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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Bhavna Lee says
Absolutely delicious and simple. We will be making the recipe many times in the years to come. Thank you!
Sarah says
I absolutely loved this recipe. As someone who prefers to use recipes as a basic guideline, this was perfect - I had only 2 types of lentils and did some vegetable swaps, but my result was still so comforting and delicious. For those with "bolder" taste buds I definitely recommend playing up the spices. I added fresh garlic and wish I had some garam masala, but alas!
Archana says
Have you tried making Garam masala at home? I have a super easy 5 ingredient recipe - https://ministryofcurry.com/homemade-garam-masala-2/
Bijal James says
Made it tonight for dinner. Added two cups of Frozen mixed veggies, a cup of spinach and a cup of cabbage. Also added half an onion even though it wasn’t mentioned, and a tomato. Came out really well. Loved the taste and super quick to make on long days like today! Thanks for the recipe archana!
Melissa Dhillon says
Made this today for dinner and absolutely loved. Swapped the veggies for frozen ones. Pure comfort food and perfect for this autumnal weather.
Vijaya says
Very good recipe. I used the readymade kichdi mix with both kinds of moong(with and without husk), masoor and rice. Added frozen vegetables and spinach. Delicious.
Kylie says
I just got an instant pot yesterday So this recipe was the first time I have used one. I knew I wanted to make something with mung beans so I discovered your site. It made a wonderful lunch, very filling and nutritious. I will look for more delicious recipes from you!
Brenda Marwaha says
This recipe is so easy and delicious. I used 1T of olive oil instead of ghee and did not have cabbage, cauliflower or tomato but it was still amazing. Used 1 cup of split lentils (moong and masoor mix), frozen chopped spinach. and closer to 1.5 t of salt.
Sylvia says
I don't have an instant pot, can I still do this recipe. It looks delicious !!!
Archana says
Yes you can! Cook on medium heat covered until rice and lentils are soft and mushy. You may need extra water.
Manal says
I had a bad day and made this for dinner. It cured my bad day. Lots of respect and love for you Archana, for the amazing comforting content you put out there.
Elisabet says
I have been making this in the smaller instant pot ever since I saw this recipe! What goes in it totally depends on what's at hand. It's especially good with short grain brown rice.
For a 3 Qt (small) Instant Pot, you can use one rice measure, aka go, aka 3/4 cup, of rice, and the same amount of lentils, 2-4 cups of veg, and water up to the 1/2 fill line. I cook down vegetables (especially tomatoes) some before adding water up to the line.
When the kid is home from college, we have him bring his big Instant Pot and just double everything (2 rice measures each of rice and of mixed lentils), again topping with water to the fill line after everything else is in. It always comes out fine.
If I have extra tomatoes from the garden (believe it or not, right now in Texas!) I chop those up, otherwise I usually use a can of diced and count that as liquid.
Lately I've been adding about 1/8 teaspoon of asafetida (hing) in with the cumin seeds - I can't recommend this enough! Sometimes I add coriander, or garam masala, use pepper flakes (even Aleppo), use fresh hot peppers (if there are some from the garden), whatever is at hand or I'm in the mood for.
I often use Trader Joe's Coconut Aminos instead of salt at the end.
Thank you so much for this recipe! It's become a staple. And like soup, it's always good, no matter what goes in!
Archana says
Thank you for your detailed response! I am so happy to see you have adapted this recipe so well and is now on your repeat menu. This is comfort food at its best and so healthy and quick too!
Julie says
I am making this for the third time tonight - my children keep requesting it, and it is so easy to make and a joy to eat! Thank you for this simple, satisfying recipe!
Denisha says
This recipe is so delicious , so so good it has become staple for weekly menu .. love it
Emily says
Question: is the ginger powdered or chopped fresh ginger root?
Archana says
Fresh ginger is finely grated.
Jina Patel says
I’ve made khichidi so many times and some reason or another the taste is too bland compared to my mom’s or SOMETHING is missing. I am proud to say that this recipe brought a smile to my husband’s face and I’m genuinely so proud of you for sharing this recipe for new cooks like me! As an American Indian trying to stay with my roots without getting overwhelmed in the kitchen, I appreciate this!
Soniya says
I have tried it for dinner. I loved the recipe. Can it good for weight loss and is it good to eat everyday in dinner. In weight loss journey.
Archana says
Thank you for the feedback. I am so glad you enjoyed the flavors. You should check with a nutritionist to get accurate information on a weight loss diet.
Rose says
This is a superb recipe! I just have a question. My husband is on a keto diet. Could you give me the measures and times to cook this with cauliflower rice (frozen/fresh grated- either one) instead of regular rice? Thanks!
Archana says
Thank you, Rose. Have you seen my cauliflower rice chicken biryani recipe? I would follow those cooking times and probably just cook on the stove top with added veggies instead of chicken.
Tara Kumar says
Hi Archana- I am going to try this for my fam. Wondering if I can do half quinoa and half rice1 will that impact anything?
Archana says
Yes you can do that and follow the remaining recipe as is.
rishi says
I truly believe i have made this recipe around 50 times. never left a review until now. my go to meal.
additions I make: cashew hing and mustard seeds to the seasoning.
thanks so much, im not even joking my friends know my cooking for the kichidi
Archana Mundhe says
Wow, 50 times—that’s amazing! I’m so glad this recipe has become your go-to meal. Adding cashew, hing, and mustard seeds to the seasoning sounds delicious—I might have to try that myself! Thank you for taking the time to leave a review, and I’m thrilled that your friends recognize your cooking for the khichdi. That’s the best compliment!
Heather says
Excellent recipe, thank you! We have a Dream Cooker, which doesn't have a Rice setting, so I did it on pressure cook medium for 12 minutes.
Archana Mundhe says
That was a great call! I am glad you enjoyed this family recipe.
Protima Advani says
Hi,
Could I make the same with quinoa? What would be the water to quinoa and dal proportion? Also would the cooking time change? Thanks
Archana Mundhe says
Yes! You can absolutely make it with quinoa. Just make sure to reduce the water to 4 cups instead of 6 cups.