Mung Dal Kitcheree

A kitcheree is a traditional dish originating in North India that consists of legumes and rice and often vegetables. For those who enjoy Indian creations, this is a one-pot meal that won't take you long at all to prepare. Split mung beans are an especially easy legume to digest, making this a nourishing and restorative meal. I've always enjoyed the distinctive sweet and earthy aroma and flavor that these little gems impart to a dish. Here they are all nestled in with rice after simmered together with some spices and coconut milk.

To fill out the meal, serve with a vegetable side and some Indian savory flatbreads. I served it with butter paneer masala and a spicy potato and green bean salad.

Mung Dal Kitcheree

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on May 24, 2013 Simple, nourishing and delicious one-pot meal of sweet split mung beans and buttery rice with coconut milk and gentle Indian seasonings Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup split mung beans (mung dal) 1 cup basmati rice 1/4 cup ghee, unsalted butter or sesame oil 4 to 5 whole cloves 1 teaspoon turmeric 1/4 teaspoon asafetida 1 cup coconut milk 3 cups hot water 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt, or to taste juice from 1 lemon (3 tablespoons) fresh cracked black pepper Instructions: Rinse the mung dal and rice under cold running water in a strainer. Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add the dal, rice and cloves to the pan and gently for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add the turmeric and asafetida and stir in the coconut milk and water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cover. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed and the lentils are tender. Quickly stir in the lemon juice, salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes, covered. Fluff with a fork, discard the cloves, and serve hot. Makes 4 to 6 servings

Other mung bean dishes you are sure to enjoy from my vegetarian kitchen:
Mung Bean Paneer
Mung Tamarind Dal
Indian Sour Mung Bean Soup
Indian Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)

On the top of the reading stack: John Wyndham

Audio Accompaniment: Magnetik North

Mung Beans in a Golden Karhi Sauce

One of my favorite dishes from Yamuna Devi's gospel of Indian cooking, Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking is her tender chickpeas simmered in a golden karhi sauce. I've more than a few favorites from the book that often appear on my table, yet each and every time I browse through the 800 pages of culinary Indian bliss, I find yet another recipe that I can't believe I haven't tried … I have owned this treasured cookbook for about 20 years. Then there is the pleasure of revisiting some of my favorites from the book and tinkering with the recipes and my initial adaptations.

Truly, if I had to pick just one cookbook to keep out of my extensive collection, this would be that desert island choice. I'd hope for a truckload of legumes, grains and spices to go along with it and fresh produce from the isle. As I have noted in the past, this was my earliest introduction to Indian cooking shortly after I became a vegetarian. It opened up a whole new nourishing and exciting culinary world to me that I continue to cherish and explore.

This time around, earthy mung beans are simmered in a tangy yogurt sauce. This recipe called for sprouted mung beans, which I am sure would have been just perfect, but I didn't plan ahead — mung bean sprouts take 2 to 3 days of preparation — and so came up with a version using whole mung beans that I soaked overnight and then simmered until tender.

Karhis are yogurt based dishes that are usually served with rice. Often they contain cooked or sprouted legumes, sometimes dumplings and vegetables. This one is on the tangy side of the spectrum and I went with a thicker gravy that is popular in Northern India. Depending on the yogurt you use, a karhi sauce might be slightly sweet, thinner, with a consistency like a soup or a thick gravy. I experimented with the original recipe and came up with this treasured vegetarian main that I served with buttered Jasmine rice. You may want to consider serving up yellow lemon rice with fried cashews as a side for some extra flair and tart flavor.

