An Ayurvedic Meal for All Seasons, Kitchari Recipe
Kitchary is a delicious meal of Ayurvedic cooking, combining plant-based protein, healthy grains, and seasonal vegetables and mixing with spices and healthy oils. I make this dish for lunch and usually turn it into a soup for dinner, by adding a little hot water or broth. Ideally, you should be cooking fresh every day in Ayurveda yet, if you can not, this is a good compromise to save for the next day, too. It is really simple and takes about 45 minutes to make. Remember to soak mung beans overnight if you are using green mung beans. Yellow Split mung beans, that are usually found in the Indian shops or online, can be soaked only 30 minute before cooking.
Equipment
- casserole (heavy sauce pan) about 20cm
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup Basmati Rice Soaked for 30-60min before cooking, drained and rinsed
- 1/2 cup Green Mung Beans Soaked Overnight and drained & washed
- 2 tbsp Ghee
- 1 / 2 tbsp Autumn Spice Mix (1 Tsp of Each: Ground Ginger, Fenugreek (or cumin), Cinnamon, Cardamom, fennel, Coriander; 1/2 Teaspoon of ground turmeric)
- 2 cups Chopped Seasonal Vegetables Carrots, pumpkins, celery, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, broccoli, etc
- Lime juice for seasoning
- Fresh mint, parsley or basil to garnish
- 1/2 cup Optional: coconut milk or shreds in summer use during hot summer days only
- Vegetable Broth or Water
- 1 tbs Fresh ginger, grated
- 1/8 tsp Asafoetida (hing) - Optional
- 1/2 cup Fresh Fennel, chopped thinly
Instructions
- Rinse the rice and mungbeans very well under cool water and set aside
- Melt the ghee and add the spice mix, stir 1 minute
- Add fresh ginger and stir 1 minute
- Optional: Add asafoetida (hing) and stir 1 minute
- Add chopped fennel and sauté until they are softened
- Add the rice and beans and coat the spice mix well by stirring about 5 minutes
- Add water/broth (and coconut milk if using) and boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes
- Add vegetables and salt, and cook for another 10 minutes, checking in if all is cooked well and creams texture
- Serve with a few drops of fresh lime juice, gransihing with fresh herbs
Video
Notes
Here is a complete meal with carbs, proteins and veggies, you can enjoy it as a rich lunch, during your cleanses or anytime you want a hearty, delicious and nutritious meal in one pot!
Adapt the recipe with different seasonal vegetables.
You can put this in a thermos and carry to work or picnics.