Many of you were interested, after yesterday's newsletter, in making kitchari. Here's a different recipe that I like better. It's from Ayurvedic Cooking For Self-Healing by Usha Lad and Dr. Vasant Lad, my teacher.
Yellow mung dal can be hard to find so it's OK to use lentils instead. Ghee is unclarified butter. You can make this yourself (go to youtube.com and look up "how to make clarified butter") or buy a jar at Whole Foods, an Indian market or a health-food store. If you're a cilantro hater like myself, just leave it out.
Mung Dal Kitchari (Tridoshic)
1 cup yellow mung dal
1 cup basmati rice
1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine
2 tbs. shredded, unsweetened coconut
1 small handful fresh cilantro leaves
1/2 cup water
3 tbs. ghee
1 1/2 sticks of cinnamon
5 cardamom pods
5 cloves
10 black peppercorns
3 bay leaves
1/4 tsp. turmeric
1/4 tsp. salt
6 cups water
Wash the mung dal and rice until the water is clear. Soaking the dal for a few hours helps with digestibility. Put ginger, coconut, cilantro and 1/2 cup water in a blender and blend until liquefied. Heat a large saucepan on medium heat, add ghee, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns and bay leaves. Stir for a moment until fragrant. Add the blended items to the pan, then add turmeric and salt. Stir until lightly browned.
Stir in mung dal and rice and mix very well. Pour in 6 cups of water, bring to a boil and cover. Let boil for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat to very low and cook, lightly covered, until the dal and rice are soft, about 25-30 minutes.
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