Kitchari Recipe - Ayurvedic Basic Recipe, Detox & Nourishing

Kitchari is an Ayurvedic recipe that is often used as a basis for an Ayurvedic detox. However, it is also a perfect recipe to eat regularly during the rest of the year. Super healthy even to eat this once a week. And do you have any left over? Then take a warmed-up portion with you in a thermos for a healthy nourishing lunch.

Kitchari is a nutritious dish, with a base of mung beans, white basmati rice and lots of vegetables. The spices provide a lot of flavor.

Did you know that mung beans (when they sprout, it becomes bean sprouts) contain a very high amount of protein? They also help keep your blood sugar levels stable. So also a super good dish if you normally find it difficult to not snack in between meals.

If you have a sensitive digestion or are prone to bloating, choose the yellow mung beans. Otherwise, you can opt for the green mung beans, which have a slightly more scraping effect because the skins of the beans are still around them. If you use green mung beans, please remember to soak them the night before.

We use white (instead of whole wheat) basmati rice in kitchari because it is easier to digest. Asafoetida is added to prevent bloating and flatulence. However, don't add too much of this, because then it will annoyingly overpower the taste.

Adapt the dish for the current season by using seasonal vegetables.

Organic ingredients

• 200 gram yellow or green mung beans (soaked for at least 8 hours)
• +/- 1 liter water (add more if necessary)
• 200 gram white basmati rice
• 1 vegetable bouillon cube
• piece of fresh ginger (size of thumb)
• 1 onion
• 1 clove of garlic
• 3 to 4 types of seasonal vegetables
• 1 to 2 tablespoons of ghee, sesame- or coconut oil
• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 tablespoon coriander seeds
• ½ tablespoon ground cumin
• pinch of asafoetida / hing powder
• ½ to 1 tablespoon turmeric (powder or fresh)
• 1 laurel / bay leaf
• bunch of fresh coriander leaves
• Himalayan salt and black pepper to taste
• Optional topping: sesame seeds
• Optional topping: coconut grater
• Optional: additional spices & herbs to taste. For example, experiment with garam masala or chai spices to add some sweetness. Or if you really don’t like coriander (which is very helpful in eliminating toxins), replace it with parsley. Further adding mustard- or fennel seeds can be nice for digestion.

Preparation

Night before: soak your mung beans in plenty of water!

Make sure to soak the mung beans in time. It can also be helpful to soak the basmati rice for a few hours. It’s also important to rinse the mung beans and rice (using a colander/strainer) after soaking. This helps to remove some debris and dirt and can help to prevent bloating.

Preparation

1) Place the mung beans and water in a pan and bring to the boil. When boiling probably still some foam comes to the surface. In that case, replace the water and bring to boil again.

2) Add the rice and bouillon cube and cook for at least 10 minutes.

3) In the meantime, cut the ginger, onion, garlic and vegetables small.

4) Grind seeds (for example with mortar & pestle).

5) Put another pan on low heat, add the ghee (or sesame- or coconut oil) and make sure the pan doesn't get too hot.

6) Add all the spices, turmeric, ginger and laurel leaf (except the garlic). Make sure they heat gently, otherwise they can become bitter.

7) Add the onion and sauté (which can take up to 10 minutes).

8) Add the garlic.

9) Add the vegetables and let them sauté for 5 minutes, stirring well.

10) Add the vegetables and spices (including laurel) to the mung beans and rice. Cook it for at least another 5 minutes. The beans should at least fall apart. It can never be overcooked. If necessary, add water if the beans have not yet fallen apart. The longer it cooks, the more the flavors of the spices are absorbed and are doing their magic.

11) Roast the sesame seeds and cocnut grater in another pan.

12) Season the Kitchari with (Himalayan) salt and black pepper to taste. Serve on plates, garnished with fresh coriander leaves, grated coconut and sesame seeds.

Enjoy!

Aimée Kuntz

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