VAGHARELI OATS KHICHDI

My love for vaghareli khichdi is eternal 🙂  I ate so much during the holidays.. I was craving for some comfort food but also wanted it to be healthy! Vaghareli khichdi is usually made with Rice and daal but since I was all about wanting to make it healthy, I swapped the rice with Oats.  I have made this recipe many times before and is a family fave. Hope you all like it too. 🙂

Prep Time: 10 mins | Cook Time: 30 mins | Total Time: 40 mins | Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients:

• 1/2 tbsp Oil 
• 1/2 tbsp Ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 cup Toor Daal (split pigeon peas)
• 1 cup Oats (old fashion)
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste 
• 1 onion (diced)
• 1 Carrot (diced)
• 1 potato (peeled and diced)
• 1/2 cup peas
• 2 tomatoes (diced)
• 1/2″ thick cinnamon
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 3-4 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 whole red chili
• 5 whole black peppercorns
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp Kashmiri Red chili powder
• 1 tsp Khichdi Masala 
• 1/2 tsp Garam Masala
• Salt to taste
• 3
• cups water
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Directions:

1. Wash and soak toor daal in warm water (soak for 10-15mins). Drain the daal and keep it aside.
2. In a pressure cooker, add oil and ghee. Once the oil heats up, add cloves, cinnamon stick, black peppercorn, bay leaf, and whole red chili.  (keep the flame on medium)
3. Then add cumin seeds. Once the cumin changes color, add chopped onions and sauté till translucent. Then add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute. 
4. Add in the tomatoes and salt. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, garam masala, and Khichdi masala. 
5. Cook till tomatoes start leaving oil. Add the rest of the vegetables. Now add the daal and stir. Add water and bring it to a boil.
6. Once the water starts boiling, add the oats and close the cooker. 
7. Keep the flame on high and cook it till 5-6 whistles and turn the stove off. 
8. Let the cooker release the pressure naturally. Open the cooker and stir in the Cilantro. 
9. Serve in a bowl and enjoy with Chaas (buttermilk) or Ghee or by itself!

Notes:

• I used Quaker Old-fashioned oats
• I used Shreeji Khichdi masala. You can also use Badshah Khichdi masala. 
• If you don’t have Khichdi masala, you can add 1 tsp of Garam masala instead of 1/2tsp)
• You can use EVOO instead of regular oil and ghee