March in Seattle can be unpredictable. One day the sun is out, people are drinking iced lattes on the side walk, and the trees seem to become greener by the minute. The next morning winter is back, and all you want to do is crank up the heat and stay inside. To nourish your body through a few more weeks of hibernation you need something warm and spicy, like a one-pot meal of kichadi.

The ingredients for kichadi vary according to the mood of the cook and what’s in the fridge, so don’t hesitate to follow your own intuition. Kichadi is basically rice and dal cooked together, the rest is up to you. For example, the original recipe below calls for bay leaf and garlic, which I left out because I didn’t have it (bay leaf) or didn’t feel like adding today (garlic). Since I wanted some heat I added two small green chilies. Once the kichadi cooks all the flavors will blend together, and it’s fun to see what alchemy happened in the pot during cooking. The end result is greater than it’s parts, so let your creative side come out!

Warming kichadi
Adapted from The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar with Urmila Desai.

1/2 cup basmati rice
1/4 cup split mung dal
6 cups water
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/8 teaspoon hing
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon cardamom seeds
1/4 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 more tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1 teaspoon turmeric
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger, finely chopped
2 small green chilies
1/2 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups fresh or frozen vegetables: carrots, peas and string beans, or other vegetables you have on hand
2 more cups water, as needed

Wash rice and dal in a large pot until the water runs clear, drain and add the 6 cups of water. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a small pan, add the cumin seeds and hing when the oil is hot enough to make the seeds pop. Brown for about a minute while stirring, then add to the pot with dal and rice. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 45 minutes (or for about three whistles in a pressure cooker, if you have one).

Heat the other tablespoon of oil in the small pan. Add coriander, cardamom and peppercorns and saute for a minute. Then add the rest of the spices and the onion, ginger and chilies. Cook for 2-3 minutes, making sure not to burn the spices. Scrape the chaunk (cooked spices) into a blender, add a cup of water and grind. Add the puree to the rice and dal, then rinse out the blender with another cup of water to make sure you get all of the spices. Add the vegetables to the pot, and simmer for about 15 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through.

The kichadi might seem a little soupy at first, but once it cools down a bit it will thicken into a porridge-like texture. Serve with plain yogurt, freshly chopped cilantro and maybe some whole wheat chappatis or rotis.