Khichdi – also called kitchari – is a cozy lentil rice stew, and khichdi in a jar is a great gift to introduce this delicious Indian comfort food to your loved ones! Empty jar into saucepan or instant pot and cook!
Khichdi or kitchari is dal and rice risotto-like preparation that usually is very lightly spiced and served as light meal when you are sick or just to give the digestion a break with a simple nourishing meal.
The gift jar is packed with lentils, rice, and spices that you can simply empty into a pot of veggies and water and cook on the stove or in your Instant Pot. It’s a super simple recipe, and since you pack the spices separately from the rice and lentils, your recipient can wash the rice and lentils without losing any of that amazing flavor!
The most basic version of khichdi is less spiced, with just one or two spices. It is kind of an analog for chicken noodle soup. It’s a simple mildly spiced light meal. You can add different spices, vegetables, tomato etc to make it an even heartier meal. The basic version is in my first book, and this kitchari jar recipe is adapted from it.
Khichdi is generally overcooked to be more of a mash/porridge like for easy digestion. You can however adjust the texture by adjusting the cooking time. I give you a range of cooking time based on your preference. Cook it for less time for the grains and lentils to retain shape and cook a longer for a porridge. I use split lentils(petite yellow(moong dal) or red lentils(masoor dal) and white basmati rice. The lentils and rice have similar cook time and are hence paired. With brown rice you’d need to pair with longer cooking whole brown lentils ke mung beans. See my hearty green moong and brown rice version .
This bottled up kitchari makes a great gift. It’s perfect to introduce friends to Indian food even if they don’t have Indian spices, great to gift fora quick dump and done meal, and also to gift to yourself! You will want to make and eat lots of kitchari after the big holiday meals, and the jar reduces the active time to just about five minutes. It’s great to just have around for quick weeknight dinners! Add some chopped veggies in with the jar ingredients for a nourishing lentil rice stew.
To cook from the jar, Empty the contents into your Instant pot or a saucepan, add whatever veggies you like, add water and simmer until the lentils and rice are cooked to your liking! Serve as-is or with some chutneys or papadum/crackers.
You can also make this into a stew/curry by adding some non-dairy milk along with the water.
Why You’ll Love Khichdi/Kitchari in a Jar
- makes a great holiday gift!
- prepared khichdi is a perfect, soothing meal to balance out all of the rich holiday food
- jars are simple to assemble
- perfect to introduce people to Indian food even if they don’t have Indian pantry
- perfect gift for anyone as it’s a quick dump and done meal
- naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free
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Assemble the Jar (See below to make directly.)
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Layer the rice and lentils.
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Toast the cumin seeds and cloves on stovetop over medium heat until cumin seeds change color slightly. 1 minute. This step is optional. (Toasted cumin seeds add a deeper flavor and also allow you to skirt the extra step of roasting the spice mix in oil before adding lentils. You can cook the Khichdi in 1 step.) Cool completely.
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Fold the toasted cumin, cloves, and the rest of the spices into a parchment paper pouch or small ziplock, and add it to the jar. Close the lid. Store for up to 3 months.
Instructions to make the khichdi on the jar
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Wash the lentils and rice.
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For the Instant Pot – Heat 1 teaspoon oil on saute mode. Once the oil is hot, and add the contents of the spice pack. Cook, stirring, until fragrant,15 seconds , . Then add 3.5 to 4 cups of water (depends on your preference of consistency of the stew), the lentils, rice, tomato, salt, and any veggies that you are using. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 2 to 4 minutes (4 for Indian khichdi-style porridge consistency). For a spiced rice style kitchari, pressure cook on low pressure for 3 mins. Release the pressure after 5 mins. Fluff lightly.
