Quick Bajra Khichdi | Winter Special Khichdi Recipe | This Bajra ki khichdi is a very healthy and delicious recipe for wintertime. It is warm in nature and is made with bajra, chana dal, rice, and some Indian spices.
About Bajra khichdi
Bajra is known as pearl millet in English. Bajra khichdi is a warm, nutritious and satisfying one-pot meal recipe. It can be enjoyed at breakfast, lunch or dinner with a dollop of fresh butter and curd on the side. Bajra is a staple food in the regions of Rajasthan and Haryana states during winter.
This Bajra Khichdi tastes good and has a creamy texture This one-pot dish is very filling, wholesome, and also great for weight loss.
Other winter special recipes you would like to try
Bajra thepla with leftover dal
There are many different ways of making bajra khichdi. We can add rice or skip it. Here, in this recipe, I have added rice which gives it a creamy and thick consistency to the bajra khichdi. You can also make it without using rice too. The recipe, I make is very simple and needs only a very few ingredients as like the other khichdi recipes. I have also added onion and garlic but if you don’t like can skip them.
Traditionally, Bajra khichdi is made in an open pot and takes a long time to cook. But I shared some tips and tricks that help in cooking it faster.
First, soaking is very important to cut down the cooking time. Secondly, first few minutes cook the khichdi with stirring continuously so that the bajra will become soft and then pressure cook it for a few minutes. Doing this bajra cooks slightly and don’t stick at the bottom while pressure cooking.
This Bajra Khichdi recipe is a delicious Rajasthani-style dish made in a pressure cooker. It is warm in nature so good to consume within limits and best when consumed in winter.
How to make broken bajra at home?
To make this khichdi we need a broken bajra. Nowadays you can find it easily in any grocery store. But if not found then add around 2 tbsp water to the bajra and mix, and keep it aside for 30-40 minutes.
After that, transfer it to a grinder jar and grind it on pulse mode 3-4 times. In this way, some bajra seeds will be crushed, and some won’t be, but that’s ok. Now trans coarsely ground bajra in a bowl, add enough water to cover it and let it sit for a minute. You will see some floating husk on the top, strain it using a strainer. Repeat this two to three times till it clears all the husk particles. Now, bajra is ready to use for making khichdi.
The addition of some ghee or fresh butter increases the taste of this khichdi very much. Although it is totally optional.
You can also add some veggies to this khichdi if you want which makes this more nutritional and tasty.
This bajra khichdi is a gluten-free meal recipe. To make it vegan add oil instead of ghee in it. This one-pot meal is hearty, wholesome, and great for weight loss too. Bajra is a heaty food item so, it is best to consume this nutritious millet in winter.
Bajra health benefits
Bajra or Pearl Millet is a good source of protein, fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, and iron. Due to its rich nutritional profile it has many health benefits.
- Pearl millet is very helpfull in controlling diabetes as it is rich in fibre and digest slowly.
- It is rich in protein and adding lentils to it make a complete essential protein content which is good for vegetarians.
- It is gluten-free in nature and good for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity.
What are Millets?
Millets are Ancient grains which are Gluten-free in nature. They are a healthier alternative to grains with gluten like rice, wheat and barley. Nowadays millets are easily available in the Indian market and are consumed widely. We can use them in making a salad, upma, daliya, khichdi, chapatti, ladoo, sweets, etc.
Ingredients used for making Bajra Khichdi
- Bajra: Use clean and broken bajra for making this recipe. Broken bajra can be found in the market or you do it at home easily as I mentioned earlier.
- Chana Dal: I have used chana dal in this recipe. I soaked the dal for an hour before cooking it as this lentil takes longer time to cook.
- Onion: I have added onion to the tadka but if you don’t want it, skip it.
- Ghee: It tastes best with desi ghee tadka so, I have used cow ghee here but if you are a vegan, use refined oil instead.
