Khichdi Kadhiખીચડી કઢી
Khichdi with kadhi is the most common weeknight dinner in a Gujarati home, and the one people miss most when they are away. Soft rice and moong dal cooked together, topped with ghee, alongside a light sweet-sour yoghurt kadhi. It is comfort food and the standard meal for anyone recovering from illness.
Ingredients
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- For the khichdi: 1 cup rice, ½ cup split moong dal, turmeric, salt, ghee
- For the kadhi: 1 cup sour yoghurt, 3 tbsp gram flour, 3 cups water
- 1 tsp ginger-chilli paste
- 1-2 tbsp jaggery or sugar
- For the tempering: ghee, mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, dried red chilli
- Coriander to finish
Method
- Rinse the rice and dal and soak for 15 minutes.
- Pressure cook with turmeric, salt and 3½ cups water for 3-4 whistles. Khichdi should be soft, not grainy.
- For the kadhi, whisk the yoghurt, gram flour and water until completely smooth.
- Bring to a boil on medium heat while stirring constantly, then simmer 10-12 minutes. Add ginger-chilli paste, jaggery and salt.
- Temper ghee with mustard seeds, cumin, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and dried chilli, and pour into the kadhi.
- Serve the khichdi hot with a spoon of ghee, the kadhi alongside and a papad.
Tips
- Stir the kadhi constantly until it boils, otherwise the yoghurt splits.
- A few fenugreek seeds in the tempering are what make kadhi taste like home.
- Leftover khichdi is great re-fried with a tempering as vagharelli khichdi.
Storing and reheating
Khichdi keeps two days in the fridge but thickens; loosen it with hot water over low heat. Store the kadhi separately and stir it constantly as it warms, or it splits. Kadhi tastes sourer on the second day, and a pinch of jaggery brings it back into balance.
What you can swap
- Moong dal instead of tuvar gives a lighter khichdi that is easier to digest.
- If the curd is not sour enough, add lemon — but only after the heat is off.
- Oil works instead of ghee, though ghee is what completes this particular meal.
What to serve with it
Khichdi and kadhi with papad, chhundo, kachumber and a spoon of ghee is the most ordinary and most comforting meal in a Gujarati house. Many homes keep fried chillies beside it.
Mistakes to avoid
- Stir the kadhi without stopping until it boils. Walk away and the curd splits.
- Do not stint on water in the khichdi. It thickens as it cools.
- Dissolve the gram flour in cold curd, not hot water, to avoid lumps.
- Temper at the very end. Early tempering loses the curry leaf aroma.
Questions people ask
Why does kadhi split?
Because it was not stirred until boiling, or the curd was too sour. Adding the salt after it boils rather than at the start also helps.
What is the right rice-to-dal ratio?
Two parts rice to one part dal for everyday khichdi. More dal makes it thicker and higher in protein; 1:1 is what is made for someone who is unwell.
Can this be eaten daily?
Yes, and many Gujarati homes make it twice a week. It is light, cheap and complete: dal, rice and curd together cover most of what a meal needs.
