Kitchari - Indian Lentil and Rice Porridge

👨‍🍳 Method

For the Caramelized Onion

1. 1
   Rinse the rice and the lentils and drain.

   Colander
2. 2
   Heat the oil in a large pot and fry the onion over medium heat 5 minutes, stirring, until it is golden.

   StoveLarge pot

To assemble

1. 3
   Add the garlic and ginger and fry 1 minute, until fragrant.

   ⚙ Adding to the hot fat and fryingStove

   💡Add by cooking time: what needs long (onion, carrot, meat) goes in first, and what burns fast (garlic, dry spices) goes in last, only until fragrant.
2. 4
   To the onion in the pot, add the cumin, turmeric and ground coriander and stir for half a minute, until fragrant.

   Stove
3. 5
   Add the rice, the lentils and the water, season with salt and bring to a boil.

   Stove
4. 6
   Turn down to low, cover and simmer 20 minutes, until the liquid is absorbed. Turn off the heat and leave covered another 5 minutes.

   ⚙ SimmeringStoveLid

   💡The covered rest at the end finishes steaming the grain and separates the grains. Fluff with a fork before serving.

   💡A gentle simmer, not a boil: a hard boil dries the food out and clouds it, a slow simmer cooks it evenly.
5. 7
   Sprinkle the cilantro on top, drizzle with the lemon juice and serve.