A comforting Uzbek mung bean and rice porridge-style bowl seasoned with cumin, black pepper and caramelized onion.
Mosh kichiri (or mosh oshi) is a traditional Uzbek dish of mung beans cooked down with rice into a thick, porridge-like consistency, often eaten during colder months or as a simple, nourishing family meal. Unlike a brothy lentil soup, the rice and mung beans here are meant to cook together until they nearly merge, creating a soft, hearty texture rather than distinct grains and legumes. A generous layer of deeply caramelized onions, fried separately in oil until dark golden, gets spooned over the top just before serving — this is the traditional finishing touch that gives mosh kichiri its signature savory-sweet depth, since the porridge itself is fairly plain. A good hit of black pepper and toasted cumin rounds out the seasoning. Served hot in a bowl with the fried onions and a drizzle of extra oil on top, this dish is humble, filling and genuinely reflects the everyday, unpretentious side of Uzbek home cooking, distinct from the more celebratory plov.
Serves 4
Combine mung beans and water in a pot. Bring to a boil, skim any foam, then reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.
Stir in rice, salt, black pepper and cumin seeds. Continue simmering 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until both the beans and rice have broken down into a thick, porridge-like consistency.
Stir every few minutes toward the end of cooking — the mixture thickens quickly and can stick to the bottom of the pot.
If the porridge is thicker than you like, stir in a splash of hot water to loosen it to your preferred texture.
While the porridge cooks, heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Fry onions 12-15 minutes, stirring often, until deeply golden brown and slightly crisp at the edges.
Taste the porridge and adjust salt as needed.
Spoon the porridge into bowls, top generously with the fried onions and their oil, and garnish with fresh cilantro.
Use split, hulled mung beans (moong dal) rather than whole mung beans — they cook down much faster into the desired porridge texture.
Fry the onions low and slow rather than rushing them on high heat; deeply caramelized onions are the dish's main flavor, so don't skip the full 12-15 minutes.
Stir the porridge frequently in the last 10 minutes of cooking to prevent scorching on the bottom of the pot.
Add cubed pumpkin or squash to the porridge partway through cooking for natural sweetness, a common home addition.
Stir a spoonful of tomato paste in with the rice for a slightly tangier, more colorful version.
Top with a dollop of yogurt alongside the fried onions for a creamier, tangier finish.
Refrigerate up to 4 days in an airtight container; the porridge thickens considerably when chilled. Reheat over low heat with extra water stirred in to loosen it back to a spoonable consistency.
Mosh kichiri (or mosh oshi) is a traditional Uzbek and broader Central Asian dish, historically valued as an affordable, warming meal made from pantry staples, with fried onions serving as the classic finishing garnish across many regional variations.
You can, but they take significantly longer to break down, around 45-60 minutes of simmering, and you may want to soak them for a few hours beforehand to speed up cooking.
Continue simmering uncovered, stirring often, until it reduces to the thick consistency you want — it can take an extra 10-15 minutes depending on your pot and heat level.
The dish relies heavily on the fried onions for flavor, so make sure they're deeply golden, not just softened, before adding them on top — that caramelization is where most of the flavor comes from.
Per serving (380g / 13.4 oz) · 4 servings total
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