Nourishing Food - Kitchari!
8th January, 2010 - Posted by Maude -
Here’s a great Maude idea for your nutritional nourishment - Kitchari!
If you’ve never heard of it don’t worry. Step into Maude’s kitchen, stretch yourself, live a little, try something new that also makes you feel good. Kitchari is a traditional Indian food that is considered healing. The Indian healing system, Ayurveda, considers Kitchari healthy for all types of people, balancing and nourishing.
Okay, it’s healthy but is it delicious? The wonderful thing about Kitchari is that it tastes just right to everyone. Everyone who finds the right combination for them, that is. Kitchari is similar to chili here in the United States in that there are as many varieties as there are people who eat it. The recipes for it are endless - it can look like a creamy yellow porridge, a rice and bean dish, a brown mush, or a potpourri kind of one-pot-meal. So many possibilities! Now that is Maude-like.
Here’s just a smattering of varieties that we found in a simple search.
Joyful Belly Version
Foodie Reflections version
Green Discovery Version
Diet, Dessert, and Dogs Version
Indian Foods Co Version
The Hungry Yogini Version
Kitchari’s two staple ingredients are basmati rice and mung beans or mung dal. Once you have those two, the variations begin. It’s really that simple. Basmati rice is easy enough for most people to find these days but mung beans, or mung dal might be a little more confusing. First, let’s clarify what we mean by mung.
Mung beans are a whole dried bean that is green in color. When their hulls are removed and the beans are split, they are light yellow in color and are then called mung dal or moong dal. Mung beans can also be split with the hulls intact. So which one should you use?
You say mung bean, I say moong dal, you say yellow split mung, I say mung dhal. You get the idea. There are lots of names for mung or moong and while they generally refer to one kind of bean, there are some differences. The kind of bean or moong you use for your kitchari greatly influences your results so this is a main choice.
Whole green mung are often found in natural food stores and food coops. They are the most common kind of moong. Moong dal is easily found in Indian food stores. Whole green mung beans take longer to cook and stay more intact in your dish. They often retain their green color. The split moong dal cooks more quickly and becomes a smooth consistency and is obviously yellow. Texture or smooth? Green or yellow? It’s all good. You choose.
Here’s a nice pic of your choices from Manjula’s Kitchen:
Moong Dal aka Mung Dal, Moong Dhal, Mung Dhal, Mung Beans
Two recipes we are especially fond of, that illustrate the poles in the variations in Kitchari, come from All About Fasting. We’ve made these recipes and several others from the site and are they delicious! That’s why we’re fond of them.
The first recipe comes from Dr. Vasant Lad, the man most responsible for bringing Ayurvedic medicine to the West, who offers this simple recipe when using Kitchari for cleansing.
Simple Kitchari Recipe
1 cup Basmati Rice
1 cup yellow split mung dal
1 small handful cilantro leaves chopped
6 cups of water
Wash the rice and mung dal twice, using plenty of water. If you have time, let the mung dal soak for a few hours before cooking, to help with digestibility.
Add rice, dal and cilantro to the water.
Bring to a boil, and boil 5 minutes uncovered, stirring occasionally.
Turn down heat to low, and cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar. Cook until tender, about 25 to 30 minutes.
The following variation on Kitchari comes from Kripalu, a yoga center in western Massachusetts.
Kripalu Center’s Seclusion Special
1/2 T oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds (the dark, Indian type)
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 C brown rice (dry)
1 C mung beans (dry)
5 1/2 C water
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp curry powder
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp salt
1/2 C finely chopped cabbage
1/4 C chopped green pepper
1/2 C finely shredded carrots
1/4 C raw peanuts (optional)
Marinade:
1/2 C oil
1/3 C lemon juice
1/2 T salt
1/2 T tamari
1 T honey
1 tsp basil
1/4 tsp oregano
In a saucepan heat the oil, add the mustard seeds. When the seeds begin to pop, add turmeric and stir the mixture. Fold in the rice and beans, coating them with the oil-spice mixture. Add water and the remainder of the spices, mixing them thoroughly and letting them simmer until the grains and beans are well cooked )approximately 40 minutes). Combine the cabbage, peppers and carrots with the cooked rice and beans, and set aside. Prepare the marinade and pour it over the grain-bean-veggie mixture, blending it in thoroughly.
This is a hearty dish which can go either hot or cold, depending upon your preferences and the time of year.
We’ve assembled links to a variety of delicious sounding Kitcharis. We haven’t tried them all but really, you can’t go wrong. Remember, the point is to experiment and find something you love to eat. Don’t worry about following the recipes exactly. Be creative. Stretch yourself. If you don’t have an ingredient, substitute with something else.
You’ll notice that a number of the recipes call for ghee. Ghee is a staple in indian cooking but maybe not so familiar to western friends. Ghee is simply clarified butter.
Ghee
You can purchase ghee in most indian food stores, but really, it’s much, much better when you make it yourself. Here’s an easy recipe from Aayi’s Recipes. Another, simpler recipe comes from Rejuvenation Lounge. Both are good!
Here’s your Kitchari bonanza of links! Happy, healthy, creations! Enjoy!
From Yoga Hmmm, Houston’s yoga studio here
From MICHIMAGIC here
From our old pals at Yoga Journal here
From Ayurveda Health Retreat here
From The Ayurvedic Institute here
From Rejuvenation Lounge here
From Planet Green here
Tags: food, Nourish Your Body, nourishment
Posted on: January 8, 2010
Filed under: Nourish Your Body, Uncategorized
1 Comment
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