A Gluten Free Kitchari Dish by Jasmine Hemsley

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 cup (200g) yellow mung Dahl (this is split mung Dahl)

  • ½ cup (100g) white/pearl quinoa, soaked overnight

  • 1 sweet potato, peeled if the skin is tough and chopped into chunks

  • 2 tbsp ghee (or coconut oil)

  • 4 cups (1 litre) water, or more

  • 1 teaspoon of:

    • Black pepper

    • Ground coriander

    • Ground cumin

    • Sea salt

  • 2 teaspoons of:

    • Black mustard seeds

    • Cumin seeds

    • Turmeric

    • Fennel seeds

    • Ground ginger or finely chopped fresh ginger

Optional:

  • Curry leaves - add to the spice mix when sautéing

METHOD

  1. Soak the quinoa overnight in double the amount of water.

  2. When you’re ready to cook, rinse the quinoa and mung dal.

  3. Measure out all of the spices into a cup — this makes it less likely that you'll burn your spices while searching for the others!

  4. Heat the ghee or oil in a large pot. Add all of the spices and sauté together on medium heat for a minute until fragrant. Be careful not to overdo this stage – it's better to err on the side of caution on your first attempt than risk frazzling the spices and making them bitter or burnt.

  5. Stir in the quinoa and mung dal. Add 4 cups of water, bring to the boil, then reduce to a simmer, lid on.

  6. Cook for 10 minutes, then add the sweet potato. Continue cooking for another 30 minutes (longer if using whole green mung beans), or until the dal is completely soft (easily squashed between finger and thumb), the kitchari has a porridge-like consistency and the ghee has risen to the top, adding more water if necessary. Adjust the seasoning and garnish with fresh chopped herbs or the fresh green chutney if you like.

Mairead MoodieThe Sacred Space