Kitchari: Ayurveda's Healing Meal
Mar 28, 2024
Overview
Kitchari is one of the few foods that provides both nourishment for the body and benefits digestion due to its spice combination. This makes kitchari ideal during stress, illness, change of seasons, and it is the primary food during Ayurvedic internal cleansing.
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- ½ cup yellow mung dal
- 1 tablespoon Kitchari Spice Mix*
- 2 tablespoons ghee
- 6 cups water
- 1–2 cups chopped vegetables (optional)
Instructions
Step 1
Wash rice and mung dal and soak overnight. Drain soak water.
Step 2
In a medium saucepan warm the ghee. Add the Kitchari Spice Mix and sauté for one to two minutes. Add rice and mung dal and sauté for another couple of minutes. Then add 6 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Step 3
Once the kitchari has come to a boil reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and cook until it is tender (approx. 30–45 minutes).
Step 4
If you are adding vegetables to your kitchari, add the longer cooking vegetables, such as carrots and beets, halfway through the cooking. Add the vegetables that cook faster, such as leafy greens, near the end.
Step 5
Add more water if needed. Typically, kitchari is the consistency of a vegetable stew as opposed to a broth. A thinner consistency is preferable if your digestion is weak. You will notice that kitchari will thicken when it cools and you may need more water than you originally thought.
GARNISHES
Try these garnishes for added flavor.
• Coconut (great for pitta, good for vata, best to avoid for kapha)
• Cilantro (great for pitta, okay for vata and kapha)
• Lime (great for everyone!)
*Kitchari Spice Mix
The following spices may be used in place of Kitchari Spice Mix
- 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds
- 1 teaspoon cumin seed
- 1 small pinch of asafoetida (hing) powder
- 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 1 teaspoon coriander powder
- 4 thin slices of fresh ginger root
You can also find the spice mix already made at Banyan Botanicals. Here's the link to the Kitchari Spice Mix.