Golden Kichuri (Yellow Peas, Rice, and Onion Relish and A New Routine

A new routine has been added to my morning duties. Not one I'm very proud of but one that requires a little manic activity. You see the slugs are going to town in my garden, not a new development as this happened last year as well. But this year I planted my beloved dahlias in the same space as my vegetables and they are going after them. Now to rid the garden of these horrible beast we use a device called the slug mobile. All it really is, is a small garden hand shovel which carries the slug down the hill to it's new destination, far away from the garden. (If anyone has a better idea, I'm all ears.)

Now for these pictures, after the hmmm...slug fest; Olive and I hiked up to the bench look-out on the Amanda trail and back. Along the way you can look back at the town and catch a glimpse of the ocean. The trail goes through coastal woodland and lush green ferns.

Kichuri is a one pot meal specifically from the Bengali region of India. This version from Deborah Madison's cookbook, "The New vegetarian Cooking for Everyone", is with yellow peas, rice, cumin, fresh cilantro, Garam Masala and turmeric with an onion relish. I really enjoyed the flavor of this dish. The next day I stuffed whole wheat quesadillas with this mixture and lightly sauteed broccoli with cheddar cheese.

*Here you soak the peas and rice each separately. Soak peas for 3 hours, place in a medium bowl and cover with a least 3 inches of water. Soak the rice at least 1 hour, cover with at least 3 inches of water. Drain. This extra step will help with digestion and help speed up the cooking time.*

Ingredients:

Yellow peas and rice:

2/3 cup yellow split peas
1 cup brown basmati rice (recipe as written used 1 2/3 cup)
3 tablespoons coconut oil
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/4 cup fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 teaspoon Garam Masala
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
3 to 4 cups water
1 teaspoon salt

Onion relish:

1 white onion, quartered and very thinly sliced crosswise
1/2 teaspoon salt
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne ( recipe uses 1/2 teaspoon)
2 tablespoons chopped cilantro

To prepare:

In a heavy skillet on medium high heat add coconut oil, then add cumin and cook until fragrant about 1 minute. Add the rice and peas, stir to coat with oil mixture. Then add cilantro, garam masala, turmeric, three cups water and salt. Bring to a boil, then lower heat, cover and simmer, about 15 to 20 minutes. Add more water if necessary. Turn off heat and let stand 10 minutes to steam.

In the meantime, start on the relish by tossing the onion with the remaining ingredients, Cover and set aside. To serve, fluff peas and rice, taste and add more salt if necessary. Serve with relish on the side.