A Healing Ayurvedic Kitchari Recipe

If there is one meal that you heard of associated with Ayurveda,  it's most likely kitchari! Given how healing it is for self-care and postpartum - we decided to share a simple starter recipe so you can master this delicious dish for your own wellness.

Kitchari is an ancient Ayurvedic meal consisting of Mung beans and rice cooked into porridge. It is highly revered in Ayurvedic medicine as it is a complete protein, that is naturally anti-inflammatory, easy-to-digest and most suitable for cleansing and detoxing.

A kitchari cleanse is considered an introduction to the Ayurvedic diet. In addition to realigning your digestive health, practitioners believe the cleanse can also help balance your doshas. During a kitchari mono-diet cleanse, you take a break from heavy and hard to digest food,  and your body resets itself. This break for the digestive track is also most suitable during times of stress or postpartum, when the digestive fire is weakened after delivery.

This healing kitchari is so nourishing and easy on the stomach and includes naturally balanced plant protein. It is the perfect healing, easy to digest meal when your body needs a break.

PREP TIME
10 minutes
COOK TIME
45 minutes
TOTAL TIME
55 minutes

Ingredients
1 Cup Moong Dal (split mung beans)
1/2 Cup Basmati Rice, rinsed
About 1 Tbsp. of Organic ghee or coconut oil
1 tsp Cumin Seeds
1 tsp. Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp. Ground Turmeric
1 tsp. Ground Coriander
1 tsp. Fennel Seeds
1 pinch asafoetida (hing)
A large 1 Inch Piece of Ginger, grated
1 1/2 Cup Mix Veggies (If you know your dosha you can choose accordingly)
5 cups Water
1 tsp Sea Salt, plus more to taste
Fresh coriander/mint/ chilli for garnish

Instructions
Wash the rice and dahl in at least 2 changes of water. Add the 6 cups of water to the rice and dal and add the hing in and cook covered until it becomes soft, about 20 minutes

While that is cooking, prepare any vegetables that suit your constitution. Cut them into smallish pieces. Add the vegetables to the cooked rice and dal mixture and cook 10 minutes longer.
In a separate saucepan, sauté the spices in the ghee/oil until they pop and become fragrant.
Stir together to release the flavors. Stir the sautéed spices into the cooked dal, rice, and vegetable mixture.. Season with salt and serve with a handful of fresh herbs for garnish.