ramyaramesh3007This Khichdi recipe is made with rice, red lentils, quinoa and sweet potato to make a comforting one pot Indian meal. It’s nourishing and healthy!
This easy vegan and gluten free Khichdi is a light and gut-friendly meal you can make in 20 minutes – there is not much prep work or soaking involved even though it involves dal in the recipe. The traditional version is made with moong dal but we’ve made it with red lentils for a quick pressure cook recipe. You can also make this recipe in an instant pot or a pan.
The simple traditional version usually is cooked with ghee (NOT vegan!), cumin seeds, and turmeric, and it is said to be beneficial for your health according to Ayurveda. I like to make these for weeknight dinners or weekend meals to incorporate more veggies and protein in my diet.
Ingredients You Need
- lentils – I used red lentils but you can use moong dal or yellow lentils.
- rice – I used a mix of long-grain basmati rice and quinoa. You can also use other types of grains like millet for a nice texture.
- veggies – I used sweet potato in here but you can add more veggies like diced carrots, peas, long beans depending on what you feel like. I also added a tomato.
- spices – cumin and turmeric are a must! I added on fennel seeds and for tempering (completely optional) – I used mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing (asafoetida) and chili powder.
Sweet Potato & Quinoa Khichdi
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup red lentils
- 1/2 cup tri-colour quinoa
- 1/2 cup basmati rice
- 1 large sweet potato
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 green chili
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 tsp fennel seeds optional
- 1 tomato
- 1/4 tsp turmeric
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 cups water
Tempering
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 8-10 curry leaves
- pinch hing
- 1 tsp chili powder
Instructions
- Rinse quinoa and lentils once. Wash rice 3 times and drain until water runs clear.
- Peel sweet potato and dice in very small pieces. Chop green chili and tomato finely.
- To a pressure cooker, add oil and saute cumin & fennel seeds. Add green chili, ginger and saute for a minute.
- Add tomatoes, turmeric and cook them until the tomatoes get mushy (2 – 3 minutes).
- Add quinoa, lentils, rice, sweet potato and water. Add salt to taste, mix well and pressure cook for 2 whistles (about 8 minutes) and leave it in the steam for a few minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat up some oil. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and wait for them to pop (stay safe!).
- Add hing, chili powder and once the oil is hot, take off the heat. Immediately pour over the khichdi (remember to do this after the khichdi is done and when you are leaving it in the steam to ensure the oil is still hot when your pour over)
- Give that a good mix and serve with chopped coriander.