Vegetable Khichdi Delight : Spicy & Nourishing!

By Kritika Rana Jan 14, 20250

From Boring to Brilliant: How Spicy Vegetable Khichdi Became the Star of Comfort Food!

Vegetable Khichdi, a simple dish which originating from India, is basically a rice and lentil dish which is popular among many individuals. While this dish is quite basic and simple this can be a plus because one can easily add some touches to fit one’s preferences; add all sorts of fresh vegetables and spices and it turns into a comfort food. The most interesting one I came across is the spicy vegetable khichdi, where seasonal vegetables like carrots, peas, potatoes, beans, etc are put in which gives a nice color and instant nutritive value to the preparation. The spices include cumin, coriander, and garam masala and provide a warm spicy aroma to the dish that makes it out-of-this-world spectacular.

In fact, this dish assumes particular importance during Makar Sankranti. The related celebration is made for the harvest and for the start of the Sun’s motion into Capricorn signs and is associated with family gatherings and, of course, the festive meal. Even today across many regions and cultures of India, it is offered to the gods and consumed as the prasadam. In order to make the khichdi a little more special given the occasion, they include a bit of a spicy kick to it.

Whether it is hot steamed with some ghee, spicy pickle, or crispy papad, the vegetable khichdi can be relished best with family making Makar Sankranti special indeed. Here is the recipe to try on!

Ingredients

For Khichdi:

Rice – 1 cup (soaked)
Split green gram (moong dal) – 1/2 cup(soaked)
Water – 4 cups
Carrot – 1 cup, beans – 1 cup, peas – 1 cup, potato – 1 cup, chopped
Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp
Salt – to taste

For Tempering:

Ghee or oil – 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Bay leaf – 1
Dry red chili – 1
Green chili – 1-2, slit
Ginger – 1-inch piece, grated
Garlic – 4-5 cloves, minced
Onion, 1 medium size of it, the chopping should be small and fine.
Tomato – 1 medium, chopped
Red chili powder: The quantity of heat that one can bear in a food is different for everyone thus 1 tsp of red chili powder is added.
Garam masala – 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves – to decorate

Preparation time : 45 min

Soaking time: 15-20 min

Steps to make a spicy vegetable Khichdi:

STEP 1. Prepare the Rice and Lentils:

Rinse the rice and moong dal nicely in water and strain it out. Rinse twice with cold water soak for 15 minutes and drain.

STEP 2. Cook the Khichdi:

In a pressure cooker or pot, require rice, moong dal, chopped vegetables, turmeric powder, salt, and water.
Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles or until the vegetables become very soft in a pot.

STEP 3. Prepare the Tempering:

Heat ghee/oil in a pan. Put in the cumin seeds, the bay leaf, and the dry red chili, and let them crackle.
Now add green chilies, ginger, and garlic. Sauté until aromatic.
Add onions and fry until they are about to be caramelized,and golden brown.
Add tomatoes and cook until they have softened.
Finally, add red chili powder, and garam masala and stir the content well.

STEP 4. Combine and Cook:

For, the tempering over the cooked khichdi and then mix it well thoroughly.
Cook on low heat for 2-3 minutes in order to enhance the blending of the ingredients.

STEP 5. Garnish and Serve:

Finish it up with fresh coriander leaves.
Goes well when served hot accompanied by a spoonful of ghee, pickle, curd, and papadum.

Tips:

It is also advisable to alter the level of liquidity of the water; the khichdi can be thick or watery.
You can add lemon juice directly at the final stages in order to give it a sour taste.
However, if you want you can replace them with other lentils such as masoor dal or toor dal as well.

Facts:

A Wholesome Meal: Promising to be warm and served over rice, the Lentil and vegetable Khichdi is a spicy preparation with rice, lentils, and a mix of all kinds of vegetables, and therefore, quite nutritious.

Traditional Comfort Food: Khichdi is eaten across India and has been a traditional dish for generations now it’s prepared with changes in spices and vegetables.

Cultural Significance: Khichdi is even cooked during Makar Sankranti as people, in various areas, prepare the dish to mark the festival associated with prosperity and prosperity in particular with the harvest season.

A Festive Tradition: It’s generally eaten with side dishes like ghee, papad, and pickle which add more flavor and enough taste to make the dish a whole meal.

Kite-Flying and Feasting: It is also a festival for flying kites and for being together with family and, traditionally, khichdi forms one of the parts of the meals, as it nourishes and warms up after an active day of celebrations.