KITCHARI CLEANSE

Ayurveda encourages the cleansing of the body using healthy, organic foods. It’s also important to drink lots of warm water to help clear out the lymph system where toxins can accumulate and eventually create disease.

Below is a Kitchari recipe for a healthy 1-3 day cleanse. Kitchari is a complete meal in one pot that is consumed for 3 meals a day during the fast. No snacking in between meals. Make sure you eat enough to keep your body going until the next meal.

If you would like to have something a little different for breakfast, you can either change the herbs in the Kitchari to cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Or you can make rice gruel. Cook white rice with double the recommended amount of water. Add some chopped, dried dates and sauté the cinnamon, cardamom and ginger in ghee before drizzling over the cooked rice.

Try to “unplug” for the day(s) of your cleanse as much as possible, limiting phone, media and TV time as much as possible.

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Kitchari Recipe

Prep time: about 1 hour

Wash well:

½ cup basmati rice (white is easier to digest)

½ cup split mung dahl (yellow, small split bean from Indian grocer or health food store)

Place in medium saucepan with:

4 cups water

1 tsp ghee (clarified butter can be purchased in a jar or use this Ghee Recipe)

Prepare by washing and chopping:

2 carrots sliced

1 tender zucchini

any other vegetable you like

Cook rice, mung beans, water and ghee for 45 minutes, then add vegetables and cover for 10-15 minutes or until the veggies are well cooked.

In a separate skillet heat:

1 Tablespoon of ghee

½ teaspoon coriander

½ teaspoon cumin

½ teaspoon ginger

½ teaspoon turmeric

salt to taste

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Heat ghee, spices and salt until you smell the beautiful aroma, then pour over rice and dal mixture and stir well.

This recipe can be made either thick or soupy and with a variety of vegetable and spices as per the season.

It’s also okay to add fresh squeezed lime and cilantro or basil just before enjoying!

Recipe from the Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health