Kitchari
A kitchari is a is a soupy dish made from rice, mung beans, seasonal vegetables, spices and healthy fats. Its cleansing and detoxing but also satisfying and nourishing. It’s easy to digest and the perfect way to detox and cleanse ama (toxins). When I eat kitchari my whole body says 'thank-you'... I love how it makes me feel.
The combo of rice and Mung Bean makes it a complete protein and you can add whatever veg you like. The kitchari can be eaten daily for the duration of the cleanse as a monodiet and you can change the vegetables to create variety.
When should you eat Kitchari or do a cleanse?
A kitchari cleanse is great to do;
1. Seasonally at the change of one season to the next,
2. When your digestion is less then optimal and you want to reset and do a cleanse,
3. When you are unwell or recovering and want a nice nourishing dish that is easy on your body so it can continue to heal.
4. Whenever you feel like kitchari... for me its like comfort food!
Ingredients:
1/8 cup split mung beans
1/4 cup organic basmati rice
3-4 cups of filtered water
2 cups fresh, organic, seasonal veggies (use at least one green such as spinach or kale and one orange root vegetable such as carrot, sweet potato)
1 Tbsp. of CCF blend (equal parts of ground cumin, coriander and fennel seed)
Pinch of asafoetida
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 pinch of black pepper
1/2 Tbsp. chopped fresh ginger root
¼ cup shredded coconut
½ cup loosely packed chopped, fresh organic coriander
1 ½ Tbsp. ghee (use less ghee if you have kapha or ama imbalance)
1 tsp rock salt or Himalayan salt
Method:
Rinse the rice and split mung beans, then put them in a pressure cooker and water enough to cover by at least an inch or 2 (approx. 2 cups)
Boil until soft, approx. 10 minutes (less if using pressure cooker). Chop veggies, coriander and grind spices (if using whole spices) as the rice and beans cook. Skim any ‘scum or froth’ off the top.
Add the veggies (keep kale or quick-cooking veggies out for now), add 1-2 cups of water and cook 3-5 minutes or so until the water boils veggies are starting to soften. Add more water and adjust temperature as needed.
Once veggies start to soften, add the diced ginger, coconut and spices (cumin, coriander, fennel, asafoetida, black pepper and turmeric). When making a warming kitchari in the fall or winter I’ll add a dash of cinnamon and maybe some raisins.
Add the kale, spinach or other quick- cooking veggies and the fresh cilantro. Stir.
Then add ghee and salt.
Turn off heat, and serve with fresh coriander and coconut garnish and a wedge of lime if you like.
Dosha adjustments
If you have a particular dosha imbalance here are some variations to consider;
Pitta - add coconut or fresh coriander as a garnish
Kapha - add some extra spice like popped mustard seeds, opt for lots of green vegies and less root vegies. Try using less ghee.
Vata - add more ghee and more root vegetables.
Enjoy
Live Wisely, Abbie x
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