Basmati & Mung Beans Pilaf – Bhuni Moong Ki Khichree

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Wash and soak rice for 30 minutes if possible.
2. Dry roast Moong Daal on a skillet, non-stick pan, or tawa, (a South Asian skillet) on low heat till it becomes a nice warm colour. Remove quickly and rinse, then place in a saucepan or pot, add 1 cup water, enough to just cover the Daal, and a dash of salt, and cook on medium heat for about 5- 7 minutes, until the daal fluffs up; drain and set aside.
3. Drain Basmati rice.
4. Make the garnish first: Heat ¼ cup oil in a skillet, and fry 1 cup finely sliced onion on medium heat till warm brown and caramelized. Remove and drain oil into a cooking pot. Set aside the garnish for later
5. In the same cooking pot, add 6 ½ tbsp oil, heat oil & add all the whole spices in it for a few minutes, then add the rest of the sliced onion and cook on low heat till they soften.
6. Add the rice and continue cooking on low heat for 3-5 minutes, till the rice is nicely coated. Add lemon juice and sugar.
7. Mix garlic and ginger paste, salt, with 2 cups boiling water and pour into the rice, cook on low to medium heat until the rice fluffs up and the water is absorbed. Add more water, if needed. The trick here is to cook until the rice is half done so that when you squish a single rice grain between your fingers, it has a tiny hard centre that is not done. Basically, the rice has room to fluff up more.
8. Fold in Moong Daal, cover and cook on low heat for 10 -15 minutes on a tawa or griddle. Turn once or twice, gently.
9. Garnish with ghee, caramelized onions and you’re done!

INGREDIENTS:
Rice

• 1 cup Basmati rice (you may be able to use other rice, chef recommends Shan Basmati Rice from Pakistan, available on Amazon)
• 1 cup Split Yellow Mung Beans/Moong Daal
• ¼ cup or 4 tbsp cooking oil for garnish
• 6 ½  tbsp or just less than ½  cup oil for Pilaf - I use Canola Oil
• ½ - 1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
• 1 cup finely sliced onion
• 1 stick cinnamon
• 3 pods green cardamom
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 ½ tsp garlic paste
• 2 ½ tsp ginger paste
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• Juice of ½ lime
• ½ tsp sugar

For garnish

• 1 cup finely sliced onions
• ¼ cup oil

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