Bajra Khichdi
on Nov 26, 2024, Updated May 25, 2025
A delicious, warming, and nutritious recipe from Rajasthan, Bajra Khichdi (Bajre Ki Khichdi, Pearl Millet Khichdi) is made using bajra (pearl millet), rice, and lentils. It is a wholesome dish that is a winter favorite (vegetarian, can be easily made vegan or gluten-free).
My other fav Rajasthani dishes are Panchmel Dal, Bati, and Churma. Do try these as well.
I have many lists of recipes that are season-specific. Come winter, I make sure to try out the winter recipes at least once before the season is gone. This bajra Khichdi is one of those recipes.
I remember my mom used to crush the bajra grains in a large mortar and pestle (imam dasta) to remove its husk before making this khichdi. This step was quite tiring. It intimated me for a long time, and I kept away from making this dish.
But then a few years back, I came to know that these days, the bajra that is sold at supermarkets is already dehusked. This meant that making this khichdi is no longer a tiring task. Since then, I have made it every winter without fail. You must try this recipe too!
About Bajra Khichdi
Rajasthani Bajra Khichdi (Bajre Ki Khichdi, Pearl Millet Porridge, Bajre Ka Khich) is a delicious savory porridge made using bajra (pearl millet), rice, and yellow moong lentil.
Bajra is a great grain to include in your everyday meals, as it is rich in Magnesium which promotes heart health. It also has potassium and fiber, which are essential nutrients required for our body.
This one-pot bajre ki khichdi is very nutritious, easy to make, and popularly made in the winter season as it is very comforting and warming.
The only time-consuming part to make this Bajra Khichdi is to remove the husk from the Bajra. In earlier days, this process was done by crushing the bajra grains in a large mortar and pestle. Now, with the easy accessibility of mixers and grinders, this step has also become quick and easy. Moreover, the bajra grains sold at the supermarket these days are mostly dehusked. So if you get hold of them, you don’t have to worry about dehusking anymore.
You can make bajra khichdi recipe in a traditional stovetop pressure cooker or in an instant pot. I have given both methods in the post below. Choose the one that suits you the best.
My recipe serves 4 and I made it in a 3-liter pressure cooker (or 3-qt instant pot). If you want to scale the recipe, then use a larger size pressure cooker or instant pot. The time of cooking will remain the same.
You can try some more khichdi recipes – Moong Dal Khichdi, Jau Moong Dal Khichdi, Vegetable Dalia Khichdi, and Sabudana Khichdi.
Ingredients
Bajra (Pearl Millet)– Bajra is a very nutritious millet that is cooked popularly in the winter season in Rajasthan, as it helps to combat the extreme cold.
You can easily find it in any Indian grocery store. You can also order it from online grocery portals such as Amazon, etc.
Check the shelf life of bajra as it turns rancid and taste bitter once it crosses the expiry date.
Dal and Rice – You will need yellow moong dal (split and skinned yellow moong lentils) and white rice. You can replace yellow moong dak with green moong dal for a taste change.
Green Chillies – Adjust the chilies as per your taste.
Skip adding the green chilies if you are making it for your kids.
Others – You will also need ghee, fresh ginger, asafetida (hing), cumin seeds, and salt.
Replace ghee with oil to make it vegan and skip adding asafetida to make it gluten-free.
You can add some vegetables to this khichdi to make it even more nutritious and wholesome.
Add a little turmeric to make it vibrant yellow in color.
How To Make Bajra Khichdi
Prepare The Bajra
Add ½ cup of whole bajra grains to a bowl and rinse well with water. Drain well.
Transfer it to a mixer grinder jar and pulse it to make a coarse powder.
Note – Do not over-grind. We are doing this process to remove the husk of the bajra and also to break down the grains slightly.
Transfer the bajra powder to a bowl and cover it with water.
Note – These days, bajra grains come with the husk already removed, so even if you skip this process, it’s Ok. I do it just to be on the safer side.
Wait for 10-12 seconds. The husk will start to float on top of the water. Gently drain the water along with the husk and repeat this process 2-3 times to get rid of all the husk from the bajra.
Make The Khichdi
In A Traditional Stovetop Pressure Cooker
Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a 3-liter pressure cooker over medium-high heat.
Once the ghee is hot, add ¼ teaspoon asafetida, ½ teaspoon cumin seeds, 1 teaspoon grated ginger, and 2 teaspoon chopped green chilies and saute for 10-12 seconds.
Add the cleaned bajra to the cooker along with ½ cup of rinsed yellow moong dal, ¼ cup rinsed white rice, 2 teaspoon salt, and 4 cups of water. Mix everything well.
Close the lid of the cooker.
Pressure cook the khichdi for one whistle on high heat. Now reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
Once the pressure is released, open the lid and mix the khichdi nicely using a wooden spoon, wooden whisk, or wire whisk.
Add some more water if the khichdi looks thick and cook for a minute. The consistency of bajra khichdi should be like that of a porridge.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Transfer the hot khichdi to serving plates and serve hot.
