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Kitchari is Ayurveda's age-old, signature detox dish. The word "kitchari" (pronounced kitch-a-ree) in India means mixture of two or more grains.
In India, this versatile dish is eaten any time of the day, even for breakfast to kick start the day! Traditional kitchari is made by mixing white basmati rice and split yellow mung dal. Did you know that mung beans strip pesticides from the body!? Radical!
Why Eat Kitchari?
To fuel the digestive fire, a diet of kitchari and ghee is recommended. When we have digestive toxins in our GI tract, our ability to digest well is reduced. In other words we become really inefficient at fat burning. Our toxins are stored in the fat, so we build up those toxins. That translates to pain, inflammation, impaired sleep, gas and bloating, and lack of energy. Kitchari nourishes the tissues of the body, is excellent for rejuvenating the cells, and helps the detoxification process.
How to Make Kitchari
Kitchari, THE most popular Ayurvedic detox dish, has gotten huge popularity in recent years in the Western world. The reason this dish is revered highly in Ayurveda is mainly because it balances the three doshas: kapha, pitta, and vata.
Benefits to eating this superfood:
Easy to make, Easy to digest, Rich in nutrients, Builds strength, Removes ama / toxins ,Weight loss, Cleanses toxins from bodily tissues , Creates prana / energy! ,Brings the body into a balance The secret to a great tasting dish lies in the spices used! Kitchari uses the right kind of spices in the right proportion to give you not only a comforting warm tasty meal but the medicinal benefits of the spices aid in proper digestion, assimilation, and elimination which makes this a high powered detox meal! We were visiting Kerry Harling at Holistic Highway recently, and we walked away with some wonderful new spring superfood recipes. Here's how she prepares kitchari with quinoa and split mung beans. She originally got the idea from Curejoy. It's delicious!
Ingredients: (2-3 servings)
1 cup quinoa (rinsedwell)
1 cup split mung beans
1 tsp ghee
1 tsp cumin and mustard seeds
1 tsp fennel powder
1½ tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
½ tsp asafoetida powder
1-2 tsp cayenne (optional)
2-3 tbsp. chopped cilantro
1 tsp freshly squeezed lime/lemon juice
Salt to taste
approx. 2-4 cups of water
If you are using a pressure cooker you can cook the grains and make the kitchari all in one pot! First add the ghee in the cooker pan and saute the mustard and cumin seeds. Later on add the quinoa and beans mixing it slowly with the above mentioned spice powders. Saute this for a minute until you smell the amazing aroma. Add water to cover the pot and pressure cook for 4-5 whistles. The consistency should be thick and mushy. This can be easily done in a stockpot; the only difference is you need to cook the quinoa and mung beans separately following the packet directions. Later on, you can follow the same procedure to adding spices as given above.
Ingredients for Raw Toppings Sauce
1 cup of assorted veggies (colorful peppers, zucchini, onion, avocado, cucumber, cherry tomatoes)
1-2 tsp curry powder
1 -2 tsp EV coconut oil
1-2 tsp pure maple syrup
Salt to taste
1 tsp lime/lemon Juice
Water as needed to make the sauce Mix all these ingredients in a bowl with the assorted veggies. For best flavors to come out keep these veggies marinated for about 30 mins. Having the kitchari with all this flavorful raw toppings, takes this dish to a whole new dimension of flavor and nutrition.
Bon Appetit!
