See dal khichdi recipe.  An elaborate yet easy khichdi that makes a wholesome and delicious meal, the Dal Khichdi is made of toovar dal and rice combined with not just whole spices but also onions, garlic and tomatoes. This imparts a tangy twist to the khichdi making it holistic in terms of taste too. When you don’t have time to prepare a kadhi, you can just serve this with curds and papad, and there you have a sumptuous dinner on the table!

Is Dal Khichdi healthy?

No, this is not very healthy. Let's see why.

Let's understand the Ingredients.

What's good.

1. Toor Dal (tuvar dal, arhar dal, toovar dal) : Toor dal is rich in proteins, the building block of good health. High in fiber, diabetic and heart friendly. Being an excellent source of folic acid, pregnant women must include toor dal in their daily diet. Being an excellent source of fibre it helps in preventing and relieving gastric problems like constipation. See detailed benefits of toor dal. 

2. Onions (pyaz, kanda) :  Raw onions are a very valuable sourcOnions (pyaz, kandae of vitamin C – the immune building vitamin. Along with other phytonutrients from onions, it helps to build WBC (white blood cells) which serves as a line of defence against illness. Yes, it’s a source of many antioxidants, the most important one amongst them being Quercetin. The quercetin which promotes production of HDL (good cholesterol) and lowers total cholesterol in the body. The sulphur in onions act as a blood thinner and prevents blood clotting too. This in turn would lower blood pressure and good for heart,  diabetics. Read the benefits of onions. 

3. Tomatoes : Tomatoes are extremely rich source of Lycopene. Tomatoes are a powerful antioxidant, super rich in Vitamin C, good for heart. Tomatoes are a Pregnant women's friend and are rich in Folate or Folic Acid which helps your body to produce and maintain new cells, especially red blood cells. Read about 13 amazing benefits of tomatoes.

What's the problem?

Rice : Here are the pros for rice. Rice is a great source of complex carbohydrates, which is an important source of energy for our body. Rice is low in fibre and therefore a good option for people suffering from diarrhoea. What's not good in rice. Foods like rice are high in Glycemic index are not suitable for weight loss, heart patients,  diabetics as they affect the blood sugar control levels. See details of is white rice and parboiled rice good for you?

Can diabetics, heart patients and over weight individuals have dal khichdi ?

No, this recipe is not good for diabetics, heart and weight loss. Foods like rice are high in Glycemic index are not suitable for weight loss, heart patients,  diabetics as they affect the blood sugar control levels.

We suggest the following healthy khichdi like fada ni khichdi recipe, vitamin khichdi recipe, buckwheat moong dal and vegetable khichdi, bajra moong and green peas khichdi and barley khichdi. All these recipes have ZERO usage of rice and portion control is suggested for diabetics. 

Buckwheat, Moong and Vegetable Khichdi

Can healthy individuals have dal khichdi?

Yes, but we are not great fans of rice. So eat in limited quantity.

How to burn 320 calories that come from one serving of Dal Khichdi?

Walking (6 kmph) = 1 hr 36 mins

Running (11 kmph) = 32 mins

Cycling (30 kmph) = 43 mins       

Swimming (2 kmph) = 55 mins

Note: These values are approximate and calorie burning differs in each individual.