KITCHARI

Cleansing Kitchari
This Indian comfort food provides strength and energy.

In India kitchari—a soupy porridge made from rice and mung beans, lightly spiced with ginger, cilantro, and other spices—is considered a fasting food and is used to purify digestion and cleanse systemic toxins.

Ayurvedic physicians often prescribe a kitchari diet before, during, and after panchakarma, a rejuvenative treatment that cleanses toxins stored in bodily tissues as it restores systemic balance. Kitchari provides solid nourishment while allowing the body to devote energy to healing. You can safely subsist on kitchari anytime in order to build vitality and strength as it helps balance all three doshas. For restless vata, the warm soup is grounding; for fiery pitta, its spices are calming; and for chilly kapha, it provides healing warmth.

Ayurveda believes that all healing begins with the digestive tract, and kitchari can give it a much-needed rest from constantly processing different foods while providing essential nutrients. The blend of rice and split mung beans offers an array of amino acids, the building blocks of protein. Its mixture of spices is believed to kindle the digestive fire, the Ayurvedic description for your innate digestive power, which can be weakened by poor food combinations.

Kitchari tastes like a cross between a creamy rice cereal and a light dal, or lentil soup. If it is a cold, blustery day or you are feeling under the weather, a steaming bowl of this classic Indian comfort food can both warm up your bones and restore sagging energy. Everyone has his or her own special method of making kitchari. Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing (The Ayurvedic Press, 1997), by Usha Lad and Vasant Lad, offers a half-dozen kitchari recipes, including this one that was adapted for Yoga Journal:

First, rinse one cup of split yellow mung beans and soak for several hours. Set aside. In a blender, liquefy one tablespoon of peeled, chopped ginger; two tablespoons of shredded coconut; and a handful of chopped cilantro with one-half cup of water. In a large saucepan, lightly brown one-half teaspoon cinnamon; one-quarter teaspoon each of cardamom, pepper, clove powder, turmeric, salt; and three bay leaves (remove before serving) in three tablespoons of ghee, or butter.

Drain the mung dal and then stir it into the spice mixture in the saucepan. Next, add one cup of raw basmati rice. Stir in the blended spice and coconut mixture, followed by six cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook on low heat for approximately 25 to 30 minutes until soft.

Kitchari means mixture, usually of two grains. One Kitchari recipie which is particularly nourishing and easy to digest is given here. A mono diet of this Kitchari is recommended for anyone cleansing or receiving panchakama as it helps in the cleansing process. This recipie has all the six tastes and all the four food groups all nestled in one dish.

Ingredients

Ghee or sunflower oil               2 tbsp
Grated fresh ginger root           2 tbsp
Pinch coriander seed
Pinch ajwain
Pinch cumin
Pinch blk mustard seed
Pinch fennel

Turmeric powder           ½ tsp
Asafoetida (hing)            pinch *optional spices
Basmati rice                  1 cup
Moong Dahl                  1/2c –pre-soaked
Water                            6-7 cups * (6+ makes a ‘soupy’ kitchari)
Optional Spices              ie: bay leaf, cardamon, clove or nutmeg

For VATA add warming spices like pinch of ginger powder, cumin, ajwain and asafetida or hing*
For PITTA add cooling spice like pinch of cumin, coriander and fennel, cardamon, bay leaf
For KAPHA add heating spice like pinch of black pepper, ginger of cayenne and black mustard seeds

Preparation:

1. Carefully pick over the rice and split moong dahl to remove all stones.
2. Rinse this mixture in at least two changes of water and soak for 2 hours.
3. Saute ghee with ginger root.
4. Add the seed spices, in the ghee/ginger mixture.
5. Add the optional spices ( for Vata, Pitta or Kapha) if needed.
6. Add Tumeric powder 6. Add the rinsed moong dahl and sauté one or two minutes, then add rice and saute
7. Add 6-7 c. water and simmer for thirty minutes or until the grains are done, near the end you can add in some chopped vegetables for dosha. Ie: Pitta – yam or squash, asparagus, broccoli, beans Vata – yam, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans Kapha – carrot, celery, broccoli, beans.

Optional Condiments-
Vata – lemon,chutney, sesame seeds, braggs liquid aminos, flax
Pitta – lime, coconut flakes ( unsweetened), avocado, cilantro, sesame seeds, rock salt, liquid aminos, ghee
Kapha – lemon, ginger root chopped, liquid aminos,