Let’s get into more about instant khichdi

Now instant khichdi just requires some rice and dal, preferably yellow moong dal, that is pre-roasted. This is great to prepare and keep handy when you are planning for a long journey, travelling with babies or toddlers, going out of the country to study or work and craving a home-cooked meal or being a full-time working parent. Though a plethora of ready-made packets of instant khichdi mix are available in the market today, why not make a nourishing and hygienic instant khichdi mix at home that can be easily stored for months in the refrigerator? 

Cooking up an instant khichdi on an induction cooktop

Using a pre-roasted mix is the key to this instant khichdi, which can be quickly cooked via an induction cooktop. Induction cooktops use electromagnetic coils that are topped with a ceramic plate to pass heat to the cookware being used. The magnetic force of the coils shoots currents onto the metal (steel or iron) and flat-bottomed cookware heating it quickly and evenly. Benefits of induction cooking include fast cooking, as heat is directly transferred to the cookware with little to no loss of heat. You can adjust the heat, which happens instantly, allowing you to heat or cool quickly as per your requirement. Better yet, these induction cooktops come portable as well, there is no risk of fire, lightweight, easy to clean, and takes up less space. What better way to cook an instant khichdi, especially when you are on the go?

Ingredients 

Instant Khichdi Mix

  • 2 cups rice
  • 1.5 cup yellow moong dal  
  • ½ tsp hing
  • ¾ tsp turmeric powder

Whilst making khichdi

  • Salt (as per your taste)
  • 1 tsp Ghee

Instructions 

How to make instant khichdi mix:

  • Wash and soak 2 cups of rice with 1.5 cups of yellow moong dal in water for 20-30 minutes. 
  • Remove all water and dry the rice and yellow moong dal on a cloth under the sun or fan for 3-4 hours. 
  • Heat a pan on low heat. 
  • Add in the dried rice and dal with turmeric powder and hing.
  • Roast for about 5 minutes on low heat. Notice that the rice will become puff up and become shiny. 
  • Turn off the heat and cool the mixture completely
  • Add this mixture to an air-tight container or zip-lock bag to store and use later.

Making instant khichdi with an induction cooktop:

Also Read

Havells Alloy Stainless Steel Insta Cook PT 1600-Watt Induction Cooktop (Assorted Color)
Buy Now
  

  • Place the flat-bottomed pot over the induction cooktop
  • Turn on the induction cooktop and set it on low or medium heat 
  • Add 2-3 cups of water and cover the pan to allow the water to boil
  • After the water boils, add in the instant khichdi mix. 
  • Add salt to your liking. 
  • Cover and let it cook on low heat. 
  • Check after 10 minutes for the consistency 
  • Add more water (only if required)
  • Cook until your desired consistency, and the dal and rice have completely softened. 
  • Top it with ghee for a richer taste. 
  • Serve immediately

Notes 

  • Making this for a baby? You can grind the prepared mix in a mixer-grinder to a powdered form. Sieve it to remove any thick grains that have remained and then store it. Also, skip adding any salt. 
  • Pressure cooker: There are induction cooktop-compatible pressure cookers, which will help you cook your khichdi faster. Use medium heat setting. As induction cooking is quick, mix everything before turning on your induction cooktop and cook it for about 3 whistles.  
  • Ghee: Even known as clarified butter, is the key ingredient for this dish. Khichdi is always made with ghee. It helps with digestion and offers a rich taste to your khichdi.
  • Dal: Yellow moong dal (split yellow gram), which is used in this recipe is the most common dal used for khichdi. You can also use toor dal (pigeon pea lentils), masoor dal (red lentils), green moong dal (split green gram) or a mix of all.

Variations

Masala instant khichdi mix: 

  • Heat pan and add chopped ginger. Roast till it dries completely, remove from the plate and keep it aside.
  • Heat ghee and add whole spices such as peppercorns, cloves, cinnamon, and green cardamom. Sauté for some time. 
  • Add in cumin and mustard seeds. Once the cumin splutters, add whole red chillies, roasted ginger, curry leaves, and hing. Sauté for some more time. 
  • Add in the soaked and dried rice and dal (of your preferred choice). Mix that in for 5 minutes. 
  • Add turmeric powder. Mix it in and then turn off the heat to cool this mixture completely. 
  • Store this prepared mixture.

Vegetable Khichdi: 


  • Add vegetables to your instant khichdi mix when cooking. Onions, tomatoes, and carrots take less time to cook and work well when on a time crunch or on the go. 
  • Simply add ghee to the pot and add in the chopped small onion. Sauté well till it’s golden brown. 
  • Add in carrots and sauté again and then add tomatoes. Add a little salt and cook till the tomatoes are soft. 
  • Then add in your prepared instant khichdi mix, salt, and water and cover the pot to cook.  
  • Top off with a tsp of ghee when serving

Do try the recipe and share your thoughts in the comments below.