Poha khichdi
Preparation Time
10 minutes
Cooking Time
15 minutes
Difficulty Level
easy
Meal Type
Dinner
Serves 3
Key Ingredients
- Thick poha
About This Recipe
Khichdi usually means rice and dal cooked together; this version swaps the rice for thick poha, so the pot is done in the time the dal and vegetables take to cook. The flakes go in last, damp from a rinse, and steam under the lid instead of boiling, which keeps them whole and fluffy rather than pasted.
The dal and vegetables cook first in measured hot water, then the rinsed flakes are folded in with a little more water and the pot rests off the flame, so nothing overcooks. The measure that works here is two cups of water with one and a half cups of poha and a quarter cup of dal, which gives a soft, spoonable khichdi; add a splash of hot water for a thinner one.
The vegetables are flexible: carrot and peas are the quick pair here, and beans, bottle gourd or spinach can join or replace them. A spoon of ghee at the table is the finishing touch, and curd, papad or pickle on the side rounds out the bowl. Choose the thick grade, because thin flakes collapse to paste under the lid. See the poha recipes roundup for more dinners from these flakes.
Ingredient List
Serving Size:
1x
2x
3x
Poha
- Thick poha — 1 1/2 cups
Dal
- Green moong split (chilka moong dal) — 1/4 cup
Vegetables
- Carrot, peeled and diced — 1/2 cup
- Green peas, fresh or frozen — 1/4 cup
Tempering
- Ghee (1 tbsp for the tempering, 1 tbsp to serve) — 2 tbsp
- Cumin Seeds — 1 tsp
- Hing (asafoetida) powder — 1/4 tsp
- Ginger, finely chopped — 1 tsp
- Green chilli, slit — 1 piece
- Turmeric Powder — 1/2 tsp
- Salt — 1 1/2 tsp
Liquid
- Hot water — 2 cups
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Serving Suggestions
Serve hot with the reserved ghee melting over it, a bowl of curd and a papad alongside; a spoon of pickle sharpens it. Leftover khichdi firms up in the fridge, so keep it up to two days and thin it with hot water on reheating. The poha recipes roundup has more from the same flakes.
Tips for Cooking Poha khichdi
Rinse the poha first and let it drain while the dal cooks; it should go in damp, not wet. Salt the water before the dal goes in so the seasoning reaches the grains. Fold, never stir, once the poha is in, or the flakes break into paste. The khichdi thickens fast off the flame, so keep a little hot water ready.
Chef’s Note
A bowl comes to about 321 kcal with 7.7 g protein, 47.1 g carbs, 10.8 g fat and 3.3 g fibre, counting the poha, moong dal and ghee; the vegetables sit outside the count. The dal carries most of the protein, so this bowl is a fuller meal than a plain poha plate.
Per serving (approx.): 321 kcal, protein 7.7 g, carbs 47 g, fat 11 g, fibre 3.3 g. Computed from IFCT 2017 / USDA values for the listed quantities. Measures: 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 tbsp = 15 ml, 1 tsp = 5 ml.
Happy Cooking
!!
ByCOWBERRY
Sep 16, 2026
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