Kitchari Recipe

This is a mung dal kitchari which balances all three doshas. It is particularly beneficial for the stomach, lungs, liver, and large intestine. In Traditional Chinese Medicine mung beans are also revered for their detoxification properties, and Scott's herbal mentor, Cathy Mc Nease, employs them for people suffering from pesticide poisoning. To learn more about this topic, read Scott's article on Springtime cleansing and rejuvenation, entitled "Spring it On."

Serves 4-5

1 cup yellow mung dal (split or whole)

1 cup basmati rice

1 inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and chopped fine

2 tablespoons shredded, unsweetened coconut

1 small handful fresh cilantro leaves

1/2 cup water

3 tablespoons ghee (purified butter)

1 1/2 inch piece of cinnamon bark

5 whole cloves

4-5 crushed cardamom pods

10 black peppercorns

3 bay leaves

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 cups water

Wash the mung dal and rice until water is clear. Soaking the dal for a few hours or overnight helps with digestibility.

In a blender, put the ginger, coconut, cilantro and 1/2 cup water and blend until liquefied.

Heat a large saucepan on medium heat and add the ghee, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, peppercorns and bay leaves. Stir for a moment until fragrant. Add the blended items to the spices, then the turmeric and salt. Stir until lightly browned.

Stir in the mung dal and rice and mix very well.

Pour in the 6 cups of water, cover and bring to a boil. Let boil for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat to very low and cook, lightly covered, until the dal and rice are soft, about 25-30 minutes if mung beans are split, and 1 hour if whole. Add water if needed.

This recipe and many others can be found in Ayurvedic Cooking for Self-Healing (second edition)

by Usha & Vasant Lad. This recipe can be found on page 79.