Everyday meals
Mom’s Kicharee
My mother’s traditional Gujarati kicharee, cooked soft and soupy.
- Prep
- 5 minutes, plus an overnight soak
- Cook
- 30 minutes
- Serves
- 2
This is the kicharee I grew up with. My mother makes it the traditional Gujarati way, simmered until the rice and mung beans are soft and thick, and my grandmother served it for dinner most nights.
The combination of rice and mung beans is one of the most nourishing, anti-inflammatory foods in Ayurveda. Together they form a complete protein, and the mung beans add fiber. We turn to it to soothe the gut, to reset when feeling unwell, and to prepare the body for a cleanse.
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup long-grain white basmati rice
- 1/2 cup green split mung beans, with skins
- 7 cups water, divided
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
- A pinch of asafoetida (hing)
Method
- 1The night before, soak the rice and mung beans in 3 cups of the water. In the morning, drain and discard the soaking water.
- 2Rinse the rice and beans in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear.
- 3Place the rice and beans in a large saucepan with the remaining 4 cups of water and bring to a boil over high heat.
- 4Stir in the turmeric, salt, fenugreek seeds and asafoetida.
- 5Reduce the heat to medium-low, partially cover, and simmer for 20 to 30 minutes without stirring, until the rice and beans are soft and most of the liquid is absorbed.
Notes from my kitchen
Split mung beans can be harder to find than whole ones. Red lentils are an easy-to-digest substitute. If you have no asafoetida, a pinch of garlic powder works.
