❤️ About This Quinoa Khichdi Recipe

Traditional khichdi is made with a combination of rice and lentils. And I love my old, comfy khichdi but sometimes I look for lower carb and high protein version of the same. Hence this recipe. Here rice is entirely substituted with quinoa.  FYI, quinoa has far fewer calories and carbohydrates than white rice. Also, quinoa has twice the protein than the same amount of white rice. Plus, this quinoa khichdi makes a filling, satisfying, wholesome and super delicious meal.

🧾 Ingredient Notes

Here is the pic of the ingredients required to make this healthy quinoa khichdi in instant pot. You can follow the same recipe for a stovetop pressure cooker.

Quinoa: There are three types of quinoa available in the market, white, black and red. White is most commonly used. You’ll also find a packet of mix of all, tri-colored quinoa. Use any type you prefer, doesn’t matter. IMP NOTE: Quinoa should be rinsed/washed really well with water. It is coated in a naturally occurring insecticide called saponins. This can make it taste bitter and make it difficult to digest. So you must rinse it well before cooking to remove that coating. Moong dal: I wanted to keep this quinoa khichdi light and easy to digest, so I have used moong dal (yellow lentils). For a variation, you can use masoor dal (pink lentils) or toor dal or the combination of any two or three. Ghee: I can’t imagine my khichdi without ghee. It enhances the flavor of the entire dish. But instead, you can use oil. Veggies: I always have onion, tomato, carrot and peas in my pantry/fridge. So I mostly use these. But you can use your choice of other veggies like potato, cauliflower, broccoli, green beans, bell pepper, etc. Curry leaves: It adds a nice flavor and aroma. If not available, you can skip it.

👩‍🍳 How To Make Quinoa Khichdi In Instant Pot?

Prep: Take moong dal and quinoa in a colander and rinse under running cold water really well. Also, chop up the veggies and crush the ginger garlic (or use ready paste).

  1. Turn on the instant pot with saute mode. Once hot add ghee and let it melt.
  2. Add cumin seeds and let them sizzle. Add curry leaves and hing.
  3. Immediately add onion and ginger garlic. 
  4. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until the onion becomes soft and there is no more raw smell of ginger garlic.
  5. Add carrot, peas, tomatoes, salt and spice powders (turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder).
  6. Mix everything well.
  7. Add rinsed moong dal and quinoa.
  8. Add water and stir.
  9. Cover the instant pot with a lid (keep the valve to sealing position). Cancel the saute mode and pressure cook on manual (high pressure) for 5 minutes. Let it NPR (natural pressure release). Once the pin drops open the lid.
  10. Give it a good stir, the texture should be mushy and thick runny. Keep in mind that as it cools, it will solidify and thicken even more.

🍽 Serving Ideas

Serve quinoa khichdi with a bowl of yogurt, pickle and papad on the side (as you see in the pic). This can be enjoyed with Gujarati kadhi.  A drizzle of ghee on the piping hot khichdi would never hurt. (Yumm!!!)

💭 Expert Tips For Quinoa Khichdi

To make it gluten-free, make sure to use the pure natural hing. Or simply skip it.  To make it vegan, use oil instead of ghee. Not a fan of quinoa, but wants to include it in your diet? Reduce the amount of quinoa and increase the amount of dal. Or go with ¼ cup quinoa, ¼ cup rice and ½ cup lentils. Using moong dal or masoor dal or a combination of these two? Follow the same cooking time: 5 minutes. Using toor dal? Increase the pressure cooking to 7-8 minutes.

🥣 Storage & Reheating

This quinoa khichdi can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.  You’ll notice that quinoa khichdi will solidify and becomes really thick after storing in the refrigerator. That is normal.  Reheating: Remove the required amount in a microwave-safe bowl, add a splash of water and reheat for a minute. Give it a good stir and again heat it until it is piping hot. 

Looking for similar rice-free khichdi recipes – Dalia khichdi, Oats khichdi. Another healthy quinoa recipe – Instant pot quinoa vegetable soup PS Tried this quinoa khichdi recipe? Please leave a star rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comment section. I always appreciate your feedback! Plus, Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Pinterest, Instagram, and Facebook for all the latest updates.

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