Vaghareli Khichdi Tadka Khichdi Dal Khichdi

The best thing about Khichdi is It’s perfect Bachelor recipe for a nutritious and easy to cook a meal. Also, this is a No onion no Garlic Khichdi recipe. Vaghareli khichdi means seasoned or tempered khichdi. The aromatic tadka or tempering of ginger, red chilies, and ghee gives this Vaghareli khichdi an amazing flavor. This dal khichdi has a beautiful aroma and a smoky taste. The name for this dish “Vaghareli” comes from the word “Vaghar” which in Gujarati is used for the word “tempering”. In other parts of Indian tempering is known as baghar or tadka. So the same recipe is also known as Baghari khichdi or tadka khichdi or masala khichdi with few ingredients here and there. If you thought khichdi is a boring meal, you will be surprised to know that there are so many variations of khichdi recipes that it never gets dull or boring. And all of them taste absolutely delicious! Honestly, for me, Khichdi has been always one of the best recipes for beginner cooks and bachelors who are looking to cook easy, one-pot dishes. Mainly because the recipe has minimal steps and you can cook it with basic ingredients.

Ingredients for Vaghareli Khichdi

I have made a super simple Dal khichdi recipe with pantry staples. To make it rich in proteins I added soya bean chunks. If you like, you can add your favorite vegetables and make it even more wholesome. You will need the following ingredients to make Khichdi. Dal/Lentils : I have used mixed dals. Split Urad dal (Kali dal) and Arhar or Tuvar dal. Broken Urad is not a traditional choice for making khichdi but try it once and you will know it tastes incredibly delicious and adds a nice texture in the khichdi. Rice: Broken Basmati rice or any short-grain rice is perfect for making khichdi. Soya Chunks: It is not a traditional ingredient, but being a great source of proteins for vegetarians makes this a protein-rich vegetarian meal. Ghee: Khichdi tastes best when tempered in ghee. However, as per your preference, you can use any vegetable oil of your choice. Spices: Regular Indian spices like Turmeric, red chili powder, salt, garam masala, asafoetida/hing, cumin Fresh Aromatics: ginger and green chili

Traditional Gujarati Vaghareli khichdi

Vaghareli khichdi is cooked with either moong dal or tuvar dal and rice and tempered with aromatic vaghar or tadka. Which usually has regular tempering ingredients like cumin, ginger, asafoetida, and ghee. Some people add onion, tomato take but usually, Khichdi is considered one of the easiest meals to prepare. It is preferred with simple cumin, asafoetida, garam masala vaghar.

Step By Step Vaghareli Khichdi Recipe

In a bowl mix split urad dal/kali dal and tuvar dal. Wash them 3-4 times in plenty of water till it runs clear. Similarly, wash rice for 3-4 times until the water runs clear. In a small bowl add soya chunks in hot water and soak it for 5 minutes. To cook khichdi, In a pressure cooker add soaked Split Urad dal, Tuvar dal, and rice. Add 4 cups of water.

Add soaked soya chunks in the cooker. Next add in turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala powder, and salt to taste and oil.

Close the lid of the pressure cooker and cook khichdi for 2 whistles. After that turn off the heat and release the pressure from the cooker. Open the lid of the cooker. In a pan add ghee and heat it. Then add a pinch of asafoetida/hing and cumin seeds.

When the cumin starts to crackle add a teaspoon of julienned ginger. Add chopped green chilies and stir it once. Now switch off the heat and add 2-3 broken red chilies and half a teaspoon of red chili powder. Save ¼ of this mix for garnishing the khichdi.

Immediately pour the rest of the baghar/temper over the khichdi and mix it nicely.

Watch Video

Watch this video for correct step by step method of making khichdi. I always recommend Watching before cooking especially when you are a beginner cook.

Recipe Notes and Tips

You can make many variations for this recipe of Vaghareli khichdi. Change lentils used, add vegetables, use brown rice, add onion tomato masala as per your choice. I have made Urad/kali dal khichdi, you can use moong, toor, chana dal or a mix of dals. To Make Vegan khichdi, replace ghee with any vegetable oil or coconut oil. You can add vegetables of your choice to make it healthier. Carrots, peas, potatoes are great choices of vegetables to add in khichdi. Adding Cooking oil while pressure cooking lentils helps to prevent the spilling of water from the pressure cooker while cooking. When making vaghar or tadka switch off the heat first before adding red chilli powder as it burns quickly. And immediately pour it over khichdi.

How To Serve Vaghareli Khichdi

Khichdi always served as a hot meal. You can serve it with ghee, curd, papad, and pickle on the side. You can also serve it with Gujrati Kadhi and papad.