Khichdi, a soft and mushy rice and lentil dish, is comfort food for many Indians, and that includes me too. There are many different ways of making Khichdi across India, one among them being this Vaghareli Khichdi I’m going to talk about today.
What is Vaghareli Khichdi?
Vaghareli Khichdi is commonly prepared in Gujarati households, using rice and split moong beans with the green skin on (chilka moong). These moong beans with skin are considered to be highly nutritious, and so is this khichdi. This one-pot khichdi is a complete meal in itself.
‘Vaghar‘ in Gujarati refers to ‘tempering’ or ‘tadka‘. ‘Vaghareli Khichdi‘ this refers to a type of Gujarati khichdi which is served with the tempering on top. Mustard and cumin seeds, asafoetida and dry red chillies are tempered in ghee, which then goes atop this khichdi, taking its flavour quotient up by several notches.
Easy to cook and digest, Vaghareli Khichdi aka Gujarati Khichdi is a delicious thing, ideal for when you are feeling down in the dumps physically or mentally. No wonder I have been turning to it quite often lately, when India is reeling under a brutal second wave of the Corona virus, leaving tonnes of grief and heartache in its wake. Sigh!
Vaghareli Khichdi aka Gujarati Khichdi recipe
Here is how to go about it.
Ingredients (serves 4):
- 1 cup rice
- 1/2 cup split moong dal with skin (chilka moong)
- 1 medium-sized tomato
- 1 medium-sized onion
- 1/2 tablespoon oil
- Salt to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon garam masala
- Red chilli powder to taste
- 1-1/2 tablespoons ghee
- 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
- 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 2 pinches of asafoetida
- 2-3 dry red chillies
- Juice of 1/2 lemon (optional)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped coriander
Method:
1. Chop the tomato and onion finely. Keep aside.
2. Wash the rice and split moong dal under running water. Drain out all the water. Keep aside.
3. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker bottom. Add in the onion. Saute on medium flame for about a minute or till the onion starts turning brown.
4. Add in the chopped tomatoes, along with a little water and salt. Cook on medium flame for 1-2 minutes or till the tomatoes turn mushy.
5. Add in the washed and drained rice and moong dal. Saute on medium flame for a few seconds.
6. Add in 5 cups of water. Also add in salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and garam masala. Mix well.
7. Close the pressure cooker and put the whistle on. Turn the flame to high.
8. Allow 4 whistles on high flame. Let the pressure release naturally. Wait for 5-7 minutes to open the cooker, then gently fluff up the rice. If you want the khichdi to be more runny, add in 1-1/2 to 2 cups of water and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then, switch off gas.
9. Mix in the lemon juice (if using) and finely chopped coriander.
10. Heat the ghee in a small tempering pan. Add in the mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Now add in the cumin seeds, asafoetida and dry red chillies. Allow them to stay in for a couple of seconds. Now add this tempering to the rice and mix well. Your Vaghareli Khichdi is ready. Serve hot with curd/raita.
Tips & Tricks
1. I have used Sona Masoori rice here. You may use any variety of rice that you prefer.
2. You may omit the onion if you do not want to use it.
3. Adjust the quantity of garam masala depending upon personal taste preferences. The same goes for red chilli powder. You may use slit green chillies instead of the red chilli powder.
4. You may substitute the garam masala with whole spices used in the tempering – cinnamon, cloves, whole black pepper, bay leaves and the like.
5. Adjust the quantity of water you use, depending upon the consistency of the khichdi you require.
6. If you don’t have chilka moong, you may use regular split moong dal instead. However, chilka moong is the specialty of this khichdi.
7. You may add some finely chopped garlic to the tempering, too. A pinch of red chilli powder can be added too. Here I have not used either of these ingredients.
8. The lemon juice is optional, but I love using it. It adds a beautiful light tanginess and oodles of flavour to the khichdi.
9. I have used a large 7-1/2 litre pressure cooker to make this khichdi.
10. This is a vegetarian recipe, but NOT vegan or plant-based because of the use of ghee. If you want to make this khichdi vegan, please skip the ghee used in the tempering and use oil instead.
11. If you want to make gluten-free Vaghareli Khichdi, skip the asafoetida used in the tempering. Most Indian brands of asafoetida contain wheat flour to a lesser or greater extent and are, hence, best avoided when one is following a gluten-free diet.
Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!
The World Through My Eyes 
This dish looks truly wonderful!
I hope you and your family are doing well during the pandemic.
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@Suko
Thank you so much! My family and I are doing okay, though India as a whole is suffering badly. We have already lost quite a few extended family members and friends to the pandemic. 😭
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