Rajasthani Bajre Ka Khichda (Instant Pot or Stovetop)
Bajre ka Khichda — a warm, comforting Rajasthani dish made with pearl millets and lentils, this is a winter classic in my house. Featuring humble ingredients and satisfying flavors, there’s nothing that a bowl of Bajre ka Khichda with a dollop of ghee, yogurt, and matar ki sabzi can’t fix!
Ingredients
Bajra Khichda (no saking needed)
- 1 cup bajra (pearl millet) , washed until water is clear
- 1/3 cup split green moong dal (split green gram lentils) , washed
- 2 tbsp rice , washed
- 5 cups water , warm
- 2 tbsp ghee
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1 1/2 tsp salt , to taste
Serving:
- ghee
- matar ki sabzi (dry green peas)
- jaggery
- sugar
- yogurt
Instructions
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It’s important to wash your bajra very thoroughly to remove excess starch. Put your bajra in a bowl of water and massage gently with your hands. Once the water is cloudy, drain the water and repeat. Do this 3-4 times until the water becomes clear.
Instant Pot:
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Switch your Instant Pot to sauté mode add your warm water water. Let come to a boil and then add in your washed bajra, gdal, rice, 1 tbsp ghee, and salt.
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Keep stirring continuously until it comes back up to a boil. Put the lid on and pressure cook for 20 minutes on high in manual mode. Make sure your vent is on the sealing position. Let the pressure release naturally.
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Open the Instant Pot and stir well to break up any lumps. Switch on sauté mode and add in your milk and 1 tbsp of ghee. If you think the consistency is too thick, add some warm water to loosen it. Stir vigorously for 5 minutes to help the consistency thicken. You’ll the notice the color become lighter. This is a traditional step in Rajasthan that really helps the texture and taste come together.
Stovetop:
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In a pressure cooker on medium heat, add your warm water water. Let come to a boil and then add in your washed bajra, dal, rice, 1 tbsp ghee, and salt. Keep stirring continuously until it comes back up to a boil.
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Put the lid on your pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle on high heat and 4 whistles on low heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
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Open the pressure cooker and stir well to break up any lumps. Turn on the gas on medium flame and add in your milk and 1 tbsp of ghee. If you think the consistency is too thick, add some warm water to loosen it. Stir vigorously for 5 minutes to help the consistency thicken. You’ll the notice the color become lighter. This is a traditional step in Rajasthan that really helps the texture and taste come together.
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Your Rajasthani Bajre ka Khichda is ready to be served with a dollop of ghee (super important!), yogurt, matar ki sabzi, jaggery, and sugar.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
It’s really important to clean and wash the bajra correctly before making the khichda. Here are the detailed steps:
- Add your bajra to a bowl and fill with water. Massage gently with your hands until the water becomes cloudy. Here, we’re removing the outer husk because it has a bitter taste and makes it take longer to cook and digest.
- Drain the water and repeat a few times.
- Once the water remains clear, your’e bajra is properly washed and ready to be cooked!