Dal Khichdi | Moong Dal Khichdi | Moong Dal Khichdi Recipe

Dal Khichdi | How to make Moong Dal Khichdi |  Moong Dal Khichdi Recipe | Indian Recipe

Over the past year and a half I have grown to like, love and enjoy cooking. Not just for the 'gram but as a therapy and a mode of relaxation too!

It is so true when people say, some food is more comforting than the others and that is why they are called COMFORT FOOD! I feel so accomplished when I can cook an Indian Recipe, successfully!

Recently and very often, I have been craving Dal Khichdi. I've tried making it a couple of times earlier and have always been disappointed with the texture. It is either too dry or the rice isn't mashed enough.

This particular time, I NAILED the Dal Khichdi / Moong Dal Khichdi (I think) and that is why I am confident enough to pen down the recipe here, for you. I did not want to have just the Dal Khichdi so I made a side of Palak to go with it. (I have hyperlinked the Palak recipe here.)

So let me tell you the whole process of getting this dish right!
Here we go.

WHAT YOU NEED FOR DAL KHICHDI | MOONG DAL KHICHDI 

• 1/2 cup moong dal
• 1/2 cup white rice (could be Basmati or Sona Masuri)
• 1 finely chopped onion (medium sized)
• 1 chopped tomato (medium sized)
• 1/2 inch ginger (greated or finely chopped) or One teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
• 3 dried red chillies (Byadgi chilli)
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera seeds)
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder ( haldi )
• Water (depending on the consistency of khichdi that you prefer)
• 1.5 table spoon of ghee/oil
• Salt 

PREPARATIONS FOR DAL KHICHDI | MOONG DAL KHICHDI

Thoroughly wash the Moong Dal and the Rice
Soak the moong dal and rice together for 30 minutes or more. I soaked the mixture in hot water and added some salt to the same.
Then drain and keep aside

ACTUALLY MAKING THE DAL KHICHDI | MOONG 

• Heat oil/ghee in a pressure cooker. 
• Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds and wait for them to splutter
• Then add in ginger-garlic paste
• Once the raw smell of the ginger-garlic paste is gone add the finely chopped onions and sautee them till they become translucent
• Then add the chopped tomatoes and the dried red chillies 
• Thoroughly stir this mixture
• Then add turmeric powder and saute till the tomatoes soften and become like a semi-paste.
• At this point, you can add the drained rice and moong dal mixture to the pressure cooker
• Stir for a minute. 
• Then add 3-4 cups of water depending on what consistency you refer for the khichdi. I prefer mine watery. 
• Season the entire mixture with salt (as per taste).
• Close the lid of the pressure cooker with the whistle and cook for about 6-7 whistles, on a high flame. 

You can check the consistency of the khichdi beyond this point. If you'd like it to be more watery, you can add more water to the cooker and stir.

Once the khichdi reaches the desired consistency you can turn off the stove and let it cool or eat it  hot from the pot.
You can top off your khichdi with hot ghee/clarified butter.

In my case, I wanted to eat the Dal Khichdi with Sides of Palak (Spinach).

While my Khichdi was cooking in the pressure cooker I was cooking the Palak on the side.

You can either have it as sides or mix it with the khichdi and call it Dal-Palak Khichdi.