Vegetable Khichdi is a very flavourful rice dish, one that is supremely comforting and satisfying. It is just the perfect thing for the chilly winter days we are having right now. It is not very difficult to put together, and makes for an excellent choice for lunch or dinner.
In today’s post, I am going to share with you all the way I make Vegetable Khichdi at home.
What goes into my Vegetable Khichdi or Mixed Vegetable Toor Dal Khichdi
Rice, toor dal and vegetables are the major components of this khichdi. I prefer using Sona Masoori or Basmati rice in this dish, but other varieties can be used too. I use vegetables like tomato, onion, beans, carrot, capsicum and green peas.
A mix of garam masala and chana masala add flavour to this khichdi, as does the jaggery, lemon juice and kasoori methi I add to it. I use home-made garam masala and chana masala.
The khichdi is tempered at the very end, with crushed garlic added to the regular suspects like mustard, cumin and asafoetida. The fried garlic takes the flavour (and fragrance) quotient of the khichdi high, high up!
Other khichdi recipes on the blog
I absolutely love such delicious khichdi, and have several recipes on my blog already. You guys should check out this Moong Dal Khichdi With Kale, this Gujarati Vaghareli Khichdi, and this Broccoli & Baby Corn Khichdi. If you have any khichdi left over, you must definitely try out this delicious Buttermilk Khichdi!
On that note, my fellow food blogger Sujata Ji’s Bengali Sabur Khichdi sounds super interesting – can’t wait to try it out!
How to make Vegetable Khichdi or Mixed Vegetable Toor Dal Khichdi
Here’s how I make the khichdi.
Do not get intimidated by the seemingly long list of ingredients or the lengthy proceedure. The steps are fairly easy to follow, I assure you.
Ingredients (serves 4):
1. 3/4 cup rice
2. 1/4 cup toor dal
3. 1 medium-sized onion
4. 2 green chillies
5. A 1-inch piece of ginger
6. 7-8 beans
7. 1 medium-sized carrot
8. A big handful of green peas
9. 1 small capsicum
10. 1 medium-sized tomato
11. 5-6 cloves of garlic
12. 1/2 tablespoon + 1/2 tablespoon oil
13. Salt to taste
14. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
15. Red chilli powder to taste
16. 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
17. 1/2 teaspoon chana masala
18. 3/4 tablespoon jaggery powder
19. Juice of 1/2 lemon or to taste
20. 3/4 tablespoon kasoori methi
21. 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh coriander
22. 1 tablespoon ghee
23. 3/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
24. 3/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
25. 2 pinches of asafoetida
26. 2 dry red chillies
Method:
1. Wash the rice thoroughly under running water. Drain out all the water. Take the washed and drained rice in a wide vessel and add in 2-1/2 cups of water. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker. Allow 4 whistles on high flame. Let the pressure release naturally.
2. Similarly, wash the toor dal thoroughly. Drain out the water and place in a wide vessel. Add in just enough water to cover the toor dal fully. Place the vessel in a pressure cooker. Allow 6-7 whistles on high flame for the toor dal to cook well. Let the pressure release naturally.
3. Peel the onion and chop finely. Peel the ginger and chop finely too. Slit the green chillies length-wise. Keep aside.
4. Next, prep the vegetables that will go into the khichdi. Peel the carrot and chop into small cubes. Remove strings from the beans and chop finely. Get the green peas ready. Remove the core and seeds from the capsicum, and chop finely. Take the carrot, beans, green peas and capsicum in a wide vessel. Add in about 2 tablespoons of water and place the vessel in a pressure cooker. Allow 2 whistles on high flame. Let the pressure release naturally.
5. Chop the tomato finely. Keep aside.
6. Peel the garlic cloves. Crush them roughly, using a mortar and pestle. Keep aside.
7. When the pressure from the cooker has completely gone down, get the cooked rice, toor dal and vegetables out. Mash the cooked toor dal roughly and keep aside.
8. Heat 1/2 tablespoon oil in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add in the chopped onion. Turn the flame down to medium. Saute on medium flame for about 2 minutes or till the onion starts browning.
9. At this stage, add the chopped tomato to the pan, along with the finely chopped ginger, slit green chillies, a bit of salt and a little water. Cook on medium flame for 3-4 minutes or till the tomatoes turn mushy.
10. Add in the cooked vegetables, along with the water they were cooked in. Continue to keep the flame at medium.
11. Almost immediately, add in the cooked toor dal and rice, along with about 3/4 cup of water to adjust the consistency of the khichdi. Mix well.
