Kitchiri

There are various ways to spell it, Kidarichi, Kitchri, Kitchari to name a few but what it boils down to it’s the one thing that is easily digestible, easy to make and oh so delicious.  Made with no more than three-five ingredients & some spices, this one-pot meal will satisfy any hunger.

I’ve made this on the stove and in my Instapot and frankly, I do prefer the Instapot simply because it’s faster.  But one thing is important. Soak. Your. Rice & legumes.   Why you ask?  It makes it easy to digest and washes any impurities from the rice and legumes leftover from packaging.  I like to measure out the ingredients before I leave for the day, let them soak, and when I come home, just pour the ingredients in my Instapot, hit the button, and in 10 minutes or less, I have dinner.   Word of caution, make sure the pot is in the Instapot cradle before you put the rice & legumes in.  I have found it to be messy and will destroy the machine if you don’t.  (looks around the room)

This meal is intended to be one step up from chicken soup.  I’ve made this as a cure-all, a meal when I wasn’t all that hungry but needed something, and as a side dish.  It’s fast, easy to make, and can stand on its own. 

This recipe is for one person but you can adjust the amount based on how many people you are making this for.

• 1 Cup Basmati Rice

• ½ Cup Yellow Mung Dahl

• 2 Cups of water

• Chopped vegetables (choose any you like)-hint, the smaller you chop the veggies, the shorter they take to cook through

• Salt

• Pepper

In the Instapot, dump the soaked rice & legumes along with the vegetables ( I like to use carrots, squash, and pumpkin) and follow directions for how long you should cook it (usually 6-10 min)

In a separate pan heat up spices of your choosing. I usually use:

• Pepper

• Turmeric

• Salt

• Hing (or Asafetida)

• Mango

• Curry blend

• Cumin

Heat up the spices until you can smell them, then add a tablespoon of ghee, oil, or coconut oil

Stir then when the rice, dahl, and vegetable mixture is done, pour the liquid spice mix and listen for the sizzle… add more salt to taste and stir.  You can add more or less water depending on your preference.  I like it in-between a porridge and soup consistency.

I LOVE this dish as a quick meal in the cold evenings after a long day’s work and a longer commute.  It’s filling, satisfying, and inexpensive not to mention a good way to use up those lingering vegetables you weren’t sure what to do with.