Cleansing Kitchari
I love Kitchari!
I was a vegetarian for many years and this was my go-to dish. It’s a dish I go to when I’m rundown, a little tired and in need of some tender loving care. it’s such a nourishing and cleansing food. Originally a South Asian dish, and part of the Ayurvedic therapeutic diet.
The main ingredients are Dhal and rice which are soaked to remove all the phytates. Plus some mild spices. Activating the lentils makes the dish much more suitable for sensitive digestive systems. The soaking helps to stop symptoms associated with lentils like, bloating and wind.
I like to incorporate Kitchari into short digestive cleanses which I recommend for my clients. It works very well after a few days of fasting. The mix of light spices, ghee and soaked lentils seems to create a beautiful environment for digestion and absorption of nutrients.
Ayurvedic practitioners use Kitchari as a cleansing mechanism and also what they refer to as ‘Balancing out the Dosha’s’ and giving the digestive tract a well-earned break.
I find on damp cold days it helps to restore heat to the digestive tract.
Cleansing Kitchari
Ingredients:
-2 cups mung bean Dhal (soak for 24 hours)
-1 cup white basmati rice
-3 cm piece ginger root, chopped
-3 garlic cloves, chopped
-1 tablespoon fennel seeds
-1 heaped teaspoon turmeric
-1 tablespoon nigella seeds
-2 tablespoons of ghee
-6 cups filtered water
-½ teaspoon sea salt
-coriander to serve
-juice from ½ lemon
Instructions:
1. Melt the ghee in a large heavy-based pan.
2. Drain and rinse the mung bean dhal. Add mung bean dhal and rice to the pot with the ghee and stir to coat everything evenly.
3. Add your spices, plus any others you like. We don’t use chilli in this recipe -fragrant rather than hot!
4. Add water, cover, and bring to a boil.
5. Lower heat, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to an hour until all water has been absorbed.
6. Add salt to taste.
Serve with extra nigella seeds on top, plus a sprinkle of fresh coriander and a squeeze of lemon juice.
7. Eat super slowly, be mindful and enjoy.