Instant Pot Quinoa Khichdi

5 from 25 votes

Instant Pot Quinoa Khichdi, one-pot wholesome meal made with quinoa, lentils and veggies! It's nutritious, filling, comforting and good for you!

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One-pot wholesome meal, this Quinoa Khichdi is a healthier spin on traditional Indian khichdi.

Made with quinoa and lentils, this khichdi is lightly spiced and packed with nutrition.

If you love all the Instant Pot vegetarian/vegan recipes that I share on the blog, please join me on thisย Facebook Group โ€“ย Instant Pot Vegetarian Recipes.ย The group shares/features vegetarian instant pot recipes and ideas from all around the web!

bowl of quinoa khichdi with a spoon with a small bowl of yogurt and lemon slice in the background

One-pot meals are my favorite! It is one of the prime reasons I love the instant pot so much. I hate cleaning dishes, I really do so if I can make something in one-pot and have less dishes to clean, there’s nothing like it.

Being an Indian, khichdi has always been my comfort food. Mom always made khichdi when I was not well or when we all felt like eating something simple and wholesome.

However, I make khichdi a lot in my kitchen. I think mom didn’t make it on a regular basis because my brothers hated it. They thought it was bland and boring so if she made khichdi then she had to make something else for them.

But me and sarvesh, we both love it so I make it often. More so, after we are both fed up of eating outside after a vacation or trip.

To change things up a bit, I have been replacing rice with quinoa and making Quinoa Khichdi. This is such a simple meal but one that you will love- that much I can promise.

This Instant Pot Quinoa Khichdi

โœ“ is healthy, wholesome, one-pot meal

โœ“ gets done in 30 minutes

โœ“ packed with protein

โœ“ vegan and can be made gluten-free by skipping the hing (asafoetida)

Usually for khichdi, we do half rice and half lentils and so I should have followed the same rule with quinoa khichdi as well, however I have used 1:2 ratio of quinoa to lentils here.

The reason is that Sarvesh isn’t a huge quinoa fan. So first time, I made the khichdi with half quinoa and half dal, he didn’t like it much. It was too much quinoa for him.

So now I just cut the quantity in half and he likes it way more. In fact I also prefer this version with more dal and less quinoa.

However feel free to do half quinoa and half dal. Totally up to you.

bowl of quinoa khichdi with a spoon in the background along with a bowl of yogurt and some cilantro

I used yellow moong dal (moong dhuli) and masoor dal (red lentils) here, you can use also use only moong dal or only masoor dal.

If you plan to use toor dal, increase the cook time to 7 minutes since it takes little more time to cook than these dals.

This khichdi is really easy to prepare. Once you have chopped everything, it’s just a matter of few minutes to put everything in the pot and then pressure cook.

It’s so good for those days when you want something comforting, filling and without many spices.

Vegetable Quinoa Khichdi

This quinoa khichdi recipe has quite a bit of veggies here- onion, tomato, carrot, peas.

You can add more like green beans, potatoes, cabbage, even spinach would be great at the end.

I just happen to have few veggies at home when I made this and hence used those.

bowl of quinoa khichdi with a spoon in the background along with a bowl of yogurt and some cilantro

How to Serve The Khichdi

You can eat it as such. But I always prefer eating my khichdi with yogurt. It’s a match made in heaven.

Also some pickle on the side is so good!

Method

1- Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil or ghee and then add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.

Let the seeds sizzle for few seconds and then add the hing and stir.

2- Add the onion, ginger, garlic and cook for 3 minutes until softened.

3- Add the tomato, carrot and frozen peas and stir.

4- Add the moong dal, masoor dal and quinoa.

step by step pictures of making quinoa khichdi in instant pot

5- Also add the turmeric powder and salt.

6-ย Add water 2 to 2.5 cups. I add 2.5 cups (20 oz) because I prefer little thin khichdi. And it also thickens as it cools down so I like adding 2.5 cups. You may add 2 cups (16 oz) water.

7- Stir everything together and close the pot. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. The pressure valve should be in the sealing position.

Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release.

8- Open the lid and add chopped cilantro. Then squeeze in some fresh lemon juice.

step by step pictures of making quinoa khichdi in instant pot

Enjoy quinoa khichdi with a side of yogurt or pickle.

a large bowl of quinoa khichdi with a spoon alongside a small plate with more khichdi

Check out more Indian Inspired Quinoa Recipes!

Quinoa Upma

Vegetable Quinoa Pulao

If youโ€™ve tried this Instant Pot Quinoa Khichdi Recipe then donโ€™t forget to rate the recipe! You can also follow me onย Facebookย andย Instagramย to see whatโ€™s latest in my kitchen!

