list too. Do let me know how you like it! Thank you!
Jenel Looney says
Oops! I see it now. Thank you, Archana. I'm looking forward to it. I made a couple of your recipes last week and loved them. Our favorite were the tandoori chicken wings. YUM! I really appreciate you sharing your knowledge like this.
Archana says
Thank you so much! I am so happy to hear that you are enjoying my recipes! Hope you like this healthy khichdi too. Can't wait to hear.
Ed Sadowski says
What changes (if any) would I have to make were I to use *brown* basmati rice?
Archana says
I would cook it for 22-25 mins manual!
Ed Sadowski says
Thanks for the quick reply
SUCHARITA says
Archana, if I use brown rice does the water ratio remain the same?
Archana says
Yes!
beyondthebranches says
Tried this last night for dinner and it was amazing! Thank you!
Archana says
Thank you for letting me know! So glad you enjoyed this healthy dish!
Liz says
I thought this dish was delicious - thank you for sharing! Question - could you make and freeze?
Archana says
Hi Liz, Thank you for letting me know. Although I have not tried freezing, it should freeze well.
Laura says
Made this recipe for dinner I forgot to put the peas and I didn't have any potatoes but it still came out delicious! Lovely flavors really enjoyed!
Archana says
Hi Laura, That is awesome! Yes, so you can def add or skip any veggies. You will still get the same flavors! Thank you for letting me know!
Lorraine says
This was delish. My DH had seconds after saying he wasn't too hungry. I added some garlic, didn't have cabbage or cauliflower. I used red lentils, brown basmati and broccoli because that's what I had available. I'll be making this again for sure. Thanks for posting
Archana says
Thank you Lorraine for your feedback! So glad you enjoyed this healthy and versatile dish. You can substitute any vegetables, lentils and rice, yet it comes out delish!
Amie says
Going to make this one soon! Just wondering, have you ever used the frozen mixed vegetables in a pinch?
Archana says
Hi Amie! Yes, frozen vegetables work well in this recipe. Let me know how you like it!
ravinathan says
6 cups water sounds like a lot. Does it come out like stew?
Archana says
Hi Ravinathan, Yes this is a soft khichdi.
Rachelle says
Hi Archana, excited to try this amazing looking recipe. Quick question, I dont have instant pot so no rice setting. I have an electric pressure cooker though so can set minutes and high, medium and low. Do you have any thoughts on how long I would cook this and for how long? Thank YOU! x
Archana says
Hi Rachelle! I do not have an electric pressure cooker but I would cook on Low/medium setting for 12 mins to start with. You can always add more time if needed. Let me know how you like this!
Rachelle says
Hi Archana
Thank you so much for that. I will give it a try and let you know!
All the best..
Rachelle
Archana says
Looking forward to hearing from you Rachelle!
Suzanne says
This is delicious. I am on Weight Watchers Simply Filling program and with a couple of simple changes(canola oil for ghee and brown rice for white), it is perfect. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes. Thanks for the simple, clear instructions.
Archana says
Hi Suzanne, So glad to hear that you modified my Khichdi recipe for your Weight Watchers diet. Great idea to use brown rice. Quinoa will work well for this recipe too.
Angela Deutsch says
Thank you for this recipe! Do you think I would have to change the time if I want to use all mung beans?
Archana says
Hi Angela! It will be same timing. I love mung daal in khichdi, it will come out delicious!! Let me know how you like it
Hungry Girl says
How long does the NPR for this recipe take? I gave up at twenty-one minutes and forced it, and it's steaming and steaming and steaming.
Archana says
Hi! It has a lot of water and so the khichdi comes out moist and soft. So 20-25 mins sounds about right. I hope it came out good.
Sehr says
Hi! If i'm making this for my kids do you think i need to reduce the chilli powder? or with the given quantity is it pretty mild? Thanks!
Archana says
Hi Sehr, This recipe calls for 2 tsp of mild red chili powder and the chichi come out as mild-medium spicy as there is also ginger and garlic in it. If you like you can start with 1 tsp of red chili powder. You can always add more later if needed. Hope this helps?
Kay says
What does NPR and IP mean?
Archana says
Hi! NPR - Natural Pressure Release, where you let the pressure release naturally after the cooking cycle in the instant pot is completed. And IP = Instant Pot!
Kay says
Thanks! If using yellow mung dal, do you recommend soaking the lentils before putting in IP?
Archana says
No need to soak the yellow mung daal. It cooks well in the Instant Pot for this recipe.
Kay says
Made it today. Great recipe that brings me back to childhood! Thanks so much for sharing this with us.
Archana says
Hi Kay! So happy that you made this! We make this recipe all the time. It is so comforting and brings back so many memories. Thank you for taking time for your feedback. Hope you will try some other Instant Pot recipes too!
Elena says
My daughter (2.9 y.) loves this dish - daycare provider cooks it every day for daycare children. Now she is on vacation and I'll try to reproduce using your receipt (daycare provider uses old fashion pressure cooker, and I have an instant pot) :).
Archana says
Hi Elena, Thank you for your lovely comments. Makes me so happy when children enjoy my recipes. And yes so much easier to make this in Instant Pot. Let me know how you like it!
SM says
Hi Archana, I know the khichidi is supposed to be soft but mine turned out super watery...any ideas what might have gone wrong?
Archana says
It thickens up as it cools down. What vegetables did you use? If there are more leafy veggies and cauliflower there will be extra water
Amy says
If you use frozen vegetables instead, is the cook time still the same?
Archana says
Hi Amy! Yes same cook time