Khechudi (ଖେଚୁଡ଼ି) is the Odia khichdi: rice and lentils cooked soft with ghee. It is one of the cooked dishes of the Jagannath Temple's Mahaprasad, prepared in earthen pots over firewood in the Rosaghara under strict satvik rules — no onion, no garlic. Home "temple-style" khechudi is seasoned with ginger, asafoetida, black pepper and grated coconut and finished with cow's ghee; mitha khechudi is a sweeter festive version with more ghee, sugar and dry fruit.
Quick facts
- Type
- Rice and lentils
- Main ingredients
- Aromatic rice, moong dal, ghee, ginger, black pepper, coconut
- Temple offering
- Part of the Jagannath Mahaprasad
- Sweet version
- Mitha khechudi
Recipe
Khechudi
ଖେଚୁଡ଼ି
- Serves
- 4 servings
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 35 min
- Total
- 50 min
Ingredients
- 1 cup short-grain aromatic rice
- ½ cup split yellow moong dal, dry-roasted
- 5 cups water
- 3 tbsp ghee
- 1 bay leaf, 1 tsp cumin seeds, ¼ tsp asafoetida
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- ½ tsp turmeric, 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, rock salt
- ⅓ cup grated fresh coconut
- 1 tsp jaggery or sugar
Method
- 1Wash and soak the rice and dal together 15–20 minutes; drain.
- 2Boil the water, add rice, dal, turmeric, ginger and salt and simmer, partly covered, about 20 minutes.
- 3Add the coconut and pepper and cook on low 8–10 minutes until soft and porridge-like.
- 4Heat 2 tbsp ghee with the bay leaf, cumin and asafoetida and pour over.
- 5Stir in the jaggery and remaining ghee, rest 5 minutes and serve.
Tips & variations
- • Mitha khechudi, the sweet version, adds more ghee, sugar, cardamom and dry fruit.
- • Keep it satvik for bhoga style: no onion, garlic, tomato or chilli.
Vegetarian · Main course · Odia cuisine. Quantities are typical home amounts; recipe written by Odiapedia from the sources listed below.
Frequently asked questions
Is khechudi the same as khichdi?
Yes — khechudi (also written khechedi) is the Odia name for rice cooked with lentils. The temple style is cooked with ghee, ginger, black pepper and coconut, without onion or garlic.
Is khechudi offered in the Jagannath Temple?
Yes. Khechudi is one of the cooked dishes of the Mahaprasad, prepared in earthen pots over firewood in the temple kitchen.
Sources & references
- 1Mahaprasad (Jagannath Temple) — Wikipedia
- 2Cuisine of Odisha — Wikipedia
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