Several Ayurvedic cookbooks give an assortment of recipes for kichadi (or kitcharee). Depending on the ingredients, it's healing for one ailment or another, but the basis is always mung beans, rice, and digestive spices slow cooked into a soft stew. This one is good for stimulating digestion and circulation, and is particularly soothing on a chilly night.
1/2 cup basmati rice, washed
1/4 cup split mung beans, washed
6 cups water
1 Tbsp ghee*
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 Tbsp ghee
1 tsp each ground turmeric, coriander, cardamom, black pepper, cinnamon and sea salt
1/2 tsp each cumin and ground cloves
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp fresh grated ginger
1/2 onion, chopped small
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups fresh chopped vegetables (carrots, zucchini, celery, green beans...)
2 cups fresh chopped greens (spinach, kale, chard...)
chopped fresh cilantro or parsley, drizzle of tahini or Bragg to garnish (optional)
In a large saucepan, heat 1 Tbsp ghee and add cumin seeds. Brown lightly, then add the rice and mung beans, stirring to coat. Add water, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 45 minutes.
In a small skillet, heat 2 Tbsp ghee and add all dry spices plus bay leaves. Saute a few minutes, then stir in onion, garlic and ginger. Allow to combine a few minutes, then add to rice and mung along with the greens. Cover and cook 20 minutes longer. For a creamier stew, puree half the kichadi in a blender or with a hand-held. Serve garnished with herbs and/or a drizzle of tahini and/or a splash of Bragg or tamari, maybe even a squirt of lemon. Serves 3-4.
*NOTE: ghee is an ayurvedic dairy fat that is supposed to be healing and soothing for digestion and good for all doshas. For vegan diets, replace with olive or sunflower oil.
FOR INDIVIDUAL DOSHAS
VATAS choose from carrots, asparagus, zucchini, green beans, peas, spinach and squash
PITTAS choose from asparagus, celery, green beans, zucchini, any leafy greens and peas; omit cloves, reduce garlic and bay leaf to 1 each
KAPHAS choose any vegetables except squash and zucchini; garnish with herbs only
10 comments:
Thank you for these great recipes! I love the notes at the end for each dosha. They are extremely helpful for someone like me who is just starting to get into ayurveda. I had a question about kichadi-can I use whole mung beans instead of split? I would soak them appropriately, of course. I think this would give me more fiber than split.
Thanks for your very positive comment! And yes, you can absolutely use whole mung beans.
This sounds so warming and nutritious. Thanks for all the great recipes.
Great recipe--I have been making this for several weeks for my mother who is going through chemotherapy and cannot eat much. I have found that this is so nutritious and restoritive that it keeps her nourished even if she can only manage half a cup at a time. Thanks for the new recipe, I will have to try it out.
jh
bodaweightloss
Wow, I'm really glad this meal is so nourishing for your mom, JH. I was really moved by your note. I truly wish all the best for your mother.
I finally got around to making this one...another amazing recipe! So very delicious, and a wonderful change from my usual kichadi.
Thank you Claudia!
I made a variation of kichadi tonight for dinner and mine came out much mushier than yours looks--almost like oatmeal. It was still yummy, though! My question is: can you freeze kichadi to eat later? I made a HUGE batch accidentally and I am only one person...oops. Thanks again for your wonderful blog...I have made a few recipes and have loved them all :)
That's great, Jessica! : )
Katharine, I'm so glad you like these recipes! Did you puree it completely that it turned out so creamy? As for freezing, yes you can certainly freeze them in batches, lasting a month or so in the freezer. Just a note that according to Ayurveda, it's best to eat foods fresh everyday (though in these busy modern days it's hard to avoid leftovers!).
Ayurveda Diet plays a major role in maintenance of a healthy life, Keep this going on please, great job!
Great recipe! Can you just explain to me please do I add rest of the spices and greens into mung beans and rice after they cooked for 45min and then cook for another 20min or do I add them after 25 min of cooking mung beans and rice and let them finish all together? Because 1h5min of cooking seams a little too much...
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