Instant Pot Quinoa Khichdi

5 from 25 votes
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
Servings: 2
Instant Pot Quinoa Khichdi, one-pot wholesome meal made with quinoa, lentils and veggies! It's nutritious, filling, comforting and good for you!

Ingredients 

  • 1 tablespoon oil or ghee 15 ml
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
  • 1/4 teaspoon hing asafoetida
  • 1 small red onion chopped
  • 1 inch ginger finely chopped
  • 4-5 large garlic cloves finely chopped
  • 1 medium tomato chopped
  • 1 large carrot cut into rounds
  • 1/4 cup green peas frozen
  • 1/4 cup yellow moong dal (moong dal dhuli) 55 grams, split moong beans, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup masoor dal 50 grams, red lentils, rinsed
  • 1/4 cup quinoa` 50 grams, rinsed very well, I generally rinse quinoa for 1-2 minutes.
  • 1/4 + 1/8 teaspoon turmeric powder
  • 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 2-2.5 cups water 16 oz- 20 oz, 2.5 cups if you want thin khichdi
  • chopped cilantro
  • half lemon juice of
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Instructions 

  • Press the saute button on the Instant Pot. Once it displays hot, add the oil or ghee and then add the bay leaf and cumin seeds.
    Let the seeds sizzle for few seconds and then add the hing and stir.
  • Add the onion, ginger, garlic and cook for 3 minutes until softened.
  • Add the tomato, carrot and frozen peas and stir.
  • Add the moong dal, masoor dal and quinoa along with turmeric powder and salt. 
  • Add water 2 to 2.5 cups. I add 2.5 cups (20 oz) because I prefer little thin khichdi. And it also thickens as it cools down so I like adding 2.5 cups. You may add 2 cups (16 oz) water.
  • Stir everything together and close the pot. Press the manual or pressure cook button and cook on high pressure for 5 minutes. The pressure valve should be in the sealing position.
    Let the pressure release naturally for 5 minutes and then do a quick pressure release.
  • Open the lid and add chopped cilantro. Then squeeze in some fresh lemon juice.
  • Enjoy quinoa khichdi with a side of yogurt or pickle.

Notes

  1. Usually for khichdi we do half-half so half lentils and half quinoa/rice but here I have used more lentils and less quinoa. You can definitely do half-half. If you use 1/2 cup quinoa, do use 2.5 cups water.ย 
  2. Skip hing or use gluten-free hing to make this khichdi gluten-free.
  3. You can also add veggies like green beans, spinach, cabbage here.ย 
  4. I have not used any chili powder here as I wanted to keep it super simple. However you can spice it up by adding red chili powder or green chilies as per your taste.

Nutrition

Calories: 390kcal, Carbohydrates: 59g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 9g, Saturated Fat: 4g, Cholesterol: 19mg, Sodium: 922mg, Potassium: 987mg, Fiber: 19g, Sugar: 7g, Vitamin A: 6665IU, Vitamin C: 25.8mg, Calcium: 86mg, Iron: 5.7mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Indian
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Hi, I’m Manali!

Bringing you easy, delicious vegetarian & vegan recipes! Eating veggies can be fun, you just need to get creative in the kitchen with the right set of ingredients!


5 from 25 votes (6 ratings without comment)

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66 Comments

  1. Hi Manali: Thanks for posting this recipe — especially impressed with the fiber content it has. I am not too inclined towards hi-tech in cooking. Would you suggest a stove-top method for making this dish? ~ Dido.

    1. you can soak the dal for 2 hours. Then cook in a pot. The Follow the recipe as is and cover cook until the dal and quinoa is cooked. Should take around 25-30 minutes.

    1. hmm that’s hard to tell. There’s enough water in this recipe and it should not burn, has never happened with me. From what I have heard, newer IP models especially the 8qt are more prone to the burn message. Could also be a problem with the sensor. Make sure there’s nothing stuck at the bottom of your pot before you put it to pressure cooking.

  2. Hello Manali,
    Whats the maximum quantity that can be prepared in a 6 quart instant pot. I’m looking to use this recipe for a 15-20 people party and trying to figure out approximately how much can be prepared at a time

    1. you can easily multiply this recipe 4-5 times and make it. If it’s not the only dish at the party, that should be enough for 15-20 people.

  3. This is so comforting. I love every recipes of yours, so simple and easy to put together. This has become weekly in our household! Thank you for all you do!

  4. 5 stars
    This dish came out delicious. I was not sure how it would taste as there are so few spices but it is so flavorful! Such a great wholesome meal! Real comfort food. Thanks for the recipe, Manali!

