Bajra Khichdi is a pearl millet recipe that makes a perfect, diabetic friendly, healthy and comforting one pot meal. Pearl Millet (Bajra) is a grain with one of the highest protein content, and this recipe is also high in fiber and contains vegetables to provide essential vitamins and minerals. While rice is used in the authentic Bajra Khichdi recipe, this recipe uses Freekeh, which is considered a super food and commonly used in the United States. If you are looking for a nutritious one pot meal for your family, you'll love this recipe!
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How Healthy is Bajra Khichdi?
This Bajra Khichdi pearl millet recipe is made with Freekeh, a superfood which is a wheat grain that's harvested while it's young and green. It is obtained by roasting the harvested grain over an open fire and then removing the burnt straw and chaff from it. Freekeh is high in fiber, proteins, calcium, lutein (for eye health) and low in carbs.
This recipe also includes potatoes, cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, peas, and tomatoes, so the vegetables in this Bajra Khichdi recipe increases the dish's nutritional value considerably!
This one pot meal is wholesome and hearty and contains many essential vitamins and minerals. Our family loves this dish, especially during the cold weather, because it is warming and comforting and sataites the appetite.
What to Serve with Bajra Khichdi
Bajra Kichdi can be served by itself or with a dollop of clarified butter (ghee). I recommend serving this pearl millet recipe with my Rajasthani kadhi recipe as an accompaniment, which is a very popular combination in Rajasthan, India.
Ingredients
- Pearl millet (bajra)
- Split mung lentil chilka mung dal
- Freekeh green-wheat
- Potatoes
- Cauliflower
- Broccoli
- Carrots
- Sweet green peas
- Tomatoes
- Fresh ginger
- Green chilies
- Cilantro
- Cumin seeds (jeera)
- Asafetida (hing)
- Turmeric
- Red chili powder
- Coriander
- Ghee
How to Make Bajra Khichdi in an Instant Pot
- Soak the bajra and freekeh for one hour.
- With the Instant Pot on Saute mode, heat up the ghee.
- Put the asafetida (hing) and cumin seeds (jeera) in the Instant Poa. Let it splutter.
- Add ginger, green chilies, potatoes, and all the vegetables. Mix together and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Add soaked bajra, freekeh and lentil (no need to soak the lentil - just wash it and add to the pressure cooker).
- Add salt, other spices, and water. Mix well and close the Instant pot lid.
- Cancel the saute mode and start the multi-grain mode, which uses less pressure, and cook for 20 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally after the 20 minutes are over.
- Once the pressure is released, open the lid and stir.
- Transfer the Bajra Khichdi to a serving bowl and put some ghee on top.
- Serve with papad, yogurt or pickle.
Recipe
Bajra Khichdi - Vegetable Pearl Millet Recipe (One Pot Meal)
Ingredients
- 1 cup Pearl millet Bajra - 1 cup broken and clean
- ⅓ cup Split mung lentil chilka mung dal
- ⅓ cup Freekeh green-wheat
- 200 gm Potatoes 1 medium size chopped
- 350 gm Cauliflower 1 cup florets
- ½ cup Broccoli ½ cup florets
- 50 gm Carrots 1 cup chopped
- 150 gm Sweat green peas 1 cup
- 350 gm Tomato 3 chopped
- 15 gm Ginger 1 big piece chopped
- 5 gm Green chilies as per your need
- 15 gm Cilantro handful
Spices:
- 2 teaspoon Cumin seeds Jeera
- ¼ teaspoon Asafetida Hing
- ½ teaspoon Turmeric powder
- ½ teaspoon Red chili powder
- 1 teaspoon Coriander powder
- 1 teaspoon Salt to taste
- 2 tablespoon Ghee Ghee
- 4 cup Water 1:4 ratio of bajra
Instructions
Stove Top Method
- Soak bajra and freekeh for one hour.
- Heat ghee in a pressure cooker and put asafetida (hing) and cumin seeds (jeera). Let it splutter.
- Then add ginger, green chilies, potato and all the vegetables. Mix nicely and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Then add soaked bajra, freekeh and lentil (no need to soak the lentil just wash it and add it to the pressure cooker).
- Add salt and other spices and water, mix well and close the lid.
- Cook on medium heat for around 20 minutes and switch off the heat. Let the pressure release naturally.
- Once the pressure is released, give it a good steer.
- Transfer the khichdi in a serving bowl and put some ghee on top.
- Serve with papad, yogurt or pickle.
Instant Pot Method
- Soak bajra and freekeh for one hour.
- Switch on the Saute mode and heat ghee in IP.
- Put asafetida (hing) and cumin seeds (jeera). Let it splutter.
- Then add ginger, green chilies, potato and all the vegetables. Mix nicely and cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Then add soaked bajra, freekeh and lentil (no need to soak the lentil just wash it and add it to the pressure cooker).
- Add salt and other spices and water, mix well and close the lid.
- Cancel the saute mode and start the multi-grain mode, which uses less pressure, for 20 minutes.
- Let the pressure release naturally after 20 minutes are over.
- Once the pressure is released, open the lid and give it a good steer.
- Transfer the khichdi in a serving bowl and put some ghee on top.
- Serve with papad, yogurt or pickle.
International school in kerala says
That was a good recipe i will prepare for my kids
International School says
Wow!!All ideas are really awesome, These will be very beneficial, Thanks alot Keep posting
Rupali Agarwal says
Thank you! Glad you liked the recipe.
Rupali
Mani says
Nice post and thanks for sharing the recipe for vegetable pearl millet.
Rupali Agarwal says
Thank you for stopping by, glad you liked the recipe.
Rupali
Sudhir Agarwal says
I have whole bajra how to break it . Can I do in mixer
Rupali Agarwal says
Sudhir, To remove the husk put whole bajra in food processor and give one or two short pulse. When you doing this the husk will get get separate. Take out the broken bajra from the food processor and put it in a plate and blow it slightly using your mouth the husk will fly away. Repeat the step twice or thrice until most of the husk is removed from bajra. If there is any husk left, soak the quantity you are going to cook in water and if there is any husk left will float on water surface. Carefully remove the floating husk and use the bajra for your recipe.
Radha says
I made this in instant pot..came out very well. thanks for sharing this recipe
Sandhya says
I make it without vegetables, not I will try with veggies. Thanks for sharing healthy option.
Kristen says
I don't own a pressure cooker. Do you have suggestions for doing it in a slow cooker? Or on the stove?
Rupali Agarwal says
Hello Kristen,
I have never cooked this in crockpot or on stove top with out pressure cooker. However I was checking the cooking time of other similar grain and figured out that crockpot would take approximately 7-8hrs and stove top on low heat would take approximately 45 minutes.
Keep me posted if you give it a try.
Rupali
Ambereen says
I had been wanting to try this recipe for a long time and finally collected all ingredients to make it. I wouldn’t change a single thing about this because I LOVE IT!!! The ease of the instant pot along with the simplicity of this recipe makes it another keeper for me. This is just pure goodness. Thanks for the recipe. Btw, I made it with the rajasthani kadi (Didn’t have green mango and mangodi but it was still very good).
Rupali Agarwal says
Ambereen,
Thank you so much for trying this recipe and I am so happy that you actually loved it. Thank you for putting up the review as well.
Khyati says
In stove top method how many whistles do you need to watch for .
Rupali Agarwal says
Khyati, never cooked with whistles on stove pressure cooker either, I always cooked with timer on conventional pressure cooker as well. But around 20 minuets once the pressure is built on medium heat should cook the chole.
Thank you