Kitchari

Recipe: Makes 4 servings (suggestion: multiply ingredients to make bigger batch to last you for up to three days). If you are sensitive to certain spices you may try using smaller portions than the recipe calls for. You can find most of these ingredients at Indian or middle-eastern food markets for a low cost.
4 ½ cups of water
½ cup of mung beans (or Red/Small French lentils)
½ brown basmati rice
¼ ginger root finely minced
1 onion chopped
3 garlic cloves, minced
3 cups chopped seasonal vegetables
2 tablespoons grape seed oil
¾ teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon crushed red chilies
¼ ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground garam masala
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon cardamom seeds (2 pods)
1 bay leaf

Rinse mung beans and rice. Add mung beans to boiling water and cook until beans begin to split. Add rice and cook another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now add the veggies. As the mixture cooks, it will start to thicken. Heat grape seed oil in a frying pan. Add onions, ginger and garlic and sauté until clear. Add spices to sauté and cook 5 more minutes, stirring constantly. Add a little water if necessary. Add this to the rice and beans. The final consistency should be like thick soup. Total cooking time is about 1.5 hours. Add salt to taste.
Suggestion: Put onion, garlic and ginger in food processor to finely mince these trinity roots.


Serving Size: makes 3 or 4 servings

Number of Servings: 3

Recipe submitted by SparkPeople user RHERMES.