Chicken khichdi is a combination of moong dal and Basmati rice along with boneless chicken pieces. It is cooked in a masala comprising onions, ginger-garlic paste, pieces of tomatoes, and a lot of different aromatic Indian spices. It is very easy to make chicken khichdi at home. If you are not aware of the procedure, continue reading my easy recipe.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Chicken khichdi is a very popular dish in India.
- Serve it with curd, papad, aloo bhujia, begun bhaja, or a simple salad.
- Chicken khichdi tastes earthy, savory, and mildly spicy.
- Other khichdi recipes are moong dal khichdi, masala khichdi, and vegetable khichdi.
The Ingredients:
- ½ cup moong dal (washed, soaked for 30 minutes)
- 1.5 cups Basmati rice (short grain, washed, soaked for 30 minutes)
- 500 grams chicken (boneless)
- 3 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 2 pieces green cardamom
- 1 piece star anise
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- 1 piece onion (medium size, finely chopped)
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander seed powder
- ½ tsp cumin seed powder
- 2 pieces dry red chilies (whole)
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 piece tomato (medium size, finely chopped)
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves (fresh, chopped roughly)
- 1 tsp garam masala powder (or achari masala powder)
- 3.5 cups water
- Salt to taste
- Ghee (as required for garnishing)
- Coriander leaves (fresh, finely chopped, as required for garnishing)
While I was cleaning my house one day, I found a small diary along with a few sarees that belonged to my mother-in-law. It was very old. The pages were yellow but full of love. As I flipped through the fragile pages, I found this recipe. Its simplicity caught my eye.
I made it the next day. My husband was teary-eyed, and my boys said, “It smells like Dadi.” Now, this dish is our family legacy on a plate. That discovery reminded me that our kitchens do not start with us but they carry forward generations of taste, love, and memory written in old ink and heart.
How to Make Chicken Khichdi? (Step by Step Guide with Images)
Step 1: Take ½ cup of yellow moong dal, wash nicely, and soak for about 30 minutes or so.
Step 2: Also, take 1.5 cups of regular, short-grain Basmati rice, wash them and soak for about half an hour as well.
Step 3: Now, heat 3 tsp of ghee (clarified butter) in a pressure cooker. When the ghee melts and is hot, add ½ tsp of cumin seeds, 2 pieces of green cardamom, 1 piece of star anise, and 2 pieces of bay leaves in it and sauté them for about half a minute or so on a medium flame.
Step 4: Then, add 1 piece of finely chopped medium-sized onion to it. Stir and fry it until it turns slightly golden brown in color.
Step 5: Now, add 1 tsp of ginger-garlic paste to the fried onions and cook for about 20 seconds or so.
Step 6: At this stage, add ½ tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tsp of coriander seed powder, ½ tsp of cumin seed powder, and 2 pieces of dry red chilies (whole) to it. Stir and fry them for a minute or so on a medium flame.
Step 7: At this point, add 2 tbsp of water and mix it nicely with the masala to prevent it from burning.
Step 8: Now, add a piece of finely chopped medium-sized tomato to the masala along with ½ tsp of salt. Mix it nicely with the masala and let it cook for a couple of minutes or so, until the tomato pieces become soft.
(Pro tip: Adding salt along with the tomato pieces helps them become soft faster).
Step 9: Then, add 500 grams of boneless chicken to it and mix nicely with the masala. Turn the flame to high and fry until it releases moisture.
Step 10: At this stage, add the soaked moong dal and rice to the ingredients in the pressure cooker. Mix them all very nicely and cook it on a high flame for about 2 minutes.
Step 11: Now, add 1 tbsp of roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves and 1 tsp of garam masala powder to it. Mix them and let it cook for a minute or so.
Step 12: Finally, add 3.5 cups of water to the khichdi along with salt to taste and give it a nice final mix. Cover the lid of the pressure cooker and cook it on a medium flame for up to 3 whistles. Switch off the flame when done and let the pressure cooker sit until it cools down sufficiently.
