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Moshkichiri
Moshkichiri: soft Tashkent rice and mung bean porridge with fried onion
Moshkichiri is a soft, homely dish cooked in Tashkent kitchens on chilly evenings and for anyone who needs gentle food: mung beans and short-grain rice cooked together until creamy, with onion and carrot fried in cotton-seed or sunflower oil stirred through. Many families add a little lamb; this version keeps it meat-free, with cumin and plenty of black pepper. It is eaten with a spoon from a deep bowl, often with a dollop of suzma on the side. A common mistake is adding the rice at the same time as the mung beans; the rice turns to mush before the beans soften. Chef's tip: let it stand off the heat, covered, for 10 minutes before serving so it settles into a thick, spoonable porridge.
- Total time
- 60 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the porridge
- 5 ½ oz whole mung beansrinsed
- 5 ½ cups water
- 5 ½ oz short-grain ricerinsed
- 1 ¼ tsp salt
For the zirvak
- 4 tbsp sunflower oil
- 1 onionchopped
- 1 carrotcut into thin matchsticks
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- ½ tsp black pepper
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Method
0/4 doneStep 1: Simmer 5 ½ oz whole mung beans in 5 ½ cups water for 25 minutes, until they begin to split.
25 minStep 2: Meanwhile warm 4 tbsp sunflower oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and fry 1 onion for 6 minutes until golden. Add 1 carrot and 1 tsp cumin seeds and fry 5 minutes more.
11 minStep 3: Add the onion mixture, 5 ½ oz short-grain rice and 1 ¼ tsp salt to the beans and simmer, stirring often, for 20 minutes, until the rice is very soft and the porridge is thick. Add hot water if it gets stiff. Common mistake: rice in too early; it turns to glue.
20 minStep 4: Season with ½ tsp black pepper, cover and rest for 10 minutes off the heat before serving.
10 min
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 380 kcal
- Protein
- 13 g
- Carbs
- 62 g
- Fat
- 9 g
- Fibre
- 8 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does moshkichiri take?
- About 60 minutes in total: 10 minutes to prepare and 50 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it vegan?
- Yes. It has no meat, fish, dairy or eggs.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of short-grain rice?
- Any long-grain rice, same amount.
- What can I use instead of onion?
- 2 shallots per onion.
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