This Punjabi chana dal khichdi recipe is light, gluten free, healthy and delicious. It is very easy to digest as it is minimally spiced and has 2 main ingredients that is dal and rice.
It is the easiest and quickest recipe, which can be made in less than 10 minutes if you have pre-soaked dal.
This khichdi is:
- Easy to make
- Simple and tasty
- Gluten-free
- Requires basic ingredients
- No onion and garlic
- Nutritious
- Metabolism booster
- Easy to digest
- Act as a natural detox
- Helps in weight loss
Quick jump
- What is chana dal khichdi
- How to make chana dal khichdi in pressure cooker
- Top tips
- Serving suggestions
- FAQs
- Recipe card
What is chana dal khichdi
It is basically a porridge which is made with the mixture of dal and rice. It is lightly flavoured with salt, red chilli powder and cumin seeds.
This recipe is simple yet tasty.
It is also offered as a bhog during Durga Puja, In India khichdi is mostly made when someone is sick or when someone wants to eat something light.
How to make chana dal khichdi in pressure cooker
In a bowl add chana dal and rinse it twice or thrice then soak it in water for 2 to 3 hours.
(Note: The water should always be double the quantity of dal. for example if the dal is 1/2 cup then soak it in 1 cup water, 1/4 cup dal=1/2 cup water.)
In the another bowl add rice and rinse it couple of times but we don’t need to soak the rice as it may become soft and khichdi will become sticky and mushy.

After hours of soaking, add ghee in the pressure cooker then add cumin seeds and let it crackle add salt and red chilli powder in it.
Now, add soaked chana dal with its water and rinsed rice in the pressure cooker. add water in it and close the lid of the pressure cooker.
Pressure cook it at high flame until it get 1 whistle then turn off the flame. Let the pressure release naturally so don’t open the lid just after it is cooked or you can wait for 4 to 5 minutes.
If your dal has not cooked then you can pressure cook it again at high flame until it get 1 whistle.

Once cooked and pressure is released open the pressure cooker lid. Dal and rice should not be mushy or sticky.
Serve it hot.
Top tips
- Don’t soak the rice, only rinse it and drain all the water from it.
- After adding all ingredients in the pressure cooker you can taste water of it to check the salt. If it has less salt then you can add more as per your taste.
- I have use 1/3 cup of chana dal and twice the amount of water to soak it i.e, 2/3 cup. For rice I have used 2/3 cup rice and 1 1/3 cup water. Increase this ratio if increasing the quantity.
- Use long grain basmati rice for this khichdi recipe.
- You can also cook this recipe in a instant pot.
Serving suggestion
To Serve it as a complete meal pair this khichdi with dry aloo sabzi or aloo ki bhujiya, pickle of your choice (sweet mango pickle, carrot pickle) and yogurt or raita.
Personally, I love to have it with plain yogurt, aloo ki bhujiya and tamatar chutney.
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FAQs
Is chana dal khichdi healthy?
Yes, it’s super healthy especially when you have upset stomach or bloating. It is very light, healthy and a perfect comfort meal.
Dal= Protein, Rice= carbs, Ghee= healthy fats
Can I give chana dal khichdi to 6 month baby?
No, chana dal is heavy and it would be difficult for baby to digest it. you can give moong dal khichdi to 6 month baby as it’s light and easy to digest.
But you can give chana dal khichdi to 1 year old toddler.
What to do if I forgot to soak dal?
I would recommend you to soak the dal for 2 to 3 hour for best taste but in this case you can soak it in hot water for 1/2 hour.
Can I add veggies in this chana dal khichdi?
Yes, you can add cauliflower, potatoes, green chilli, garlic or carrot in it but sautee it before and add it in the pressure cooker.
Rest of the process will be same. you can use any veggies of your choice.
To add extra flavour you can also use bay leaf, cloves or cinnamon.
Recipe card
Punjabi chana dal khichdi

Chana dal khichdi is made with the mixture of dal and rice which is lightly flavoured with salt, red chilli powder and cumin seeds.
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup chana dal
- 2/3 cup rice
- 1 tablespoon ghee
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon red chilli powder
- 1 1/3 cup water
- 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
Instructions
- Rinse and soak 1/3 cup chana dal in 2/3 cup water. soak it for 2-3 hours.
- Rinse 2/3 cup rice and drain all the water from it.
- After 2-3 hours of soaking, in a pressure cooker heat 1 tablespoon of ghee then add 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds and let it crackle.
- Add 1 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon red chilli powder, soaked chana dal with its water and rinsed rice in the pressure cooker.
- Now, add 1 1/3 cup water in it and close the lid of the pressure cooker.
- Pressure cook it at high flame until it get 1 whistle then turn off the flame. Let the pressure release naturally so don’t open the lid just after it is cooked or you can wait for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Once cooked and pressure is released open the pressure cooker lid. Dal and rice should not be mushy or sticky.
- Serve it hot.
Notes
- Don’t soak the rice, only rinse it and drain all the water from it.
- After adding all ingredients in the pressure cooker you can taste water of it to check the salt. If it has less salt then you can add more as per your taste.
- I have use 1/3 cup of chana dal and twice the amount of water to soak it i.e, 2/3 cup. For rice I have used 1/2 cup rice and 1 1/2 cup water. follow this ratio if increasing the quantity.
- Use long grain basmati rice for this khichdi recipe.
- You can also cook this recipe in a instant pot.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
2Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 168Total Fat: 7gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 16mgSodium: 111mgCarbohydrates: 22gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gProtein: 4g
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