Quinoa Vegetable Khichdi is one-pot ultimate comfort food prepared with quinoa, dal, veggies and some basic spices.

Recipe Snapshot

  • Prep time: 10 minutes
  • Cook time: 15 minutes
  • Total time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 2
  • Category: Main Course
  • Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon olive oil ((or ghee))
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 teaspoon jeera seeds (cumin)
  • 3 green chillies
  • 1 teaspoon ginger paste
  • 1 medium onion (finely chopped)
  • 1 medium tomato (finely chopped)
  • 2 cups mixed vegetables ((carrot, green beans, green peas))
  • 1/2 cup quinoa (rinsed)
  • 1/2 cup moong dal (split yellow moong lentils) (rinsed)
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
  • 1 teaspoon garam masala powder
  • salt (adjust to taste)
  • 3 cups water
  • juice of half lime
  • 2 tablespoons coriander leaves

Method

Instant Pot Method

  1. Press SAUTE on Instant Pot. Heat oil (or ghee). Add in the bay leaf and cumin (jeera) seeds. Let the cumin seeds splutter.
  2. Add the chopped green chilies, ginger, and onions. Saute till onions turn light brown.
  3. Then add mixed vegetables, tomatoes and cook for a minute.
  4. After rinsing the moong dal and quinoa, add them to the pot along with turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala, water, and salt. Mix everything well. Additionally, deglaze the pot by scraping any food particles stuck to the bottom to prevent BURN alerts during cooking.
  5. Close the lid, and turn the valve to " SEALING ". Choose the PRESSURE COOK/MANUAL (High Pressure) setting and adjust the cooking time to 5 minutes.
  6. When the instant pot beeps, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10 minutes, then release any remaining pressure before removing the lid.
  7. Finally, open the lid, squeeze fresh lime juice over the khichdi, add chopped coriander leaves, and mix everything well to combine. Note: If the khichdi is not mushy or too dry, you can select the sauté mode on your Instant Pot. Then, add ½ cup of water and cook for another minute, stirring continuously, until you achieve the desired consistency.
  8. Enjoy your delicious quinoa and vegetable khichdi with either yogurt, raita, or kadhi.

Stovetop Pressure Cooker Method:

  1. Follow the same steps as the Instant Pot recipe. Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles on medium-high heat. Let the pressure release naturally.

Kiyaan Singh’s Kitchen Note

Keep this recipe as a working base: cook once as written, then adjust spice, texture, and serving style for your own table.