(Pro tip: The quantity of water should be slightly double the amount of ingredients in the pressure cooker for best results).
Step 13: Remove the lid and remove the whole spices and bay leaves. Finally, give the chicken khichdi a nice mix from the sides very carefully.
Step 14: Transfer it in portions onto a serving bowl, put a tablespoon of ghee on it.
Step 15: Your tasty and spicy homemade chicken khichdi is ready to enjoy. Finally, put a few freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
Recipe Card
Chicken Khichdi
Ingredients
- ½ cup moong dal washed, soaked for 30 minutes
- 1.5 cups Basmati rice short grain, washed, soaked for 30 minutes
- 500 grams chicken boneless
- 3 tsp ghee clarified butter
- ½ tsp cumin seeds
- 2 pieces green cardamom
- 1 piece star anise
- 2 pieces bay leaves
- 1 piece onion medium size, finely chopped
- 1 tsp ginger garlic paste
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- 1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
- 1 tsp coriander seed powder
- ½ tsp cumin seed powder
- 2 pieces dry red chilies whole
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 piece tomato medium size, finely chopped
- ½ tsp salt
- 1 tbsp coriander leaves fresh, chopped roughly
- 1 tsp garam masala powder or achari masala powder
- 3.5 cups water
- Salt to taste
- Ghee as required for garnishing
- Coriander leaves fresh, finely chopped, as required for garnishing
Instructions
- Take ½ cup of yellow moong dal, wash nicely and soak for about 30 minutes or so.
- Also, take 1.5 cups of regular, short grain Basmati rice, wash them and soak for about half an hour as well.
- Now, heat 3 tsp of ghee (clarified butter) in a pressure cooker. When the ghee melts and is hot, add ½ tsp of cumin seeds, 2 pieces of green cardamom, 1 piece of star anise, and 2 pieces of bay leaves in it and sauté them for about half a minute or so on a medium flame.
- Then, add 1 piece of finely chopped medium-sized onion to it. Stir and fry it until it turns slightly golden brown in color.
- Now, add 1 tsp of ginger garlic paste to the fried onions and cook for about 20 seconds or so.
- At this stage, add ½ tsp of turmeric powder, 1 tsp of Kashmiri red chili powder, 1 tsp of coriander seed powder, ½ tsp of cumin seed powder, and 2 pieces of dry red chilies (whole) to it. Stir and fry them for a minute or so on a medium flame.
- At this point, add 2 tbsp of water and mix it nicely with the masala to prevent it from burning.
- Now, add a piece of finely chopped medium-sized tomato to the masala along with ½ tsp of salt. Mix it nicely with the masala and let it cook for a couple of minutes or so, until the tomato pieces become soft. (Pro tip: Adding salt along with the tomato pieces help them become soft faster).
- Then, add 500 grams of boneless chicken to it and mix nicely with the masala. Turn the flame to high and fry until it releases moisture.
- At this stage, add the soaked moong dal and rice to the ingredients in the pressure cooker. Mix them all very nicely and cook it on a high flame for about 2 minutes.
- Now, add 1 tbsp of roughly chopped fresh coriander leaves and 1 tsp of garam masala powder to it. Mix them and let it cook for a minute or so.
- Finally, add 3.5 cups of water to the khichdi along with salt to taste and give it a nice final mix. Cover the lid of the pressure cooker and cook it on a medium flame for up to 3 whistles. Switch off the flame when done and let the pressure cooker sit until it cools down sufficiently. (Pro tip: The quantity of water should be slightly double the amount of ingredients in the pressure cooker for best results).
- Remove the lid and remove the whole spices and bay leaves. Finally, give the chicken khichdi a nice mix from the sides very carefully.
- Transfer it in portions onto a serving bowl, put a tablespoon of ghee on it.
- Your tasty and spicy homemade chicken khichdi is ready to enjoy. Finally, put a few freshly chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.
