Also known as fava beans, broad beans are super nutritious and healthy, and if you have some lying in your refrigerator, waiting to be put to use, you might want to try whipping up this quick broad beans khichdi.
Khichdi is a classic Indian comfort meal, crafted using rice, dal and seasonings and spices. Chopped veggies are occasionally added into it to make it more nutritious, and this recipe is just that.
Scroll down to get a quick look at everything you need to know about making this easy recipe.
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Ingredients For the Recipe
For the khichdi, you’ll need some basic pantry staples and a few veggies.
- Rice: ½ cup
- Masoor dal/Red Lentil: ½ cup
- Ghee: 2 tbsp
- Carom seeds: ½ tsp
- Fennel seeds: ¼ tsp
- Dry red chilies: 2
- Bay leaf: 1
- Yellow mustard seeds: ½ tsp
- Onions (chopped): ¼ cup
- Potatoes (chopped): ¼ cup
- Broad beans (each cut in half): ½ cup
- Turmeric powder: ½ tsp
- Salt: 2 teaspoon or as per taste
- Garam masala: 1 tsp
- Water: 2 cups
- Coriander leaves: A bunch
- Red chili oil: 1-2 tbsp
How to Make the Broad Beans Khichdi
Once you have your ingredients ready, here’s what you’ll need to do to make the khichdi.
Soak the rice and lentils in water for at least 15 minutes.
In a pressure cooker, heat ghee and add the whole spices. Saute.
Next, add the chopped onions, potatoes, and broad beans. Saute and cook for 2 minutes.
Add the turmeric powder, garam masala, and salt next. Saute and cook for 30 seconds.
Next, add the soaked rice and lentil mixture. Do not add the water that was used for soaking. Mix well.
Add the water next and mix.
Top with the coriander leaves and mix.
Pressure cook the mixture for 4-5 whistles.
Once done, add a little bit of water to the cooked rice and use a masher to mash the rice and lentil mixture. You can completely mash it or let it remain firm a bit. This completely depends on your taste.
Transfer the khichdi to a serving bowl. Top it with red chili oil.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot as a comfort and nutritious meal.
Frequently Asked Questions
The ingredients for the khichdi can be tweaked around based on what you have at hand. We’ve used potatoes and onions, which are classics, but you can also add in some chopped carrots, bell peppers, cauliflower florets, zucchini and even green peas. 
We’ve used red lentils to make the khichdi, but if you don’t have it, you could use yellow split mung dal or even some split pigeon peas. Just remember that you’ll need to soak these for 1-2 hours to ensure they are cooked to perfection. 
You sure can! Pressure cooking is actually a great way to put this khichdi together quickly and ensure that all the nutrients remain intact, but you can use your regular pot to make the khichdi too.
Just make sure you let the rice and the dal soak for an extra hour to ensure that they cook well. 
Your leftover broad beans khichdi can be transferred to an airtight container once it has cooled down completely. You can then refrigerate it for 2-3 days, and reheat it in the microwave or the stovetop with a little sprinkle of water to keep it nice and moist. 
Tips & Tricks to Make the Broad Beans Khichdi
Ready to give this super easy recipe a shot? Here are some more tips and tricks you might want to have handy.
- To make the khichdi more protein rich and healthy, increase the amount of dal you’re adding in, as opposed to the rice.
- Another great idea to make this dish healthier is to swap the regular rice with brown rice or another grain like quinoa or millet. Remember that the cooking time for the dish will then be different depending on the alternative.
- The texture of the khichdi largely depends on the kind of rice you’re using for the cooking process. Ideally, it is best to use long grained aged rice, so that you get that fluffiness you’re looking for.
- To lend some extra flavor and deliciousness to the khichdi, you can also add a teaspoon of chopped garlic to the tempering. Alternatively, you could use ginger garlic paste.
- The ghee lends a nice aroma to the dish, but if you don’t have it, you can skip it and just use your regular vegetable oil instead.
Serving Ideas & Suggestions
This flavorful broad beans khichdi tastes perfect when served with a side of raita, which is an Indian style yogurt based salad. The khichdi also tastes phenomenal when teamed up with some Indian pickle or chutney, and some fried or roasted poppadom.
And if this recipe inspired you to try out some more Indian style rice based dishes, you might want to give these a quick look.
📖 Recipe
Broad Beans Khichdi
Ingredients
- ½ cup Rice
- ½ cup Masoor Dal/Red Lentil
- 2 tablespoon Ghee
- ½ teaspoon Carom Seeds
- ¼ teaspoon Fennel Seeds
- 2 Dry Red Chilies
- 1 Bay Leaf
- ½ teaspoon Yellow Mustard Seeds
- ¼ cup Onions , (chopped)
- ¼ cup Potatoes , (chopped)
- ½ cup Broad Beans , (each cut in half)
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric Powder
- 2 teaspoon Salt
- 1 teaspoon Garam Masala
- 2 cups Water
- 1 bunch Coriander Leaves
- 1-2 tablespoon Red Chili Oil
Instructions
- Soak the rice and lentils in water for at least 15 minutes.
- In a pressure cooker, heat ghee and add the whole spices. Saute.
- Next, add the chopped onions, potatoes, and broad beans. Saute and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the turmeric powder, garam masala, and salt next. Saute and cook for 30 seconds.
- Next, add the soaked rice and lentil mixture. Do not add the water that was used for soaking. Mix well.
- Add the water next and mix.
- Top with the coriander leaves and mix.
- Pressure cook the mixture for 4-5 whistles.
- Once done, add a little bit of water to the cooked rice and use a masher to mash the rice and lentil mixture. You can completely mash it or let it remain firm a bit. This completely depends on your taste.
- Transfer the khichdi toa serving bowl. Top it with red chili oil.
- Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot as a comfort and nutritious meal.
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