Kitchree Rice

Ingredients:

600g Basmati rice, wash and drain
170g yellow dhal, soak for 2 hrs, wash and drain

for frying:
1 medium size onion, slice thin
1 stick (5cm) cinnamon
2 cardamoms
4 cloves
2 fragrant screwpine leaves (pandan), wash and tie

grind to a smooth paste:
5 small cloves garlic
1 slice (1cm thick) garlic

3 slightly heaped tbsp ghee
water, equal in volumn to amount of rice used
1 tbsp plain yoghurt
1 small tin (170g) evaporated milk
½ tsp yellow food colouring
salt to taste


Method:

• Combine rice with dhal in a bowl.
• Heat ghee, fry onion, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, pandan leaves and ginger-garlic paste till fragrant.
• Add water, yoghurt, milk, salt and colouring. Bring to the boil. As soon as it boils, add rice and dhal, stir, cover and leave to cook. Lower heat when amount of water is reduced. Continue cooking till water is absorbed, then stir rice and continue cooking over very low heat, keeping pot covered.
• When steam emits from pot, rice is cooked. If preferred, colouring may be added when rice is almost cooked.