Name: Central Asian Rice and Bean Stew
Yield: Serves 4
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or rendered lamb fat; 2 cups coarsely chopped onions (about 3 medium onions); 2 medium potatoes, cubed; 2 medium carrots, coarsely chopped; 1 pound (about 4 medium) ripe tomatoes, coarsely chopped; 1 teaspoon cumin seed, ground; 3/4 teaspoon dried chile pepper flakes or crumbled dried red chile; 2 teaspoons salt; 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper; 2 to 3 cups boiling water or mild stock; 1 cup mung dal, soaked overnight in water to cover; 2 1/2 cups cooked long-grain white rice (or 1 cup uncooked rice, cooked while mung beans cook); Sprigs of mint (optional); 2 to 3 cups plain yogurt

The word mash means mung bean in Farsi and Farsi-related languages like Azeri and Tajik, as well as in Turkic languages such as Uzbek and Uighur. The word kichiri is like the Hindi word kitchri, a name for rice dishes made by cooking rice together with other ingredients. (The British took the idea and the name and turned it into "kedgeree.")

We like this satisfying meal-in-one stew we learned in Tajikistan. Potatoes, carrots, and tomatoes give variety of taste and texture to the main event, a spiced combination of mung beans (yellow dal) and long-grain rice. Mashkichiri is quick and easy to prepare once the mung beans have soaked, and all too easy to eat in large quantities when accompanied by plenty of yogurt. Serve it as a simple meal in one, or serve with kebabs and a side dish of something crunchy, like sliced cucumbers or radishes, or Persian pickled radish.

The winter version of this dish would have no tomatoes, and would use more carrots and onions instead. Winters in Central Asia are harsh, and there are few fresh vegetables to be had. Root vegetables, which can be stored and used when other vegetables are available, aren't an important part of the winter diet.

Recipe notes

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