Urad Dal Khichdi Recipe
Urad Dal Khichdi is a nourishing Indian one-pot meal made with rice, split black gram, ghee, and gentle spices. It has a creamy texture, high protein content, and is easily digestible. Make it using my easy recipe.
Here are some more Khichdi recipes you may like: Jowar Khichdi, Bajra Khichdi, Sabudana Khichdi, and Daliya Khichdi.
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Why You’ll Love This Family Favorite Recipe!
- Ultimate comfort food: Creamy, soft, and soothing, perfect for days when you want simple, nourishing food.
- Protein-rich & wholesome: Urad dal makes this khichdi more filling and satisfying than regular moong dal khichdi.
- Gentle on the stomach: Lightly spiced and easy to digest, ideal for sick days or post-travel meals.
- One-pot meal: Rice and dal cook together, making it fuss-free with minimal cleanup.
- Authentic home-style flavor: Simple tempering with ghee elevates humble ingredients beautifully.
- Customizable: Make it plain or masaledar, thick or porridge-like, it adapts to your mood.
- Perfect with sides: Tastes amazing with ghee, pickle, papad, or a bowl of yogurt.
Table of Contents
About Urad Dal Khichdi
Urad Dal Khichdi is a North Indian style savory porridge made with short-grain rice, black urad dal (split black gram), and mild spices.
In my home, it is made especially for Makar Sankranti, but you can definitely make it for your everyday meals anytime. It is creamy, mildly nutty, high in protein, light on the stomach, and easily digestible.
Every household has its own way of making this khichdi. In this post, I am sharing the method, like how it’s made in my home. Since it is mostly made for the festival, we don’t add onions or garlic. But if you are making it for regular melas, do try adding them; they enhance the flavor of this khichdi even more.
Unlike yellow moong dal khichdi, urad dal ki khichdi has a richer mouthfeel and a fuller character, while still remaining light on the stomach.
Ingredients
Black Urad Dal (Kali Urad Dal, Split Black Gram) makes the base of this khichdi recipe. Do not use white urad dal, also called dhuli urad dal.
Short Grain Rice – Use any short grain rice. Traditionally, new rice, harvested around Makar Sankranti, a harvest festival, is used to make khichdi. It gives the khichdi a very creamy texture. But since new rice is not readily available, I use sticky rice varieties like Indrayani and Gobindobhog.
Even jasmine rice will work in this recipe.
Ghee gives a rich flavor to the khichdi.
Whole Spices – This dish is flavored with whole spices, including cumin seeds, cloves, bay leaves, and black peppercorns.
Others – You will also need fresh ginger, turmeric powder, and salt.
How To Make Urad Dal Ki Khichdi
1. Wash: Wash ½ cup of black urad dal and ½ cup of short-grain white rice 2-3 times with water until the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside.
2. Temper: Heat 1 tablespoon of ghee in a pressure cooker. Once the ghee is hot, add 2-3 cloves, 1 bay leaf (cut into small pieces), 2-3 black peppercorns, and 1 teaspoon cumin seeds, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds. Add 1 teaspoon of grated ginger and sauté for 3-4 seconds.
3. Cook khichdi: Add soaked dal and rice to the cooker. Stir in ½ teaspoon turmeric powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Pour in 2 cups of water and mix well. Cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.
Note – Add 3 cups of water instead of 2 if you like a softer khichdi.
4. Mash & finish: Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and lightly mash the khichdi using a ladle for a creamy texture. If the khichdi is too thick for your liking, then add some hot water and cook for a minute. Check for salt and add more if needed.
5. Serve: Transfer the khichdi to the serving plates and drizzle ghee generously over it. Serve with plain yogurt (dahi), papad, and pickle.
Variations
Add vegetables like green peas, cauliflower, potatoes, carrots, and green beans to make the khichdi more wholesome. You can add them raw or fry them in a little oil before adding them to the khichdi.
Temper with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and dry red chilies for a south indian twist.
Add crushed black peppercorns for a peppery kick.
Make it masaledar by adding spices like coriander powder, red chili powder, and garam masala powder. Add some chopped tomatoes in this version for a nice taste.
Make it with onion and garlic by frying chopped onions and garlic in ghee before adding the remaining ingredients.
Urad Dal Khichdi FAQs
Press the SAUTE button on the Instant Pot. Once it says hot, follow the recipe until the water is added to the pot. Add 1 and ¼ cup of water instead of 2 cups. Press the PRESSURE COOK button and set the timer to 10 minutes. Once the timer goes off, let the pressure release naturally for 10 minutes. Then release the pressure manually and open the lid. Mash the khichdi with the back of a ladle and serve.
To make a vegan version of this dish, replace ghee with any cooking oil. The remaining ingredients in the recipe are vegan-friendly.
Leftover khichdi can be stored in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Reheat in a pan or microwave until heated through. Add some water before reheating if the khichdi has thickened after refrigeration.
Serving Suggestions
Khichdi is best served piping hot with a generous drizzle of ghee on top. It must be accompanied by papad, pickle, and plain yogurt. You can also serve green chutney and lachha onions on the side.
Other Rice Recipes We Recommend
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Urad Dal Khichdi Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup black urad dal (split black gram)
- ½ cup short-grain white rice
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 2-3 cloves
- 1 bay leaf (tejpatta) (cut into small pieces)
- 2-3 black peppercorns
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
- ½ teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Wash: Wash urad dal and rice 2-3 times with water until the water runs clear. Drain and keep aside.
- Temper: Heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Once the ghee is hot, add cloves, bay leaf, black peppercorns, and cumin seeds, and let them crackle for 4-5 seconds. Add ginger and sauté for 3-4 seconds.
- Cook khichdi: Add soaked dal and rice to the cooker. Stir in turmeric powder and salt. Pour in 2 cups of water and mix well. Cook for 1 whistle on high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook for 10 minutes.Note – Add 3 cups of water instead of 2 if you like a softer khichdi.
- Mash & finish: Remove the cooker from the heat and let the pressure release naturally. Open the lid and lightly mash the khichdi using a ladle for a creamy texture. If the khichdi is too thick for your liking, then add some hot water and cook for a minute. Check for salt and add more if needed.
- Serve: Transfer the khichdi to the serving plates and drizzle ghee generously over it. Serve with plain yogurt (dahi), papad, and pickle.
This khichdi is very comforting. Do give it a try!