Kitchari is a dal and rice dish that is given to people that do not feel so chipper. It is eaten all over the sub continent by kids and adults a like. Add 1/4 cup of olive oil in a pressure cooker on high heat, 1 tbs of either mustard or coconut oil, 3 curry leaves, 1 whole kashmiri chili or whole round red chili crushed in mortar and pestle, 1 pinch each of hing, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds that are whole. turbinado sugar, turmeric, red chili powder, either 1 pinch of pink salt or 1 bullion cube, let seeds crackle.
Add 3 dashes of either knorr or maggi aroma, 3 cloves of garlic crushed in mortar and pestle. 1 cup of whole or split dal which can be used are moong, masoor, toor, urad, chana, mash or horsegram. Wash and add to pressure cooker, 1/2 gallon or 2 liters of water, close pressure cooker wait for the safety button to pop up and cook for 20 minutes.
Let pressure escape, open and add add 2 cups of short grain white or brown rice. I prefer short grain like I do for shola because this is also suited for kitchari. Again let pressure build and allow the safety button to raise and cook for between 5 to 8 minutes.
Let pressure escape again and this time the kitchari is done. The rice and dal should be a sticky blob. Don’t worry this is a tasty one. Enjoy with achar of your choice and some plain desi yogurt.
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