12. Add in salt and red chilli powder to taste, as well as the turmeric powder.
13. Add in the garam masala, chana masala and jaggery powder. Mix well.
14. Cook everything on medium flame for about 5 minutes. Stir intermittently. If the mixture gets too thick, you can add in a little more water. Switch off gas when the mixture has thickened up, but is still on the runnier side – remember that it will thicken up more on cooling.
15. Add in the lemon juice.
16. Crush the kasoori methi roughly between the palms of your hands. Add this to the pan.
17. Add in the finely chopped coriander. Mix well.
18. Lastly, prepare the tempering for the khichdi. Heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil and the ghee together in a small tempering pan. Add in the mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Now, add in the asafoetida, cumin seeds, dry red chillies and the crushed garlic. Turn the flame down to low-medium. Let the garlic cook and brown, a few seconds. Take care not to let the ingredients burn. When the garlic is cooked, switch off gas and add this tempering to the khichdi in the other pan. Mix well. Your Vegetable Khichdi is ready. Keep the pan covered for 7-10 minutes, then it is ready to serve. Serve it hot with raita of your choice.
Tips & Tricks
1. Vegetables like carrot, green peas, beans and capsicum go best in this khichdi. I prefer sticking to these vegetables only. You can increase the quantity of vegetables too, if you so prefer.
2. Make sure the toor dal is well cooked and soft, before using it in making the Vegetable Khichdi.
3. Adjust the amount of water you use, depending upon the consistency of the Vegetable Khichdi you require.
4. Amchoor powder can be used in place of the lemon juice.
5. I have used Sona Masoori rice here. Basmati rice goes well in this khichdi too.
6. Adjust the amount of chana masala and garam masala as per personal taste preferences.
7. Do not skip the jaggery. It does not make the Vegetable Khichdi overly sweet, but balances the other flavours beautifully.
8. You may skip the onion and garlic if you do not prefer using them. Personally, though, I would highly recommend using the garlic. The fried garlic in the tempering elevates the taste of the Vegetable Khichdi to a whole new level.
9. Make sure the ingredients in the tempering do not burn. At the same time, it is important that the garlic is well cooked and browned – if it stays raw, it will adversely impact the taste of the khichdi.
10. Stop cooking the Vegetable Khichdi when it is still runny. It thickens up quite a bit with time.
11. I have used a mix of oil and ghee in the tempering, here. You may use only oil or ghee instead.
12. I cook the rice, vegetables and toor dal separately because each of these have different cooking times. I’m not happy with the taste and texture of pressure-cooker khichdi where everything is cooked together.
13. The above recipe is completely vegetarian, but not vegan (plant-based) due to the use of ghee. If you plan to prepare a vegan version, skip the ghee and use only oil instead. Personally for me, though, the ghee is a must.
14. If you want to make a gluten-free version of this recipe, simply skip the asafoetida used in the tempering. Most Indian brands of asafoetida contain wheat flour, and are therefore best avoided when following a gluten-free diet. However, if you can find 100% gluten-free asafoetida, you can definitely use it.
Did you like this recipe? Do tell me, in your comments!
The World Through My Eyes 
Mixed Vegetable Kichdi using Toor dal sounds so filling and comforting. The final tempering of the khichdi makes it all the more tempting !
LikeLike
@poonampagar
Thank you so much! 😊
LikeLike
Wow Priya mixed vegetable khichdi sounds so comforting and mouthwatering. All the vegetables and spices made this khichdi so inviting. I would love to have it with some papad and eggplant fry.
LikeLike
@Batter Up With Sujata
Thank you so much! 😊 You made my day with this kind comment of yours!
LikeLike
Love this recipe. I always have
LikeLike
@Kalani M
Thank you!
LikeLike
Khichdi made with any dal is always a comforting meal . This Toor Dal khichdi looks so inviting with the tadka on the top.. Would love to have it any day with it’s 4 yaar(companions) ..dahi, papad,achar and salad!!
LikeLike
@FoodTrails
Thank you so much, Swaty. 😊 So glad you liked the recipe.
LikeLike
Mix vegetable khichdi with toor dal is so comforting to enjoy in this cold weather. I love khichdi anytime .Tadka makes it even more tempting.
LikeLike
@preethi76
Thank you so much, Preethi! 🙂 Glad you liked the recipe.
LikeLike