Kitchari has been long been revered as a traditional Ayurvedic food, celebrated for it’s warming, easily digestible, and healing properties. I like to keep mine simple and add in seasonal greens at the very end. To step up this bowl of nourishment, I often add braised beef or pork on top.
KITCHARI
Makes 8-10 servings
Cooking Time: 1 hr
INGREDIENTS
2 cups Moong Daal
1 cup Basmati Rice
2 tablespoons Coconut Oil or Ghee
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 teaspoon cumin seed
1 teaspoon mustard seed
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon tumeric
10 cups water
1 Bunch seasonal greens of choice, chopped (I like Collards, Kale, Swiss Chard or Spinach)
Sea salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
To Make:
In a large bowl, rinse both moong dal and rice thoroughly with cold water, straining water out with a colander. Repeat as many times as needed to achieve an almost clear water rinse.
In a large pot over medium heat, melt coconut oil or ghee, and add in all of your spices. Gently toast for 1 minutes, then add in your moong dal and rice. Toast all together for an additional minute. Pour water over, place lid on pot, and allow to come up to a gentle simmer. Turn your pot down to low heat, and allow to cook gently for about 40 minutes, stirring every ten minutes. Once your pot of Kitchari is looking like a thick soup, add your greens, and cook for another 5 minutes. Taste your Kitchari-does it have a little bite/crunch to it? Add a bit more water and continue to cook 5-10 more minutes. You want it to be fully cooked and on the edge of mushy. Once you have reached that state of mush, remove from heat and it is time to season your pot! I like my kitchari well seasoned, and typically use 1-2 tablespoons of salt, and 1 tablespoon ground pepper. Start with a tablespoon of both salt and pepper, stir well, and taste. Do you feel like it needs a bit more salt? Slowly work up to an additional tablespoon, based on your liking.
You did it! Now go enjoy your bowl, and feel happy that you have leftovers for days to come!
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