  5. 5 stars
    I had to come back and rate this again!! I just love ease of this recipe. I have made it with and without Onions and garlic. At times I have used some Veg broth in place of water or sweet potatoes in place of carrots. The recipe is easy to double or triple. I love making a big pot for leftovers. I have started to double the amount of cumin seeds and add some dry red chiles + mustard seeds to the tempering oil during first step and some garam masala at the end and lemon juice for extra flavor. Soooo good and nourishing. My fave healthy recipe my entire family will eat including 2 toddlers and a picky husband. Lol

  6. 5 stars
    I just made this with my teenage son. We are both NOT cooks and even needed to FaceTime my mom to figure out the different Daals and spices! ๐Ÿ˜‰
    It turned out excellent. It was a surprise for my wife who was coming home from work and just started a new career. Big hit! Thank you!

  7. 5 stars
    This is my go to recipe when I want a low carb comfort meal on a rain/ wintry day. I personally prefer the 1:1 ratio of lentils to quinoa. A quick, tasty and nutritious meal. Thank you.

  8. 5 stars
    Hi Manali! This was a great recipe thanks for sharing. I left out onion and garlic to make it more sattvic. Which I’m learning about in ayurveda. I almost left tomato out too as it’s not considered sattvic…. but that was too hard of a change haha. I mean those 3 things are like staple in north indian and many cuisines throughout the world. But it still came out fantastic and a good light and nourishing meal after a few days of heavy eating! I added a little garam masala at the end to make replenish some flavor. It was super! Will be a staple in my house we love kitchari and love quinoa win win. ๐Ÿ†

  9. 5 stars
    This was delicious! I didn’t have the split moong beans or frozen green peas unfortunately, so I doubled the red lentils and quinoa amount. It turned out great! Served with a dollop of vegan coconut yogurt. Such an easy, quick and delicious dinner meal. Looking forward to making this again with all the proper ingredients.

  10. Hi Manali, I just made this now but in a cooking pot on stove. It tastes delicious, I love cooking with quinoa and keep trying different recipes. I started after my work finished and was able to prepare the dinner pretty quickly. A hearty and homemade meal! thanks so much for this wonderful recipe ?

  11. 5 stars
    Hi Manali, thank you for this wonderful recipe!
    It was delicious and more importantly was a quick and healthy dish
    I used 1:1 ratio of dal and quinoat, just added little Bisibelebath powder to make it little spicy and also to taste like Bisibelebath. It turned out really well
    I think this will be my go-to dish very frequently from now on!

  12. 5 stars
    Hi ! Thanks for the lovely recipe. I made it today night for my 4 year old. She enjoyed eating it. Infact even my 1 year old ate a few bites. He too seemed to have liked it.
    Are there any other dal alternative dals that will also taste good with quinoa?

      1. Thanks Manali. I have tried it today and was amazed by its taste. Though I added just the Moong dal and modified your list by replacing quinoa with amaranth, it tasted good.
        One additional question. Can we add any additional vegetables like peppers, cauliflower/broccoli, and mushrooms?

      2. you may but this cooks for 5 minutes on high pressure and in that time broccoli, cauliflowers would turn into a mush. Mushrooms should be okay.

  13. 5 stars
    I made this recipe for dinner and all the family members enjoyed it. Thankyou Manali for the healthy recipe

  14. Manali great recipe ! Thanks for sharing . In general what is the proportion of water to quinoa ? I use millet and moong dal in equal quantity 1:1 and add 6 cups water and cook in Rice mode in IP for perfect consistency kichadi.

  15. Hi Manali

    If I do not have an instant pot, how can I make this? I have a slow cooker and a regular pressure cooker too.

  16. 5 stars
    Loved your khichdi recipe. Made today came out very well with exact texture I wished always. Added to my recipe book! Thanks!

  17. 5 stars
    Amazing khichadi! I love the recipes. I just found your website recently, and the dishes Iโ€™ve tried including khichdi, upma, poha are so yummy. My kids and husband love them too. Iโ€™m eager to try the chocolate cake later today. Thank you!

  18. 5 stars
    I was looking for a khichdi recipe with quinoa and split yellow lentils, because thatโ€™s what I had on hand. I made this with kale and carrots, without tomato, using 1/2c yellow split lentils and 1/4c quinoa, topped with chopped mint and served with a spiced yogurt sauce and lime quarters. Delightful! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Iโ€™m adding it into my meal rotation.

  19. Wow ? fantastic khichdi hai I love it aaj hi banaya hai aur mere husband aur mere family ko bhi bohot pasand aaya hai it’s so yummy ??

  20. If I double the recipe, do I double water too. I know water doesnโ€™t evaporate in instant pot. Donโ€™t wanna end up with watery khicri.
    Thank you

  21. When making quinoa kichdi, what is the proportion of quinoa to the magni dal.. and the proportion of water needed?

    1. What is magni dal? I have given the ratio of quinoa to dal for this khichdi , it’s in the recipe, please check.