Rice Lentil Soup

Rice lentil soup is traditional breakfast (kitchari).

Ingredients
MAIN
1 cup brown rice, soaked
1/2 cup green dal, soaked
2 cups water (or more)
SPICE
1/8 tsp turmeric
1/8 tsp salt

Preparation
Simmer until rice and lentils soft and mushy. May require extra water.

Coconut Rice Soup

This is a simple soup, lightly flavored. Leftover cooked rice is broken up and cooked as soup. The base is shallot-garlic-ginger which makes a light broth if water and no extra broth is added. Medium grain rice is slightly sweeter than long grain. Coconut is added for slightly richer flavor.

Ingredients
BASE
2 shallots, sliced thin
1 tsp garlic, sliced thin
1 tsp ginger, sliced thin
1 cup water or light broth
SPICE
1/8 tsp salt
MAIN
1 cup medium grain brown rice, cooked

2/3 cups water

FINISH

1/8 cup shredded coconut, soaked (optional)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation

In saucepan at medium heat, covered, sweat shallots, ginger and garlic, 5-10 min.

In food processor or blender, mix cooked rice and enough water to mix. Use a few short bursts to break rice, but don't puree.
Add rice mixture to saucepan, add enough water or light broth to make soup, and salt, and bring just to boil.
Add coconut and lemon juice to taste.

Lemon Rice

Good use of leftover brown rice.

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice soaked

1 cup water

1/4 cup peanuts raw

1 tbsp black lentils (urad dal) split

1/2 tsp mustard seed

1/2 onion

1/2 tsp turmeric

6 leaves curry leaves

2-3 tbsp lemon juice

Preparation

Prepare by soaking brown rice at least 2 hrs. Wash and drain.

In rice cooker, combine rice and water. Ratio of rice to water is important. Turn on rice cooker. Rice cooker automatically boils and cooks until water is gone, 30 min, then steams warm, 15 min. After steaming 15 min, open lid and stir lightly to separate grains. On baking sheet, spread rice to separate grains and cool.

Meanwhile, in pan with medium heat, lightly toast peanuts, 5 min. When peanuts just start to turn brown, add dal and mustard seed, until shake while dal toasts and mustard seed pops, 1 min. Remove from heat and save.

In sauce pan, brown onion, 5 min. Add turmeric and curry leaves, and a bit of water as necessary. Continue simmer, 5 min.

Mix cooked and cooled rice into onion base. Sprinkle and mix lemon juice, to taste, adding only 1 tbsp at a time. The tart lemon makes the dish, but too much sourness can also ruin the dish.

Finish with toasted nuts, lentil and mustard seeds, which should be added last to keep crunchy.