Detox day - Kitchari Recipe:
1 cup basmati rice
½ cup organic whole or split mung beans (bulk section of the health food store) These need to be soaked for at least three hours before cooking.
4-6 cups of water
2 T ghee (clarified butter) An organic brand will be available at the health food store
1 teaspoon of black mustard seeds
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 pinches hing (asafetida)
1 teaspoon fresh grated ginger
½ teaspoon of sea salt
½ teaspoon of turmeric
1 - 2 cups chopped vegetables (optional) - I used chart and kale and I also spinkled chia seeds
Preparation
This recipe makes 4 servings
Wash rice and mung and soak for three hours or overnight. Drain soak water.
In a saucepan warm the ghee. Add the ginger, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and hing, and sauté for one to two minutes until the mustard seeds start to pop and the aroma of the spices is released. Add rice and mung beans and sauté for 2-4 minutes or until they start sticking to the sides of the pot. Then add 4-6 cups of water, and bring to a boil. Stir in the seaweed, salt, and turmeric, and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and cook until beans & rice are tender (approx. 30-45 minutes). If you are adding vegetables to your kitchari, add the longer cooking vegetables such as carrots and beets halfway through the cooking. Add the vegetables that cook faster such as leafy greens near the end. Your finished kitchari should be the consistency of a vegetable stew as opposed to a broth. If you need to add more water, you can. Taste and add additional salt as needed. Serve with fresh cilantro or one of our tasty chutneys. Click here for the chutney recipes.
Health Benefits
Kitchari is a potent blood purifier. In Traditional Chinese Medicine we use the mung bean to strip environmental toxins out of the tissues which is especially helpful for the reproductive organs, liver, and thyroid gland health. Serve kitchari with yummy, fresh side dishes such as our spiced greens. Steamed vegetables are always good too. Good luck and enjoy.
