SOFT KITCHARI

 

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This Indian Recipe Serves 4

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This Soft Kitchari recipe is recognized throughout the Indian culture in South Africa. It is a great vegetarian dish & can be accompanied with various curries or chutneys.

Kitchari also known as Khichdi or Khichri, is a South Asian dish produced using rice & lentils (dhall). Kitchari was the creation of the Anglo-Indian dish kedgeree, & is additionally ordinarily thought to be the creation for the well known Egyptian dish, kushari. In Indian culture, it is viewed as one of the primary strong sustenances that infants eat.

 

Soft Kitchari Ingredients:

• 1 cup white rice (basmati or parboiled can be used)
• 1 cinnamon stick
• salt to taste
• 1 cup yellow pea dhall
• 1 small onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic
• 3 dried chillies
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 teaspoons turmeric powder
• 1 sprig thyme
• dhania (coriander) for garnishing
• 1 sprig curry leaves
• 1 small tomato
• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon jeera seeds (cumin seeds)
• 2 tablespoons butter
• fresh dhania (coriander)

Method:

1. Place rice in a bowl. Rinse rice about 5 times until water runs clear. Fill the bowl with water & allow the rice to soak for 10 minutes.
2. After 10 minutes, rinse the rice once more.
3. 
4. Empty the rice into a pot. Fill the pot with water. To the water, add in ½ tablespoon vegetable oil, salt to taste & 1 teaspoon turmeric powder. Mix & bring to a boil on medium heat.
5. 
6. Boil rice until soft but not mushy.
7. 
8. Drain rice & set aside. Usually the rice is halfway cooked & cooks in the dhall until soft but I find that when it cooks together for a long time, it begins to scorch & needs lot of time watching it as it cooks.
9. 
10. In another bowl, add in the yellow pea dhall.
11. 
12. Rinse a few times & fill with water. Allow to soak for 10 minutes. After soaking the dhall, pour out the water that it had been soaking in & empty the dhall into a pot. Fill with water.
13. 
14. Add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder & ½ tablespoon vegetable oil to the dhall.
15. 
16. Stir & bring the dhall to a boil. Cook until soft & creamy. Add water as needed if the dhall dries up.
17. 
18. Once the dhall is cooked, set aside.
19. 
20. Chop the tomatoes & set aside.
21. 
22. Chop the onion & set aside.
23. 
24. Mince or slice the garlic & set aside.
25. 
26. Use another pot & heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil on medium heat. Add in the bay leaf, curry leaves, thyme, dried chilies (break in halves), cinnamon stick, garlic, 1 teaspoon turmeric powder & jeera (cumin) seeds.
27. 
28. Mix & simmer until onions are translucent.
29. 
30. Drop in the tomatoes.
31. 
32. Mix well & simmer for about 5-8 minutes until tomatoes are cooked.
33. 
34. Next, drop the cooked pea dhall into the pot of braised spices & mix well.
35. 
36. Allow the dhall to cook with the spices for about 5 minutes to infuse the flavour,
37. 
38. Next, add in a little dhania (coriander) & mix well.
39. 
40. 
41. Next, add the cooked rice into the pot of dhall.
42. 
43. Mix well & simmer for 5 minutes.
44. 
45. Add in the butter & salt to taste.
46. 
47. Mix & turn off the heat.
48. 
49. Serve the Soft Kitchari hot.
50. 
51. 
52. Serve this mouth-watering soft kitchari as is or with plain chutney or baked beans curry.
53. 

 

Note that the pea dhall has different time duration’s for cooking depending on where you buy it from. Sometimes the pea dhall I buy differs from 1 hour of boiling & being cooked to an entire day of boiling & being cooked. Rather find a store that provides pea dhall which cooks faster.