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For Saucepan – Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a saucepan on medium heat, and add the contents of the spice pack. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Then add 5 cups of water (depends on your preference of consistency of the stew), the lentils, rice, tomato, salt, and any veggies that you are using. Cover partially and cook for 22 minutes, then check the consistency and doneness and continue to cook more until done. (Alternatively, skip the roasting step and add spices, washed lentils rice, water , salt, tomato, veggies. Mix well and cook)
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For creamier, fold in 1/4 cup coconut cream or non dairy yogurt. Garnish with cilantro, lemon juice and pepper flakes and serve as-is or with chutneys, Indian pickles and/or papadums/crackers.
To make Khichdi without making it into a jar
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Heat 1 teaspoon oil on sauté mode in the Instant Pot or in a saucepan on medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and cloves and cook until fragrant. Add bay leaves, turmeric and garam masala and mix for a few seconds. Add the rest of the ingredients, water, salt and cook according to the jar instructions above.
Use other spice blends like berbere, curry powder, jamaican curry blend, baharat etc.
Other lentils/rice: If using brown basmati rice, use brown/green lentils, black eyed peas or green mung beans to match the cooking time. Add 4 cups water and cook for 16 to 18 minutes on Manual hi in Instant Pot.
Replace half the white basmati rice with quinoa or millet.
Add a mix of lentils such as toor dal and Moong dal or urad dal and Moong dal.
No onion garlic: Omit the onion flakes and garlic. Add 1/2 teaspoon dried fenugreek leaves, also add 1/8 tsp asafetida or 1/4 teaspoon nigella seeds to the spice bag.
Calories: 294kcal, Carbohydrates: 58g, Protein: 13g, Fat: 1g, Saturated Fat: 0.2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 0.3g, Sodium: 465mg, Potassium: 589mg, Fiber: 14g, Sugar: 2g, Vitamin A: 2642IU, Vitamin C: 12mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- rice – Use long grain white basmati rice for the most authentic kitchari.
- lentils – Choose quick-cooking lentils, like red lentils or split moong dal.
- whole spices – Whole cumin seeds and cloves can be roasted or not. Roast them for the best flavor!
- ground spices – For the spice pack, you’ll also need coriander, onion flakes, garlic powder, ginger, garam masala, turmeric, cayenne, and bay leaves.
- tomato – To prepare the khichdi, adds umami and color.
- chopped vegetables – Use fresh or frozen.
- salt – Brings out the flavors.
💡 Tips
- Toasting the whole spices takes a few extra minutes, but it really adds an incredible flavor to the khichdi!
How to Make Khichdi Jar Mix
Layer the rice and lentils.
Toast the cumin seeds and cloves on stovetop over medium heat until cumin seeds change color slightly. This step is optional. Toasted cumin seeds add a deeper tastier flavor. Cool completely.
Fold the toasted cumin, cloves, and the rest of the spices into a parchment paper pouch, and add it to the jar. Close the lid. Store for up to 3 months.
How to Prepare the Khichdi
Wash the lentils and rice.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil on medium heat, and add the contents of the spice pouch. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. This is optional, you can add the spices directly with the lentils and rice as well
Add the rice, lentils, water, and tomato to the pan along with any veggies that you are using. Mix well.
Cover partially and cook for 22 minutes, then check the consistency and doneness and continue to cook more until done. Fluff and serve with toppings of choice.
For the Instant Pot – Heat 1 teaspoon oil on saute mode. Once the oil is hot, and add the contents of the spice pack. Cook, stirring, until fragrant,15 seconds , . Then add 3.5 to 4 cups of water (depends on your preference of consistency of the stew), the lentils, rice, tomato, salt, and any veggies that you are using. Close the lid and cook on high pressure for 2 to 4 minutes (4 for Indian khichdi-style porridge consistency). For a spiced rice style kitchari, pressure cook on low pressure for 3 mins. Release the pressure after 5 mins. Fluff lightly.
What to Serve with Khichdi
Add more flavor to your khichdi with some mint chutney or tomato chutney or Indian pickles such as mango, tomato or chili pickle, with non dairy yogurt or raita. Serve it on its own or with papadum or crackers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kitchari is naturally gluten-free, soy-free, and nut-free.
