Palak Khichdi is a wholesome one-pot comfort meal made with rice, lentils, spinach, and simple spices in an Instant Pot or stovetop. Vegan, gluten-free, and perfect for all ages, including infants and toddlers.
This Spinach Khichdi is a perfect balance of carbohydrates and protein. I first tried it in Dubai on my cousin’s recommendation at a restaurant and instantly loved it. As soon as I got home, I recreated it, and now it’s a regular dish in my kitchen—especially since my toddler daughter enjoys it, and it’s packed with nutrition.
Other healthy Khichdi recipes to try from my blog are vegetable khichdi, bajra millet khichdi, and quinoa khichdi.
This palak khichdi recipe can be prepared in an Instant Pot and Stovetop Pot. I have shared details for both methods below.
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How to Make Palak Dal Khichdi in Instant Pot
Boil 2 cups of water in a large pot, blanch 2-3 cups of spinach for 1-2 minutes until wilted, then transfer to ice-cold water to retain its green color. Blend the blanched spinach (without adding water) to make a spinach puree. Keep it aside.
Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add 1 tablespoon of ghee (or oil) to the POT.
Once it's hot, add in the whole spices like 1-inch cinnamon, 1 cardamom, 2 cloves, ½ teaspoon of cumin seeds, 1 tablespoon of minced ginger and garlic, and 2 green chilies (finely chopped). Saute for a few seconds.
Then add ½ cup onions (finely chopped) and saute until they are light brown in color.
Add ½ cup tomatoes (finely chopped) and cook till they are soft.
Add palak puree, ½ cup rinsed yellow moong dal, ½ cup rinsed basmati rice along with salt, ½-1 teaspoon garam masala, and 3 cups water. Mix well.
Close the Instant Pot with the pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes.
Once the pot beeps, Wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR).
Once the pressure has been released, open the lid, add the prepared extra tempering to the palak khichdi, and mix well.
**Note: If rice is not mushy or too dry, then select saute mode, add an additional ½ cup of water, and cook for another minute.
Delicious dal palak khichdi is ready to be served.
Stovetop Pot Method
- Pressure cook ½ cup of moong dal and ½ cup of basmati rice with 3 cups of water for 3 whistles and let the pressure release naturally.
- Boil water in a large pot, blanch 2-3 cups of spinach for 1-2 minutes until wilted, then transfer to ice-cold water to retain its green color. Blend the blanched spinach (without adding water) to make a puree. Keep it aside.
- Heat ghee in pan, and add whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin (jeera), minced ginger garlic, and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds.
- Then add onions and saute until they are light brown in color. Next, add tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
- Add blanched palak puree and cook for another 1 minute.
- Lastly, add cooked moong dal and rice mixture, salt, garam masala, and ½ cup of hot water (if required). Mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it comes to a boil.
- Lastly, add the extra tadka (optional) to the palak khichdi, and mix well. Delicious palak khichdi is ready to be served.
How to Serve Palak Khichdi
Serve this spinach khichdi with plain yogurt, cucumber raita or eat it is. I prefer eating with gujarati kadhi with kachumber salad, pickle and papad on the side too!
Variations & Substitutes
- I used split moong dal without skin, but you can also use moong dal with skin for added fiber and nutrition.
- I have used 2-3 cups of spinach, you can add more according to your preference.
- If you don't want to make spinach puree, you can add finely chopped spinach, too.
- You can also add vegetables of your choice, like sweet potato, pumpkin, and potato. Frozen mixed vegetables also work well in this recipe.
- If you are using brown rice, increase the pressure cook time to 20-22 minutes.
- Substitute white rice with quinoa or millets, same pressure cooking time, i.e., 8 Minutes High Pressure.
- To make this recipe vegan, simply substitute ghee with vegetable cooking oil.
Expert Tips
- The water ratio in this recipe is 3 times the rice and lentils together, which makes a soft, porridge-like consistency for the final dish.
- Add an extra ½ to 1 cup of water for a more khichdi-like consistency.
- If you cook this for elderly people or infants/toddlers, adjust spices and vegetables accordingly.
