Palak khichdi (spinach, rice and red lentils)
Welcome to 2026
Welcome to To Vegetables, With Love, a celebration of a vegetable life, less ordinary. ‘ Find archived recipes on my recipe index.
Happy new year. Thank you all for being here and I’m looking forward to another year of vegetables and community.
I have just returned from Christmas and the New Year in Australia. When we are there, we always eat very well and copiously; the food there is always exceptional. The fact that it is summer also meant that, like I did when I was a kid, I gorged on the fruit. Australian apricots, peaches, avocados and mangoes just hit differently - fruitier, tangier, more fragrant. They are the best versions of themselves.
Eating in your hometown, after a long absence, is always so fulfilling and fueled by rabid nostalgia. My overconsumption was not for nothing - expect an EX-LOCALS GUIDE TO SYDNEY in the next week or so.
When I arrived home on the other night, I was craving vegetables and soft food. Specifically kitchari or khichdi. I longed some gentle spice, downy textures, a non-oily finish.
I made Palak Khichdi, a wholesome South Asian dish of rice, lentils and spinach. The dish is similar to daal, with the addition of rice. It hit the spot. I served it with papadums which I had brought back from Australia. Uncooked papadums are harder to find here, but in Sydney, they are available at most big supermarkets; I don’t fry them, I just put them in the microwave for 40 seconds and they turn into crispy thin crackers, perfect for scooping up spiced soupy rice and lentils.
Everyone is talking about ‘healthy’ and ‘vegan’ this month. But here, at To Vegetables, with Love, we know that vegetable-heavy food is not just for a day/month/year, it is a way of life, it’s a vibe. Here are lots of new recipes from lately:
Soy Sauce and Brown Butter Brussels Sprouts Pasta
Buttery Gochujang Tofu and Broccoli
Tomato Lentil Stew With Crispy Potato
Tofu Scramble With Black Beans and Corn
Tofu and Sweet Potato Peanut Butter Curry
Plus a recipe perfect for the Aussie summer or for those looking for a healthy start to the new year!
Palak khichdi (spinach, rice and red lentils)
© Hetty Lui McKinnon for To Vegetables, With Love.
The palak khichdi is topped by tadka, a South Asian technique and dish where spices are tempered in hot oil to release their flavours. I’ve added onion to mine because I wanted a chunkier topping but you could definitely leave out the onion, if you prefer. The tadka is not essential but it does add a lovely textural finish and another layer of flavour to dishes like this one.
The ingredient list is long but they should mostly be spices you already have in your pantry. This recipe is forgiving, so use whatever warming spices you have on hand.
Serves 4
3/4 cup (135g) red lentils, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup (150g) basmati rice, rinsed and drained
sea salt and black pepper
1 teaspoon ground turmeric, divided
1 tablespoon vegan butter, neutral oil or ghee
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 inch piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 to 1 green or red chili (I used Serrano), trimmed and finely chopped
6 to 8 curry leaves (optional)
1 onion (any colour), diced, divided
2 medium tomatoes (about 275g), finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon amchur powder (dried mango powder) (optional)
150g (5 ounces) baby spinach
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
handful chopped cilantro/coriander, plus more to serve
Tadka (optional but recommended)
2 tablespoons vegan butter, neutral oil or ghee
1 onion (any colour), diced
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 dried red chilies, torn
5 or 6 curry leaves (optional)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Place the lentils and rice into a large pot. Add 4 cups of water, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric and bring to the boil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium, cover and cook until the lentils and rice are tender, 15 to 18 minutes. Transfer the rice, lentils and liquid into a bowl.
Place a large pot (you could use the same pot as you cooked your rice and lentils) on medium high heat. Add the butter, oil or ghee and heat until the butter/ghee has melted or the oil is shimmery, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, chili, and curry leaves (if using) and stir until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the onion and stir until golden brown around the edges, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and season with about 1 teaspoon of salt and a big pinch of black pepper. Stir until the tomato has cooked down and syrupy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of turmeric, ground cumin, ground coriander, amchur powder, and the cooked lentils and rice, along with the spinach. Stir until the spinach has softened, 4 to 5 minutes - if the mixture feels a bit thick, add 1/2 to 1 cup more water to loosen it up. Add the garam masala and chopped cilantro and stir. Turn off heat.
To make the tadka, place a skillet (frying pan) on medium high heat. Add the vegan butter, neutral oil or ghee and when melted or shimmery, add the onion, cumin seeds, dried chilies and curry leaves (if using). Reduce heat to medium and cook until the onions are golden and tender, 6 to 8 minutes. Add garlic and stir for 1 minute.
To serve, ladle the khichdi into bowl and top each with the tadka, if using, and more chopped cilantro/coriander.
Hi Hetty, thank you for highlighting Khichdi. It is a comfort food par excellence & perfect for the ongoing season. Have you tried cooking the rice & lentils together onions, tomatoes & spinach mixture? That is, starting with the onions, tomatoes & spinach mixture & cooking rice & lentils in that mixture?
This sounds great. I'm not a resolution maker by any means, but I am trying to eat more lentils and beans since I keep adding them to my pantry.
Glad you got to spend the holidays at home!