Recipe from Garden Fresh Foodie
Editor’s note: This plant-based recipe is for something you may not have heard of: a comforting Indian stew. This dish is warming and nutritious. Make a big batch and have healthy leftovers all week.
Kitchari - A comforting Indian stew
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Number of servings: 10
Per Serving 239 calories
Fat 2 g
Carbs 46 g
Protein 12 g
Ingredients
- 1½ cups mung beans (soaked for 4 hours)
- 1 cup brown rice
- 1¼ cup small diced peppers
- 2 tbsp minced jalapeño, about 1 pepper
- 2 cup minced onion
- 4 cups medium diced eggplant
- 2 cups diced tomato or 1 15 oz can
- 1¾ tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp turmeric
- 2 tsp cumin seed (if you don't have seed, can use ground)
- 1 tsp fenugreek seed
- 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger (we keep ours in the freezer to increase its longevity)
- 1 tbsp minced garlic
- ¾ tsp chili flake (to taste)
- 2 curry leaf stalks or 2 bay leaves
- *optional addition, 3 cups chopped mushrooms, omit if you're not a fan
- 8 cups water
- 5 cups chopped kale
- Additional salt/pepper to taste
- Parsley for serving
Instructions
- Place all ingredients into a pressure cooker (preferred), or good sized pot, except kale.
- Pressure cooker method: Bring to pressure, or boil. If using a pressure cooker, bring to pressure and turn down to low. Set timer for 12 minutes. Turn off stove, and let pressure drop. Let kitchari sit for another 10 minutes or so, for additional water to absorb.
- Traditional cooking method: bring mixture to boil, reduce to simmer, and cook until rice and mung beans are no longer hard, about 45 minutes.
- Stir in kale, and season with additional salt/pepper if desired. Top with fresh parsley and serve with a salad.
Notes
Chef's Notes:
• This recipe does thicken a lot as it sits. No worries—simply add some water when you’re reheating it to the texture you want, less if you want it as a stew, more if you want it more soup like. I like it thicker, but to each their own!
• This recipe does thicken a lot as it sits. No worries—simply add some water when you’re reheating it to the texture you want, less if you want it as a stew, more if you want it more soup like. I like it thicker, but to each their own!
Tell us in the comments what you think of this plant-based recipe because we’d love to know!
