Masala Oats Khichdi
- 10 min prep
- 50 min
- Cook
- Serves 2
- 340 kcal
- 13 g protein
Rolled oats and yellow moong dal cooked soft with vegetables, cumin and a ghee tadka. One pot, three whistles, about 30 minutes at the stove.
Ingredients
- ¾ cup (70 g) rolled oats
- ¼ cup (50 g) yellow moong dal, rinsed and soaked 20 minutes
- 1 tbsp (14 g) ghee
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- A pinch of hing (asafoetida)
- 1 small onion (70 g), finely chopped
- 1 tsp (5 g) grated ginger
- 1 green chilli (5 g), slit
- 1 medium tomato (100 g), chopped
- ¼ cup (30 g) diced carrot
- ¼ cup (35 g) green peas, fresh or frozen
- ¼ cup (25 g) chopped French beans
- ¼ tsp turmeric, ½ tsp Kashmiri chilli powder, ½ tsp garam masala
- 3 cups (720 ml) water
- Salt, to taste (about ¾ tsp)
- 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
- 1 tsp (5 ml) lemon juice
Method
- 1Drain the soaked moong dal. Warm the ghee in a 3-litre pressure cooker on medium heat, then add cumin seeds and let them crackle for about 10 seconds before adding the hing.
- 2Add the onion, ginger and green chilli. Stir for 3 to 4 minutes until the onion turns soft and pale gold at the edges.
- 3Tip in the tomato with the turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, pressing the tomato with the spoon, until it collapses and the ghee shines at the sides.
- 4Add the carrot, peas and beans and toss for a minute. Add the drained dal and the oats and stir for another minute so the oats pick up the masala.
- 5Pour in the water, add salt and stir well, scraping the base so nothing sticks. Close the lid and cook on medium heat for 3 whistles.
- 6Turn off the heat and let the pressure drop on its own, about 8 to 10 minutes. Open, stir hard to loosen the khichdi, and add a splash of hot water if it has set too thick.
- 7Finish with lemon juice and coriander. Serve straight away while it is loose and steaming.
Notes from the Department
- Oats keep absorbing water as they sit. If you make it ahead, loosen it with ¼ cup hot water while reheating.
- No pressure cooker? Simmer the soaked dal in 2 cups water for 15 minutes first, then add the oats, vegetables and 1 more cup water and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring.
- For a no-onion no-garlic version, skip the onion and double the ginger. The hing does the rest.
Nutrition per serving
- Energy
- 340 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbohydrate
- 51 g
- Fat
- 10 g
- Fibre
- 12 g
- Sugars
- 7.2 g
Why this works
Khichdi is the dish Indian kitchens reach for when nobody wants to think. Swapping most of the rice for rolled oats keeps that soft, spoonable comfort and adds the soluble fibre oats are known for. The moong dal brings body and protein, and because both the oats and the dal cook in the same three whistles, there is no separate step. The tomato-and-garam-masala base is what makes it a masala khichdi rather than a sick-day one.
Rolled, quick or steel-cut oats
Rolled oats hold a little shape and are the best fit. Quick oats work but turn smoother, so use ½ cup less water. Steel-cut oats need soaking with the dal and about 1 more cup of water, plus 2 extra whistles.
Swaps
Make it vegan by using oil or cold-pressed groundnut oil in place of ghee. Any quick-cooking vegetable goes in: cauliflower florets, spinach stirred in at the end, or diced bottle gourd. Split green moong with skin gives a heartier, earthier khichdi. Hing usually contains wheat, so leave it out and use certified gluten-free oats if you need the dish gluten-free.
What to serve with it
A bowl of plain curd or cucumber raita, a roasted papad and a spoon of mango or lime pickle. A second, tiny drizzle of ghee on top at the table is optional and, in our experience, rarely refused.
Storage
Keep leftovers in a closed box in the fridge for up to 2 days. It sets firm when cold, so reheat in a pan with a splash of hot water, stirring until it loosens. We do not recommend freezing it; the oats go grainy.
Questions people ask
- Can I make oats khichdi without a pressure cooker?
- Yes. Cook the soaked moong dal in a covered pot with 2 cups water for about 15 minutes until soft. Then add the masala, vegetables, oats and another cup of water and simmer 6 to 8 minutes, stirring now and then.
- Which dal works best with oats?
- Yellow moong dal cooks in the same time as rolled oats, which is why we use it. Split green moong works too. Toor or masoor dal need longer, so pressure cook them on their own for 2 whistles first.
- Why did my oats khichdi turn sticky?
- Oats release starch and keep absorbing liquid after cooking. Stir it well as soon as you open the cooker, add a little hot water to loosen, and serve it straight away rather than letting it sit.
Inspired by Tarla Dalal. Method, notes and photograph by the Ministry of Oats.
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