How to Make Masoor Dal Khichdi for a Light Dinner

Khichdi, often considered a meal for sick people, is a nutritious dish, loaded with protein and healthy fats. In the ancient texts of Ayurveda, this one dish is considered to have healing and nourishing properties. So you can say that khichdi has origins dating back at least a thousand years. In fact, globetrotters like Ibn Battuta (14th century) and Seleucus Nicator (305 BCE) recorded in their notes that Indians used to consume a dish made with just lentils and rice.

Surprising, isn’t it? Over the years, khichdi has not lost its popularity but has quietly existed on countless tables, offering warmth and cosiness much like a blanket in winters. Whether your tummy is upset or you have a cold with a sore throat, khichdi is a dish that is lightweight on the digestive system and allows your body to heal from within. It has a limited number (or essential) spices.

It might be the food for commoners today, but it has been cooked in royal kitchens, especially the Mughals. Abdul Fazl, Emperor Akbar’s court chronicler, has also documented a variety of khichdi recipes prepared during his time. Beyond the boundaries of Indian kitchens, it also inspired British kedgeree, which includes eggs and fish apart from lentils and rice. It’s a versatile dish that can have vegetables and meat, and people across all age groups can consume it to relish the mild flavours and wholesomeness it adds to the spread.

Khichdi is also a food for the hustlers living in dorm rooms and running around the clock. It is the easiest recipe in the world. Rice, lentils, water, ghee, cumin seeds, salt, and a pinch of hing (asafoetida) – this is everything you need to make this one-pot dish in a pressure cooker. Anything extra you add will only enhance the flavours, but it does not take away the fact that you can make it in less than 20 minutes. 

Khichdi is also a part of a sattvic diet and offered to Lord Shani Dev on Saturdays. It is considered a sacrilege meal among Hindus. The combination of rice and dal symbolises prosperity, and the dish is believed to be loaded with many essential amino acids that the human body needs to function well. Scroll a little bit more to read how to make masoor dal khichdi at home.