Seasonal reset

16 January 2024

At the change of season one of my favourite ways to nourish the body is with a warming bowl of Kitchari – it has become one of my families favourite dishes, even my boys!

Kitchari is an ayurvedic meal known for it’s detoxifying, warming and easily digestible properties. It is a simple mixture of split mung beans and basmati rice with traditional healing Indian spices like turmeric, cumin and coriander.

Whether you are looking to give your digestion a break or feel your body in search of a nourishing hug in a bowl, I think you’ll find this to be a pleasing and surprisingly delicious dish that you might make regularly throughout the year – just like I have come to do.

KITCHARI

Print Recipe

Servings 4

Ingredients

1 cup mung beans (or yellow mung dal)
½ cup white or brown basmati rice
2 tablespoons coconut oil/ghee/butter
2 bay leaves
5 cups water
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ginger (optional)
salt
2 teaspoons mustard seeds (yellow or black)
2 teaspoons cumin seeds
2 teaspoons turmeric

Vegetables: I love to add baby marrow (courgettes) to my kitchari but you can add any seasonal vegetables that you enjoy – from leafy greens, brocolli, peas, asparagus or butternut

Optional toppings: spinach, avocado, chopped herbs and a squeeze of fresh lemon

Instructions

Rinse the mung beans and rice until the water runs clear *
Measure out all the spices into a cup – this makes it less likely that you'll burn your spices while searching for the others
Heat the oil/butter in a pan or stockpot. Add all the spices and saute together on a medium heat for a minute until fragrant. Be careful not to overdo this stage – you don't want to risk frazzling the spices and making them bitter or burnt.
Stir in the mung beans and rice. Add 5 cups of water and any chopped vegetables. Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer with the lid on.
Cook for at least 40 minutes (longer if you need the water to reduce) or add more water if necessary – the mung beans and rice should be completely cooked.

Notes

You can eat this dish on it’s own (which I do for lunch) and add some delicious toppings like avocado, fresh coriander and lemon OR you can use as a side dish with dinner – my boys love kitchari and I get to add some veggies for added nutrition.

*if you are using whole green mung beans (which are more easily available) – you will need to soak them overnight, rinse and drain them before using.

Digestive health is a core focus in ayurvedic wellness and they suggest replacing a meal with a bowl of Kitchari weekly – while also drinking more water and getting lots of rest – encourages gentle healing, kick starts your metabolism, stabilises blood sugar, and helps us slow down in the best way. Together the mung beans and rice form a complete protein.

Over changing seasons our bodies tend to gravitate towards more warming and nourishing dishes like kitchari. To complete your seasonal reset I also like to include my favourite whole poached chicken broth and use the poached chicken in wraps for my boys or chicken mayo sandwiches or a salad while enjoying a mug of the wholesome chicken broth.