Kitchari recipe
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon ghee
- 1 teaspoons cumin seeds
- 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- 1/4 teaspoon tumeric powder, or 1 tablespoon of fresh grated turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds
- 1 clove garlic – crushed or grated finely
- ½ onion – diced finely
- **Note – instead of garlic and onion, substitute ½ teaspoon asafoetida
- ½ centimetre piece of ginger – finely grated
- ¼ cup moong dal
- ¼ cups rice
- 3-6 cups water
- Salt to taste
Method
- Heat ghee in frypan.
- Saute the fenugreek first, then the cumin and then the ajwain seeds until beginning to brown.
- Add the onion and fry for a minute or two followed by garlic, or add the asafoetida.
- Add turmeric and ginger and continue to fry
- Add the dhal and rice and fry for a few more minutes
- Add the water and salt
- Bring to the boil then turn down to simmer
- Simmer gently until the rice and dhal are completely cooked – the dal and rice will break up completely making a thick soup-like consistency.
Notes
- 3 cups water will yield a thicker kitchari while six cups water will yield the consistency of thin porridge.
- You can add a variety of chopped vegetables when the rice and bean seeds are nearly broken up. Vegetables create a more balanced meal.
- Rice can be replaced with quinoa, buckwheat, pumpkin or sweet-potato and moong dhal can be replaced with red lentils, or other soaked beans and pulses.
- You can also vary spices according to your taste.