Diet Dal Khichdi & Kachumber Salad – DAL-icious!

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by Sil Pancho

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10.24.2021


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A bowl of dal khichdi on a white surface. Surrounding it are herbs, a glass bowl of salad, another bowl of khichdi and a white and brown serviette. | Hurry The Food Up

Dal khichdi is a classic Indian comfort food which also happens to be a great meal for anyone trying to lose weight.

The basis of any dal khichdi recipe is traditionally rice and lentils, with very little seasoning. It is given to sick people and children, as it is extremely healthy and easy to digest.

However, dal khichdi does not have to be bland, as our recipe proves! Adding a few spices to the mix turns it into a flavoursome meal. Topping it with a crunchy kachumber salad adds some texture and fresh veggie goodness!

If you’re loving the sound of this healthy Indian dish, check out these 55 Vegetarian Indian Recipes! And if weight loss is your thing, try our top 10 Indian recipes for weight loss!

The ingredients for dal khichdi are laid out including spinach, spices, oil, ginger, pepper, garlic, lime, herbs, lentils, onion, tomato and rice. | Hurry The Food Up

The khichDI-ET! : Dal khichdi for weight loss

This simple khichdi recipe is perfectly designed to be incorporated into a healthy weight loss meal plan.

Eating khichdi for weight loss is a good idea because it is high in protein and fibre, and relatively low in calories.

The combination of rice and lentils is what makes up the fibrous bulk of this dal khichdi. One serving contains 15g fibre.

Fibre is important for weight loss because it makes you feel full. Food like rice and lentils have high fibre content and relatively few calories. This means that the calories you consume will fill you up for a long time, meaning you are less likely to eat more.

This dal khichdi uses white basmati rice, but if you want to up the fibre even more, try whole grain brown rice instead!

The lentil and rice mix being prepared in a metal pan with a wooden spoon | Hurry The Food Up

Protein helps with weight loss in similar ways – reducing appetite by reducing the amount of the hunger hormone ‘ghrelin’ and increasing the amount of the various satiety hormones.

Protein is also good because it contributes to muscle maintenance and energy levels, keeping you feeling strong and active, which is important at any time, but particularly when you are on a diet!

One serving of khichdi contains 15g protein!

Topping your khichdi with a simple kachumber salad made of cucumbers, tomatoes and some spices, adds even more fibre to the mix, for very few calories.

Check out our vegetarian weight loss meal plan to learn more about how to optimise your diet for weight loss as a vegetarian. It’s free for one week!

A bowl of dal khichdi and kachumber salad on a white surface, next to a spoon and a small glass bowl of kachumber salad, with herbs and another helping of dal khichdi in the background | Hurry The Food Up

Dal-icious and healthy! Benefits of khichdi

Outside of weight loss, this lentil and rice khichdi with kachumber salad recipe has numerous health benefits.

One simple benefit is that this dish is low in fat, making it super heart healthy. One serving contains only 2g fat!

Furthermore, the combination of lentils and rice is amazing for vegetarians as it provides a ‘complete protein’, something which is hard to come by in veggie diets.

To explain: proteins are formed of the 20 different amino acids, 9 of which your body cannot produce by itself. For a food to be considered a ‘complete protein’, it must contain all 9 amino acids.

Meat and eggs are a source of complete protein by themselves, but beans alone are not. However, beans (or lentils/other legumes) and rice combined = all 9 amino acids! Protein perfection!

Check out some of the other ways to get complete protein in a veggie diet!

A bowl of khichdi topped with kachumber salad on a white surface. A spoon on a napkin is in the bottom left hand corner, a bunch of herbs in the top left hand corner, another bowl of khichdi in the top right hand corner, below which is a bowl of the salad. | Hurry The Food Up

Dal Khichdi and Kachumber Salad

Dal khichdi is a great weight loss dinner! It’s healthy, light but still filling, and a source of complete protein. Try it now!

Course Dinner, Lunch, Main Course, Soup

For the khichdi

  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 small onion (finely chopped)
  • 3 clove garlic (crushed)
  • 1.5 inch ginger (peeled and finely grated) (1.5 inch = 4cm)
  • ½ green chili (finely chopped)
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp mustard seeds
  • 1 tsp turmeric
  • ½ tsp ground cinnamon
  • cup basmati rice (⅓ cup = 75g)
  • ¼ cup red lentils (¼ cup = 50g)
  • 3.5 cup vegetable broth (3.5 cup = 700ml)
  • 7 oz spinach (7oz = 200g)
  • ½ lemon, juiced
  • Salt and pepper to taste

For the kachumber salad:

  • 1 medium tomato (roughly chopped)
  • ¼ cucumber (seeds removed and cut into small pieces)
  • 1 small handful coriander leaves (roughly chopped)
  • 1 small handful mint leaves (roughly chopped)
  • ½ lemon, juiced

  • To make the khichdi, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium high heat.

    1 tbsp vegetable oil

  • Once hot, add the onion and cook until soft and golden brown, 5-6 minutes.

    1 small onion

  • Add the garlic, ginger, chili, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric and cinnamon and cook until aromatic, 2 minutes.

    3 clove garlic, 1.5 inch ginger, ½ green chili, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp turmeric, ½ tsp ground cinnamon

  • Stir through the rice and lentils and coat in all the spices.

    ⅓ cup basmati rice, ¼ cup red lentils

  • Add the vegetable broth and season with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer, cover with a lid and simmer for 25-30 minutes, stirring regularly.

    3.5 cup vegetable broth, Salt and pepper to taste

  • Remove the lid and continue to cook for a further 5-10 minutes, until slightly thickened and the flavour has intensified. The rice and lentils should be completely soft and breaking down to create a creamy, porridge-like consistency.

  • Stir through the spinach until wilted.

    7 oz spinach

  • Add the lemon juice then taste and season with more salt and pepper if you like.

    ½ lemon, juiced, Salt and pepper to taste

  • Meanwhile, combine the ingredients for the salad, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

    1 medium tomato, ¼ cucumber, 1 small handful coriander leaves, 1 small handful mint leaves, ½ lemon, juiced

  • Divide the khichdi between 2 bowls and top with the salad.

Nutrition Facts

Dal Khichdi and Kachumber Salad

Amount per Serving

% Daily Value*

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.



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