Green Moong Dal Khichdi

Today’s recipe is Green Moong Dal Khichdi.

Khichdi is a comfort food for many in India. It is made by combining rice with lentils ( mostly moong dal with/without skin) and cooking them until soft. A simple tempering with ghee and some basic spices completes the dish. This humble dish is delicious and soul-satisfying.

The lentil used for this recipe is Split Moong Dal with skin. It looks like this.

Since moong dal is one of the lightest lentils and is very easy to digest, khichdi made with moong dal is also recommended in patients’ diets so that they can be fed something warm, nutritious, sumptuous, and yet not heavy and difficult to digest.

While in some homes, khichdi is made only when someone gets sick, it is quite the opposite in my house. Khichdi is loved by all in my home, and I often make it for dinner because it is filling yet light. A spoonful of ghee on Khichdi not only enhances the taste but also helps you get a good night’s sleep. We sometimes pair khichdi with pickles, papad, and yoghurt.

I make Khichdi in many ways. One simple recipe is just to pressure-cook rice and lentils and temper them in the end. The other way is to make it more nutrient-dense by adding vegetables. This also involves more steps and takes a bit more time.

I have already shared the recipes for Masur Dal Khichdi, Quinoa Pongal, and Ven Pongal. These are different versions of khichdi. Do check out their recipes.

Now, let’s start with the recipe for Green Moong Dal Khichdi.

Equipment Needed:

Pressure Cooker
Pan
Knives and Cutting Board
Spatula

To learn about all the kitchen equipment I use, read my article: Setting Up My Indian Kitchen in Germany.

Ingredients for Green Moong Dal Khichdi:

1 Cup Split Moong Dal with Skin
½ Cup Rice
4 Cups Water
1 tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tbsp Finely Chopped Ginger
1½ tsp Salt
1 tbsp Ghee
8-10 Cashews
2 tbsp Sunflower Seeds
2-3 Green Chillies; Chopped
8-10 Curry Leaves
1 Medium-Sized Onion; Finely Chopped
1 Cup Diced Vegetables of your choice (Capsicum, carrot, beans, peas, potatoes etc)
1 Medium-Sized Tomato
Fresh Coriander Leaves for garnishing

Method to make Green Moong Dal Khichdi:

Combine rice and moong dal. Wash them thoroughly and soak them in water for 2 hours. After 2 hours, discard all the water and transfer them to a pressure cooker.
Add water, ginger, 1/2 tsp of salt and turmeric powder. Cook till it turns mushy.
While the rice and lentils cook, heat ghee in a pan.
Add cashews and sunflower seeds and fry them on low heat.
Add green chillies and curry leaves and continue frying on medium heat.
Add chopped onion. Fry till the onions turn translucent.
Then, add vegetables of your choice.
Add chopped tomato.
Add turmeric powder and 1 tsp of salt and mix. Fry for a few seconds on medium heat.
Add about 1/2 a cup of water. Cover with a lid and cook till the vegetables become soft.
Open the pressure cooker.
Transfer the cooked rice and lentils from the pressure cooker to the pan in which you have fried the vegetables. Also, add fresh coriander leaves.
Mix and cook for about 1 minute so the salt and spices are well mixed. If it looks very thick, add a little water, about 1/2 cup, to loosen it.
Garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Add a teaspoon of ghee to each serving and serve hot.

Some notes about the recipe:

The traditional recipe doesn’t call for sunflower seeds. I added them to make my khichdi more nutrient-dense, but you can ignore it if you wish.
I have added green and yellow capsicum. You can add potatoes, carrots, peas, beans, etc to the khichdi.
Khichdi is best when served hot. So always try to make the quantity that you will able to consume fully. But in case, you have some khichdi left and you want to consume it later, transfer the leftover khichdi to a bowl. Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator. Before serving, heat some water in a pan ( the amount of water would depend on the amount of leftover khichdi. You can add about 1/2 cup for 2 cups of khichdi). When the water boils, add the khichdi. Mix it. Put a lid. Cover and cook it for about 5 minutes. Then, serve with a spoon of ghee.

Here is the recipe in printable format: