Simple Khichdi Recipe
Khichdi (pronounced [ˈkʰɪtʃɽi]), or khichri, is a dish from the Indian subcontinent made from rice and lentils (dal), but other variations include bajra and mung dal kichri. In Indian culture, it is considered one of the first solid foods that babies eat. ‑Wikipedia
One of my teachers recommended a 2-day Khichdi-only diet as a treatment for my digestive upset. I tried it, and to my surprise it made me regular again when the rest of my healthy food wasn’t working (details in my blog post The Gut Feeling). So I got curious about it and did some research.
It turns out Khichdi is a pretty neat food from a scientific standpoint:
- Balanced in carbohydrates, fat and protein
- Contains all 9 essential amino acids, due to the marriage of rice and mung bean
- Moderate glycemic index due to the use of long-grain rice
- Naturally low in lectins (mung bean), which aids digestibility
- Uses husked rice and bean, so the hardest-to-digest parts of each are thrown away
They thought this stuff up over 600 years ago!
Here is the Khichdi recipe that my teacher shared with me. If you are having digestive issues I urge you to try the “2-day Khichdi Challenge” (as I’ve just named it so it will hopefully go viral 😉). If your digestion is upset, the first time you try it I recommend making it with the yellow mung dal rather than the lentils, and without a vegetable.
Simple Khichdi Recipe
Makes 2 (big) or 3 (normal) servings.
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 1 tbsp grated fresh turmeric (or 1 tsp powdered turmeric)
- 1 cup split yellow mung beans (“mung dal”), red lentils, or blend of both
- ¼ cup basmati rice
- ¼ tsp ground cumin
- ¼ tsp ground coriander
- ¼ tsp fennel seed (or ground fennel if you prefer)
- ¼ tsp rock/himalayan salt
- (Optional) Vegetable such as kale, zucchini, asparagus or bok choi
Topping:
- Ghee
- Lime juice
- Cilantro
Instructions
- In a pot, add 1 tbsp grated ginger, 1 tbsp grated turmeric, and 6 cups of water. Bring to a boil.
- Add 1 cup of yellow mung dal OR 1 cup red lentils OR blend.
- Add ¼ cup basmati rice.
- Cook at a low boil for 30 minutes. Stir every few minutes.
- Add ¼ tsp each of cumin, coriander, fennel, and mineral salt.
- (Optional) Add the vegetable, if desired.
- Cook at a low boil for an additional 20 minutes. Stir every few minutes.
- Put the Khichdi in a serving bowl.
- Top the Khichdi with lime juice, cilantro, and 1 tsp ghee.
This recipe doubles/triples easily, though the khichdi really tastes a lot better if it is fresh and not left over. Enjoy, and tell me in the comments how it turned out and any variations you’ve made!