Khichdi is an Indian dish typically consisting of rice, lentils (dal) and vegetables. For me it is comfort food. It is what I crave when I’m unwell, or if I’ve been on the road for a few days. Nothing like a bowl of warm khichdi along with some yogurt on the side.
While khichdi is typically made with rice and lentils, I decided to swap out the rice for a healthier alternative – quinoa! The quinoa added in extra protein and fibre, helped to cut out the carbs and boy it tastes so gooood!!! I love to load it up with a lot veggies for that extra nutrition boost.
This quinoa khichdi recipe also got me re-connected to an old friend, Dhaval. We grew up in the same building community in Bombay and recently reconnected over our shared passion for cooking. Dhaval is all about taking traditional Indian recipes and giving it a modern twist and plating it in the most gorgeous manner. You can follow all his beautiful creations at @chefhusband on Instagram. Below is his drool worthy take of the quinoa khichdi. He paired the quinoa khichdi with grilled onions and eggplant in a cilantro and coconut marination and potato crisps. Served with pea puree, beetroot chutney and yogurt!
Quinoa Khichdi
Equipment
- Instant pot
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp ghee
- 1/2 tsp cumin seed
- 2 small sticks cinnamon
- 3 buds cloves
- 1 star anise
- 2 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
- 1 tbsp finely chopped garlic
- 1/2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 1 tomato, finely chopped
- 1.5 cups vegetable of your choice cut into small bite size pieces (I used carrots, green beans and pea)
- 1 tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp cumin powder
- 1 tsp coriander powder
- 1/2 tsp asafoetida (hing)
- 1/2 cup quinoa
- 1/2 cup cup yellow lentil (yellow moong daal)
- 1/2 cup mix of cilantro and mint, roughly chopped
Instructions
- Set the Instant Pot to saute mode.
- Once warm, add the ghee to the pot. Add all your whole spices (cumin seeds, bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, cardamom, star anise) and hing. Sauté for a few minutes until the oil has a fragrance of the spices.
- Add onion, garlic and ginger. Mix it well.
- Now add the hing, cumin powder, turmeric and coriander powder. Let's it cook for 2-3 minutes until the onions soften. Season with salt at this point.
- Add tomatoes and cook for another 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes let out water. Add all your vegetables and give it a good mix.
- Add the quinoa and lentils. Add about 2-3 cups of water. The water level should be 1/2 inch above the level of the quinoa and lentil blend.
- Set the Instant Pot to manual, high pressure for 5 minutes.
- Once cooked, vent out all the air before opening. Top with a ton of fresh cilantro and mint.
- Mix well and serve with yogurt or pickle.
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