More Instant Pot Indian Rice Recipes
Palak Khichdi Recipe (Spinach Khichdi)
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2-3 cups spinach (palak) roughly chopped
- 2 cups water (to blanch spinach)
- 1 tablespoon ghee (or oil)
- 1 inch cinnamon stick
- 2 cloves
- 1 cardamom
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 tablespoon ginger and garlic minced
- 2 green chillies finely chopped
- 1 small onion finely chopped, (about ½ cup)
- 1 medium tomato finely chopped, (about ½ cup)
- ½ cup basmati rice
- ½ cup yellow moong dal
- 3 cups water (for cooking)
- salt to taste
- ½-1 teaspoon garam masala
Extra Tempering: (Optional)
- 2 teaspoon ghee
- ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 stalk curry leaves
- 2-3 dried Kashmiri red chilli
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 pinch hing (asafoetida) (optional)
Instructions
Instant Pot Method:
- Boil 2 cups of water in a large pot, blanch 2-3 cups of spinach for 1-2 minutes until wilted, then transfer to ice-cold water to retain its green color. Blend the blanched spinach (without adding water) to make a spinach puree. Keep it aside.
- Press SAUTE mode on Instant Pot. Add ghee (or oil) into the pot.
- Once it's hot, add in the whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin (jeera), minced ginger-garlic, and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds.
- Then add onions and saute until they are light brown in color.
- Add tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
- Add palak puree, rinsed moong dal, rice along with salt, garam masala, and water. Mix well.
- Close the Instant Pot with pressure valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes.
- Once the pot beeps, Wait for NATURAL PRESSURE RELEASE (NPR).
- Once the pressure has released, open the lid, add the prepared tadka to the palak khichdi, and mix well.**Note: If rice is not mushy or too dry then select saute mode and add an additional ½ cup of water, and cook for another minute. Delicious palak khichdi is ready to be served.
Stovetop Pot Method:
- Pressure cook ½ cup of moong dal and ½ cup of basmati rice with 3 cups of water for 3 whistles and let the pressure release naturally.
- Boil water in a large pot, blanch 2-3 cups of spinach for 1-2 minutes until wilted, then transfer to ice-cold water to retain its green color. Blend the blanched spinach (without adding water) to make a puree. Keep it aside.
- Heat ghee in pan, and add whole spices like cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, cumin (jeera), minced ginger garlic, and green chilies. Saute for a few seconds.
- Then add onions and saute until they are light brown in color. Next, add tomatoes and cook till they are soft.
- Add blanched palak puree and cook for another 1 minute.
- Lastly, add cooked moong dal and rice mixture, salt, garam masala, and ½ cup of hot water (if required). Mix well. Cook for 2-3 minutes until it comes to a boil.
- Lastly, add the extra tadka (optional) to the palak khichdi, and mix well. Delicious palak khichdi is ready to be served.
Notes
Variations & Substitutes
- I used split moong dal without skin, but you can also use moong dal with skin for added fiber and nutrition.
- I have used 2-3 cups of spinach, you can add more according to your preference.
- If you don't want to make spinach puree, you can add finely chopped spinach, too.
- You can also add vegetables of your choice, like sweet potato, pumpkin, and potato. Frozen mixed vegetables also work well in this recipe.
- If you are using brown rice, increase the pressure cook time to 20-22 minutes.
- Substitute white rice with quinoa or millets, same pressure cooking time, i.e., 8 Minutes High Pressure.
- To make this recipe vegan, simply substitute ghee with vegetable cooking oil.
Expert Tips
- The water ratio in this recipe is 3 times the rice and lentils together, which makes a soft, porridge-like consistency for the final dish.
- Add an extra ½ to 1 cup of water for a more khichdi-like consistency.
- If you cook this for elderly people or infants/toddlers, adjust spices and vegetables accordingly.
Nutrition
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Pooja
This recipe worked so well and the resulting dish is so delicious! Thank you for sharing!
bhavana
You're welcome Pooja 🙂 I am so glad to see your excitement, that makes me super happy 🙂 Have a great day 🙂
Behealthiers
Drain well, combine the rice, dal, turmeric powder, salt and 1? cups of water in a pressure cooker, mix well and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
bhavana
Thanks for finding an error i missed to add water quantity.it should be 2.5 to 3 cups of water.Have updated now.