Kitchari’s are a nice gentle cleanse on the system while also nourishing, and are generally eaten during seasonal transitions. They can become boring for an individual as you eat them for 2 weeks for at least 2 meals a day, so I decided to come up with a more fun, bright kitchari to help give some variety. This Kitchari is really nice during the January seasonal transition (around January 15th) as it helps to move stuck mucus, bring down excess air, increase metabolism, remove ama from the system, and is warming… just to name a few.
Ingredients
- 4 Tbsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tsp whole Mustard Seeds
- 1 tsp fresh grated Ginger
- 1 cup organic white Basmati rice
- 1 tsp ground Cinnamon (Twak)
- 1/4 tsp ground Clove
- 1 tsp mineral salt
- 1 tsp ground Turmeric
- 2 or 4 cracks of Black Pepper
- 1/2 tsp ground Cardamom
- 1/2 tsp ground Fennel Seed
- 1/4 tsp ground Coriander seed
- 1/4 tsp Basil or Holy Basil (Tulsi)
- 1 Tbsp Maple Syrup
- 1/2 cup Mung Dahl beans
- 4 cups water
- 1 stick of licorice root
- 1 leaf of Wakame crushed
Add Sesame Oil into a pan on medium heat, and allow to start warming. Add mustard seeds, and as they start to sizzle or pop, turn to medium-low heat and add the ginger. Allow for the ginger to warm up, then add the Basmati rice. After about 1 to 2 minutes while stirring, add most of the other spices (Cinnamon, Clove, Salt, Turmeric, Black Pepper, Cardamom, Coriander, and Basil). Heat for about another 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Now, add the Mung Dahl beans, water, licorice root and wakame. Cover and turn to Medium-High heat until it starts to boil. When it begins to boil, reduce heat to medium/medium-low, and cook for 30 to 40 minutes (check at 15 minutes as you may need to add 1 more cup of water) until rice and mung dahl beans are soft. Remove licorice stick and serve. Add to each serving about 1 tsp/serving (or to taste) raw unheated honey while the rice is still warm. (Don’t add the honey to the primary dish unless it will all be eaten within one sitting and won’t be reheated).
Variations:
- More Kapha type individuals, reduce Sesame Oil to 3 Tbsp and 1/2 tsp of Maple Syrup. You can also add a pinch of chili powder. Extra water weight? Add 1/4 cup of Barley and up the water by 1/2 a cup.
- More Pitta type individuals, use 1/2 tsp Tumeric and 1 tsp of Cardamom, skip the honey and instead use either Cane Sugar or more Maple Syrup
- More Vata type individuals, add 1/2 tsp of Cane Sugar
- At night, you can add 1/4 tsp of Nutmeg. Nutmeg has a slight sedative effect, so, not really something you would want to do if you’re eating this for breakfast or lunch.
Nice Side dishes:
- Grapefruit, which is one of the only fruits which can be eaten with other foods
- CCF Chicken (or Fish) with Turmeric, Salt & Pepper
- Heated Kale Greens with Sesame Seeds & Shredded Cabbage (more Kapha reducing)
- Beets and Sweet Peas with Lemon and Pepper (more Vata reducing)
- Steamed Sweet Carrots & Burdock Root with a hint of Parsley (more Pitta stabilizing)
Notes:
- Many kitchari’s use ghee instead of sesame oil. If you use ghee, there is a risk of a subtle toxin when combined with the honey, so, if you want to use ghee, add more maple syrup and no honey (this is OK for Vata and Pitta types, but the honey option is better for Kapha types)
- Never heat honey directly! Honey when you buy it should be solid (Raw Unheated Honey). When you heat honey, it releases subtle toxins which could build-up over time. Additionally, Honey has a special property which is heating to the system and helps get mucus (Kapha) to move, and honey that has been aged for a year is great for people working on weight management. Heat honey either in hot water or by placing in warm food.