Kitchari - this dish is good for all 3 doshas and is considered cleansing, healing and nourishing. It contains all important nutrients and therefore it is good to eat this dish only for a while. In classical Ayurveda Kitchari is used during a detoxification week.
Ingredients (3-4 servings):
1 1/2 teaspoon ghee
1 cup mongoose beans (or MungDhal)
1 cup of rice
1 each of zucchini, carrot and fennel tuber, pumpkin, parsley root or similar
each 1⁄2 TL coriander, fennel, cumin seeds, aniseed, cardamom seeds, pipali
in powder form: turmeric, ginger (fresh tuber or powder), black pepper a pinch of asafoetida
some lemon juice
possibly some Garam Masala or curry powder
Rock salt
Preparation:
1. place Dhal in (filtered) water half an hour before cooking. If you use whole mongoose beans, I recommend to soak them overnight.
2. wash the rice and dhal, chop the vegetables.
3. heat ghee in a pot and roast all the spices briefly in it.
4. add the mixed rice, dhal and fry briefly Now add the vegetables and bring them to the boil with about 6 cups of water.
5. add the powdered spices and simmer covered for about 40 minutes
6. keep stirring in a clockwise direction - this way you charge the food with positive energy.
7. at the end season with rock salt and some lemon juice.
Additional tips
For Kapha and Pitta:
Add a few fresh herbs such as parsley, basil, chervil or even sprouts. Season it with cinnamon and green chiles, this stimulates the metabolism. If you're not that hungry, take a little less rice but more mung beans. You can also replace the rice with pseudo-cereals like quinoa or amaranth.
For Vata:
With Vata, dry properties are predominant. You can add a bit more ghee or 1-2 teaspoons of tahini, which gives a wonderfully creamy version of kitchari :-) Carbohydrates are good, if you feel a little haggard, add a little more rice. Roast some almonds, pumpkin seeds or hemp seeds.
Pitta:
Use coconut oil instead of ghee. Add 1-3 tablespoons of coconut milk. Take less hot spices but more sweet (cardamom e.g.) flavors and rice. Lime instead of lemon - for cooling.
Did you know that you can also cook with essential oils? Try cardamom, lemon or lime oil. Here you simply add 1-3 drops of the oil at the end (not cooking). ATTENTION: The essential oils must be 100% pure and labelled 'food supplement' or 'supplement'. and never take a good quality oil.
