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Simple Khichari

4.4

(19)

Simple Khichari recipe
Photo by Alex Lau, Styling by Sue Li

This restorative stew, from Divya’s Kitchen, features a rotating cast of hard and soft vegetables. You can work with whatever vegetables you have on hand, such as carrots, zucchini, broccoli, green beans, or asparagus.

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 servings

Ingredients

¼

cup red split lentils

¼

cup yellow split mung dal

¼

cup basmati rice

¼

cup white quinoa

2

tablespoons ghee or melted virgin coconut oil

½

teaspoon ground turmeric

6

fresh curry leaves or 2 dried cassia leaves (optional)

1

1-inch piece ginger, peeled, very finely chopped (about 1 tablespoon)

1

small green Thai chile, finely chopped

2

cups chopped cauliflower florets and/or peeled daikon

1

teaspoon ground fennel seeds

1

teaspoon (or more) Himalayan rock salt (or kosher salt)

Cilantro, basil, lime slices, black pepper, and olive oil (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Cover lentils and mung dal with water in a small bowl and let soak 30 minutes. Drain. Meanwhile, rinse rice and quinoa and drain well.

    Step 2

    Heat ghee in a large pot over medium-low. Add turmeric and toast just until slightly darkened, about 10 seconds. Add curry leaves, if using, ginger, and chile and cook until very fragrant, about 1 minute. Add drained lentils, mung dal, rice, and quinoa and cook, stirring, until nearly dry, 1–2 minutes. Add cauliflower, fennel seeds, 1 tsp. salt, and 4 cups water. Increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and skim off any foam that formed on the surface, then simmer covered until grains and vegetables are very tender, 30–40 minutes; the khichari should be thick, very soft, and just loose enough not to stick to bottom of the pot (add water as needed to loosen). Season with more salt, if needed.

    Step 3

    Divide among bowls. Top with cilantro, basil, black pepper, and limes. Drizzle with oil.

Explore Bon AppétitStewSoups and StewsDalSouth AsianAsianLentilVegetableQuinoaRice & GrainsMainVeganVegetarianDairy-FreeGluten-FreeNut-FreeHealthyishDinner
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Reviews (19)

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  • How do I print these recipes? Please help. I am a member

    • Chase

    • Utah

    • 6/11/2023

  • As a Gujarati, I’ve grown up eating khichdi and this recipe has a little more going on than my mothers, both recipes of which I LOVE... I usually eat my mothers with an accompanying dish, and this on it’s own.. now with my own children, I regularly make a big pot of this (mostly always doubling/quadrupling the recipe) and we enjoy a bowl, breakfast, lunch or dinner, with a healthy scoop of achaar on the side for me.. a firm family favourite!

    • Nandini

    • London

    • 6/6/2021

  • This recipe is delightful! I've made it dozens of times since 2017! I adore the recipe and my friends and family love the dish -- even meat-eaters. I've customized the recipe to my liking with garlic, habanero instead of Thai chilli and I use the veggies I have on hand.

    • Dianne

    • Washington, D.C.

    • 4/25/2021

  • Can I use yellow split peas in place of the mung dal?

    • MadKin

    • 11/11/2020

  • This was so delicious! Instead of water I used homemade chicken stock. I wanted to finish the pot it was that good.

    • TorontoRD

    • Toronto, Canada

    • 4/29/2020

  • "Simple" kichari? LOL this is one of the fussiest kichari recipes I have come across so far. I will definitely try it!

    • Alina Tarmu

    • New York

    • 1/2/2020

  • This recipe is so easy to make and tastes great . I used cauliflower and added carrots and spinach I had in the fridge. Five stars!

    • pmar1

    • Portland OR

    • 12/3/2019