Spring Khichadi (Kedgeree) with Mung Daal and Brown Rice Recipe

• 1 cup organic brown rice
• ½ cup hulled moong daal (yellow in colour, different from the usual green daal with the husk)
• 3 tbsp Indian Ghee
• 4 whole cloves
• 3 crushed cardamom
• 8 whole black peppercorns
• 2 tbsp whole cumin seeds
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 2 tsp kosher salt (more, if desired)
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger root
• 2 pinches Asafetida (Hing)
• 4 thai green chiles – slit at the stem
• 1 red onion – finely chopped
• 4 stalks Asparagus – chopped rings
• 2 coarsely chopped tomatoes
• 1 cup coarsely chopped mint leaves
• 4.5 cups homemade chicken stock or filtered water

1. Soak the rice and daal together for 30 minutes, rinse a few times until the water runs clear.
2. Toss your ghee into a stainless steel or non stick pot, and heat on medium heat. Add the cloves, cardamom, peppercorns and cumin seeds. Add ginger and asafetida. An ethereal aroma will fill the kitchen at this point. 
3. Sautee for a minute, add red onions and green chiles. Let mixture brown on medium low heat. Then, add asparagus and sautee for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the rice and daal mixture from above, turmeric and salt.
5. Sautee for two minutes on medium heat. Add filtered water or chicken stock until the liquid covers the second phalange of your index finger, with the tip resting on the rice mixture.
6. Cover tightly with a lid and cook on medium low heat for 40 minutes.
7. (Note: If you choose to use white rice, the above step will take only 15 to 20 minutes.)
8. At this point, add the tomatoes and mint leaves and stir well. Taste for seasoning and cook for a further 10 minutes on extremely low heat and leave covered for another 10 minutes.
9. Serve with chilled Gewürztraminer from France or Australia.