How To Make Kitri: Rice, Beans, & Mix Vegetables 1/2 by Hansadutta das

4 cups long grain rice, washed and rinsed
3 cups American yellow split pea, washed and rinsed (American yellow split peas or Toor dal available from Indian grocer, or mung dal or American green split peas whichever is available)
1-1/2 cups ghee
4 Tbsp whole cumin seeds
Italian seasoning
3 Tbsp whole fenugreek seeds
fresh or dried ginger, grated fine
2 heaping Tbsp Hansaduttas world-famous spice mixture
3 gallons of water
2 handfuls sea salt
1 handful sugar
varieties of vegetables, chopped (brussels sprouts, red radishes, baby carrots, cauliflower, broccoli, yellow squash, string beans, asparagus, potatoes, etc.)
fresh cilentro, chopped
3 gallons water

Measure and wash rice and dal (generally, 1 part rice to 1 part dal) and if you have time, let soak for an hour or two to soften and allow for better expansion.

Place pot over moderate fire or heat.

Add ghee. The ghee permeates the entire preparation, makes it very rich and tasty for the poor sadhus who are wandering all day and night, preaching and chanting and dancing to Hare Krishna.

Add spices in order as listed (when the fenugreek begins to pop, add the ginger). Take care not to scorch the spices, but brown them to bring out their aroma.

Add rice and dal, and brown together with the spices for approximately 1 2 minutes.

Now add water, salt and sugar.

As it comes to boil, stir occasionally.

Wash and chop vegetables and cilentro, and add to the pot when the rice and dal have begun to boil.

When the mixture again comes to boil, turn down fire to lowest point, and cover. Allow to steam for 20-30 minutes to an hour. Stir once or twice, so as not to end up with a mass of rice and dal on the bottom and everything else on the top. Stir from the bottom of the pot up through the top. But be careful not to overdo it, or the kitri will turn to mush.

[**NOTE: All though it wont matter very much with cooking this much Kitri, Hansadutta Prabhu says teaspoons but as the captions say it is actually "TABLESPOONS" that he is using for the cumin seeds. Also dont get confused about the summary of everything in part two.. IT is in fact 4 cups of rice not 6.

Hansadutta's Spice Mix:
10 parts Turmeric
1 & 3/4th parts Nutmeg
2 & 3/4th parts Coriander Powder
4 parts cumin powder
1 parts Chili
2 parts Hing (Asofateta)
1/4th parts Cinnamon
1/8th parts Cloves
1&1/2 parts ginger
2 parts Fenugreek
1/4 parts Cardamom