This one-pot Vaghareli Khichdi is a blend of rice, lentils, and spices that gives you deliciously aromatic and healthy South Asian comfort food. It is the perfect dish to boost your immune system and give you one big hug in a bowl.
As it starts to get cold and winter rounds the corner, stuffy noses and common colds are on their way. It seems almost unavoidable to get sick around this time of year, but as always, food can make you feel better whether you’re already sick or feeling like you need an immune boost.
For me – and many South Asians – the go-to comfort food for when you’re feeling under the weather is khichdi.
Khichdi is a savory porridge made of rice and lentils that is packed with carbohydrates, proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and so much more! In other words, it is the dish that protects your immune system and prevents you from getting sick.
Nearly every region in India has its own variation of khichdi, and growing up in a Gujurati household, my mom would whip up a big pot of Vaghareli Khichdi, or Masala Khichdi, almost once a week.
Honestly, my mom made it so often that I got sick of eating it. It wasn’t until I got married and moved away from my family that I realized how much I took my mom’s food for granted.
After eating pasta, pizza, and all the carbs you can think of, my husband and I began craving some feel-good, good-for-you, homemade Gujurati food that wasn’t too hard to make. Really, we just wanted something that would make us feel closer to home.
Khichdi was the perfect answer because it is so easy to make. You can make it in one pot and both making and eating it is completely mess-free.
I will admit, though, the first time I made this, it was indeed a mess. I had to use my electric stove top and an old-school pressure cooker. I didn’t know how much time to keep it in for or how much water was enough, so I ended up with burnt, dry khichdi. Needless to say, that version was definitely not edible. 😅
But the first of anything is rarely perfect! That’s why I spent time perfecting a quick and easy Vaghareli Khichdi for you – so you don’t need to go through the trial and error yourself.
The best way to make this masala khichdi recipe is to use an Instant Pot. Not only is it much quicker, but it is also more efficient. You can keep your stovetop clean, and you don’t have to worry about over-boiling or undercooking. Most importantly, you can literally cook everything, add water, put the lid on, and walk away without a worry.
Why I Love This Khichdi Recipe
After a trip away from home – long or short – I always come home and make a big batch of this Vaghareli Khichdi. I always have all the ingredients on hand because almost all of them are pantry staples.
It’s also an easy recipe to make at the beginning of the week so you have it on hand to heat up for a quick, weeknight lunch or dinner. The best part is that this is one of the hands-down, most flexible recipes on my website.
You can add almost anything to it to make it your own. For instance, I like to occasionally add Chinese eggplant or tomatoes in small, bite-sized pieces. And in case you are missing some ingredients, you don’t even have to sweat it!
I once used a mixture of brown rice and quinoa because I was running low on basmati rice, and it wasn’t bad at all. (Be sure to add an additional ½ cup of water if you fully replace basmati rice with brown rice!) In fact, it makes for a healthier, more protein-packed meal.
The key is simply to get the spices right because that’s where the flavor lies. Don’t forget to taste for salt, because rice is always harder to season.
All in all, this Vaghareli Khichdi, or Masala Khichdi, recipe is a winter-time staple at the Patel household – and I hope it becomes a favorite in yours as well!
This quick, healthy South Asian dish is a one-pot mix of rice, lentils, and spices that takes just minutes to prepare in an Instant Pot.
Ingredients
Scale
3 tbsp oil
1 bay leaf
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies
1 tbsp peanuts
½ cinnamon stick
1 onion chopped
⅓ cup Green pigeon peas or lilva
¼ cup toor dal or split pigeon peas
1&½ cup rice washed
1 tbsp garlic paste grated
½ tbsp ginger paste grated
2 green chilies minced
1 tsp Turmeric
2 tsp garam masala
2 tsp thana jeeru (ground coriander)
2 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp salt (to taste)
2&½ cups water
¼ cup cilantro for garnish
Masala Chaas Ingredients:
1 cup yogurt
2 cups water
1/2 tbsp ghee
2 green chilies
1 garlic clove – cut into small pieces
1/2 tsp black mustard seeds
4 curry leaves
1 tsp chaat masala
2 tsp salt or to taste
2 tbsp cilantro
Instructions
Heat up the instant pot, put on sauté mode for 5 mins. Once it heats up it will say hot on the screen.
Add the oil, followed by all the whole spices, bay leaf, cumin seeds, dried red chilies, peanuts and cinnamon stick, cook for 1 min.
Next add the onions, and cook for 1-2 mins, followed by adding in the Green pigeon peas, toor dal and rice.
Add all your spices and seasonings, stir everything until it’s well combined. Add the water, out the lid on the Instant pot and close the valve. Press cancel on the screen and press pressure cook and arrange the cook time for 7 mins.
Once it’s cooked, you’ll see the valve go down (natural release) and you can garnish with cilantro and enjoy with chaas.
Masala Chaas:
In a bowl, mix the yogurt, water, salt and chaat masala, whisk everything together until you have a lump free mixture.
In a small pot, heat up the ghee on medium heat. Add the mustard seeds, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves. Cook for 1 min and turn off the heat.
Next add Chaas into the pot and mix in the cilantro. Stir and serve over the khichdi. Enjoy!
Prep Time:10
Cook Time:7
Category:Indian
Cuisine:Indian
Keywords: vaghareli khichdi, Masala khichdi, gujurati food
Just an East/West coast girl living the southern life. I love sharing all my tested and perfected recipes here, along with some travel guides and a little bit of my lifestyle
One reply on “Vaghareli Khichdi”
I used to make boring/plain Khichdi, until I started making it from your recipe!! Def tasted a lot better 😍😍