Moshkichiri | Uzbek Mung Bean and Lamb Rice Porridge

Drain the soaked mung beans and pick out any wrinkled beans that float to the surface. Old legumes take longer to soften; if the beans are dull in color and wrinkled, they are not suitable for this recipe. Rinse and drain the rice separately and set aside.

You can make the dish without meat: skip the meat step, reduce the cooking time by 20 minutes, and use 60 ml oil. Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pot and brown the meat in batches. Add the diced onion and cook until golden, then add the julienned carrots and stir for 3 minutes. Add the cumin, ground coriander, and black pepper.

Add 2 liters hot water and the mung beans. Once it boils, reduce the heat and cook until the skins split and the beans are tender. Add the tomato and salt at the end of this step: tomato is acidic, and adding it too early slows the softening of the beans. (Salt is not what toughens legumes; acid, hard water, and old beans do.)

Add the rinsed rice and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally from the bottom. As the rice absorbs the water, the grains will start to break down. To check whether it is ready, stand a spoon upright in the pot: if it slowly tips to the side, the consistency is right; if it stays upright, the porridge is too thick, so add hot water.

Turn off the heat, place the butter on top in pieces, cover, and let stand for 5 minutes. Then stir gently from the bottom to distribute the melted butter through the porridge. Serve hot in deep bowls.