Ingredients
Method
- Rinse the rice and dal together until the water is clear.
- Heat 1 tbsp ghee in a pressure cooker, add cumin, asafoetida, ginger and chilli, then the rice and dal.
- Add turmeric, salt and water. Pressure cook for 4 whistles, or simmer covered in a pot for about 30 minutes until soft and porridge-like.
- Stir, adjust with hot water, and finish with the rest of the ghee. Serve with yogurt, pickle and papad.
The spices that matter
The most common first spice in a tadka: crackle the seeds in hot oil or ghee before adding onions, dal or vegetables. Roasted and ground, it goes int…
No cumin? Caraway or shahi jeera are the closest whole-seed swaps. For ground cumin, use a little extra ground coriander with a pinch of chilli.
A pinch goes into almost every dal, sabzi and curry, usually with the onions or straight into the dal as it boils. Fresh turmeric root is pickled in …
No turmeric? There is no real substitute for flavour. For colour only, a tiny pinch of saffron or Kashmiri chilli changes the shade, but not the taste.
A pinch in hot oil is the base of dal tadka, sambar, kadhi and many Jain and Brahmin dishes that use no onion or garlic.
No asafoetida? A little garlic and onion powder together give a similar savoury effect.
Nice to have
Salt, oil or ghee, onions, ginger, garlic and fresh herbs are assumed. See how to make a tadka for the order to add whole spices.
Dishes with similar spices
Frequently asked questions
How long does khichdi take to make?
About 5 minutes to prepare and 25 minutes to cook.
What spices are in khichdi?
The essentials are cumin, turmeric, asafoetida. Nice to have: black pepper, cloves, indian bay leaf.
Tips from travellers
Use Khichdi differently at home? Share your tip. The first good one goes right here.