Urad Dal Khichdi is a one pot meal made with split black urad dal, basmati rice and spices like cumin seeds & cloves. With a bowl of yogurt, side of aloo bharta, achar(spicy pickle), dollops of ghee and crisp papad, it is a comfort food any time of the day.
This khichdi is gluten free and (easily made)vegan dish. You can make it in pressure cooker, on stove top or in Instant pot.
In Indian cuisine, khichdi is a staple and regarded a complete meal. It is made with lentils, rice and minimal spices and has a porridge like consistency. I love making khichdi every now and then and have a few recipes in my repertoire such as yellow moong dal khichdi and masoor dal khichdi.
This humble urad dal khichdi is also served on festival of Makar Sankrati in some regions of India, the festival itself is called as 'Khichdi". Makar Sankranti falls during winter harvest time and khichdi is considered the best way to showcase thankfulness and celebrate the bounty we receive from Mother Earth.
About My Recipe
Kali Urad Dal Ki Khichdi
In our home, it is a tradition to make urad dal khichdi on Makar Sankranti. The festival of Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of Hindu new year as per the hindi solar calendar. In different parts of India, it is celebrated as Lohri, Pongal, Bihu etc and is associated with unique regional food dishes.
Black urad dal khichdi is very common on Makar Sankranti in north Indian states of Uttar Pradesh and Himachal pradesh.Every home has their own way of making khichdi. Here are a few notes about my recipe:-
- Since I usually make khichdi in a small quantity, I prefer making it on stove similar to how my grandmother cooked. Cooking on stove does need a bit of baby sitting, however the texture and taste makes it totally worth it. The khichdi has a perfect porridge consistency without being gloppy. If you cooking it for a large family or group, definitely use the instant pot or pressure cooker and save time.
- I keep khichdi recipes minimally spiced so that the taste of lentils shines. In my opinion, the spices should perfume the khichdi in addition to adding subtle flavor without overpowering the mellow taste of dal and rice.
- Instead of 1:1 ratio, I like to use more quantity of lentils than rice when I am making khichdi simply because I really want a prominent taste of dal.
Ingredients
- Dhuli Urad Dal Chilka- It is the split urad dal (black gram dal). Urad dal (black gram dal) comes in 3 different varieties, please see the picture above for the one we need for this recipe.
- Rice - Urad lentils take a while to cook so you want to use a rice that can stand up to that extra time of cooking without getting overcooked. Dont use short grain rice, either long grain or medium grain rice is good.
- Whole Spices - Cloves, bay leaf, black cardamom and cumin seeds.
- Other Ingredients - Ginger, hing, desi ghee and salt.
Substitutes
- If you cannot find dhuli urad dal, use green moong dal (split/whole) or chana dal (bengal gram lentils). You could also use black lentils found in American grocery stores.
- There is no substitute for black cardamom. You can add few adds of green cardamom, however its taste and aroma is sweeter than the woody black cardamom.
- Use any plant based/vegan cooking oil instead of ghee for a vegan version.
- You could use brown rice instead of white rice.
How to Make Sankranti Khichdi (Stepwise Pictures)
You can make khichdi in pressure cooker or instant pot. I make it on stove.
- Start by wash both urad lentils and rice 3-4 times under running water.
- Soak the lentils and rice for at least 20 minutes in room temperature water. I soak it for as long as I can - up to an hour is good!) If I am making khichdi for lunchtime, I soak it around breakfast time.
- In a wide heavy bottom pot or iron kadai, melt the ghee over medium heat.
- Temper the ghee with hing, whole spices and ginger. Saute for a few second until fragrant taking care not to burn.
- Add the soaked lentils and rice (without the water). Toast with the ghee and spices for a minute or so. At this point you could add a bit of turmeric powder if you wish.
- Add cups of water to cover the lentils and rice (roughly 1.5 inch above the surface). Now add fresh crushed black pepper and salt. Taste.
Pro Tip :- The water should taste sharp salty right now for a well seasoned khichdi.
- Bring to a boil. Then, set the stove to low and let the khichdi cook for about 25 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft. You will need to check from time to time, stir and adjust the water quantity (use hot water) as needed. Make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of pot. Alternatively, you could cook the khichdi in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.
