(Note: If you are participating in the Spring Cleanse with The Bee Keeper's House, all the ingredients to prepare this recipe are included in your Cleanse Kit, which is included in the price of your Cleanse)
Kitchari, a traditional Ayurvedic dish, is the food we eat during our cleanse. I just love the flavor of this particular recipe as the roasting of the spices bring out the flavors.
This recipe makes enough to last you for 3 or 4 meals. You can play with the mixture of spices. Many people prefer this recipe when the spices are doubled (or even tripled).
1 cup Split Yellow Mung Beans* (see for ‘weak digestion’ below)
1 cup White Basmati Rice
1 Tbs Fresh Ginger Root
1 tsp each Black Mustard Seeds, and Cumin and Turmeric powder
½ tsp each Coriander powder, and fennel and fenugreek seeds
3 Cloves
3 Bay Leaves
7-10 cup Water
½ tsp Salt (rock salt is best).
1 small handful Fresh Chopped Cilantro Leaves
It’s important to get SPLIT MUNG DAL beans because they are easy to digest and due to their cleansing qualities, they pull toxins from the body. They are available at most natural food stores. Different spellings include mung and/or dahl. Please note that you do not want the whole mung dal beans, which are green, or yellow split peas.
Wash split yellow mung beans (dahl) and rice together until water runs clear.
Heat a large pot on medium heat and then add all the spices (except the bay leaves) and dry roast for a few minutes. This dry-roasting will enhance the flavor. (boy and howdy it does!)
Add dahl and rice and stir again.
Add water and bay leaves and bring to a boil.
Boil for 10 minutes.
Turn heat to low, cover pot and continue to cook until dahl and rice become soft (about 30-40 minutes).
The cilantro leaves can be added just before serving.
Add salt or to taste.
bon appétit!! (recipe adapted from Dr. John Doulliard, Life Spa)