Mung Beans in a Golden Karhi Sauce

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from Lord Krishna's Cuisine: The Art of Indian Vegetarian Cooking Cuisine: Indian Published on May 17, 2013 Sweet and colorful mung beans simmered in a creamy, fragrant, spicy and tangy seasoned yogurt sauce Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 1/4 cup whole mung beans (3 1/2 cups cooked) 3 1/2 tablespoons chickpea flour (besan), sifted 1 cup coconut milk 1/2 cup water 2 cups whole fat yogurt, whisked 1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt 1 teaspoon turmeric 1 teaspoon ground coriander 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1/2 teaspoon chili powder 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon cayenne, to taste 2 tablespoons ghee, butter or oil 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin seeds 3 to 4 green chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1/2 teaspoon asafetida 1 inch piece cinnamon stick generous handful of dried curry leaves 1/4 cup fresh parsley or cilantro fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Rinse the mung beans and soak in several inches of water for 6 hours or overnight. Drain and rinse, then transfer to a large saucepan and cover with several inches of fresh water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low, cover. and simmer for 40 to 50 minutes or until the beans are tender but not falling apart. Drain and set aside. Place the chickpea flour in a large bowl and slowly whisk in half of the coconut milk. Whisk in the remaining coconut milk, water, yogurt, salt, turmeric, ground coriander, fenugreek seeds, chili powder, paprika and cayenne. Pour this mixture into a large heavy-bottomed sauceapn, place over medium heat, and bring to a boil. Stir and simmer until the mixture begins to thicken. Add the cooked mung beans to the pan and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes, stirring often. Add more water if necessary to achieve your desired consistency. Heat the ghee, butter or oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds, green chilies, asafetida, cinnamon stick and curry leaves, and stir for a minute or two or until the cumin seeds darken a few shades. Pour into the beans, quickly stir once, and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes. Discard the cinnamon stick, stir in most of the fresh parsley or cilantro (reserving some for garnish). Serve hot or warm garnished with the remaining parsley or cilantro, with hot fresh cooked buttered rice and/or Indian flatbreads on the side. Makes 4 to 6 servings

More mung beans dishes you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Indian-Style Spicy Mung Beans (Moong Dal)
Mung Bean Paneer
Spicy Mung Beans
Sour Mung Bean Soup

On the top of the reading stack: Chekhov

Audio Accompaniment: street noise

Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar

This recipe is my own creation, though I must give a nod to Vegan Richa for the idea of combining mung beans and black-eyed beans in what turned out to be a very earthy curry. It is not unusual for me to experiment with different combinations of legumes, and I am well acquainted with spicing up mixed dal dishes.

Your palate is in for a treat here with a lingering spiciness that intensifies on the back of the tongue with each spoonful. No hard hitting burst of heat with this meal, and there is a wee bit of tangy sweetness present mainly because of the inclusion of tamarind. This is a cleansing and refreshing sambar that makes for an easy yet completely satisfying meal when served with a tempering rice dish and/or Indian flatbread. Don't let the list of ingredients discourage you from giving this dish a try — I assure you that it really is a very straightforward and simple recipe that you may find especially appealing during busy times when you don't have a lot of time to cook but don't wish to sacrifice nutrition or flavor. Adjust the spicing according to your preferences and pantry offerings.

Black-Eyed Pea and Mung Bean Sambar

Recipe by Lisa Turner Cuisine: Indian Published on February 3, 2013 Simple, warm and nourishing spicy black-eyed pea and mung bean curry Print this recipe Ingredients: 1/2 cup dried mung beans (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can) 1/2 cup dried black-eyed peas (1 1/2 cups cooked or 1 14 oz can)   1 tablespoon ghee or oil 1 teaspoon cumin seeds 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon fenugreek seeds 1 black cardamon pod, crushed   1 small onion, finely chopped 1 clove garlic, minced 1-inch piece fresh ginger, minced or grated 2 to 3 fresh chilies, seeded and finely chopped 1 small carrot, diced Spices: 2 teaspoons ground coriander 1 1/2 teaspoons sambar powder or garam masala 1 1/2 teaspoons kashmiri chili powder or other chili powder 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon amchoor powder (optional) 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pinch of asafetida (optional) Other ingredients: 2 medium ripe tomatoes, finely chopped 1 tablespoon tamarind paste, seeds removed (optional) a few handfuls of dried curry leaves   2 1/2 cups water   sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper to taste Instructions: Rinse the beans and black-eyed peas and soak for 8 hours or overnight covered in several inches of water. After soaking, drain and set aside. Heat the ghee or oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, toss in the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and cardamon pod, and stir for 30 seconds or until the mustard seeds turn grey and begin to splutter and pop. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, chilies and carrot to the pan. Stir for 5 to 8 minutes or until the onion is softened. Now add the spices, stir for 1 minutes, then add the tomatoes, tamarind if using, and curry leaves. Cook, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes to let the tomatoes reduce, then add the drained beans to the pan and pour in 2 1/2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover and simmer for 1 hour or until the mixture has thickened and the beans are very tender, adding up to 1/2 cup more water as needed. (If using canned beans, add 1/2 cup to 1 cup of water and cook for 20 to 30 minutes.) Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve hot with with fresh cooked rice and / or your favorite Indian flatbread and a leafy green salad. Makes 4 to 6 servings

