Ingredients
- ½ cup of basmati rice
- ½ cup of split mung dahl (or red lentils)
- 8 cups of water
- 1 TB of ghee
- A pinch of asafoetida
- 1-2 tsp of mustard seeds
- 1-2 tsp of cumin seeds
- 1 tsp of fenugreek seeds
- 1 bay leaf or 5 curry leaves
- 1 tsp of coriander powder
- 1 tsp of turmeric powder
- Sea salt to taste (start with 1 tsp for autumn time)
- 3 cm of grated ginger
- Vegetables chopped into 2 cm cubes or equivalent (pumpkin, zucchini, spinach, beans)
- More water as required
Thoroughly wash rice and mung dahl. In a large saucepan (or pressure cooker), warm ghee and then add asafoetida, mustard and cumin seeds. Cook til mustard seeds begin to pop and turn grey and cumin seeds turn a darker brown colour. Add fenugreek seeds towards the end of this process and cook til a darker shade of brown. Make sure not to overcook fenugreek seeds which become very bitter and will dominate the dish. Next add fresh spices, leaves and powders and then add rice and mung dahl. Mix well so the ghee coats the grains. Add water and continue to stir, bringing the mixture to a boil. Cook for about 45 minutes on a medium heat and the mixtures gently bubbles. The add vegetables and cook fir another 15- 20 minutes. Add salt towards the end of this process. Finally squeeze a whole lemon into the khichari and mix well. Then turn off heat, cover and allow to slowly cool. Garnish with a dollop of yoghurt and freshly chopped coriander.
Khichari is used in Ayurveda in fasting, in Panchakarma(the five deep cleansing therapies) and in convalescence and helps to stimulate the digestion and circulation. It is very easy to digest and is profoundly nourishing. Feel free to experiment with different herbs and spices using your intuition as your guide.