Note :- The consistency of khichdi is not set in stone. It depends on personal preferences. I like a semi thick consistency khichdi. Many people (including my mom) like a fluffy (khili hui khichdi). Adjust the consistency as desired.
- Once the khichdi is cooked, mix in the chopped cilantro and serve with a dollop of ghee.
Pro Tip :- You could make an easy tempering (tadka) for topping for this delicious khichdi. Simply crackle 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2-3 dried red chillies in 2-3 tablespoon ghee.
Serving Suggestion
In words of my grandmother "Khichdi maange cheeze chaar- mooli, ghee, dahi, achar".
In india we say that a main course khichdi meal calls for 4 mandatory things/sides namely fresh radishes, ghee, a bowl of plain yogurt and a spicy pickle(like this). You could serve side dishes like dahi baigan or bharta on the side too. Enjoy!
Some Tips
- Use recently purchased urad dal. Lentils lying around for more than 3-4 months have harder skins and the taste is along bland.
- Black Urad dal has a long cooking time compared to yellow lentils and soaking softens the skin of lentils. Soaked lentils cook evenly and taste great. Even if you are using a pressure cooker to cook the khichdi, I recommend soaking for at least 20 minutes.
- Fresh ginger is one of the key flavors in this khicdhi, use less quantity if you dont like its however dont skip it.
- Stirring the khichdi while it cooks makes it creamier since the starches in lentils and rice are released.
- Don't skimp on ghee.
Recipe
Urad Dal Khichdi
Ingredients
- 1 cup urad dal chilka split black urad lentils
- ⅔ cup rice
- 4 tablespoon ghee
- 2 small black cardamom
- ¼ teaspoon hing
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 4 cloves
- 1 large bay leaf
- 2 inch ginger julienne
- 1.25 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper fresh ground
- 3-5 cups water adjust according to desired consistency
- Chopped cilantro to garnish
Instructions
- Start by washing both urad lentils and rice 3-4 times under running water. Soak the lentils and rice for at least 20 minutes in room temperature water. I soak it for as long as I can up to an hour is good!) If I am making khichdi for lunchtime, I soak it around breakfast time.
- In a wide heavy bottom pot or iron kadai, melt the ghee over medium heat. Temper the ghee with hing, whole spices and ginger. Saute for a few second until fragrant taking care not to burn.
- Add the soaked lentils and rice (without water). Toast with the ghee and spices for a minutes or so. At this point you could add a bit of turmeric powder if you wish.
- Add 3 cups of water to begin with. The water level should be roughly 1.5 inch above the surface of rice and lentils. Add fresh crushed black pepper and salt. Taste. Pro Tip :- The water should taste sharp salty right now for a well seasoned khichdi.
- Bring to a boil. Then, set the stove to low and let the khichdi cook for about 25 to 40 minutes or until the lentils are soft. You will need to check from time to time, stir and adjust the water quantity (use hot water) as needed. Make sure nothing is sticking to the bottom of pot. Note :- The consistency of khichdi depends on personal preferences. I like a semi thick consistency of this khichdi. Many people (including my mom) like a fluffy (khili hui khichdi). Adjust the consistency as desired by adding water. Alternatively, you could cook the khichdi in a pressure cooker for 3-4 whistles.
- Once the khichdi is cooked, It would have a velvety porridge like consistency. Mix in the chopped cilantro and serve with a dollop of ghee. Pro Tip :- You could make an easy tempering (tadka) for topping this delicious khichdi. Simply crackle 1 teaspoon cumin seeds and 2-3 dried red chillies in 2-3 tablespoon ghee.
Notes
- Use recently purchased urad dal.Lentils lying around for more than 3-4 months have harder skins and the taste is along bland.
- Fresh ginger is one of the key flavors in this khicdhi, use less quantity if you dont like its however dont skip it.
- Stirring the khichdi while it cooks makes it creamier since the starches in lentils and rice are released.
- Dont skimp on ghee.
- Substitutes
- If you cannot find dhuli urad dal, use green moong dal (split/whole) or chana dal(bengal gram lentils). You could also use black lentils found in American grocery stores.
- There is no substitute for black cardamom. You can add few adds of green cardamom, however its taste and aroma is sweeter than the woody black cardamom.
- Use any plant based/vegan cooking oil instead of ghee for a vegan version.
- You could use brown rice instead of white rice.
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