More black-eyed pea goodness from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Black-Eyed Peas with Fenugreek and Tomatoes
Turkish Black-Eyed Pea Salad with Pomegranate, Walnuts and Zahtar Dressing
Black-Eyed Peas with Roasted Squash
Black-Eyed Peas with Potatoes and Tamarind

On the top of the reading stack: Feeding the Hungry Ghost: Life, Faith, and What to Eat for Dinner - A Satisfying Diet for Unsatisfying Times by Ellen Kanner

Mung Bean Pancakes (Chila)

My obsession with savory Indian pancakes for breakfast with some spicy chutney and / or a dollop of yogurt continues. I make up a decent sized batch to last my husband and I a good few days — they can be reheated in foil wrap if made ahead of time as they preserve their rather delicate texture and slightly spicy, wholesome flavor for days. Or, needless to say, they can be simply served up right away, hot from the skillet. I never do mind room temperature food either myself, and if I am really hungry, I just plop any leftovers on the plate right from the fridge. When hunger hits, you won't be standing in front of an open fridge door for long if you know these nourishing delights are waiting for you.

They are of course a perfect and substantial accompaniment to any Indian meal, any time of day, or just as a snack. Consider rolling these ones up with a vegetable curry, or maybe a paneer curry, served with some rice on the side. The possibilities are endless, and once you experience the delight of making these in your own kitchen there is no turning back from Indian flatbreads and you'll be exploring many other variations. They really are easy to prepare — the only time consuming aspect is frying up each pancake, though the process can be streamlined by using two pans or a large electric skillet.

Mung Bean Pancakes (Chila)

Recipe by Lisa Turner Adapted from 1,000 Indian Recipes Cuisine: Indian Published on January 6, 2013 Simple, soft and fragrant and lightly spiced savory pancakes made from mung beans and urad dal and without flour Print this recipe Ingredients: 1 cup dried whole mung beans 1/4 cup skinless urad dal 1 1/2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped 3 fresh green chilies, seeded and chopped 1 1/2 cups water 1/2 teaspoon turmeric 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin 1/2 teaspoon cayenne generous dash of asafetida 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon sea salt fresh ground black pepper to taste sesame oil for frying Instructions: Thoroughly rinse the mung beans and urad dal in a strainer for a few minutes. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a few inches of water, and let soak overnight. Drain the beans and dal and transfer to a food processor or blender along with the water, ginger, chilies, spices, baking soda, salt and pepper. Process until smooth. Let stand for 3 to 4 hours. Add more water if necessary to achieve a semi-thick batter. In a non-stick skillet, heat a teaspoon of oil over medium heat. When hot, ladle about 1/2 cup of the batter into the pan and use the bottom of the ladle to spread the batter out into a roughly 6-inch circle. Fry for a few minutes until bubbles appear on the top and the bottom is nicely browned. Sprinkle a bit of oil on top of the pancake, flip, and cook for another minute or two or until the other side is browned. Remove to an oven-safe plate and keep warm in a 150° oven. Repeat until all of the batter is used. Serve hot or warm with chutney, yogurt or curry. Refrigerate leftovers and reheat in foil at 300° for 10 minutes. Makes 12 to 14 pancakes

More Indian breads you are sure to enjoy from Lisa's Vegetarian Kitchen:
Home-Style Chila
Besan Roti
Rice Flour Pancakes
Fenugreek Roti

On the top of the reading stack: Mysore Style Cooking by V. Sandhya

Audio Accompaniment: Pete Namlook and Tetsu Inoue