NASHTAY KI KHICHARI
There’s one breakfast I could eat everyday specially in the winter months is Kitchadi, a soothing, gentle meal that is easy on the stomach as is soulful. Its a popular meal eaten all over India with little variations region to region, but keeps the idea of rice-lentils porridge with some warming spices intact.
Khichadi or Khichari is an Indian stlye risotto prescribed in Ayurveda as a healing meal.
You can keep this meal as simple or as complex as you want by adding spices or not. Serve it as is or with a curry. My morning khichadi has simple easy spices, focuses more on lentils and lesser amounts of rice. For a meal sized kitchadi see Quinoa khichadi here…
NASHTAY KI KHICHARI
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup brown basmati rice
- 3/4 cup yellow moong dal, red split lentils, or toor dal (pigeon peas)
- 1 teaspoon coconut oil or ghee
- 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
- 1 cup organic peas
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ginger, finely chopped or minced
- 1/4 coarsely ground black pepper
- sea salt to taste
- 2 cups low sodium veggie broth, homemade preferred
- 2 cups water
- To serve: lemon juice, a little ghee or cold pressed coconut oil (optional), chopped cilantro
Method
- Wash the rice and beans throughly, soak in warm water for 3- minutes. Prepare the ingredients in the meanwhile.
- Warm oil in a sauce pan. Add the cumin seeds and ginger and sauté for a few seconds til they sizzle.
- Stir in the rice, dal, peas, turmeric, black pepper and mix for 2 minutes till rice is slightly opaque. Add the veggie broth, water and bring it up to boil.
- Cover and simmer for 2- minutes. Stir the pot and cook further till the consistency of the khichadi resembles a thin risotto or porridge. The khichadi will continue to thicken. If you like a thinner, soup like consistency add another 1/2 cup of water.
- Serve topped with lemon juice, ghee, cold pressed virgin coconut oil if desired.
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