- Green chillies, ginger and garlic: These herbs improve the taste and make it easily digestible. So, I added them after making a paste.
- Spices: I just used cumin seeds, turmeric powder, coriander powder, hing, and salt in this recipe.
- Coriander leaves: for garnish.
Step-by-step instructions of making of winter special bajra khichdi
1.First, take chana dal and rice in a bowl. Wash them 2-3 times with water and then add 2 katori water and soak them for at least 1 hour.
2. In another bowl, add bajra and sprinkle 2 tbsp water and mix it. Leave it aside for half an hour.
3. After that transfer bajra into a grinder jar and grind it 3-4 times on pulse mode. Take it out in a bowl and add water. Wash to 2-3 times to remove the skin of bajra. Once the water becomes clear, keep it aside.
4. Now in a pressure cooker, melt 2 tbsp ghee. Add jeera and heeng, wait till they crackle.
5. Then add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilli paste. Sauté them till their raw smell is gone.
6. Now add salt, coriander powder, turmeric powder. Add soaked dal rice mixture. Also add bajra.
7. Then add 5 cups water and mix well altogether. Cook it for 10-12 minutes on low medium flame while stirring continuously.
8. After that, cover the lid of pressure cooker and cook up to 5 whistles on low medium flame.
9. Once the pressure is released, open the lid, mix everything well and it our very healthy bajra chana dal khichdi is ready to serve.
10. Transfer to a serving bowl, top with some homemade fresh butter and coriander leaves. ENJOY!
Serving suggestions
Serve this bajra ki khichdi with curd and little butter, or it can be eaten as it is. I prefer eating it with fresh homemade butter and some papad on the side.
Tips and tricks
- Use broken bajra for making this khichdi. How to remove husk from bajra, check in the instructions above.
- To make it vegan, add refined oil instead of ghee.
- Soak dal and rice for at least an hour so that they cook fast.
- First few minutes cook it stirring continuously so that bajra absorbs water and becomes soft only then pressure cook otherwise it may stick at the bottom.
- If khichdi seems dry add some hot water in it and mix.
- Leftover khichdi can be stored in the refrigerator for upto 2 days. When reheat it add a tadka of cumin seeds and 2 tbsp water and then microwave it or heat it on a stove top.
Recipe card
Quick Bajra Khichdi | Winter Special Khichdi Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup chana dal
- ½ cup rice
- 1 cup whole bajra
- 2 tbsp ghee
- ½ tsp jeera
- 1 pinch heeng
- 1 medium sized onion finely chopped
- 1 tbsp ginger garlic and green chilli paste
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
- ½ tsp coriander powder
- ½ tsp turmeric powder
- Green coriander leaves for garnishing
- Homemade unsalted butter
- 7½ cup water
Instructions
- First, take chana dal and rice in a bowl. Wash them 2-3 times with water and then add 2 katori water and soak them for at least 1 hour.
- In another bowl, add bajra and sprinkle 2 tbsp water and mix it. Leave it aside for half an hour.
- After that transfer bajra into a grinder jar and grind it 3-4 times on pulse mode. Take it out in a bowl and add water. Wash to 2-3 times to remove the skin of bajra. Once the water becomes clear, keep it aside.
- Now in a pressure cooker, melt 2 tbsp ghee. Add jeera and heeng, wait till they crackle.
- Then add chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and green chilli paste. Sauté them till their raw smell is gone.
- Now add salt, coriander powder, turmeric powder. Add soaked dal rice mixture. Also add bajra.
- Then add 5 cups water and mix well altogether. Cook it for 10-12 minutes on low medium flame while stirring continuously.
- After that, cover the lid of pressure cooker and cook up to 5 whistles on low medium flame.
- Once the pressure is released, open the lid, mix everything well and it our very healthy bajra chana dal khichdi is ready to serve.
- Transfer to a serving bowl, top with some homemade fresh butter and coriander leaves. ENJOY!
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