Most dal and khichdi in Siddhi’s kitchen starts in a pressure cooker. The method is simple, but every recipe has its own water amount, flame and number of whistles, and getting those right is what turns out soft dal and khichdi that is cooked through.
This guide puts the pressure cooker steps from four of her recipes side by side: Dal Tadka, Moong Dal Tadka Khichdi, Gujarati Khichdi and Palak Khichdi.
Every recipe linked in this guide is cooked in Siddhi’s own kitchen before it goes live.
The short answer
Wash the dal (and rice, for khichdi), boil it with the water and salt in the cooker, lock the lid and cook for the whistles your recipe gives. Then turn off the flame and let the cooker cool before opening.
- For dal tadka, Siddhi cooks ½ cup toor dal and ⅓ cup chana dal with 3 cups of water on a medium flame for 5 whistles.
- For khichdi, she cooks on a full flame for 4 to 6 whistles, depending on the recipe.
- In every recipe, she lets the cooker cool down before opening the lid.
The whistle chart
Here is how each recipe goes into the cooker. Amounts are from Siddhi’s recipe cards.
| Recipe | Rice and dal | Soak | Water | Flame and whistles |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dal Tadka | ½ cup toor dal, ⅓ cup chana dal | Optional, 15 to 20 minutes | 3 cups | Medium flame, 5 whistles |
| Moong Dal Tadka Khichdi | ½ cup rice, ¼ cup split moong dal | Washed and soaked | 3 cups | Full flame, 5 to 6 whistles |
| Gujarati Khichdi | ½ cup rice, ½ cup green moong dal | 30 minutes | 3½ cups | Full flame for 5 whistles, low flame for the 6th |
| Palak Khichdi | ½ cup rice, ¼ cup yellow split gram | 15 to 20 minutes | 2.5 cups | Full flame, 4 whistles |
Step by step: dal for dal tadka
- In a bowl, mix the toor and chana dal and wash them with water 2 to 3 times. You can soak them for 15 to 20 minutes, which is optional.
- Put the pressure cooker on the flame and add the washed dal, 3 cups of water, ½ tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste and 1 tbsp cooking oil. Stir.
- Once it boils, stir again and put the lid on.
- Cook on a medium flame for 5 whistles.
- Turn off the flame and let the cooker cool down completely.
The boiled dal then goes into the onion and tomato masala, and the ghee tadka is poured over just before serving. The full method is in the Dal Tadka recipe.
Step by step: khichdi
In each of Siddhi’s khichdis, the water goes into the cooker and heats up before the soaked rice and dal go in.
Moong dal tadka khichdi
- Boil 3 cups of water in the pressure cooker and add salt to taste.
- Add the washed, soaked and strained rice and moong dal.
- Lock the lid and cook on a full flame for 5 to 6 whistles.
- Turn off the flame and let the cooker cool down.
Gujarati khichdi
- Rinse the rice and green moong dal and soak them for half an hour, then strain.
- Melt the ghee in the cooker. On a low flame add the cinnamon and cloves, then the asafoetida, then 3½ cups of water.
- Add the salt, stir and let it boil. Pour in the rice and dal and let it boil on a full flame.
- Add the turmeric and 1 tsp curd. After a minute of cooking, lock the lid.
- Cook on a full flame for 5 whistles, then lower the flame for the 6th whistle.
- Switch off the flame, let the cooker cool, then open it and mix once more.
Palak khichdi
- Heat 2.5 cups of water in the pressure cooker.
- Once the water is lukewarm, add the soaked and drained rice and yellow split gram, the chopped potatoes and 1 tsp salt. Let it come to a boil.
- Close the lid and cook on a full flame for four whistles.
- Turn off the flame after the fourth whistle and set the cooker aside to cool.
Recipes that start with boiled dal
Several of Siddhi’s dals start from dal that is already boiled: Dal Palak uses boiled split moong dal, Moong Dal Kadhi uses boiled whole green moong, and Gujarati Dal starts with boiled dal in a steel vessel. Each recipe gives the amount of boiled dal it needs.
FAQs
How many whistles does dal tadka need?
Siddhi cooks the toor and chana dal for her dal tadka on a medium flame for 5 whistles, then lets the cooker cool down completely before opening it.
Do I need to soak dal before pressure cooking?
For dal tadka, Siddhi washes the dal 2 to 3 times and says soaking for 15 to 20 minutes is optional. For her khichdis she soaks the rice and dal: half an hour for Gujarati khichdi and 15 to 20 minutes for palak khichdi.
How much water goes into khichdi in a pressure cooker?
Siddhi uses 3 cups of water for moong dal tadka khichdi, 3½ cups for Gujarati khichdi and 2.5 cups for palak khichdi. Each recipe card gives the rice and dal amounts that go with that water.