Vaghareli Khichdi is a one-pot meal from Gujarat typically made of rice, lentils, vegetables, and spices. This recipe of vaghareli khichdi uses foxtail millet instead of rice and makes it healthier and wholesome. Being a complete comfort meal, vaghareli khichdi is perfect for lunch or dinner with just ghee or with some curd, pickle, and pappad.
Khichdi is my go-to food! Isn’t it so blissful to enjoy a hot bowl of khichdi with ghee drizzled on it and some curd, pickle, and pappad to go along? Just the thought of it makes me want to have some right now!
There are so many different types of khichdis from different parts of India, and my most favourite is dal khichdi and this vaghareli khichdi. Although I love slow-cooked khichdi, I prefer to make it in a pressure cooker when I’m cramped for time. It sure makes things much easier when all you have to do is throw in everything into the pressure cooker and let it do its magic. Most importantly, it makes for a complete meal with minimal effort. And of course is a good way of sneaking in all the veggies when you have fussy people at home. 😉
Vaghareli Khichdi simply means a tempered khichdi and is a traditional no onion-garlic dish from Gujarat, and also a staple at Gujarati households. As mentioned earlier, this khichdi is typically made of rice. But here, I have replaced rice with foxtail millet to make it healthier. I try different options to use millets in our diet as they are extremely healthy and khichdi is one of the perfect ways. I have tried this vaghareli khichdi with rice, millet and broken wheat as well. Everything just tastes equally good.
This recipe is inspired from Binjal’s Veg Kitchen.
Tips and Variations
- Soak the millet and lentils 30 minutes in advance. This will help them get cooked quicker and also makes millet more easily digestible as they are more fibrous.
- Add in the same quantity of water as mentioned below, in order to cook the millet perfectly. As we are making a khichdi, millet has to be cooked slightly mushy.
- You may use any other vegetables apart from the ones mentioned in the recipe. And you can, of course, increase the quantities of veggies slightly, if you wish to.
- Apart from foxtail millet, you could also use other millets like Kodo millet, little millet or a mixture of them (use equal quantities of each millet). And you can of course try this with rice for an authentic vaghareli khichdi.
- I have used toor dal and moong dal in the recipe. You could also add a tablespoon of chana dal or use only toor dal or moong dal.
- Khichdis tastes best when served hot. But, if you are packing this for lunch box or simply not having it immediately after cooking, make the consistency of the khichdi slightly thinner, as it starts thickening up and dries out once it is cold. And if you have the luxury of reheating it, and in case you find the khichdi to be too dry and thick, just add in some water and simmer for a few minutes, and serve immediately. Just check for salt and spices before serving.
I hope you give this recipe a try and enjoy it as much as I enjoyed preparing it and writing it down for you all. I would love to hear your feedback on this. When you try it, kindly post your valuable comments below or share it with me personally on Instagram / Facebook, or post it with due courtesy. You may also pin it on Pinterest.
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So, with all that said, let us now move on to the recipe. Shall we?
*Standard measurement: 1 cup=250ml
Gujarati Vaghareli Khichdi with Foxtail Millet
Ingredients
- 0.5 cup foxtail millet
- 0.25 cup mixed lentils - , toor dal (pigeon peas) and moong dal (split yellow lentil) in equal amounts
- 2 cups mixed vegetables - , carrot, potato, peas, capsicum
- 2 tsps oil
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 4 nos. cloves
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 0.5 tsp turmeric powder
- a pinch of asafoetida
- 2 nos. dry red chillies
- 1 tsp red chilly powder
- 0.5 tsp garam masala
- 2-3 tbsp peanuts
- salt - to taste
- chopped coriander leaves - to garnish
Instructions
- Wash and soak foxtail millet and lentils for 30 minutes. In the meantime, chop all the vegetables. Set aside.
- Heat oil / ghee in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Next add cinnamon stick, cloves, grated ginger, turmeric powder and asafoetida. Saute everything in low heat until the spices release their flavour.
- Next add in the dry red chillies and peanuts and saute until they turn slightly brown. Put in all the vegetables and season with red chilly powder, salt and garam masala. Mix everything well and saute for a few minutes.
- Now drain the millet and lentils and add them into the cooker. Next add 2 cups water, check for salt and spices. Cover the lid and cook this in medium heat for 4 to 5 whistles.
- Once the pressure releases on its own, mix the khichdi well. If you like it dry, you can serve as is. If not, add in some water and simmer the khichdi for few more minutes. The consistency will be slightly thin. Check for salt and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve this with ghee, pickle, curd, and papad.
Notes
- 2 cups of mixed vegetables approximately need 2 carrots, 2 big potatoes, 1 big capsicum, 0.25 cup peas. You can also use french beans or any other vegetables of choice.
- Adjust the spices as per taste.
- You can also add some cashews along with peanuts.
- Apart from foxtail millet, you could also use other millets like Kodo millet, little millet or a mixture of them (use equal quantities of each millet). And you can, of course, try this with rice for an authentic vaghareli khichdi.