In An Instant Pot
To make this khichdi in an instant pot, Press SAUTE button and follow the recipe until adding water in the pot. Use a 3-qt pot for this measurement.
Now close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
Press CANCEL and then press PRESSURE COOK. Set the timer to 15 minutes at high pressure.
Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
Mix the khichdi nicely using a wooden spoon, wooden whisk, or wire whisk.
Add some more water if the khichdi looks thick and cook for a minute.
Check for salt and add more if needed.
Transfer the hot khichdi to serving plates and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
These days,bajra khichdi pre-mix is available in many places.
In this mix, the husk of the bajra is already removed and it is then mixed with rice and lentils.
If it’s available where you live, you can use it too.
Just measure out 1 and ¼ cups of this premix in place of bajra, dal, and rice and keep the rest of the recipe the same.
Serving Suggestions
Traditionally in Rajasthani households, Bajre Ki Khichdi is served with a dollop of ghee and kadhi, but you can also have it on its own with some chaas, ghee, and jaggery.
It can also be served along with fresh yogurt or any Raita of your choice.
I also like to have Papad and Green Chutney along with it.
Variations
Dal and Bajra Khichdi – In this variation, rice is not added to the khichdi. It is made with just a combination of bajra and dal. Instead of yellow moong dal, you can also try this recipe with green moong dal, masoor dal or toor dal.
Fried Onion Bajra Khichdi – In this recipe, onions are thinly sliced, fried till golden brown, and added to the khichdi.
Mixed Vegetable Bajra Khichdi – To make it more filling, you can add vegetables such as potatoes, cauliflower, carrots, green beans, green peas, tomatoes, onions, etc. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, methi etc can also be added to this recipe.
Spicy Masala Khichdi – Along with veggies, you can spice up the khichdi with everyday spices such as red chili powder, turmeric powder, and coriander powder. You can also use some goda masala, pav bhaji masala etc to spice up the khichdi.
Storage Suggestions
This khichdi tastes the best when served fresh.
However, if you have leftovers, then store them in an airtight container and refrigerate them for up to 3 days.
Reheat in a pan or microwave until nicely warmed. The khichdi tends to thicken once cooled. So add boiling hot water and bring it back to porridge-like consistency before reheating.
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Bajra Khichdi Recipe (Bajre Ki Khichdi, Pearl Millet Khichdi)
Equipment
- Pressure Cooker/ Instant Pot
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole bajra grains
- ½ cup yellow moong dal (split and skinned yellow moong lentils) (rinsed and drained)
- ¼ cup white rice (rinsed and drained)
- 1 tablespoons ghee (replace with oil for vegan)
- ¼ teaspoon asafetida (hing) (skip for gluten-free)
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons chopped green chilies
- 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
- 4 cups water
Instructions
Prepare The Bajra
- Add bajra to a bowl and rinse well with water. Drain well.
- Transfer it to a mixer grinder jar and pulse it to make a coarse powder.
- Note – Do not over-grind. We are doing this process to remove the husk of the bajra and also to break down the grains.
- Transfer the bajra powder to a bowl and cover it with water.
- Note – These days, bajra grains come with the husk already removed, so even if you skip this process, it’s Ok. I do it just to be on the safer side.
- Wait for 10-12 seconds. The husk will start to float on top of the water. Gently drain the water along with the husk and repeat this process 2-3 times to get rid of all the husk from the bajra.
Make The Khichdi
In A Traditional Stovetop Pressure Cooker
- Heat ghee in a 3-liter pressure cooker over medium-high heat.
- Once the ghee is hot, add asafetida, cumin seeds, ginger, and green chilies and saute for 10-12 seconds.
- Add the cleaned bajra to the cooker along with moong dal, rice, salt, and water. Mix everything well.
- Close the lid of the cooker.
- Pressure cook the khichdi for one whistle on high heat. Now reduce the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes.
- Remove the cooker from heat and let the pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure is released, open the lid and mix the khichdi nicely using a wooden spoon, wooden whisk, or wire whisk.
- Add some more water if the khichdi looks thick and cook for a minute.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Transfer the hot khichdi to serving plates and serve hot.
In An Instant Pot
- To make this khichdi in a 3-qt instant pot, Press SAUTE button and follow the recipe until adding water to the pot.
- Now close the lid of the pot and set the valve to the sealing position.
- Press CANCEL and then press PRESSURE COOK. Set the timer to 15 minutes at high pressure.
- Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 15 minutes.
- Release the remaining pressure manually and open the lid.
- Mix the khichdi nicely using a wooden spoon, wooden whisk, or wire whisk.
- Add some more water if the khichdi looks thick and cook for a minute.
- Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Transfer the hot khichdi to serving plates and serve hot.
I tasted bajre ki khichdi.it was so yummy.my cousin s daughter made (sakina bharmal)it.she shared link n now I shall make it too.
Do make 🙂