Mixed dal and vegetable khichdi

Name: Mixed dal and vegetable khichdi
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 6 portions

A comforting one-pot dish of rice, mixed dals and seasonal vegetables, cooked soft together. Easy to batch cook and freeze in portions, it provides plant protein, fibre and vegetables and can form part of a balanced diet while trying to conceive.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 30 min
Total: 45 min
Portions: 6

Easy
Trying to conceive
Preparing for pregnancy
Vegetarian
Fibre-rich
Budget-friendly
Freezer-friendly

Make this recipe

Portions

Ingredient quantities update automatically. Cooking times may need a little adjustment when you change the batch size.

Ingredients

For 6 portions. Tick items as you go — nothing is changed for anyone else.

150 g rice (chawal), about 3/4 cup
100 g moong (green gram) dal, about 1/2 cup
50 g masoor dal (red lentils)
300 g mixed vegetables, carrot, peas, lauki (bottle gourd / doodhi) and potato, chopped
0.5 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tbsp ghee
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)

This recipe contains foods that can contribute to a varied and balanced diet during pregnancy.

Method

Step 1. Wash the rice and dals together and drain.
Step 2. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker, add cumin seeds and asafoetida, then the vegetables, and sauté for 2 minutes.
Step 3. Add the rice, dals, turmeric and about 6 cups (about 1.4 litres) water.
Step 4. Pressure-cook for 15–20 minutes (about 4 whistles) until everything is soft and porridge-like, mashing lightly if needed.
Step 5. Cool in shallow portions before refrigerating or freezing for batch cooking.

Allergens for your selection

No declarable allergens in the ingredients as currently selected.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Food safety

Wash vegetables and fruit thoroughly in clean running water before cooking, and use safe drinking water (boiled, filtered or otherwise treated) for cooking and drinking.
Cook eggs, chicken, mutton and fish right through — no pink meat and no runny yolks.
Refrigerate cooked food within two hours (within one hour in hot weather) and keep the fridge at 5°C or below.
Keep cooked rice out of the danger zone: cool it quickly, refrigerate promptly and reheat only once until piping hot.
No alcohol is used in this recipe.

Allergens

No common declarable allergens are listed in this recipe's ingredients.

Ingredient brands and substitutions can change allergen content. Always check the labels on the products you buy.

Supplements and drinks

A daily folic acid supplement is widely recommended before conception and through early pregnancy to help prevent neural tube defects. Folate-rich foods do not replace the supplement. Ask your doctor which dose applies to you and follow your national health authority's guidance.
Vitamin D and iron requirements vary with diet, sunlight exposure and health conditions. Ask your doctor whether you need a supplement and follow your national health authority's guidance.
There is no known safe level of alcohol in pregnancy, and most guidance suggests keeping caffeine to around 200 mg a day. Recipes here contain no alcohol.

Sources

Dietary Guidelines for Indians — ICMR — National Institute of Nutrition, reviewed 10 September 2026
Eat Right India — safe and wholesome food — Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), reviewed 10 September 2026