Brown rice and moong dal porridge with squash (khichdi)

Ingredients

0 of 13 out on the counter

• 1½ tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 2 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• ½ tsp ground turmeric
• ¼ tsp ground black pepper
• 5 cups water
• ¾ cup brown rice, rinsed
• ¾ cup split yellow moong dal (peeled mung beans), rinsed
• 1½ cups butternut squash, peeled, in 1-inch cubes
• ¾ cup green beans, cut in ½-inch pieces
• ½ tsp salt
• 2 tbsp lemon juice

All set! Everything is out. Time to bake.

Method

1. 1Rinse the rice in a fine strainer under cold water for a minute and drain it. Rinse the moong dal the same way, in its own strainer, and drain it.
2. 2Heat the oil in a 4-quart heavy pot over medium heat. Add the cumin seeds and let them sizzle for about 30 seconds, until they smell nutty. Add the ginger, garlic powder, turmeric and pepper and stir for 15 seconds.
3. 3Stir in the drained rice for 1 minute, until every grain is coated and glossy. Pour in the water, add the salt, and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to low and cover. Brown rice takes longest, so it goes in alone and cooks 20 minutes before anything else joins it.
4. 4Stir in the moong dal and the squash. Bring back to a simmer, cover, and cook 25 to 30 minutes, stirring every 8 minutes and scraping the bottom. At 5,430 ft water boils near 203 °F; the house extends the time for the grain and dal (our kitchen practice), so this is a first estimate that has not been timed on a stove here. It is ready when the rice splits open, the dal has dissolved into the pot and the squash has gone soft.
5. 5Add the green beans. Cook uncovered for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring, until the beans are tender and the pot is a thick porridge. Press some of the squash against the side of the pot with the back of a spoon to thicken it.
6. 6Take the pot off the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Serve hot. Taste; add more lemon, not salt, if it needs more.
7. 7Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours of cooking, or within 1 hour when the kitchen is above 90 °F (CDC). To reheat, add a splash of water, since the porridge thickens as it sits, and bring it to a boil or to 165 °F (USDA FSIS), stirring.