Khichdi, a vegetarian recipe from India

Name: Khichdi
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: India
Ingredients: 200 g white rice; 150 g skinned yellow moong dal; 1 tsp ground turmeric; 1 tsp cumin seeds; 3 cm piece of ginger, grated; A pinch of asafoetida labelled gluten free; 3 tbsp ghee; 1½ tsp salt; 1 green chilli, split; Chopped fresh coriander

Khichdi

Local name: खिचड़ी

This khichdi recipe cooks rice and moong lentils down together until soft, turned gold with turmeric and finished with cumin ghee.

Published on 8 February 2026·Updated on 26 September 2026

Gluten-free#rice#lentils#turmeric#comfort food#quick

Method

Rinse the rice and moong dal together until the water runs clear, then soak for 15 minutes and drain.
Heat 2 tbsp ghee in a heavy pot and crackle the cumin seeds with the asafoetida for 20 seconds.
Add the ginger and chilli, stir for 30 seconds, then tip in the drained rice and lentils and coat them in the fat.
Add the turmeric, salt and 1.1 litres of water, and bring to the boil.
Turn the heat to its lowest, cover, and cook for 20 to 25 minutes, stirring once halfway so nothing catches on the base.
The khichdi is ready when the grains have collapsed into something close to a loose risotto; loosen with hot water if needed.
Finish with the last spoon of ghee and the coriander, and serve very hot with yoghurt.

Khichdi is what gets cooked in India when someone is tired or unwell, kept barely spiced so it is easy to digest. Swap the ghee for coconut oil to make it vegan.

The techniques this recipe uses

Drain and rinse
Canning liquid clouds a sauce and salts it blind: rinse until the water runs clear.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make it vegan?

Swap the ghee for coconut oil, both for the initial cumin tempering and for the final spoonful. Then serve with a plant yoghurt rather than dairy.

What is the asafoetida doing?

A pinch dropped into the hot ghee with the cumin seeds adds an allium note and helps make the pulses easier to digest, which matters in a dish made precisely for people who are unwell. Without it khichdi is still good, just flatter.

What texture am I aiming for?

The grains should be collapsed and the whole thing close to a loose risotto, not separate grains of rice. If it tightens too much during the 20 to 25 minutes, add hot water until it loosens again.

Anti-inflammatory diet: what goes on the plate

The anti-inflammatory diet without a list of forbidden foods: the compounds actually studied, and existing dishes that already bring them together.

Rice and beans, the dish everyone invented

Why the same rice and pulse pairing turns up on every continent, and what each kitchen added to it on its own.

Indian vegetarian cooking, where to begin

Learn the north-south divide, the tadka technique and the spices worth buying first so you can cook Indian food without meat.

Khichdi

Method

The techniques this recipe uses

This recipe also appears in

Nutrition per serving

Frequently asked questions

Read more

Have you cooked this dish?

More recipes from India

Malai kofta

Vegetable pakoras

Chole bhature

Recipes in the same spirit