Geeli Khitchri

Traditionally a kitchari dish is a combination of two grains, rice and lentils or dhal, and vegetables and spices. There are many regional variations throughout India and the Middle East, and the dish can be very bland or incredibly rich. This particular recipe is a nice middle-ground so you can explore the basics of making kitchari.

You can find this and more recipes in The Hare Krishna Book of Vegetarian Cooking.

In Calcutta the devotees hold a Hare Krishna festival at a different city park every weekend. The local people, informed of the upcoming festival, come with generous contributions of rice, dhal, and vegetables, which the devotees transform into a sumptuous “wet” khitchri. The khitchri is first offered to Krishna, and then distributed to at least 5,000 people each weekend. Here is a recipe for that geeli, or wet khitchri.